Who responded to the survey?

Of the 100 travel agents who took part in our survey, 60% were home-based or self-employed, with around one-third based on the high street, as well as a handful of online or call-centre staff. There was also a wide range of experience among respondents with nearly 30% becoming agents in the 2010s, and just under 40% starting in their careers in either the 1990s or 2000s.

Planes flying over money for peaks - from iStock - credit:gopixa

Gearing up for peaks

Most agents say preparation for peaks is already happening, with around one-third starting in early December and another 40% getting the business ready later this month. Some agents (16%) began their preparations in the past couple of months, while only 7% will leave it to early January. As for when peaks gets going – around 60% say it still gets underway immediately after Christmas or during the first week of January, although nearly one-third expect peaks to only take off for them later in January. Some 6% say that peaks or wave is not a significant booking period for them.

Peaks expectation compared with previous years

Agents are generally positive that peaks/wave will be better than last year, even though peaks 2025 was a strong year for most respondents. Over half (52%) expect 2026 to “significantly” or “slightly” outperform the previous year, while another 26% are anticipating business to be on a par year-on-year. Encouragingly, only about 12% are forecasting a slight dip in sales. There remains some caution among agents about their ability to match or exceed what was an “exceptional” peaks in 2025, particularly with persistent cost-of-living concerns among clients following last month’s budget. One respondent said customers were “holding on to money a little longer” before booking.

What type of holidays are going to be popular?

The survey revealed very mixed patterns in what agents think is likely to be selling well during peaks. Just over one-third of respondents anticipate more long-haul than short-haul bookings (34%), while conversely 28% expect short-haul to be more popular. But whatever the destination choice, agents are expecting higher average booking values this year. There is also a split about whether customers will book longer or shorter durations: 26% are expecting more shorter holidays of less than two weeks, while 19% forecast increased bookings of breaks lasting at least two weeks. In terms of types of holidays, agents expect the strongest growth in ocean cruise, beach and all-inclusives. They are also positive about achieving higher bookings for escorted and adventure touring, river cruise and more experiential trips as clients look for “unique, meaningful breaks”.
 

Is Black Friday now rivalling peaks as the crucial booking period?

There’s no doubt Black Friday has become a key date for booking travel but there is no real consensus about whether it significantly encourages earlier booking among clients. Around two-fifths say Black Friday deals bring in early sales but almost one third believe these deals do not shift behaviour, while a quarter are unsure of the impact. While Black Friday marketing can be effective for selling “value-led” products such as all-inclusive, family beach and some cruises, many agents do not think it’s currently a serious rival to peaks. This is for a variety of reasons including Black Friday’s proximity to Christmas and scepticism about whether the deals on offer are as good as they seem.

Family on a beach holiday - from iStock - credit: pixdeluxe

Where will agents focus their efforts during peaks?

The survey reveals agents’ strategy of selling higher value and more complex types of holidays. This includes 47% who are focusing on cruises and 45% who plan to push luxury. They are also prioritising areas such as family holidays and creating tailor-made/complex itineraries. Many agents are concentrating on products where they can add expertise, secure better margins and differentiate from price-driven online competitors. This continues the trend of shifting away from commoditised “bucket and spade” sales where agents struggle to match online prices on what is already a lower margin product. One respondent said they focused on trips where people needed extra help and the agent can add value, as well as earning good commission.

What will be agents’ pricing and promotion strategies this year?

Agents plan to use a variety of strategies to drive sales during peaks with two-thirds planning to lean heavily on deals from suppliers, although nearly half (45%) also intend to create their own offers. Again, much of the trade is primed to focus on higher-margin products and upselling rather than concentrating too heavily on discounts. Although more than a third will promote discounts and deals as well. Agents are again cautiously confident about maintaining or increasing their overall margins for peaks, although this comes with the caveat that suppliers support parity and value rather than “a race to the bottom” on price.

 

How agents plan to market themselves during peaks...

The survey reveals how universal social media is as a tool for agents with 90% planning to use these platforms for their peaks/wave promotions. Emails are also a key marketing tool for agents with 65% planning to utilise it this season, while around 30% will go “old school” and hit the phones to tempt clients into booking. Other strategies include leaflet distribution, as well as in-store advertising and events.  More innovative activities from agents include holding their own travel shows, working with influencers, referral schemes and community sponsorship deals to raise their profile locally.

cost of living crisis money piggy bank - from iStock - credit: agrobacter

What are the biggest challenges for agents heading into January?

There is a clear consensus among agents about the impact of cost-of-living constraints facing clients and how that might affect spending. Other concerns centre around the ability to compete with direct-sell competition, as well as the impact of aggressive discounting and the pressure to price-match. There is also the ongoing challenge of meeting customers’ expectations about what they can get for their money following recent holiday price inflation. To counter these issues, agents would like to see more price parity with direct-sell platforms from suppliers or “easy” price-matching without them having to give up their profit margin on the sale. Other key asks include more trade-only or added-value offers, ready-to-use social media assets, increased incentives and training, plus extra support by suppliers during high-volume booking periods.