Sunshine Saturday to fuel 5% increase in January holiday bookings
UK travel firms are expecting a 5% bump in holiday bookings this month, following Sunshine Saturday.
The Civil Aviation Authority is forecasting about 200,000 more people will book their holidays this month.
Last year about 4.3 million made bookings in January.
Post New Year is a key booking period for forward bookings and demand usually peaks at the weekends.
TravelSupermarket says the traditional holiday hotspots are dominating again but destinations like Gozo, Malta and long-haul holidays are rising sharply.
It says Tenerife is the top seller for 2026.
ABTA notes holidaymakers are booking further ahead, even into 2027.
“Sunshine Saturday is traditionally a busy time for holiday bookings. We are expecting that to be the case this year,” A Jet2 spokesperson said.
TravelSupermarket’s research also found that some Italy destinations like Lake Como and Sicily have seen sharp declines in interest.
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025