What Is Blue Monday? A Travel Industry Concept
The third Monday in January is a date often touted as harbouring particularly low spirits in the UK, as Christmas spending, short days and cold temperatures dent British cheer.
But the time is also known as an important yearly turning point in the travel industry. The idea is that the third week of January marks the point when fed up holiday-makers have had enough of the UK’s cold weather and start booking spring and summer vacations.
But do the figures support the idea of Blue Monday?
The Numbers
It does seem that January is a very popular time for planning a break. In a recent MBNA survey, 83% of respondents planned to take a holiday in the next few months, with 74% of those planning to go abroad.
But this mass-desire to leave home isn’t all confined to one week in January, of course. A holiday comparison website released figures showing that Boxing Day holiday sales were up 84% year on year despite Christmas shopping sales decreasing 4% over the same period.
This is evidence of a growing trend of experience-driven (as opposed to material-driven) sales that can only be good for the highly-experiential travel industry.
Blue Monday itself also saw a sales boost however, with a KPMG/Ipsos report finding a 53% increase in Blue Monday holiday bookings compared.
A Perfect Holiday-Planning Storm
So what is behind these numbers? There are several factors which contribute to the likelihood of someone booking a holiday, and many of them converge around Blue Monday.
Firstly, in general, people love to browse for holidays – especially when they are feeling unhappy. Doing so is proven to elevate mood. And January’s bad weather, depleted bank accounts and failed resolutions put many in the mood for some escapism.
Another important factor is January travel sales, where many (usually budget) operators slash prices, boosting sale volumes. Furthermore, many people receive a fresh allocation of annual leave days in January. It is also a popular time to receive a pay review, with many planning on putting the extra cash into a holiday.
When it comes to booking holidays, late January really is the perfect storm of factors that make planning a trip more likely. To plan your own spring getaway get in contact with Simplexity’s Travel Managers today. Call 0203 535 9290 or email info@simplexitytravel.com now. Our bespoke holiday planning is sure to sweep away the January blues.