Hays Travel has extended its zero deposit sales promotion by almost three weeks, after reporting its busiest trading day in history last weekend.
The offer, which had been due to end on 12 January, will now run until the end of the month.
Retail Director Jane Schumm said: “Super Sunshine Saturday, 10 January, was Hays Travel’s busiest trading day in our history and we saw double digit year-on-year growth.
“After a week back at work customers were ready to beat the winter blues and make the most of the many money-saving offers that our supplier partners have prepared. We are delighted to have negotiated some excellent exclusive deals for our customers, including our biggest zero deposit campaign ever.”
She said northern Europe and Caribbean cruises for 2026 and 2027 have been popular and there has been an increase in long-haul experiential trips and tours. She added the agency group has seen ‘more high-value bookings than we have seen in previous years’.
Meanwhile, Not Just Travel is predicting its ‘biggest Peaks ever’, after hosting 350 of its consultants and trade partners at a New Year New Start event at the beginning of the year.
One week on from the three-day event, at the De Vere Cotswold Waterpark in Cirencester, the company said it has experienced record-breaking days, including its busiest Saturday on record on 10 January.
Co-founder Steve Witt said: “Many people say we are crazy to host an event like this at the start of Peaks, but our sales speak for themselves. For us, it’s an opportunity to get everyone together, excited and full of the latest information ready to make the most of Peaks.”
He added: “This will be our biggest Peaks ever. We are now turning all our December groundwork into genuine Peaks profit.”
Personal Travel Consultants in Partnership with Blue Bay Travel reported a 20% year-on-year increase in sales between 3-11 January, with some consultants reporting their strongest trading days of the year so far on 10 and 11 January.
PTC attributed some of the increase to the bad weather, although while the Midlands and South were hardest by snow, ice, and travel disruption, the spike in bookings was felt nationally.
Shearings and Leger Holidays said January bookings are ‘way ahead of expectations’, up 28% on January 2025. The week commencing 5 January 2026 was the biggest sales week for Leger Shearings Group for two years and Monday 12 January was the best sales day for both companies, exceeding the previous record by 25%.
Agent Sarah White, who runs Wanderlux Luxury Travel in Hertfordshire, said: “I’ve worked every day since Christmas Day with a steady stream of new enquiries and so far have had four new Maldives enquiries in, which I have not sold much of before, which is great. I’ve had everything from Nashville to Sri Lanka – not much for Europe, it’s mostly long-haul at the moment. I am very tired, though.”
And South Wales-based Holloway’s Travel Managing Director Gareth Holloway said: “We have been super busy in branch and online, with a massive increase in cruise and long-haul bookings.”
