Agency sales from late-July into early-August have more than doubled month-on-month the operator’s head of trade sales Richard Forde confirmed to TTG, adding Newmarket had used lockdown to carefully plan how it would "bounce back".

Bestselling UK and Ireland tours include Scottish Highland Railways, Historic Railways of the Isle of Man, Belfast and the Titanic Experience, Hebridean Island Adventure, and Donegal and the Giants Causeway.

Forde added resort holidays to Lake Garda in Italy were also proving popular.

Besides confidence in travel in the UK, Ireland and Italy, Forde said the operator’s new flexible booking policy and wellbeing charter were helping rebuild consumer confidence.

The policy allows customers to change their booking or cancel at no extra cost up to 21 days before departure.

"This policy was designed to help customers feel protected in the event their holiday is affected by another last-minute policy change," said Forde.

"Based on recent sales, I believe this policy is working, and inspiring confidence in agents and our customers.”

Newmarket’s wellbeing charter, meanwhile, sets out the steps the operator has taken to "significantly decrease risk" to guests and staff while travelling on a Newmarket break.

The charter covers enhanced cleaning, Covid insurance, and pre-tour health declarations in some destinations, among other measures.

"We are seeing positive signs in the form of sales," Forde added. “While there were no tours running during lockdown, we used that time to plan how we would bounce back when the market begins to recover."