Advantage reports busy start to 2026 ahead of ‘Sunshine Saturday’

Members of the Advantage Travel Partnership have reported a “busy start” to 2026, with average booking values rising by more than 6% compared to the same period last year.

The consortium is also braced for high volumes of sales tomorrow (January 3) – known as ‘Sunshine Saturday’ because it is the first Saturday after the New Year return to work and a popular day for holidaymakers to book.

Furthermore, Advantage members expect even more bookings to come on subsequent Saturdays during the January peaks period.

John Sullivan, commercial director of Advantage Travel Partnership, said: “Ahead of Sunshine Saturday, we are pleased to share that our members have reported a busy start to the year with average booking values rising by over 6% compared to last year.

“The early signs, as we predicted, suggest that once again value is at the forefront of consumer choice.

More: Trade predicts ‘solid’ year of trading in 2026

Advantage sees shift from late to ‘ultra-early’ bookings

“Destinations that offer competitive all-inclusive offerings are proving very popular, and some of these high performing value-for-money destinations include Spain’s Costa Blanca and Egypt.

“Additionally, we are seeing high value bookings for long-haul destinations such as Japan and New Zealand, whilst the US remains another standout long-haul choice for 2026.”

Urging holidaymakers to book with a local travel agent, he continued: “While this data suggests Sunshine Saturday will be a significant booking day, we predict the subsequent Saturdays in January will see even higher volumes. In recent years, the second and third Saturdays have consistently been the peak booking dates.”

Elsewhere, Tui’s retail travel agencies have also reported a strong start to peaks since Christmas, with a mix of short, mid and long-haul destinations being booked.

A spokesperson for Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “We have no doubt that we will see great demand this Sunshine Saturday across the board for favourites such as the Canaries, the Balearics, mainland Spain, Turkey and Greece, as well as destinations including the Italian coast, Bulgaria, Malta and Croatia.”