Traditionally claimed to be the industry’s busiest day for bookings, Sunshine Saturday delivered for a number of agents and operators, with Barrhead Travel surpassing its previous record sales day from January 2020.
The day also contributed to an overall sales growth of 52% for the week 2-8 January for Barrhead when compared with the same period in 2019.
EasyJet holidays also saw its strongest sales day since launching in 2019, while in the lead-up to Sunshine Saturday self-guided holidays specialist Macs Adventure reported its best sales day in its 20-year history.
Barrhead saw demand for cruise holidays had “significantly grown” year-on-year with bookings up 200%, while Tenerife, Majorca, Lanzarote and Alicante proved most popular for land-based breaks.
Summer 2023 “dominated” sales – accounting for more than 60% of holidays sold last week – Barrhead said late departures were “holding strong” with more than one-in-five new bookings due to depart between now and April.
Barrhead president Jacqueline Dobson said the company was "thrilled" by its performance during the opening week of January trading, saying it had "exceeded expectations".
"Last year was a lates market for travel, but this year has returned a confidence of planning ahead. Most importantly, our customers are telling us they want to lock in prices now so they have certainty and to help with their holiday budgeting," said Dobson.
Barrhead reported all-inclusive holidays represented more than a quarter of bookings so far this month, while longer durations were on the rise, with 10 nights or longer making up 45% of new bookings.
For easyJet holidays, Tenerife, Palma and Lanzarote proved the most popular destinations, while Amsterdam, Paris and Iceland led the way for city breaks.
Beach breaks accounted for more than 50% of all-inclusive holidays sold, while June was the busiest month for beach bookings and Cyprus enjoyed the largest growth in popularity compared to 2022.
Garry Wilson, chief executive of easyJet holidays, said: "With the cost of living still very much at the top of the agenda, what we’re seeing is that people are still prioritising holidays. We expect demand will continue with great value playing a more key role than ever, so we’re absolutely committed to continuing to offer brilliant holidays at unbeatable prices.”
