Travel agents ready to cash in on Sunshine Saturday
TRAVEL agents are gearing up for the busiest day of the year for holiday bookings dubbed “Sunshine Saturday”, as people seek to kick the winter blues.
Both Thomas Cook and Tui have said they expect bumper trading this weekend as the return to work following the Christmas break spurs people to book their next getaway. Thomas Cook said it expected to take more than double the bookings of a normal weekend and anticipated today being the “busiest day online and in store of the whole year”.
Tui also expected it to be the busiest year for holiday bookings, a view supported by data it has captured in the past five years. Nearly one million people are expected to visit one of its shops or go online to book a break. Top destinations are likely to be Greece and Cyprus, while Turkey is also expected to stage a recovery, although demand could be at levels below those prior to terrorist attacks in the past few years.
Thomas Cook said searches for Turkey were up 24pc year on year since Christmas Day, while it also expects new routes to Marsa Alam in Egypt, Tunisia and Marrakesh in Morocco to be of interest. Tui added that newer destinations such as Montenegro and Cape Verde, off the coast of western Africa, could also prove popular.
Long-haul destinations including Cuba and Mexico are likely to attract interest, too, as holidaymakers seek out destinations where their pounds give them more spending money.
Chris Mottershead, managing director at Thomas Cook UK, said: “We expect to take double the bookings of a normal weekend as holidaymakers make sure they get their next dose of sunshine in the diary.” Richard Sofer, commercial director for TUI UK & Ireland, said the company had witnessed an early booking trend in the past few years and he expected that to continue.