More than five million people are expected to travel abroad during the Christmas and New Year period, according to estimates by Abta, the UK travel agents’ association, confirming the continued strong demand for leisure travel.
Today (Friday) is recorded as the busiest day for flight departures, while Christmas Day is expected to be the quietest. Abta members report strong sales mainly to mainland Spain, the Canary Islands, Portugal and Turkey, with winter sun remaining a key selection criterion.
Popular winter sun choices also include Palma, Dubai and Sharm el-Sheikh, while particularly strong demand is also being recorded for ski holidays. At the top of ski destinations are resorts in France, Austria, Switzerland and the Scandinavian countries.
The city break market for the New Year remains strong as well, with the most popular destinations being Amsterdam, Barcelona, Budapest, Dublin, Geneva, Milan, Paris, Prague and Rome. At the same time, cities known for their Christmas markets, such as Tallinn, Gdansk, Vienna and Cologne, are also attracting significant interest.
Major UK airports are preparing for increased—in some cases historically high—passenger traffic. Gatwick estimates that 28 December will be the busiest day of the festive period, with 757 scheduled flights, while 249 flights are planned on Christmas Day. Heathrow forecasts its strongest December and the busiest Christmas Day in its history.
According to the data, approximately 700,000 passengers will depart from Stansted, 400,000 from Luton, 750,000 from Manchester, 250,000 from Birmingham and 225,000 from Bristol. Significant activity is also being recorded at Scottish airports, with Edinburgh expecting more than 120,000 departing passengers over its five busiest days.
At the same time, hundreds of thousands of travelers will move via sea routes, the Channel Tunnel, or cruise services.
Abta Chief Executive Mark Tanzer noted that “Christmas and New Year have traditionally been one of the busiest travel periods of the year, and this year is no exception, with some airports recording record numbers.” As he added, “the importance people place on their holidays explains this picture, as they represent an opportunity for rest or reunions with friends and family.”
He also stressed that Abta members are making every possible effort to ensure smooth travel, advising passengers to arrive at airports in good time, check for possible engineering works or disruptions to transport services, and, especially for those traveling for skiing, to ensure they have appropriate travel insurance.
