Tourism revives during the Easter holidays, reports Brussels Airlines. Many travelers have already booked a ticket to the sun, but the airline still expects a large number of last minute reservations. “You feel the hunger for a holiday”, travel organizer Neckermann agrees. “People no longer see any reason not to go on holiday,” it also sounds to travel organizer TUI. According to the latter, spring ski is also on the rise.
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Compared to 2019, Brussels Airlines offers 80 percent of its holiday flights during the Easter holidays. Across the network, this concerns 75 percent of the 2019 offer. Malaga (Spain), Rome (Italy), Lisbon (Portugal), Madrid (Spain) and newcomer Copenhagen (Denmark) are the most sought-after. New York (United States), Dakar (Senegal), Douala (Cameroon) and Entebbe (Uganda) are doing well on the intercontinental network.
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For airlines and tour operators, the Easter holiday marks the start of the summer season. This is also reflected in the bookings. “The Canary Islands are and remain the most popular, because the Mediterranean destinations are not 100 percent sure of the weather. The Turkish Riviera also scores very well. Further afield, the Dominican Republic and Mexico are the typical high-flyers,” says Piet Demeyere of TUI. A similar picture paints Neckermann, who also sees a popular spring destination in Dubai.
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Popularity of ski holidays
But not all travelers want pool weather. “The skiing holidays during the Easter holidays are going very well. We had to share the ski resorts with other European countries during the Christmas holidays as well as during the spring break, but in the first week of the Easter holidays there is no holiday in France and the Netherlands. The possibility of getting rooms is therefore much greater. It is already low season for skiing, which makes a ski trip during the Easter holidays up to 30 to 40 percent cheaper,” says Demeyere.
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“We are positive”, the Association of Belgian Travel Organizers (ABTO) also said. The association sees “an increased demand for the Easter holidays, but also for July and August,” said spokesman Pierre Fivet. “But we do notice that many people are still unsure and waiting to book. There may be a shortage of availability for certain destinations.” The ABTO therefore advises travelers not to wait until the last minute to book a trip.
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Brussels Airlines expects that two-thirds of travelers only make their travel plans in the last six weeks before departure. The airline has noticed this trend “for two years”, in other words since the corona pandemic. “We have not had a typical booking season: in November and December there was absolutely no booking yet,” says Demeyere of TUI. Neckermann also saw “a dip” in those months, says spokesman Leen Segers. “But in January and February we achieved very good results. Sometimes we couldn’t follow it. Despite everything that is happening in the world, we see that sales are not stopping.”
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