People are booking their next holiday straight from the airport as 2022 destination plans surge

The turn of the year has seen a surge in holiday bookings, according to a leading Scots travel agent.

Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel, said: “Holidays are a top priority for Scots during 2022.

Most people have spent the last few years dreaming and planning their ultimate holiday and we’re seeing both old favourite destinations and big bucket-list trips being realised this year. There’s been a surge of 165% in enquiries since December which shows that confidence is back and people want to firm up travel plans as soon as possible.

“The recent relaxation of testing rules also means travel is now more accessible and more affordable.

“This year, we’ve noticed holidaymakers intend on going away for longer, upgrading and spending more on their precious getaways – indicating just how important the holiday is.

“Pre-pandemic, our top holiday duration was always seven nights, but this has changed for 2022 and beyond – we’re seeing 14 nights or more become popular.

“Spend per person per night is also on the rise – an average increase of almost 20% since 2019 as customers choose to treat themselves and their families by upgrading accommodation, cabins or airline tickets.

“There’s a real sense that people just want to get away as much as possible this year after almost two years of postponing plans.”

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Dobson added: “Feedback from our store network suggests that customers are booking multiple trips at once.

“Our teams are seeing customers come into the store to book all their annual holiday arrangements at once, we even had people book their next holiday straight from the airport.

“This year is, without a doubt, the year of the holiday.”