Games over...

As soon as the Olympics were over, Prime Minister David Cameron wasn’t the only one leaving Britain for a last-minute holiday.

According to lowcostholidays.com, there was a surge in inquiries almost the minute the closing ceremony in the Olympic Stadium ended.

The website claims a 65 per cent rise in searches where people are looking for holidays before the end of September, compared with demand in the previous week.

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Matt Hall, the firm’s deputy managing director says: “The hike in searches and bookings for holidays shows many holidaymakers waited for the Olympics to finish before booking their sunshine break. Fortunately, there are some great deals left, including seven nights in Costa Brava from around £200 per person.”

Latest deals from lowcostholidays.com include seven-night self-catering stays in Majorca (where the Camerons went) in September from about £110, with flights ex-Stansted.

Late demand for holidays is being boosted by discounts of up to 55 per cent, says the travel and entertainment deals website Travelzoo.

It says prices for travel between now and September 30 are on average 25 per cent less than they were in peak season.

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Joel Brandon-Bravo, managing director of Travelzoo UK says: “September is traditionally a great time of year for holiday bargains, with schools having gone back and reduced demand leading to lower prices.

“However, it is unusual to see such large discounts across the board, on beach holidays, city breaks or cruises. ”

Travelzoo claims a 47 per cent saving on a seven-night room-only package by Gambia Experience at the five-star Kairaba Hotel on Kololi beach, from £399 including return flights ex-London on September 4, 11 and 18.

At the opposite end of the price spectrum, luxury tour operator Destinology reports a 24 per cent increase in sales over the past two weeks against the same period last year, on its packages from £654.

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With Greece and Spain the most popular countries, Destinology managing director Liz Hingley says: “We have definitely witnessed the trend for people booking later and have seen a dramatic increase in bookings within 48 hours of the trip’s departure.

“Business was brisk through the Olympics. We knew there would be a trend for late summer bookings this year because of customers not wanting to miss out on the once-in-a-lifetime Olympic experience, but the 24 per cent increase in sales has exceeded all expectations.”

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