January sales entice early holiday booking

The January sales aren't just for clothing and home furnishings, with many people in the UK taking advantage of discounts on flights, hotels and package holidays to organise their main holiday early in the year, according to research commissioned by Direct Line travel insurance.

Nearly 20 per cent of those who have made plans for their main holiday have already booked either short- or long-haul travel arrangements, while another one in five are still weighing up the deals on offer.

Regionally, people in some areas seem to be either more keen to get away or less keen to spend money on a holiday. Only one in five (20 per cent) Londoners said that they weren't planning to take a main holiday this year, while nearly half of people in Wales (46 per cent) said they were planning to forgo a main holiday.

Tom Bishop, head of travel insurance at Direct Line, said: "Whether you're taking advantage of January sales to book your holiday now, or just scouring the web for deals later on, be sure to book your travel insurance as soon as you book any of your travel arrangements. That way, you'll be covered for cancellation should you be unable to travel for an unexpected reason, and you won't have to hunt around for a deal at the last minute.

"Consider taking out an annual policy for another way to save money throughout the year. You'll be covered for 12 months without having to think about a policy for every trip, including cover for cancellation all year long. If you go abroad more than once a year, or plan to take more than one trip within the UK in addition to a trip abroad, an annual policy may provide better value for money than separate single trip policies."

Booking now could save you money
Direct Line travel insurance is offering 20 per cent off all annual travel insurance policies bought online, and 10 per cent off all annual policies bought over the phone, from 5 January to 29 February 2012.

For more information, visit directline.com.