The tour operator also revealed that traffic to its travel agent finder webpage, which allows holidaymakers to locate their local agency, had “more than doubled” in the past few days. 

Jet2holidays added that it was “gearing up for a busy weekend” as the trade prepares for what is traditionally the busiest day of the year for bookings, now widely known as Sunshine Saturday.

Steve Heapy, chief executive of Jet2holidays, said: “This time of year has traditionally been the peak period for holiday bookings and this is most definitely the case so far this year. 

“We are seeing record levels of demand via independent travel agents as customers jump at the chance to lock in their holidays, and we are expecting this demand for be even stronger over the coming weekend.”

The operator revealed that the destinations experiencing the highest demand during peaks so far includes the Canaries and Balearic islands, as well as mainland Spain, Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Portugal and Italy. Both summer 2024 and late winter getaways have been selling well.

There has also been “strong growth” for all-inclusive bookings as customers lock in as much of the holiday cost as possible.

Jet2holidays’ positive sales picture comes after leading travel agency consortium Advantage earlier revealed a surge in bookings for its members since Christmas.