Travel with Katie Butler: ​Tenerife is the top winter destination

Katie Butler, Total Travel, writes: We reopened on January 2 and we have been super busy welcoming our lovely customers and booking some amazing holidays and itineraries.

As expected the main summer beach holiday is top priority for many bookers but we also find that bucket-list holidays are extremely popular.

Last week alone we made some exciting dream holiday bookings: Vietnam and Cambodia escorted touring, flights to Australia to visit family, Thailand four centre holiday, 50th birthday family getaway for a family of 24 passengers including children, river cruise on the Rhine, Route 66 driving a Mustang and several honeymoons to name just a few!

As an independent travel agent we have access to many suppliers, meaning it gives us the flexibility to shop around and get the best prices available.

Most independent agencies also have their own ATOL facility (Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing) giving you financial protection on tailor made holidays and DIY packages.

Your local independent travel agent will check a range of suppliers and do all the hard work so you don’t have to.What does ATOL protected mean?

ATOL is a scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) which offers protection for holidays booked through a travel agent or tour company where a flight is involved. Every UK travel company which sells overseas holidays and flights is required to hold a license in case an operator ceases trading. You are not protected when you book flights and accommodation separately with different suppliers.How do I know if my holiday is ATOL protected?

Check. Look for the ATOL logo on travel company websites, brochures and advertisements. If you are not sure, ask your travel company or agent for clarification. Also, make sure you receive an ATOL certificate.What happens if I book with a company that’s not ATOL protected?

If your travel company cannot provide an ATOL certificate, ask why. Remember – every UK company must provide one. If it cannot you will be booking at your own risk.

I was hoping that 2024 would see less strike action, however, last week we were advised of a four day ground handlers strike impacting Iberia, Iberia Express and Air Nostrum.

Although the services impacted by the strikes on January 5-8 did not affect any of our own customers, I hope that the strikes are not a sign of things to come, as along with ourselves, airlines and tour operators are expecting a bumper year for travel. Passenger numbers are expected to far exceed pre-Covid levels.As mentioned last week we enjoyed a fabulous week of new bookings with a real mixed bag of holidays. However, late bookings remained really strong accounting for 26 per cent of our new bookings.

Top destination for winter was Tenerife and for next summer Antalya in Turkey.