Cassidy Travel Director, John Spollen, reports on renewed demand for travel, top tips, and trends for 2022
Since December, John Spollen, Director of Cassidy Travel, has reported a massive surge in bookings.
“If the past two years have taught us anything, it is the importance of seizing life’s opportunities and savouring every moment of it when we can,” says John. “Of course, everyone wants to travel, but we all want to do it safely.”
He continues, “The rebound is happening. Overseas holiday enquiries and bookings picked up as soon as Ireland’s testing restrictions were eased. So many people are going to say ‘yes’ to travel this year! Bookings for overseas travel are on the increase. We are experiencing a pre-pandemic January!
“While this is great news for the industry, the pent-up demand will have a knock-on effect on availability and prices of both flights and accommodation for the foreseeable future.”
With this in mind, Cassidy Travel’s experts have put together some top tips and trends for hopeful holiday-makers this year.
Cassidy Travel’s Top Travel Tips:
- Book early! – especially if your travel dates are fixed. With a prediction of 10-15% fewer seats around Europe this year due to demand, it’s never too early to book for this summer.
- Be flexible – avoid peak times, if possible. Consider going on your summer holiday in May, June or September rather than July or August. Going on a short break? Travel mid-week if you can to avail of the best prices and availability.
- Check Covid-19 restrictions in your destination country – as we are all well aware, Covid-19 restrictions can change quickly and often. Keep an eye on your destination documentation requirements also. Most countries still require proof of vaccination/booster or negative PCR/Antigen test results.
- Make sure you’re covered – Travel insurance is essential! Remember to take out insurance at the same time you book to make sure you’re covered.
- Passports – If you’re excited to travel in 2022, check your passport expiration date now. If you need to apply for or renew your passport for a 2022 trip, you’ll want to get that application into the passport office ASAP!
- Book with an ITAA (Irish Travel Agents Association) travel agent – for increased security.
Travel Trends 2022:
- Experiential travel – with regards to trends, one of the biggest this year is Experiential travel. Cassidy Travel’s expert events and sports teams are reporting increasing popularity in event-based holiday bookings. From concert packages like Ed Sheeran and Coldplay, to sporting events such as Formula 1, Six Nations, Golf Masters and Premier League, experiential holidays are definitely on the rise.
- Bucket list travel – with many people forgoing their holidays over the past two years, and consequently having more savings in the bank, luxury and adventure trips are also becoming increasingly popular. Whether it’s a luxury cruise around the Caribbean, a honeymoon in the Maldives, or a Kenyan Safari, the Irish have their minds on something extra special in 2022.
- Extended family holidays – Cassidy Travel is seeing a lot more multi-generational family holiday bookings, as people enjoy time with their families after so much time apart. Villa holidays are perfect for large groups.
- New routes – There are some good flight and hotel deals on new routes from Ireland – and some incentive prices –including Madeira, Sardinia, Santorini, Cyprus, and also Jersey.
Cassidy Travel is Ireland’s leading independent travel agent, with 36 years in the business of delivering quality holidays to Irish customers. Cassidy Travel remained open throughout the duration of the pandemic, dealing with refunds, changes in bookings, and general advice for their loyal customer base.
They are delighted to announce they have surpassed 250,000 followers on Facebook this week and are looking forward to creating unforgettable holiday experiences for Irish customers this year!
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Clodagh Dooley
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