The Advantage Travel Partnership has enjoyed some festive cheer by what it said has been “an impressive surge in bookings and revenue growth” in December and for 2025 bookings.
Britain’s largest consortium of independent travel agent says bookings overall for the Christmas period are up 12% over 2024, with the Canary Islands dominating bookings for the festive period and Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria taking the top three spots. This is followed by the Benidorm, suggesting travellers are favouring sun and beach holidays to escape the gloomy UK weather this winter.
Mid- and long-haul destinations showing robust numbers include the USA, Dubai and Thailand.
Advantage says long-haul bookings have proven resilient throughout 2024, even in the face of economic uncertainty – which underpins the fact that travellers are looking for richer cultural, immersive experiences and a sense of adventure that they perceive can only be offered by far-flung destinations.
“Long-haul destinations also remain popular as they can cater to a diverse range of budgets, from luxury holidays to more affordable options,” explained Advantage.
“For example, Dubai continues to attract both those looking for luxury as well as families seeking family-friendly resorts, shopping and entertainment.
“Thailand, with its varied options from budget backpacking to luxury resorts, offers an appealing blend of affordability and exotic appeal.”
City breaks are also in vogue, with strong sales of established favourites for this time of the year including Budapest and Prague, but also some lesser-known city break destinations such as Porto and Gdansk, which offer exceptional value to travel to and when you are there.
The most common trip length remained at eight nights. All-inclusive packages are the dominant choice for travellers, accounting for around 50% of bookings and seeing significant growth.
For 2025, the Advantage Travel Partnership is tracking ahead of last year by 15% in bookings so far. Summer holidays are leading the way, with bookings accounting for 55% of all reservations. The average duration for these trips is ten nights, the same as at this time in 2024.
CEO Julia Lo Bue-Said added: “The strength of trading throughout 2024 reflects the resilience of both our travel agent partners and the broader travel sector. The appetite for travel continues to grow as consumers seek both value and experience and we’re excited to see this momentum continue into 2025. Our agent partners across the UK also continue to see new customers as people look to book their travel via a travel agent, not only to get access to great deals but also for peace of mind when travelling.
“As the UK travel industry now enters one of the year’s peak booking periods, when approximately 60% of Brits book a family summer package holiday by the end of February, our travel agency partners are gearing up for a busy period. Across our national network of travel agency partners, we are supporting them with a major marketing campaign: That Just Booked Feeling, with offers, promotions and incentives to encourage early bookings.”
