Mauritius specialists are promoting savings for early bookings of 2023 packaged holidays, touted as the best value that your customers shouldn’t miss – and that’s before Black Friday, November 25, specials flood the market.
Brenda Mitchell, World Leisure Holidays Head of Sales, said a big drive was under way to push sales for February and March. The operator has launched a series of packages designed to encourage early bookings. Advantages include:
- You get the room category your client wants;
- There is flight availability in lower booking classes; and
- There are added-value perks and benefits if you book early.
Beachcomber Tours is also currently promoting 2023 departures. Liezel de Goede, Western Cape Sales Executive, said the operator was still getting last-minute requests for travel in December. However, she said many agents were now ‘switch selling’ customers to 2023 with its cheaper airfares and availability playing a part. “It still pays to book early,” she told Travel News.
Joanne Visagie, Beachcomber Tours Sales & Marketing Director, reminded consultants that, in most cases, flights were more expensive if bought closer to departure. She said it was a case of supply and demand. “Beachcomber Hotels, like other hotels, realise that it is most important to garner sales early on so as to fill up a certain percentage of rooms. The hotel industry has high fixed costs that must be covered, hence hotels offer early-bird discounts that travellers should make full use of!”
Currently, there was more demand for flights than supply, Visagie reported. “Black Friday offers are about to come on to the market, so consultants should already know when their clients wish to travel so that they can bank excellent holiday prices for them. Late bookers currently pay more as demand is currently running at very high levels and hotels and flights are filling up quickly. Organised consultants can take full advantage.”
Flora Fubbs, Director of Operations at The Holiday Factory, said consultants should also book early to secure inventory when it was peak season in other markets. “In peak periods like South African school holidays in August, it’s almost every European country’s peak holiday period as well. A lot of South African travellers don’t keep in mind that there are other markets with demand and they leave it late to book. But the agent then won’t get the hotel that the client most wants. You don’t have the luxury of choice closer to the time.”
Fubbs added: “I can also tell you that you won’t get a family room for all the tea in China three months before departure in busy periods. Family travel is quite seasonal, so hotels only allocate about 20% of their rooms to family travel.”
What about pricing?
Booking early secures the best price and will also help combat future currency spikes. Fubbs said the South African market was resilient to fluctuations due to things like fuel cost and exchange rate increases. Still, she maintained: “If your client does early booking ahead, they don’t have to worry, no matter what. The budget is set. Whereas the longer you wait, the less chance there is that you’re going to get that good deal.”
