NEWS
January is ‘still one of the most popular times to book’, says Barrhead Travel’s Jacqueline Dobson
Trade eyes ‘bumper’ month ahead of ‘Sunshine Saturday’
Juliet Dennis
Travel agents expect a “bumper” January but say a gradual start to sales may mean bookings peak after this weekend’s so-called ‘Sunshine Saturday’. Bookings last week were similar
or above levels seen a year ago, according to the trade. But Tui UK & Ireland
director Sandra McAllister said bad weather conditions immediately after Christmas had impacted footfall to the agency’s shops but she was optimistic about the rest of January. “Between Christmas and New
commercial director Phillip Iveson said “appetite for travel has never been greater”, adding: “For years we have seen huge demand post-Christmas to search for and book a holiday, and we expect this January to be no different.” Tui anticipates sales this month will
STORY TOP
Year it was quiet on the high street; the stormy weather didn’t help,” she said. “But Saturday (December 30) picked up and we ended on a par with the same week as last year. I’m hopeful January will be a bumper month.” Triangle Travel reported
a “slight upturn” in year-on- year enquiries after opening stores
be stronger than January 2020, before the pandemic hit. Its poll of 1,000 consumers in December revealed 37% of people were likely to book a summer holiday at this time of year. Althams Travel managing
travelweekly.co.uk
on December 29. General manager Sarah Kenton said the “short, busy week” meant Sunshine Saturday was unlikely to be a “big booking day”, but added: “We are expecting January to be busier than last year.” Miles Morgan Travel chairman
Miles Morgan described trading as buoyant, but said December 30 stood out as a “nuclear” sales day.
He credited the amount of travel-
related advertising, particularly on TV, for boosting interest. “In previous Januarys, I’ve talked about travel losing ground to sofas or double glazing, but the ‘share of voice’ for travel this year is really high,” he said. Silver Travel Advisor head of retail
Julie Crumpton agreed: “We’ve had a lot of enquiries since Christmas. The earlier adverts on TV have helped.” Advantage Travel Partnership said
members’ bookings were up 31% last week on last year, and revenue up 35%, but cautioned that some clients might wait until pay day at the end of the month to book. Chief commercial officer Kelly
Cookes said: “Sunshine Saturday is a key date although it is before the first post-Christmas pay day. Therefore, it will be interesting to see whether bookings are as strong as enquiries.” Agents said bookings were for all
seasons, with popular destinations including the Canaries, mainland
Spain, Italy, Turkey, Greece, the US and Egypt. Barrhead Travel president
Jacqueline Dobson said: “January is still one of the most popular times to book and we don’t see that changing. “We’re expecting a very strong
weekend following a gradual rise in enquiries since the festive season.” Gold Medal managing director
Simon Applebaum said call volumes for the trade-only operator were up 80% between Christmas and New Year. “As we approach Sunshine Saturday, we anticipate this momentum to continue,” he said. The trade also reported good
snowfall in Europe over Christmas was driving late ski bookings. Ski Solutions managing director
Ian McIlrath reported “lots of late bookings” and predicted a record 2023-24 season, while Sno founder Richard Sinclair said phones were
“buzzing” with demand for ski trips. i TV travel adverts review, page 12
4 JANUARY 2024 5
PICTURE: Shutterstock/altafulla
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