Severe weather conditions have hit footfall but failed to dampen demand at the start of peaks, with travel agencies reporting robust trading and increased long-haul holiday sales.
Agencies in areas hit by heavy snowfall said more customers had contacted them by telephone or online, while clients also postponed coming into stores to book.
But the trade still hailed ‘Sunshine Saturday’ – the first Saturday of the year – as a strong day, with record sales for some.
Barrhead Travel managing director Nicki Tempest‑Mitchell said: “There were some locations where the weather prevented the usual footfall but our teams were still able to support our customers remotely.”
She described the start of 2025 as “stronger than anticipated” – on the back of December being one of its top‑selling months of 2024 – and predicted the poor weather would encourage more consumers to “firm up plans this week”.
South Lanarkshire‑based Glen Travel director Alan Glen agreed: “We’ve had a cold snap and it makes people want to book a holiday and have a bit of sunshine to look forward to.”
Hays Travel said trading was up by more than 20% year on year but noted transport cancellations over the weekend had resulted in a “mixed picture across the country”.
The Advantage Travel Partnership reported a 21% rise in bookings on Sunshine Saturday compared with the previous day, with a “significant increase in demand and bookings” last week. But head of business development David Moon said: “The weather over the weekend in some parts of the country contributed to a higher than‑average number of enquiries via phone or email/online, with some members reporting conditions have delayed customers in booking.”
Demand for summer 2025 dominated last week, accounting for 50% of bookings, while 25% were for lates. The Far East and Middle East performed well and strong sellers for the consortium also included New York, Barbados and Egypt.
Similarly, The Travel Network Group said 47% of bookings were for this summer with “steady interest” for this winter, but added January trading had been “slower than anticipated” due to the adverse weather.
Other agencies also highlighted encouraging long‑haul sales for the peak season.
Seaside Travel brand manager Richard Lowrey‑Heywood said: “It’s a good mix of bookings: bucket‑andspade but also Thailand and cruises. Customers are also thinking of going to places they’ve never been to before.”
The agency, which has just announced a 12th branch, said Sunshine Saturday was its busiest day on record. “The snow affected us a bit but people messaged us on Facebook instead or rang us up,” said Lowrey‑Heywood, attributing social media‑friendly campaigns from suppliers for boosting bookings.
Sutton Travel managing director Andy Tomlinson reported more long‑haul enquiries. “A lot of it is due to long‑haul prices stabilising in the last 12 months,” he said, noting the pound had bounced back slightly.
Many agents expected sales to improve as the month progressed.
Two of Henbury Travel’s four staff were unable to get into work on Monday due to snow but managing director Richard Slater said: “Sales don’t really kick off until mid‑January.”
Premier Travel managing director Paul Waters said: “Last year our second and fourth Saturdays of January were our best Saturdays and both outperformed Sunshine Saturday. We’re expecting the same this year.”
The agency predicts an 8% yearon‑year sales increase for January.