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.
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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.
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