Barrhead Travel reveals top hot-spots as Scots make last-minute dash for the sun

Barrhead Travel has reported record summer departures as “people look to make up for lost holidays” post-pandemic.

Jacqueline Dobson, president at Barrhead Travel: 'We’ve really seen a boom in bookings as people look to make up for lost holidays.'

The Glasgow-headquartered travel agency said its record-breaking year had continued, with summer departures 56 per cent higher than last year - and 26 per cent up on 2019, its previous record-breaking year. Bosses at the firm, which maintains a strong high street presence, said industry levels have returned to normal, with the business notching up seven consecutive record-breaking months since the start of 2023.

According to the firm, holidaymakers have been flocking to travel agents to take advantage of last-minute getaway deals, despite the cost-of-living crisis, with one third of new bookings continuing to be for what remains of this summer season. The most popular last-minute destinations include Mallorca, Dalaman, Costa Blanca, Tenerife, Antalya and the Costa del Sol.

More widely, bookings for cruise holidays with Barrhead are said to be up 69 per cent in comparison to pre-pandemic 2019, with an increase of 104 per cent for luxury cruising. Additionally, the firm noted that more customers have been looking for “authentic experiences”, with touring and adventure holidays up 80 per cent on 2019. All-inclusive packages remain the number one holiday choice, making up a quarter of bookings.

Jacqueline Dobson, president at Barrhead Travel, said: “This year, we’ve really seen a boom in bookings as people look to make up for lost holidays. People are eager to get away to spend quality time with their families and the value-for-money provided by all-inclusive resorts and cruise holidays has been fantastic. Consistently over the past few months, around one third of our new bookings have been for summer 2023 getaways. Last week, we witnessed a significant surge in last minute bookings for departure in August, up 36 per cent compared with the same period last year. It’s a clear indication that people are keen to make the most of the last few weeks of summer holidays – and escape some of the wet weather we’ve been seeing in the UK. We are likely to record this summer as our biggest ever.”

Last year, the firm invested £1 million relocating its official headquarters in Glasgow city centre.