A CLYDEBANK travel agent says a record number of Bankies swooped for a last-minute Easter break with departures rising by almost 25 per cent higher than 2019.

Barrhead Travel, in the town's Clyde Shopping Centre, revealed Clydebank holidaymakers flocked to travel agents to take advantage of last-ditch getaway deals during the month of April.

It is the first Easter since 2019, pre-pandemic, that industry levels have returned to normal.

Mark Ferrier, at Barrhead Travel, said: “Pre-pandemic we started to see an increase in demand for overseas Easter holidays but with 2023 being the first year of the world fully reopen, we’ve really seen a boom in bookings for this period.

Clydebank Post: Barrhead said April breaks were up by almost 25%Barrhead said April breaks were up by almost 25% (Image: Barrhead Travel)

"People are eager to get away to spend quality time with their families and to enjoy the first glimpse of early sunshine.

“We noticed a strong lates market this Easter season as families made spontaneous decisions to get away for the school holidays."

Families maximised the long school break with more than 75 per cent of trips lasting seven nights or longer. The travel group reports that all-inclusive was the top board basis as holidaymakers sought value for money.

"The value-for-money on offer for all-inclusive resorts and cruise holidays made it really affordable for people to choose to book a last-minute getaway," Mr Ferrier added.

“Summer 2023 is shaping up to be very busy – it is still our number one selling season.

"Demand will only continue to rise over the next month and we would recommend booking sooner rather than later to secure their preferred dates and locations."

Top destinations

Barrhead Travel’s top ten destinations its customers travelled to this April included:

  1.  Orlando
  2.  Tenerife
  3.  Alicante
  4.  Dubai
  5.  Antalya
  6.  Lanzarote
  7.  Cruising from Southampton
  8.  Mallorca
  9.  Paris
  10.  Gran Canaria