The first Saturday of 2025 is almost upon us, and for the travel industry, this particular day is a significant date in the diary as huge surges in holiday bookings are expected.
Now that Christmas has wrapped up and New Year’s Eve has come and gone, January seems rather uneventful in comparison. For those who may have the post-Christmas blues, psychologists say that Sunshine Saturday has come about due to people seeking out a much-needed dopamine hit, and for some, that is pressing the ‘book now’ button on flights and holiday packages.
“We’re already seeing interest is high at the start of 2025 and we know January is the most popular time for Brits planning their holidays. Christmas is a distant memory and the UK wintery weather has us pining for holidays to look forward to,” said Martin Nolan from travel search engine and price comparison site Skyscanner.
To celebrate the surge in bookings, many holiday companies have launched Sunshine Saturday deals, while the general January sales on package destinations and flights are also up and running.
From family holidays during the school holidays to solo city breaks to look forward to in 2025, here is what you need to know about one of the busiest booking periods of the year.
When is Sunshine Saturday 2025?
Sunshine Saturday lands on the first Saturday of the year, and for 2025, that is 4 January.
What is Sunshine Saturday?
The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) describes Sunshine Saturday as one of the busiest days for travel bookings in the year and anticipates that the day will be very busy for travel agents and tour operators.
Companies such as Jet2holidays say they are expecting a surge in bookings this weekend, anticipating a strong demand for holidays for the summer of 2025, as well as dates further away such as the winter months leading into 2026, and even 2026’s summer.
However, Jet2holidays are also predicting many to snap up last-minute deals for holidays in January, February and March, as people seek to swap the cold and wet UK for much sunnier ventures.
Travel company On the Beach is expecting that up to six million holidays will be booked this January, but expects higher surges to land on payday at the end of the month as well as on Sunday 12 January, as that will be two weeks into the cold, soggy month.
A survey by consultancy…
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