June and July were busy months for London, with the city hosting Wimbledon from 27th June – 10th July and the Lionesses bringing it home in the Women’s European Championship from 6th-31st July. Occupancy rates reflected this busy period, with levels just below those seen in 2019. One thing we can’t ignore is that, for the second time this year, London has achieved higher occupancy levels than pre-pandemic. This happened the week of Pride, a huge event on 2nd July in the centre of the city, with a parade, performance stages and all-around fun happening all day. This no doubt impacted the spike in occupancy we can see that week, starting 26th June, peaking at 87%.

Zooming out across the whole of the UK & Ireland, occupancy is just shy of pre-pandemic levels for July and August. July ended with an average of 78% occupancy, and August is currently peaking at 76%. Numbers at the end of August and early September do dip a bit, but keep in mind that 40% of bookings are still being made within 0-7 days ahead of stay, so these numbers will likely increase.

We share the destinations with highest occupancy rates in July, August & September so far. Keep in mind, this data is as of 18th August 2022, and 70% of bookings are being made within 30 days of stay, so August & September numbers are likely to increase.

In both the UK & Ireland, the majority of flights in June – August 2022 are from within Europe. Outside of Europe, flights from the United States remain steadily at 5% for the UK and 8% for Ireland, and Ethiopia accounts for 3% of flights to Ireland. Keep these countries in mind when developing your marketing strategies.

At 26%, direct bookings have decreased in 2022 compared with 2019, at 29%. GDS bookings have also decreased from 12% in 2019 to 10% in 2022. OTA bookings have increased from 29% in 2019 to 34% in 2022. To maximise your property’s visibility and increase direct bookings, maintaining a diverse channel mix is important. If you’d like to learn strategies and tactics on how to increase conversion, both on your website and through booking engines, download the Personalization and Direct Bookings Playbook.

Summer 2022 is nearing its end, but many will remember it fondly as a time when they could finally go to that concert, watch their friend say “I do”, cheer on their country, or simply reconnect and spend time with loved ones. As the UK & Ireland continues to recover from the impacts of the pandemic, demand continues to return, so ensure you are well positioned to capture this business by leveraging forward-looking data to better understand your market and, importantly, using those learnings to inform your business strategies and media campaigns.

If you want to learn more about global booking trends, download our Monthly Market Insights Report and remember, your local UK & Ireland team are on hand to answer your questions and give you more information about what our Business Intelligence data is telling us about your market. Contact us today to arrange a complimentary, personalised analysis of your market with one of our UK & Ireland experts.

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It is no surprise that in 2020 and 2021, very short and very long lead times were the most popular booking windows. With COVID-19 rules changing month to month in those years, travellers felt more comfortable booking trips a few days ahead of stay, knowing that the rules would likely not change in that time, leaving them feeling confident that their trip would go ahead, or booking far in advance, in the hope that some restrictions would lift in time for their holiday, and giving them something to look forward to. What we can see now is a shift in that behaviour, as traveller confidence increases in 2022, booking lead times are following a pattern closely resembling 2019 trends.

Bookings made 0-7 days ahead of stay remain popular and account for 39%. The biggest increase can be seen between 8-60 days ahead of travel, accounting for 45% of bookings and signifying an increase in traveller confidence. This may also be impacted by the summer months falling within this 8-60 day time frame. Consider running promotions especially for the summer, to capture the increase in demand, such as school holiday packages that include tickets to local family-friendly events. Identify what may draw people to your area throughout the summer months and increase the value of your rooms with promotions and packages that tie into those nearby attractions, to make your hotel stand out amongst the crowd.

When comparing the channel mix in 2022 with 2019, we can see that OTA bookings have increased from 29% to 33% and GDS bookings have decreased from 13% to 10%. Direct bookings have increased very slightly in 2022, compared with 2019. It is important to maintain a diverse channel mix in order to maximise your property’s visibility and increase direct bookings, which are an important contributor to channel mix performance and overall revenue. Download the Personalization and Direct Bookings Playbook to discover strategies and tactics to increase conversion, both on your website and through booking engines.

In both the UK & Ireland, the majority of flights in June – August 2022 are from within Europe, with Spain accounting for 21% for the UK and 15% for Ireland. Outside of Europe, flights from the United States remain steadily at 5% for the UK and 8% for Ireland. Ethiopia has made the top 10 list for Ireland, making up for 5%. When developing your media strategies, it’s useful to keep these countries in mind for targeted ads, to increase your chances of conversion.

For the UK & Ireland, Summer 2022 will be one to remember, as travel demand continues to grow and the removal of COVID-19 restrictions provides an attractive opportunity for Brits and travellers the freedom to enjoy the UK & Ireland without limits. Get the most out of your media campaigns by leveraging data that helps you to better understand booking behaviours.

If you want to learn more about global booking trends, download our Monthly Market Insights Report and remember, your local UK & Ireland team are on hand to answer your questions and give you more information about what our Business Intelligence data is telling us about your market. Contact us today to arrange a complimentary, personalised analysis.

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When comparing lead times from the past 3 years, it’s clear to see the change in behaviour. While bookings made within 0-7 days pre-trip remain popular, there is now a rise in bookings made 8-30 days before stay, making up for 29%.  Bookings made 31-60 days ahead of travel account for 13%, higher than in 2020 and the same level as seen in 2021. Bookings made further out, 61+ days ahead of stay, make up for 18%. Travellers are keen to get going, with 82% of bookings being made for within the next 60 days. Don’t start thinking ahead to Summer just yet, instead, try focusing your media strategies on promoting last-minute deals, or May Bank Holiday offers to capture this increase in demand for the near future.

When comparing the channel mix over the last 3 years, we can see that OTA bookings have decreased compared to 2021, but increased compared to 2020 and GDS bookings have increased slightly in 2022. While Direct bookings have increased in 2022, compared with 2021, they have decreased by 14% since 2020. Direct bookings are an important contributor to channel mix performance and overall revenue. Download the Personalization and Direct Bookings Playbook to see how personalization can bring direct bookings to new heights and discover additional strategies and tactics to make your website and booking engine a high-converting powerhouse.

When looking at the segment mix, we can see an increase in discount bookings made in 2022, compared with 2019. Try to avoid dropping rates as part of your strategy, as it will be harder to increase them again in the long-term, instead, add value to your rooms with special offers on drinks or meals on site, or, to really stand out from the rest, try partnering with local restaurants & attractions to include a discount or tickets as part of the room rate.

In both the UK & Ireland, the majority of flights in April-June 2022 are from within Europe, with Spain accounting for 14-20%. Outside of Europe, the United States makes up 5% of UK flights and 8% for Ireland. The majority of flights are from the UK, both domestically and to Ireland. Keep these top 10 countries in mind when developing targeted media strategies.

As we move further into 2022, travel demand continues to grow. Get the most out of your media campaigns by leveraging data that helps you to better understand booking behaviours.

If you’re interested in finding out more about global booking trends, download our Monthly Market Insights Report and please contact your local UK & Ireland team if you’d like to find out more about how Amadeus’ Business Intelligence data could benefit your business.

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As traveller confidence grows, so do bookings made 8-60 days pre-stay, which account for 41% of bookings, compared to just 13% in 2021. While bookings made 0-7 days ahead of stay have reduced slightly compared to 2021, they still account for 40% of bookings. The biggest shift can be seen in bookings made 61+ days ahead of travel, which accounted for 49% of bookings in 2021 and now makes up just 19% of bookings in 2022. This signifies a want and need to travel now, or at least in the near future. Be sure to keep this in mind when developing your media strategies, focus on promotions for upcoming key dates, such as the Easter break, rather than those more than a few months in the future.

When comparing the booking channel mix, the most noticeable shift is from OTA bookings, which have increased from 28% in 2020 to 34% in 2022. Direct & GDS bookings have increased in 2022, compared to 2021, but have reduced slightly compared to 2020. Be sure to maintain a diverse channel mix to maximise your property’s visibility and increase direct bookings. Did you know that 80% of consumers are more likely to make a purchase when brands offer personalized experiences? The Personalization and Direct Bookings Playbook is full of actionable strategies and tips on improving conversion and personalising the guest experience.

As we look at flights from March – May 2022, we can see a steady decrease in domestic bookings each month, meaning international demand is returning steadily. Most international flights are from within Europe, with Spain accounting for 12-21% across the 3 months, for both the UK & Ireland. While for the UK, the United States is steadily responsible for around 5% of flights, there is an increase in demand from the United States in Ireland, with flights increasing each month, peaking at 8% in May. Keep these top countries in mind when developing targeted media strategies.

This data shows an increased demand in domestic and international travel, with trips being booked sooner, rather than later. Leveraging data helps you to better understand booking behaviours, meaning you can target the right audiences at the perfect time.

If you’re interested in finding out more about global booking trends, download our Monthly Market Insights Report and please contact your local UK & Ireland team if you’d like to find out more about how Amadeus’ Business Intelligence data could benefit your business.

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When comparing the booking channel mix this year with last year, the most noticeable shifts are from Brand.com and OTA bookings, which have increased, and Direct bookings which have decreased. In order to maximise your property’s visibility and increase direct bookings, be sure to maintain a diverse channel mix. For tips on how to improve conversion, both on your website and through booking engines, download the Personalization and Direct Bookings Playbook.

As we look at flights from February – April 2022, domestic bookings in the UK & Ireland are decreasing each month, meaning international demand is returning steadily. The majority of international flights are from within Europe, with most European flights coming from Spain across the 3 months for both the UK & Ireland. The United States is responsible for 4% of flights to the UK and 5-6% of flights to Ireland across the 3 months. Be sure to use this information when developing your media strategy and target these top countries to capture the higher demand.

We can see from the top 10 source countries, that while the UK is still responsible for 36-47% of flights to the UK & Ireland, international travel is steadily coming back. While most international flights are from Europe, the United States currently remains in the top 10 for both the UK & Ireland throughout January-March. When developing your media strategy, be sure to leverage this information and target the countries that are showing an increase in demand with dedicated campaigns for last minute bookings to capture the 43% of travellers that are booking within 0-7 days of travel.

When comparing the booking channel mix this year with last year, we can see a 6% increase in bookings made through Brand.com and an 11% decrease in direct bookings. There is also a noticeable shift in OTA bookings, which have increased by 7%, while GDS bookings have decreased by 2%. It is important to maintain a diverse channel mix in order to maximise your property’s visibility and increase direct bookings. Download the Personalization and Direct Bookings Playbook for tips on how to improve conversion, both on your website and through booking engines.

Ensure your property is well positioned to take on this new year by leveraging data that will help you better understand potential customers and their booking behaviour. With this information, you can target the right audiences at the perfect time to secure more all-important bookings. And don’t forget, the guest experience is more important now than ever before. Invest in technology to help you streamline operations, seamlessly manage groups and events, and maintain lasting relationships to help build life-long, returning guests.

It’s important when starting a new year to look back on the one we’ve just had, so we’ve put together a collection of highlights from 2021 on how Amadeus has helped to rebuilt travel. Explore our Year in Review to learn more and contact us if you would like to learn more about how you can build back stronger in 2022.

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