Palma.The Bulletin is continuing to track the movement of the British package holiday market for next year and, while sales have been looking surprisingly encouraging over the past few months, figures are now starting to look good as the Managing Director of the Monarch Travel Group, Hugh Morgan, described the market this week.
Since the start of Autumn, the package holiday market has seen an unusually early increase in demand and that, according to industry sources is primarily because many Britons braved the dreadful wet summer to stay at home for the Jubilee, the Olympics and, to a certain extent, the European Championships.
However, as soon as all those events came to an end and the euphoria died down, the rush to book some sunshine began and has not slowed down.
Sales figures for the Balearics have been steadily up on this year, but until recently the overall market was flat by comparison.
However, the latest market sales figures show that the overall market is now up by one percent with all of Spain's top destinations, including the Balearics, enjoying an increase in demand which should grow further.
Apparently, one in three consumers are already thinking about a holiday abroad in 2013 and the proportion will swell to two out of five from today, according to research.
Record numbers expect to book online next year, but how they do so may be about to change as one in four adults expect to give or receive a tablet computer, such as an iPad, this Christmas.
The survey of 500 people a cross-section of consumers by Explore Research was carried out for Travel Weekly.
Explore asked those who expect to take an overseas holiday in 2013 when they will begin planning it.
One-third (32%) said they had already started and a further 8% said they would immediately after Christmas.
An additional 21% said they would do so between New Year and Easter.
Almost three-quarters (74%) said they would begin their holiday research online, with 63% expecting to book online.
One in five (21%) expected to book with an agency, over the phone or through a combination of an agent, call centre and online.
A minority appear ready to research or book by tablet or smartphone: 6% said they would research their holiday by tablet or phone and 3% to book it that way.
But 24% of adults in the survey expect to give or receive a tablet for Christmas, suggesting the proportion could quickly rise.
Tablets offer the convenience and connectivity of a smartphone, but with the bigger screen and better resolution of a laptop.
Younger adults appear most likely to book online, 78% saying they would do so next year compared with 52% of over-55s.
The only problem the Balearics could find is that with many hotels not planning to open until after Easter, they could lose out on some early business.
But, summer 2013 is shaping up to be a hot one.
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