Holiday firms set for rush after Games tickets ballot

Rush: holiday companies are set for a good summer with tourists planning their olympic holidays as tickets for the 2012 games are allocated

11 April 2012

Holiday companies should expect a surge in bookings for this summer as many consumers have delayed spending until they learnt of the results of the 2012 Olympic ticket auction, research claimed today.

In a survey of 1000 people by Havas media agency Arena Media, 30% said that bidding for Olympics tickets had made them hold off spending on big-ticket items such as holidays.

Sixty three percent of those who bid for tickets got none of their allocation, while 35% received some of what they wanted, with only 2% getting most or all.

Those spending over £1000 were more likely to have got tickets than those spending less, but spending more did not necessarily mean more tickets.

Chris Armond, group business director at Arena Media, said: "The uncertainty with the ballot process made people hesitant about making major purchases until they found out how much they were committed to.

"With the vast majority of people being disappointed in the ballot, and more realistic about their chances of getting any tickets, many people will be more willing to book their summer holiday now."

Arena Media's clients include travel firms Warner Leisure Hotels and Haven Holidays as well as retailers Domino's Pizza and Sports Direct.