The UK’s largest travel firm, Tui, has predicted this weekend will see “the biggest booking day for travel since before the pandemic”.
Tui expects the combination of the January pay day, and the recent government announcement of a relaxation of Covid restrictions will trigger a “bumper” weekend.
Both the relaxation of testing rules for travel from February 11 and the easing of domestic Covid rules this week have contributed to the growing confidence of holidaymakers to book, according to Tui, which said it has already seen an uptick in search and bookings since earlier in January.
Chief marketing officer Katie McAlister said: “Overseas travel is officially back on the map with renewed confidence releasing pent up demand for sunshine holidays.
“Appetite to travel is stronger than ever and customers who may not have been abroad for more than two years are now taking advantage of flexible booking and payment options, as well as some excellent deals, to book a well-deserved summer break.
“And after such uncertainty, the assurance and convenience of a package has never been more important or attractive.”
Tui expects the Spanish islands of the Balearics and the Canaries, as well as Turkey and Mexico to be the most popular choice for bookings both in-store and online.
So far, Tui’s top 10 best-selling destinations are:
- Majorca
- Turkey – Dalaman
- Turkey – Antalya
- Tenerife
- Mexico – Cancun
- Rhodes
- Cyprus- Paphos
- Corfu
- Ibiza
- Zante
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