Having managed Airtours yield team for many years, I’m more than aware of the impact good UK weather can have on holiday sales in the lates market.

With historically 45% of all package holidays sold within 3 months of departure, minimising losses whilst achieving 99% load factors, was a crucial element of the financial performance for the year. That’s why we often looked out of the window and prayed for rain!

A pattern of good mid-week weather, followed by rain at weekends maximises customer frustration and boosted sales the most, but it was good weather in May and June period that we feared the most. This often lead to a slowdown in sales and a build-up of excess capacity as we approached the peak summer period. With four major tour operators in those days, competitive pressure was also a key influence in driving rapidly decreasing prices and holidays being sold for £99 at the last minute.

Structural changes to our industry, with the consolidation of four to two major UK tour operators and a switch to “differentiated product” to drive early sales, has massively reduced the “excess” package stock in the market place. Similarly, the low cost yield models of Easyjet, Jet2 and Ryanair all seek to do their yielding early, leaving less stock available in the latest market, which in turn has led to a much more controllable lates market in recent years.

However, I think this has masked the impact of the “Connected” Internet world, which in my opinion has made the overseas lates holiday market more vulnerable to good weather in the UK.

When the pre-millennial generation were growing up, mothers dreaded the 6 weeks summer holidays, as kids quickly became bored at home. An overseas holiday was a welcome break and theoretically, an opportunity for Dad to step up to the mark and share the work load, by splashing with the kids in the pool or building sand castles.

But today’s kids have been brought up in a world with 1,000s of satellite TV channels, on demand TV and PlayStation’s that allow them to play games with a wide range of friends, without even stepping out of the house. One of my kids wouldn’t even come on beach holidays, as he did not see the point and did not like the sun. I’m sure these days he may not be alone!

If the kids are happy at home, it’s not surprising that if the weather in the UK is good over the summer, more mums and dads are opting for a few days in the garden gathered with friends around a barbeque, supplemented with a few days trips.

This is less of an issue for the asset light dynamic packing OTA’s as not holding perishable assets means its normally flight and hotel prices that take the pain required to get prices low enough to tempt customers, so the day jobs probably safe.

However, I personally think “UK Staycationers” are missing out on other key aspects of an overseas holiday. Namely, the experiencing of different cultures, sites, languages, food and even swimming in the sea. Not to mention the detox that the entire family experience by unplugging from the “Constantly on” internet world and enjoying meals out where the whole family engage in conversation. I know, a rarity in my house hold as well!