Royal wedding sales boost for lastminute.com

Holidaymakers are taking advantage of the two long weekends created by the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, according to Lastminute.com.

Holidaymakers are taking advantage of the two long weekends created by the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton, according to Lastminute.com.

Speaking at a Cimtig marketing group Question Time event in London last night, Mark Maddock, lastminute.com managing director UK and Ireland, said: “There has been a massive appetite for travel around the royal wedding dates.

“Long haul is really flying. Kenya has seen a 200% increase already this year because of the proposal.” Maddock said research on customers’ travel plans carried out by the online travel agency had proved heartening.

Some 70% of respondents said they would take as many or more holidays than they did last year. The average spend so far is £1,550 – 15% up on 2010.

Sunvil managing director Noel Josephides agreed that long haul was performing well, particularly Africa and Latin Amercia.

“We are up 5% on last year, with the growth coming from long haul, but this is early bookers so no-one knows whether it will dry up,” he said.

Advantage travel agents consortium leisure director Julia Lo Bue Said top-end enquiries were coming through but the family market was still challenging.