Hundreds of thousands of sunseekers are expected to trigger the biggest-ever last-minute foreign holiday rush, with two weeks remaining until schools reopen. Searches for trips departing in the final week of August have jumped by 22% in the past 48 hours, according to new figures.
Late bookings on the rise
Holidaymakers are leaving it later than ever, with many booking just 14 days before their flights due to the cost of living crisis and the Iran war. Caspar Nelson, holiday expert at On the Beach, said: “This is it, the final hurrah of summer.
“With the clock ticking on the school holidays, thousands of families are realising there’s still time to squeeze in one last escape before the uniforms come out and the alarm clocks go back on. We’re seeing a huge surge in searches for holidays departing during the final week, and everything points to an unprecedented last-minute booking rush. Brits are becoming increasingly comfortable waiting until the eleventh hour, with many booking, packing and flying within a matter of days.”
Top destinations
Research by On the Beach shows last-minute summer bookings are up 17% from last year and 44% compared with 2024. Majorca in Spain is the most popular destination, followed by Antalya in Turkey, Costa Blanca, Tenerife, Costa Del Sol, and Greece. Tunisia, Dalaman in Turkey, and Ibiza also made the top ten.
Cash worries linger
A separate survey commissioned by app thinkmoney found that cash worries follow some holidaymakers for several days of their break. Some 42% of those questioned said they either take most of the holiday to switch off or never manage it at all. However, 27% of holidaymakers who worry about money said they manage to switch off straight away.
Vix Leyton, consumer expert at thinkmoney, said: “For some people, the first few days of a holiday are still being spent mentally adding up what they’ve spent, checking whether there’s enough left for the rest of the trip and thinking about the bills waiting at home.”
