MANCHESTER, England, December 7, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- The travel industry has to continue to provide affordable holidays even if belts have been tightened, say On the Beach -

It's more important now than ever to provide holidaymakers with great budget options, say online travel agency, On the Beach. This comes after findings from a report which suggests that business and leisure demand continues to rise despite economic uncertainty. Marketing Director at On the Beach, Alistair Daly, points out that the onus is now on the travel industry to provide excellent budget options for cash-strapped travellers who still want a break in a sunny destination.

The report, the Pegasus View, published a year-on-year increase in global alternative distribution bookings in leisure travel of 4.7 per cent, with average daily rates increasing by 2.5 per cent. Although corporate travel appears to be coming up trumps with a 2.9 per cent rate increase, the findings suggest that even the more challenged regions are maintaining or exceeding prior-year revenue levels.  

Daly comments, "People are booking family holidays, despite perhaps cutting down on expenditure in other areas. The good news is that leisure travel is continuing to improve, so this holiday season is set to be better than in previous years, and we can look forward to further improvements for 2012."

"As a result, On the Beach are focusing on destinations that are popular for short to medium-length stays with affordable accommodation, such as trips to Turkey or holidays to the Balearic Islands. We recognise the need to keep up with the pace of travel, which has increased despite gloomy forecasts, and goes to show there's nothing quite like getting away for a bit with the family."

About On the Beach:

Founded in 1995, On the Beach is one of the UK's leading online travel agencies carrying over 500,000 passengers every year (ABTA K0813). On the Beach provides value for money flights and hotels in the world's most popular beach holiday destinations. On the Beach provides consumers with a huge selection of travel products, from 50 million available seats, more than 30,000 hotels around the world, insurance and in-resort transfer partners. Customers can book online at http://www.onthebeach.co.uk or by calling the UK call centre on 0870 606 07 08.

As the expert provider of DIY beach holidays to the UK market, On the Beach is so confident of its industry leading position, it offers a market leading price match guarantee for its customers. On the Beach will refund the difference if a lower price is found for the same product on any UK website*.

*Offer applies to exact product match

For more news and great deals follow @OntheBeachUK or join the On the Beach Facebook Fan Page.

SOURCE On the Beach