Holidaymakers shrug off Brexit worries and plunge in pound

Thomson owner Tui signalled that British holidaymakers had shrugged off any worries over the Brexit vote and plunging pound as it reported strong demand for trips abroad.

The travel giant revealed the UK was its best performing region over the summer season, with revenues up 5 per cent, while bookings from Britain have also surged by 22 per cent so far for the winter as sun-seekers head to long-haul destinations such as Mexico and the Dominican Republic.

A weaker performance in the Nordics and Germany left overall revenues 1 per cent higher for the summer, but Tui said bookings were 7 per cent higher excluding Turkey, where an attempted military coup was thwarted in July.

Tui hiked its earnings outlook for the full year after the better-than-expected trading.

It said underlying earnings are now set to grow by 12 per cent and 13 per cent over the year to September 30 - up from August’s prediction for growth of at least 10 per cent.

Rival Thomas Cook also revealed robust demand from UK holidaymakers in its update on Tuesday, but its sales were hit hard in Germany and across Continental Europe, tumbling by 9 per cent, in the wake of Turkey’s woes and recent terrorist attacks.