Hays Travel claimed a fivefold rise in holiday bookings on Sunshine Saturday against the same day in 2022 as customers prioritise holidays in the face of cost of living pressures.
Miles Morgan Travel achieved its biggest bookings Saturday in its 16 years as a business, with other agents also reporting a rise in bookings as customers braved high streets despite heavy rain and winds across much of the country.
Last year was a wash-out due to Covid, but business has bounced back in 2023.
More: Trade urged to prepare for ‘record breaking’ Sunshine Saturday
Bumper ‘Sunshine Saturday’ holiday bookings predicted by Abta
Sunshine Saturday is traditionally one of the busiest of the entire six-week peak booking season, with many discounts and incentives available.
Customers are also taking advantage of low deposits, special offers and direct debit to spread the cost.
Most of Hays Travel’s 450 high street branches will open on Sundays to meet demand and online contact centres have extended hours over the period.
The top destination is Spain, with Tenerife closely followed by Lanzarote, with about a third of bookings to the country for departures in the next 12 weeks.
An “unusually high” number of bookings have been made for Italy, specifically Rome, in February, along with New York, a more traditional Valentine’s Day destination.
Spain, Turkey, Portugal and Greece remain favourite summer holiday destinations with New York and Orlando the top for long-haul trips.
Additional air capacity from Emirates has led to increased bookings for Dubai and the Maldives through the UK’s largest independent travel agency.
Chair and owner Dame Irene Hays said: “Despite the cost-of-living challenges, the last thing people seem to want to give up is their annual holiday.
“We have seen an extremely busy to start to the peak booking season and already have customers looking for last minute sunshine, summer holidays, worldwide cruises and city breaks right across 2023 and even for two years ahead for Lapland adventures at Christmas in 2024.
“Remembering this time last year, when the Omicron variant restricted travel bookings for the first two weeks, we are feeling optimistic for 2023.
“We are focusing on the quality of our customer service, offering great value and, as an independent travel agent, the widest choice to help our customers find the holidays they’re dreaming about.”
Travellers looking for holiday deals are being reminded by the Civil Aviation Authority to check for financial protection under the Atol scheme when booking and to look out for hidden costs.
More: Trade urged to prepare for ‘record breaking’ Sunshine Saturday
Bumper ‘Sunshine Saturday’ holiday bookings predicted by Abta