Consumers urged to check for financial protection as holiday bookings set to rise

03.01.2024 - 09:05 / traveldailynews.com / Vicky Karantzavelou

Exclusive research conducted by ATOL for ‘Sunshine Saturday’ shows that our appetite to travel remains as strong as ever, with almost three in five of us (56 per cent) planning to go overseas this summer, and just over half (51 per cent) planning to go abroad more than once in 2024.

Travellers are being warned to exercise caution when booking a holiday this weekend – one of the busiest of the year for bookings – by booking an ATOL-protected holiday and looking out for hidden costs.

Dubbed ‘Sunshine Saturday’, 6 January is predicted to see a surge in bookings as it is one of the most popular dates to plan a holiday.

Many travel companies are also currently offering summer getaway offers and the UK Civil Aviation Authority, which runs the ATOL financial protection scheme, is urging consumers to check for ATOL and read the small print on bargain holiday deals.

Around four in ten of us also said they would book a package holiday for their next big holiday.

The research also looked into our holiday booking habits, with almost one in ten of us (8 per cent) planning to research and book our next big holiday on the same day, while 20 per cent said they would take a more cautious approach by spending more than a month researching flights, destination and accommodation before finally booking.

Around two in five (18 per cent) said they would take more than a week to plan their holiday with just over one in ten (11 per cent) stating it will take them more than two weeks.

2023 saw a growth in bookings, driving holiday reservations back to pre-pandemic levels. Last year, ATOL-protected bookings made up around £27.7 billion in sales.

ATOL has been protecting consumers since the summer of 1973 and over the last half-century has grown to financially protect more than 26 million passengers a year. This figure is projected to grow to almost 32 million in 2024.

Ahead of ‘Sunshine Saturday’, ATOL has also issued a list of seven top tips for booking a holiday to ensure consumers won’t lose money if something goes wrong, as well as four tips for checking for hidden costs from an unfamiliar tour operator.

ATOL is currently running a campaign throughout January and February reminding people of the importance of checking for ATOL protection before they book their next trip abroad.

Consumers can check the ATOL website before booking and use its ‘check for ATOL’ tool to see if their holiday provider holds an ATOL licence.

Tim Johnson, Director at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: “This weekend, typically known as ‘Sunshine Saturday’ is traditionally the busiest for people booking their holidays, with many travellers taking advantage of bargain deals. We’ve seen bookings grow significantly back to pre-pandemic levels, and