Travel agents are reporting a strong July, with many saying sales have accelerated over the week or so, with a mix of late summer holidays, long-haul trips and forward bookings.
Several agents told Travel Gossip they’re having one of their busiest Julys in recent years, with demand ranging from short Mediterranean breaks to luxury holidays worth more than £30,000.
Graeme Morl, who runs Graeme’s Travel in Newcastle upon Tyne, described the month as ‘utterly manic’.
“My deals are selling out daily and customers are lapping up offers, particularly three- to five-nights, such as to Benidorm, Menorca and Mallorca. I’m currently working 12 hour days and feeling knackered.”
David Gregg, who runs Different Corners travel agency in Torquay said July is shaping up to be one of his busiest ever.
“We’ve been busy right through June and July,” he said. “This month is turning out to be one of our busiest Julys ever with more large bookings rather than the short week away in Spain stuff.”
Among his recent sales are a £35,000 trip to Australia, with business-class flights; a £23,000 Canada holiday including the Rocky Mountaineer; a £20,000 Route 66 itinerary in the US and a £12,000 Great Rail Journeys booking.
“I usually close the shop at 3pm on Fridays, but last Friday it was still packed at 5pm. I’m not complaining. I took a £15,000 trip to Australia for November 2026 before I closed,” he said.
Personal Travel Consultant at Blue Bay Travel Clare Lake, who runs Elite Travel Studio in Kent, said bookings were coming in on her day off at the end of last week.
“I went to get my nails and toes done but all the time I was in the chair getting pampered, my phone was exploding with returning customers. I’m getting loads of last-minute bookings. People are literally travelling this month,” she said.
David McKerry, who runs We Do Travel in Dumbarton, near Glasgow, said business was coming in while he was on holiday for two weeks and remain ‘steady’ since his return on Monday (20 July)
“We kept busy while away with bookings daily,” he said. “Things are steady for us this week, although maybe a little quieter than expected. We are tracking to be up on last year, so overall happy with the month.”
He said demand has been centred on late summer and early winter departures, alongside ‘some lovely cruise enquiries for 2027’.
Another Scot, Lynne Friery, who runs Friery Travel in Glasgow, said some customers have already returned from holiday this summer and immediately booked for summer 2027, while enquiries are also coming in for September and October city breaks, long-haul holidays and 2027 cruises.
Manchester-based Katie Berry, of Your Holiday Booking, part of Vertical Travel Group, said Thailand enquiries are picking up following the Middle East crisis and she has seen ‘strong’ interest in Africa, including Tanzania.
She said the late market is ‘huge’, although family cruises are proving popular for October and May half-term, driven by good Marella Cruises prices, as well as family friendly attractions such as waterslides, on Royal Caribbean.
South Wales-based Not Just Travel agent Leyla Kent, said bookings and enquiries have been split between late getaways and milestone celebrations.
She said: “I’m slow-steady at the moment. I have some big holidays – 50ths and 60ths towards end of next year to places like Australia, New Zealand and India just at initial planning stage – then lates. I’ve just booked a couple’s cruise, a couples Greece break for a 40th and then a mum and adult daughter to Canada, all travelling by mid- September.
“So currently it’s lates and then next year, with a real mix of destinations, all adult-only.”
