Tui retail network boss reports ‘positive’ start to peaks ahead of Sunshine Saturday

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Strong demand for Cyprus and Egypt through Tui travel agencies is being reported ahead of Sunshine Saturday this weekend.

The company has seen a strong start to peaks since Christmas across its retail network with a mix of short, mid and long-haul destinations being booked.

Egypt is a popular choice for families as colder weather drives late bookings for this winter, as well as the Canary Islands.

There has also been increased interest in city breaks and multi-centre stays to US destinations such as New York, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Nashville and Memphis.

The Fifa World Cup is also continuing to trend with summer bookings to Boston and Miami for up to three or four-week durations.

Flexible payment options such as paying by direct debit is helping agents convert enquiries into bookings, according to the company.

Tui’s Stoke superstore secured three holiday bookings from one customer, thanks to the group’s offer period spanning multiple seasons with deals available on holidays departing in the 2026 summer and winter seasons, as well as summer 2027.

The firm’s retail teams are reporting that a lot of families have told them they want to have something to look forward to, as well as that all-important family time together.

The Tui retail team in Wigan

Retail, omnichannel and third-party sales director Jill Cunningham said: “We’ve seen a really positive start to peaks between Christmas and new year so far.

“Our doors will be wide open this Sunshine Saturday and beyond, with our teams ready to help customers to plan and book their next dream holiday.”

She added: “Anecdotal feedback from our stores suggests our turn of year sale has been really well received by customers so far.

“A great example of this is in our Tui Stoke superstore where a customer came in to enquire about a summer holiday to Madeira for 2026.

“Following a conversation with our advisor, Paul Edwards, the couple ended up booking three holidays to the island across different seasons because of the richness of the offer, which is fantastic to see.”

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Jet2.com and Jet2holidays said: “The first Saturday after the festive season, commonly referred to as Sunshine Saturday, is traditionally a busy time for holiday bookings. We are expecting that to be the case this year.

“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.

“With so much capacity on sale from our 14 UK airport bases, including our newest base, London Gatwick, customers have plenty of choice and value available.”