A delayed take-off

Turkey, which has borne the brunt of the slowdown in high street bookings so far, seems likely to offer the biggest price reductions as operators struggle to fill seats already purchased from airlines.

Platon Loizou, at Jewel in the Crown Holidays (www.jewelholidays.com) says: “We’re praying people will start to think seriously about their holidays now all the royal celebrations are over.

“It really has been dire so far – one of our worst seasons ever, maybe 40 per cent down on a daily basis from this time last year. On some flights to Turkey, there are 60 empty seats, which is why there are so many offers to get rid of them.”

Loizou says he has been selling seven-night hotel B&B breaks in Turkey from £169 and return flights from £99. One four-star hotel in the quieter area of Marmaris has been reduced by £129, with return flights ex-Manchester.

“Some operators were losing £100 per seat early in the season,” he says.

British visitors could be deterred from Turkey by fears of high living costs but Loizou claims restaurant and bar owners are following the example of Greece, and holding prices to lure more visitors.

Also hoping for a bookings lift-off is John McEwan, chief executive of agents Advantage Travel, who says: “We see a lot of bookings eight weeks prior to departure, so we expect some movement in the market. Now we can see how the summer season is going to pan out.”

At Lowcostholidays.com, product director Matt Hall says: “We’ve seen a big jump in bookings since the Royal wedding already, with the Spanish Costas offering the best value for those looking two or three weeks ahead.

“With £150 cash in your pocket, you have a choice of destinations in later May – seven nights’ self-catering in Marmaris, Turkey, leads in at £95, ex-Bournemouth, while seven nights’ self-catering in a three-star hotel in Lloret de Mar, ex-Manchester, starts at £109.”

Artemis Travel (www.artemistravel.co.uk), which finds tenants for mainly British-owned apartments and villas in Turkish resorts, halved rentals (per night) in several locations for May, while Olympic Holidays (www.OlympicHolidays.com) has taken more than 30 per cent off seven nights’ B&B in the centre of Turkey’s Gumbet.