Britons 'should be encouraged to book early'

Travel employees in Slovakia may be interested to hear the comments of one sector commentator, who has suggested that destinations need to incentivise people to book their breaks early.

Alistair Rowland, director of distribution at The Co-operative Travel, said hoteliers should consider offering deals such as book one room and get another free, or get the third night free in order to attract customers and keep their average room rates own.

He added that this was likely to be more effective than offering standard packages such as room-only or bed and breakfast and could see more customers choosing that hotel.

"Consumers can get out there on a low cost flight at a better value and then [destinations can] incentivise them when they get to resort," he noted.

Mr Rowland made his comments as Hotels.com reported a rise in searches for last-minute short breaks to many popular European destinations as British holidaymakers look to escape the grey weather.