The UK’s Focus Travel Partnership reports ‘strong’ bookings among its member TMCs, with marine, offshore and energy business leading the way.
Its first Covid-19 Recovery Survey found 85 per cent of TMCs booked flights in the week from 29 June to 3 July, while 73 per cent booked accommodation and 48 per cent booked car hire or chauffeur driven vehicles.
Nearly a quarter (23 per cent) booked travel for clients in the marine, offshore and energy sector, which was closely followed by construction and engineering (21 per cent), finance and banking (15 per cent) and manufacturing and technology (13 per cent).
Heathrow was the most-booked destination, followed by Amsterdam, Aberdeen, Manila, Houston, Paris, Manchester and Istanbul. London-Aberdeen was the most frequently booked route.
The survey noted a short booking window, with 94 per cent of tickets for departure before the end of July, and 91 per cent of tickets were for economy class travel.
Fifty-four per cent of respondents said they expect initial growth to be for Europe and 33 per cent believed the UK would be the first to recover.
Nearly half (49 per cent) believed that quarantine measures had and are having a major impact on business travel.
Abby Penston, CEO of Focus Travel Partnership, says the results are “encouraging and show a strong resurgence for clients as border control restrictions loosen”.
She adds: “The crisis is far from over as reports of resurgent cases and localised lockdowns testify. But our survey shows that there is both demand and that partners are adaptable in the face of change.”