My Guest Blogger - Emily Sandilands

I live with my boyfriend, Edmund, and our two furry feline children, Stormy and Neo. Hyrox is my new passion and when I’m not training on the weekend, you can usually find me spending quality time with our amazing families and friends. I also absolutely love travelling and visiting the Amazon remains the pinnacle of my adventures.

Neo & Stormy along with Edmund

A quick Travel update

It’s going to be an exciting year in Travel as we continue to roll out our new branch format for our retail estate as well as launching a new website with a smoother customer journey. My role focuses on making the customer user experience as consistent and engaging as possible across our different channels, including our website, retail and social channels, so integrating these new elements will be a key focus for me this year.

My top tips for colleagues looking for a holiday bargain this January

City breaks and family European beach holidays are poised to be the hottest sellers in January. There are lots of great child offers and family discounts available right now.

January is also the go-to month for booking bucket-list-worthy tours, and South Africa tops the list for 2024! Co-op Holidays recently introduced some exciting new tours, from Italy and Egypt to captivating safaris in South Africa, and unforgettable cruising and touring experiences in Asia and South America, spanning the beauty of Argentina and Belize.

We anticipate a surge in bookings for dreamy beach getaways to the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean, with hotspots like Mauritius, the Maldives, and Dubai topping the list for Co-op Holidays. Closer to home, Jersey remains a favourite, while Majorca, Tenerife, and Turkey are popular for all-inclusive getaways. For those seeking diverse experiences, we expect a high demand for the USA, specifically Florida and New York, as well as the timeless allure of Greece and Portugal. Not to be overlooked are Co-op Holidays staples such as Krakow and Iceland – January is an ideal time for securing city breaks.

And lastly, for the forward-thinking travellers, consider planning ahead with our exclusive offers for Lapland in 2024 and 2025.

Here’s how to get the best prices

Visit our Co-op Holidays website or pop into your local branch for our hottest offers. The usual 10% colleague discount off holiday bookings has had a major upgrade as it’s been doubled to a maximum of £500! This exclusive, limited-time offer is valid until Saturday 27^th January 2024. So, grab your calendars, mark the date, and book your 2024 getaways soon!

How Travel is doing good together with Go Beyond

We’ve been working with the Go Beyond team since 2022 and in that time, we have raised enough money to fund over 110 children to go on a Go Beyond break where they create memories that last a lifetime. Last July we extended our partnership for another two years, committing to donate at least £50,000 to the charity each year.

Volunteering with Travel’s charity partner, Go Beyond

In 2023, a team of Travel colleagues spent their volunteering hours constructing an orienteering course at Go Beyond's Daleside Centre. The retail teams also raised over £1,000 through their Go Beyond PJ Day and most recently, we donated 20 tickets to a performance of the Beauty and the Beast pantomime for a group of children who were staying at GB’s Daleside centre in December. 

Fundraising for Go Beyond in our travel branches

Making children’s dreams come true!

And don’t forget, when you book a Co-op Holidays trip, a donation is automatically made to Go Beyond.  So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to book your 2024 adventure!

Experience more with Co-op Holidays and find your 2024 get-away on the Co-op Holidays website or visit your local branch.