Greece remains a top destination for the UK’s major tour operators for summer 2027, ranking first in sales among major players such as the PTS network. This confirms the country’s strong appeal in the British travel market. Meanwhile, major tour operators such as TUI are already launching their summer 2028 programmes and beyond, prompting a gradual shift towards much earlier bookings.
The early launch of travel packages for summer 2028 has changed the landscape, triggering a sharp increase in bookings made well in advance. Travellers are rushing to book cruises, long-haul trips and organised tours now, aiming to secure specific itineraries and accommodation before they sell out, while also seeking to spread their expenses more effectively and plan their budgets well ahead of time.
According to Katharina Peck, Commercial Director at TTNG, sales for 2028 are up 20% year on year, as travellers rush to secure premium holidays, cruises and long-haul trips well in advance.
“Demand remains focused on 2027, but we are seeing growing interest in 2028,” she said, noting that customers who book this far in advance typically opt for premium, experience-led holidays and long-haul trips.
Tracy Clenshaw, Head of Commercial at Fred Olsen Travel, also reported double-digit growth in bookings for 2028 and beyond compared with the same period last year, highlighting the shift towards earlier bookings. “What we have seen is a significant increase in forward sales. The booking curve appears to have shifted forward, with customers booking earlier than we have traditionally seen.”
At Hays Travel, Chief Operating Officer Jonathon Woodall-Johnston said the opening of 2028 programmes had encouraged customers to act quickly. “It has driven an increase in demand from customers looking to spread the cost of their holidays, as well as those wishing to take advantage of some of the fantastic luxury long-haul offers available.”
Similarly, John Sullivan, Commercial Director at Advantage Travel Partnership, noted that bookings for 2028 were performing very well, particularly among customers keen to plan their budgets well in advance, as well as those organising trips for particularly special occasions.
A mixed picture across the market
However, the overall picture across the travel market is mixed, as not all travel agents share the same enthusiasm for bookings for 2028. Several industry executives, including Paul Waters, CEO of Premier Travel, and Ian Gilder, CEO of Adore Holidays & Cruises, point out that current demand remains focused on the near term. They explain that the bulk of bookings still concern immediate departures and summer 2027 — a season in which Greece continues to lead sales.
Greece tops sales for summer 2027
The outlook for Greek tourism in summer 2027 is highly positive, according to the latest figures from the PTS Group.
According to CEO Emma Collis, Greece remains the top-selling destination across the network for summer 2027.
This impressive performance comes amid strong commercial growth for the group, with total annual sales up 30%, despite a modest week-on-week decline of 5.2%.
At the same time, Collis highlighted a wait-and-see trend in the cruise sector, with some consumers delaying their bookings in anticipation of a possible drop in prices.
