A DUNFERMLINE travel agent says its record breaking year is continuing after a surge in bookings from local holiday makers.

This summer's departures are 56 per cent higher than last year and 26 per cent higher than the last reported record-breaking year in 2019.

Dunfermline holidaymakers continue to flock to travel agents to take advantage of last-minute getaway deals, with one third of new bookings continuing to be for this summer season.

The most popular last-minute destinations include Mallorca, Dalaman, Costa Blanca, Tenerife, Antalya and Costa del Sol.

More widely, bookings for cruise holidays with Barrhead are up 69 percent in comparison to pre-pandemic 2019, with an increase of 104 percent on luxury cruising.

Additionally, Barrhead Travel notes more customers looking for authentic experiences, with touring and adventure holidays up 80 percent on 2019.

As holidaymakers continue to prioritise value for money, all-inclusive packages remain the number one choice, making up a quarter of bookings, the perfect getaway for those looking to manage spending when away.

The travel agency group say that durations have also been on the rise this summer with more than 60 percent of trips booked for 10 nights or longer, indicating that families were maximizing the school summer break.

Leigh-Ann Osoria, Dunfermline Store Manager, said: “This year, we’ve really seen a boom in bookings as people look to make up for lost holidays. People are eager to get away to spend quality time with their families and the value-for-money provided by all-inclusive resorts and cruise holidays has been fantastic.

“Consistently over the past few months, around one third of our new bookings have been for summer 2023 getaways. Last week, we witnessed a significant surge in last minute bookings for departure in August, up 36 percent compared with the same period last year.

“We are likely to record this summer as our biggest ever – if you are still to book, we would recommend doing so sooner rather than later to secure preferred dates and locations."