OTA predicts Sunday bookings to trump ‘Sunshine Saturday’

OTA predicts Sunday bookings to trump ‘Sunshine Saturday’

The boss of online travel agent Sunshine.co.uk says he expects Sunday to trump Saturday as the busiest day for bookings this January. Tour operators Thomson and First Choice have dubbed tomorrow Sunshine Saturday as they predict upwards of 27,500 people … Continue reading

The boss of online travel agent Sunshine.co.uk says he expects Sunday to trump Saturday as the busiest day for bookings this January.

Tour operators Thomson and First Choice have dubbed tomorrow Sunshine Saturday as they predict upwards of 27,500 people will make bookings with more than a million people expected to visit their high street shops or websites.

They also predict Brits will travel more long-haul and that there will be a record number in bookings on mobile devices.

But Chris Clarkson, managing director of Sunshine.co.uk said he expects Sunday to be busier and that it always has been. He also made the same assertion last year.

He said: “When analysing booking trends in 2016, we actually found that our busiest day was Sunday January 10. Historically, this has always been the case for us.

“Holidays aren’t something that people rush to book; they like to do some research and take their time to ensure that they’re picking the right destination or accommodation.

“So, whilst we predict that traffic will be very high this Saturday, the busiest booking day is likely to once again be the Sunday. In 2016, approximately 8% of all January bookings were made on Sunday January 10, which is a higher percentage share than any other day.

“Holidays are on people’s minds now because the Christmas festivities are behind us and they crave something to look forward to. By the end of this weekend, if previous booking trends are anything to go by, there’ll be plenty of people with a holiday on the horizon.”