On The Beach ready for ‘biggest summer’ after surge in package holiday bookings

On The Beach is preparing for its biggest summer of bookings as demand for package holidays booms and people continue to “prioritise travel” over other spending.

The travel group said it is expecting to see another record year of sales.

Over the six months to the end of March, sales by total transaction value (TTV) surged to £640.7 million, 13% higher than the same period a year ago.

This was driven by an 11% increase in the volume of bookings over the period, which has risen to 18% since the beginning of April, it said.

Summer sales are currently 14% higher than last year, as people secure getaways to destinations in Europe.

The Manchester-based company reported a pre-tax profit of £3.3 million for the first half of its financial year, up 18% on the prior year.

On The Beach said that demand for package holidays was continuing to “buck wider UK consumer trends”, indicating that the travel industry has been more cushioned from a wider spending slump affecting sectors such as retail and hospitality.

Customers continue to “prioritise travel”, chief executive Shaun Morton said, adding that the company was “well placed to deliver our biggest summer to date”.

New city break packages were “scaling rapidly and being enjoyed by both new and existing customers”, he said, bringing the total number of short and long-haul cities to 130.

The group also said it was reaching new customers after expanding into Ireland.