Cruise holidays are continuing to contribute to Barrhead Travel’s record-breaking sales days as the 2024 peak season continues

Following the group’s announcement last week that Sunshine Saturday broke the record for its highest ever day of sales, the Scottish agency group has confirmed Saturday 13 January broke the record again with sales up by more than 20% compared with the previous weekend.

The group also said Sunday 14 January was its “best ever Sunday” with all channels – including retail, call centres, online and social media – performing well.

Family bookings were one of the strongest growth areas last week as people looked to secure key school holiday dates. Interest in cruise holidays are also on the rise, with departures from Barbados and Southampton featuring within the top five holidays booked.

Although summer 2024 is currently the most sought-after season, Barrhead Travel said late getaways are still holding strong with almost 20% of new bookings last week for travel before the end of March.

‘More frequent and longer trips in 2024’, says Barrhead president

Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel, said the first full two weeks of trading have demonstrated the “sheer resilience” of the holiday market this year.

“We thought 2023 was the year of the holiday – but booking patterns are suggesting that there may be more frequent trips and longer holidays booked for the coming 12 months,” she continued.

“Our branches and call centres have been non-stop since 2nd January – even Sundays, which are traditionally quieter for retail in some locations, have been just as busy as Saturdays.

“At this halfway point in the month, I think it’s safe to say that it will be an exceptional January. Customers are telling us that their holidays are non-negotiable for this year and are turning to agents to guarantee the best value-for-money.”

Barrhead Travel’s top destinations so far for January include Tenerife, Mallorca, Barbados, Lanzarote and cruising from Southampton.