Analyst GfK has reported an increase in UK summer 2019 bookings.
Bookings in the week to August 10 were up 15% year on year, with average selling prices up almost 2%.
Last week’s surge came after an 8% increase in bookings year on year in the week to August 3.
Summer bookings for the season to date remain 1% up overall, but GfK senior client insight director David Hope said: “That is a ‘strong’ 1%. The season has recovered from where it was.”
Family and all-inclusive bookings continue to drive the market. GfK reported all-inclusive bookings up 7% season to date and 18% in the week to August 10, with family bookings up 21% in the week.
The figures come after Tui reported a 46% fall in underlying operating profit on Tuesday to €101 million in the April to June quarter, blaming the grounding of the Boeing 737 Max.
The company put the cost of the grounding at €144 million for the three months and €300 million for the financial year.
More: Tui profits hit by Max 737 grounding and Brexit uncertainty
Summer 2019 bookings across Tui’s markets were 1% down to August 4, but average prices 1% up and chief executive Fritz Joussen said: “We expect the recent positive trend to continue.”
Tui did not give UK market figures, but Joussen noted the pound’s fall meant price increases “of a little more than 4% – not disastrous [but] difficult for British travellers”.
Group-wide, he said: “People are travelling but making decisions later. [They] have the impression there is no shortage of [holiday] supply.”
Tui carried just over six million customers in the three months, roughly the same as last year, but turnover rose 3.7% to €4.75 billion.