Richard Cope
International Travel Analyst, Mintel
Richard Cope: Holidaymakers turn their backs on travel agents
Between 2000 and 2004 there was an 11% drop in the number of bookings made at travel agents, with only 47% of overseas holidays now being reserved through a high street travel agency, according to figures from market researchers Mintel. Many people book breaks by phone, and just 31% of overseas trips were booked in person in 2004," says the report. "The research shows that traditional sun, sand and sangria package holidays are the main type of trip booked on the high street, with just one in five domestic trips booked at travel agencies."
Richard Cope, international travel analyst at Mintel, reportedly said consumer confidence in the internet was driving people away from booking in person.
Richard Cope: Number of Britons travelling abroad for medical treatment up
More and more Britons are travelling overseas for medical treatment.
Overseas trips for cosmetic surgery, other surgeries and post-surgery relaxation are worth around £60 million a year, reveals a new research conducted by market analyst Mintel.
The so-called medical tourism was initially spurred by the fact that prices for cosmetic surgery are lower abroad than in the United Kingdom.
Richard Cope: UK News 'Metrosexual Men' Fuel Demand For Spa Breaks
More burnt-out Brits then ever before are heading to luxury spas and health farms to heal mind, body and soul, reveals a new report.
Last year alone Brits enjoyed 205,000 "health and wellness" holidays at home and abroad which include fitness, mental and physical relaxation, medical treatments, beauty treatments, spa visits, mineral and thermal baths, health farms and even cosmetic surgery trips.
Richard Cope: Cruise fans get younger
Youngsters are twice as keen to go on a cruise than pensioners, a report has revealed.
Despite the image of cruises being only for the retired and wealthy, more than half of 19 to 24-year-olds (55 per cent) would like to go compared to just one in four of over 65s (26 per cent).
Richard Cope: Holiday and hospital visit the dream trip of thousands
TENS of thousands of Britons are heading overseas on "health holidays" to beat waiting lists and costly treatment at home, a report revealed yesterday.
Gone are the days when a trip abroad simply meant topping up a tan, visiting local attractions and buying cheap booze. Richard Cope, Mintel's senior travel analyst, said British tourists appeared to be developing a taste for holidays with a difference. "Tired of the 'fly and flop' package deals, they are opting for spa holidays, holistic breaks or in some cases a medical break for a session of cosmetic surgery or dentistry," he said.
Richard Cope: Britons set to travel even more, but Germans lead the pack
Holidays abroad were once deemed an expensive luxury, but by 2020 British travellers will be taking more than 100 million foreign trips annually - with many taking more than one a year, according to research.
The study, undertaken by Mintel, a consumer analyst company, found that the number of Britons taking annual trips will increase from 65 million - an average of one per person - to 101 million over the next 15 years.