Hays Travel says bookings are bouncing back towards pre-pandemic levels as holidaymakers treat themselves to more expensive trips further afield.
Dame Irene Hays, the company's chair, said customers were spending an average of £482 more on planned holidays from this summer.
Citing the announcement of easing of restrictions on travellers from February 11, Dame Irene noted sales in the first week of February were on a par with the same week in 2020, not long after Hays Travels' major acquisition of Thomas Cook.
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While sales are not completely back to pre-pandemic levels, the UK's largest independent travel agent said the travel sector was moving in the right direction and that it expected a very busy summer 2022.
It described a surge in bookings for half term holidays and last minute deals right up to March.
Speaking to Radio 4's Today Programme, Dame Irene said: "As a result of the changes to the testing regime - primarily the big announcement made by the Prime Minister on January 24 - we have seen a huge spike in appetite for taking holidays."
She added: “We are looking at a busy half term and a bumper summer season for travel this year. Many people are booking now for beyond 2022, especially for cruises, with new luxury liners in the fleet selling worldwide up to 2024.
"We are delighted that the bounce back has begun and that our customers can finally have the holiday they’ve been waiting for.”
Perennial short haul favourites Spain, Greece and Turkey are among the destinations holidaymakers are booking, while long haul destinations such as the east and west coast US, Mexico, Bali and the Maldives are proving popular.
"People want to spend more on themselves, they want to go all inclusive and they want to stay a little bit longer," Dame Irene added.
Hays' customers are now booking an average of 8-11 days instead of a more usual week, and are spending more to upgrade their destination and accommodation.
Talking up the role of the travel agents' bricks and mortar stores, Dame Irene also said: "Huge numbers are returning to the high street, and in our particular case we have 56% of customers new to Hays Travel compared to where we were in 2019, when that was about 19%.
"When we ask people in the stores why they're coming back, its because they want to speak to a human being, they want to get to know them, they want to know they're getting the best advice before they book but they also need to know somebody will be there for them while they're on their holiday and when they return."
She noted that some of those returning would have previously booked themselves online but now valued expert advice given they are spending more.
