PALMA
THOUSANDS of Britons can not take any more of the battering they have had to endure from the gale force winds and torrential rain this summer and are rushing to the sun with last minute holiday bookings continuing to surge.
According to travel agents and tour operators, Britons are not only booking for this Autumn in a desperate bid to catch some sun before Christmas, but those who took the gamble and decided to chance a holiday in Britain are already booking to come away to the sun next summer.
Bookings for the Mediterranean and further afield in late autumn and next summer have soared by up to 150 per cent, operators say. Many customers booked as soon as they got home from this year's summer trip.
Jonathan White, managing director of VFB Holidays, said: We've spoken to lots of people who have sat through the wet weather here. Their view is simple: blow the recession: We need to get away somewhere warm. The problem has been accommodating these last-minute bookings when capacity has been cut back. Industry sources have said that year-on-year bookings have risen by 80 percent over the past month with Majorca continuing to prove one of the most popular destinations.
An early rise in demand for 2009 holidays will be welcomed by the Majorcan tourist industry which, with a serious marketing campaign in the UK, should start to consider making the most of the situation and launching a major publicity drive in the UK this winter to combat competition from other destinations.