Multicom outlines top-selling peak booking destinations

Tunisia and Egypt are leading the way for summer 2014 in the peak turn-of-year booking period, latest data shows.

Tunisia and Egypt are leading the way for summer 2014 in the peak turn-of-year booking period, latest data shows.

Confidence in Egypt has bounced back following last year’s political unrest, with sales to Sharm El-Sheikh accounting for almost 40% of package bookings through Multicom’s FindandBook system.

Hurghada is also proving popular, confirming that Egypt is no longer considered off-limits.

For those seeking an alternative in North Africa, Tunisia is emerging as the winner offering good value for money and a comparable experience.

The next best-selling holiday choice is Gran Canaria with 13% of package bookings, closely followed by Faro and Corfu, which make up the top five most popular destinations booked so far.

Outside of the top five the traditional favourites of mainland Spain and Turkey remain popular and are selling well, occupying the next five places in Multicom’s top ten.

Overall signs are positive that consumers are feeling more confident about the economy, with December 2013 sales up year on year by almost 16% compared to the same period a year earlier.

Multicom managing director John Howell said: “It is interesting to see Egypt bouncing back and bookings from FindandBook showing the resort of Sharm El-Sheikh proving to be the best seller for early bookings.

“But equally Tunisia is performing well, underlining the demand that North Africa can offer for combining an exciting cultural experience, great weather and value for money.

“Elsewhere, while there are few surprises at this stage, we expect demand for more exotic or specialist holidays to pick up as customers complete their research and confirm their plans.

“It is also good to see that overall demand is higher year on year, indicating consumer confidence is picking up and holidaymakers are prepared to commit to those big spending decisions.”