A surge in last-minute holiday bookings has been recorded from Newcastle Airport, with travel experts putting it down to a dreary and disappointing British summer.
The UK has had a miserable start to the summer, with torrential rain and chilly temperatures disappointing those looking forward to some warmer weather. And despite sunny spells early this week, the Met Office has predicted more wet weather with a warning for thunderstorms in place for Thursday, August 1.
New research from ABTA, the trade association for UK travel agents, tour operators and the wider travel industry, found the UK's dismal weather was prompting many to consider a last-minute holiday overseas this summer. That has been reflected at Newcastle Airport, with last-minute customers adding to the 1.5 million booked up to pass through its doors during the summer holidays.
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Helen Close, from Peterlee, who is travelling to Turkey with her family, said: "The weather has been terrible, you just don’t know what it is going to do. We are looking forward to having some family time in the sun and celebrating my nine-year-old son’s birthday."
Margaret Cudlip, from Durham, is excited to relax and enjoy a girls' holiday in the sunshine with her friend at Sunny Beach in Bulgaria.
She said: "The summer has been awful, we’ve only had the odd nice day. We go away every year and we can’t wait for some sun."
Independent travel agent Hays Travel, which was founded in Seaham and is now headquartered in Sunderland, is seeing strong demand for last-minute summer getaways from Newcastle Airport. Jonathon Woodall-Johnston, the company's chief operating officer, said it was not surprising that people were heading to sunnier destinations, and praised the convenience of Newcastle Airport for North East-based passengers.
Leon McQuaid, director of aviation development at Newcastle Airport, added: "With the weather forecast for the summer looking wet and miserable, we are seeing even stronger demand from our customers for spontaneous travel and last-minute bookings. Passengers want nothing more than to get away and relax on beautiful beaches, enjoy the delicious local cuisine and spend some quality time with their friends and family."
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