Advice issued to holidaymakers regarding their summer holidays

Start planning ahead now.

The latest Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) have advised holidaymakers to start booking their holidays now for 2018. Their survey's results were released on Wednesday and found that one of the emerging travel trends of 2017 was that Irish holidaymakers are booking earlier this year. Booking a holiday as early as you can means that not only is it possible to get a cheaper flight but it makes it easier to organise time off work and research fun things to do while on your holidays. Cormac Meehan, President of the ITAA said:

“Many of the travel agents surveyed revealed that customers are booking much earlier, particularly for those booking cruises. "Cruises are also growing increasingly popular with our European counterparts so we are advising Irish travellers to start thinking about their 2018 holiday options now to get a good value package in this competitive market.”

In the same survey, Spain was once again named as Ireland’s most popular holiday destinations for summer 2017, followed by Portugal and the USA, with many travel agents referencing the growing trend of holidaying in countries that are seen as ‘safe’. Meehan commented,

“Recent terrorist incidents have not deterred Irish people from travelling but our customers are sticking to the popular destinations of Spain and Portugal, which are seen as safe and secure options following unrest in other parts of Europe and in North Africa. "Spain has been Ireland’s number one destination for many years and this is down to its excellent tourist facilities, year-round sunshine and fantastic cultural attractions.”