What is Travel Tuesday? Everything you need to know, plus the best ...

While the term ‘Black Friday’, used to refer to the start of the busy post-Thanksgiving, pre-Christmas shopping rush, was coined in the US in the 1950s and 1960s, it entered most people’s vocabulary only during the digital age.

Even then, as videos surfaced of Americans clambering over each other to grab electronics, beauty items and usually unaffordable gifts at a steal, it took until the 2010s for the concept to truly catch on in the UK.

Now, Black Friday is a big deal on both sides of the pond. Black Friday first referred to just the last November of the month, but heavily discounted items now pop up on our screens well ahead of the actual day.

This extension of the festive sales period has coined new terms. First came ‘Cyber Monday’, a post-payday event devoted to bargains across the largest online shopping platforms.

Krabi, ThailandGetty Images

However, an increasing number of us value experiences over materialism, seeking out new destinations instead of the latest hairdryer in a reverse of the “Keeping up with the Joneses” mentality”. Enter Travel Tuesday – commercialism’s latest lovechild.

“Studies continue to show that people are more interested in spending on experiences over things. That’s true in everyday life and certainly around the holidays,” says Melanie Fish, vice president of Global Communications at Expedia Group.

What is Travel Tuesday?

The foundation of Travel Tuesday is accredited to Hopper, a travel platform used by millions globally. While special deals landed after Thanksgiving before the term was coined in 2017, it’s now a crucial part of the extended Black Friday weekend for those in the market for flights and hotel stays rather than electronics and gifts.

When is Travel Tuesday?

Travel Tuesday always falls the Tuesday after Black Friday, which is the last Friday of November. In 2024, Travel Tuesday falls on Tuesday 3 December. In 2025, Travel Tuesday falls on Tuesday 2 December.

What are the best deals this Travel Tuesday?Expedia: You can save 30% on certain hotels when booking as a member for travel before 15 December 2025. This deal lasts until 4 December 2024.VRBO: If you book for one week or more, your price will drop by ~10%. This deal lasts until December 4.IHG: IHG One Rewards Members will save 25%, and everyone else will save 17% if booking by 3 December 2024 for travel before 30 April 2025. Additionally, IHG is offering 40% off Iberostar Beachfront Resorts and 500 bonus points for downloading their app.Scandinavian Airlines (SAS): The airline is offering round-trip flights to Europe for as low as £314. This promotion will apply until 3 December 2024 on travel between 13 January 2024 and 30 April 2025.TAP Air Portugal: The airline is offering round-trip economy prices from the US to Europe starting at £282.Virgin Voyages: Richard Branson’s adults-only cruise line is offering up to 80% off the second sailor on sailings booked now.Abercrombie & Kent: The luxury travel planners have a variety of special offers on the docket, including a 5k per person credit on air booked through A&K. The 2024–25 Antarctica expeditions also include no single supplement and kids aged 7–18 cruising for free on this voyage.Where the editors are booking this Travel Tuesday

Cowley Manor Experimental

Mr. Tripper

Sarah Bannerman, commerce editor

“Even though the festive season is barely upon us, I’ve started thinking about where I want to go in January, and my first stop will be Paris, so I’ve found one of our top recommended city stays in the seasonal sales. Le Grand Mazarin is beautifully designed, so if the weather tells us to cosy up, we can do so in style. The following month I’m headed for some winter sun, and Huvafen Fushi in the Maldives is high on my list of places to stay – it looks idyllic and a true ‘once in a lifetime’ destination. Lastly, I’ll book somewhere more local for a long weekend in the English countryside. The Cotswolds and Cornwall are usually my go-to spots, and you can’t go wrong with a night or two at the picture-perfect Alice-in-Wonderland-inspired Cowley Manor.”

Cape Town, South Africa

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Amber Port, senior audience development manager

“I’ll be heading to Japan in 2025, and I’ve got a long list of destinations I want to visit within the island nation. I plan to visit Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and some villages along the way. This is the trip of my lifetime, so I’ve been saving for many moons now. I hope to spend my time in Tokyo at the MUJI Hotel in Ginza for a minimalist yet cosy stay. We plan to splurge a bit in Kyoto at Maana Homes in Kyoto – I’m only slightly obsessed with this hotel’s design and craftsmanship. I’m also lucky enough to be travelling to Cape Town in March to visit my family. Of course, I’ll stay with my parents for most of the trip, but I also have a question: why not treat myself? I’ll be doing a weekend at the One&Only in Cape Town and the armed Sterrekopje Farm for a few nights. To say I’m excited is an understatement.”

A swimming pool at Amanpulo

Charley Ward, commerce writer

I haven’t actually got any holidays planned in for 2025 yet – so that’s something that needs to change swiftly. I’d love to tick off some more of Italy I’ve not explored yet; the gorgeous 18th-century farmhouse Masseria Susafa in Sicily has been on my radar for a while, as has Florence’s ultra-chic Il Tornabuoni. Long-haul wise, the Philippines has been on my bucket list for years, and I’d love to stay at an Aman at least once – so a stay at the paradisical Amanpulo, tucked away in the picturesque Cuyo Archipelago, would be divine. Closer to home, a trip to Scotland is in the works. As a former homes editor, I’m always on the lookout for eclectic places to stay, and the interiors at recently revamped Glenmorangie House are really fun.