By Róise Collins
THE EXTREME weather being reported in many of our favourite European holiday destinations is not putting people off travelling abroad for a holiday, local travel agents have reported, as the rain continues to fall at home.
Emma McHugh from Atlantic Travel said that the heat wave currently gripping Europe has not stopped Donegal people who are packing for their upcoming trip away.
Another Letterkenny based travel agency Liberty Travel has said that they have not received any calls from customers who are concerned about travelling during the heat wave either.
“Nobody has even mentioned it,” said Carolyn Davis, Director at Liberty Travel.
She believes most people are not fazed by the rising heat because they are really excited to go on their holidays and escape the dreary Donegal weather.
After the very wet weekend just passed she said their phone lines were hopping on Monday with customers enquiring about booking a trip away to the sunshine.
The most popular destinations for Donegal travellers this summer include the Algarve, mainland Spain, Mallorca and the Canary Islands.
Emma explained that those travelling in the coming days and weeks have had their calendars marked for months. With regard to last-minute bookings, they have not been impacted because they are rare at this time of year, she said.
“The majority of our clients who have booked for this period would have booked their holiday at least four weeks in advance. The airfares to Italy, Spain and Greece tend to be highest from mid-July to mid-August so last minute getaways are not as common as they are outside this period,” she said.
She explained that those making last minute plans abroad are offered better value outside the peak summer period which tends to lie between mid-July and mid- August.
“Most tour operators and airlines have reached full capacity on their flights, we will see this change after mid-August and in earnest in September when the schools reopen,” she said.
Although Atlantic Travel have had no customers delaying or cancelling their holiday due the heat wave, they have seen some delays over the last couple of weeks due to air traffic control strikes in both France and Italy.
But there is no sign of bookings slowing down at either travel agency as everyone is buzzing to get abroad.
“This year has been extremely busy and the business bounce back after covid has exceeded any expectation we may have had,” Emma said.
Emma is a board member of the Irish Travel Agents Association, who have reported that close to 70 per cent of travel agencies have seen an increase in trading this year when compared to 2019.
“In terms of public confidence in the industry it is great to see,” she added.
Carolyn Davis from Liberty Travel agreed, she said that since the pandemic ended the demand for travel has been huge, with many customers travelling for the first time since 2019.
Many customers have explained that they are opting to travel abroad instead of staying in Ireland because of the high cost of staycationing.
“Unfortunately it’s the same old story, a lot of people are saying to me that they were thinking of holidaying in Ireland but the prices here are off the scale.
“This is driving them to go to Spain or Portugal,” Carolyn said.
Both travel agents shared some helpful advice for those travelling to Europe in the coming days or weeks.
Carolyn said it is important to ensure your accommodation has air-conditioning. Emma agreed, she said if you are travelling and staying somewhere without air-conditioning then you should consider upgrading to an accommodation that does.
She recommended staying out of the sun from midday until 4pm, and suggested starting your day earlier if sightseeing to avoid the intense heat of the midday sun.
She said if travelling you should consider bringing ice packs in your checked luggage if you know there will be a fridge/freezer in your accommodation, as these can be useful for holding against your head/back or chest if you feel too warm.
She added that staying hydrated is extremely important and making sure young kids and older guests keep up with their water intake is vital.
Carolyn also stressed the importance of staying hydrated and ensuring that the sun cream you pack has a high factor offering strong protection against the intense UV rays.
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