What economic downturn?

In a time when many travel companies are finding it hard to keep their heads above water, www.LateDeals.ie has just recorded their best month ever. Both the volume and value of sales for August 2009 were 38% higher than the same month in 2008.

Many of the travel operators significantly reduced capacity this year and as a result the number of cut price last minute deals on offer was considerably less than last year. As Juan Cullen, Founder and Managing Director of LateDeals.ie commented, “While many customers expected to find huge reductions on prices this year, there were in fact a lot less bargains out there. The larger Travel Operators all reduced their inventory considerably and, as such, were able to charge full price as availability was limited. The benefit to our customers is that they can access offers from all operators, however small, all on one site. As the top website for last minute holiday offers, we received many exclusive price offers from operators who had excess inventory to sell at the last minute”.

Analysis of the bookings showed that the Canary Islands and Turkey were the leading destinations with the average booking value being €1,412 and the majority of holidays being booked for two people. One week was the most common duration selected.
Latedeals.ie made two important additions to the site this year. The inclusion of Belfast departures greatly increased the choice of accommodation and availability to customers. Republic of Ireland holidaymakers are also benefiting from weaker sterling rates and securing some great deals. In July LateDeals.ie added a Hotel Booking Engine catering for customers who want to book their flights and accommodation separately. Juan Cullen commented, “The package holiday market has been in decline over the last few years. The increase in low cost carriers servicing popular holiday destinations has led to many people booking their own packages instead of with a tour operator. It seemed an obvious move to introduce an accommodation booking system where customers can select the destination of choice and see all offers on accommodation in their chosen location.”

And so it would seem, as more and more travel agencies are closing their doors, that online is the way forward in the travel industry.

Visit www.LateDeals.ie to see the best special offers from Ireland’s tour operators. Sign up for the weekly newsletter to ensure you are kept up to date and check back on a regular basis as offers tend to be short-lived and availability is limited.