JG Travel Group has warned agents that they could miss out on Christmas bookings unless they start promoting festive breaks now.
The company has just launched dedicated festive brochures for both its Just Go! Holidays and National Holidays brands in time for the key September booking period.
Travel Sales Manager Claire Dutton said: “Whilst our festive programmes have been online for a while, we know that customers like to have a brochure they can browse and get inspiration for their breaks at Christmastime.
This ensures agents have all the tools they need as we move into September which is our most popular booking month for our festive products.
“I think once the summer is over and the children and grandchildren have gone back to school, people turn their attention toward Christmas and start to make plans. I know that thinking about marketing festive breaks in August always seems strange, but agents really must start promoting these tours now before they sell out.”
JG said 45% of all trade bookings in the past two weeks were for departures in November and December.
The National Holidays’ brochure features breaks to Christmas markets in Worcester, Winchester and Canterbury for the first time this winter, plus a selection of new pre-Christmas turkey-and-tinsel breaks.
New options in the Just Go! Holidays’ brochure include a trip to Cologne and Dusseldorf Christmas markets, a Christmas on Lake Garda break and a Christmas in the Black Forest break.
In addition, both brochures feature a page dedicated to longer, 14-day Christmas and New Year stays in Spain, which launched a couple of months ago. Breaks are available in both Benidorm and Calpe, the latter of which is a new resort introduced for winter 2023.