Travel is booming: Discover the findings of our 2024 Travel Tracker Survey

According to our annual Travel Tracker Survey of 2,000 Brits, over half (55%) are planning to spend the same amount on holidays in the next 12 months as they did last year, and over a quarter (29%) are planning to spend more on travel.

More than half of Brits (55%) said holidays were a top spending priority, compared to 45% last year. Holidays once again topped this year’s spending poll list, ahead of eating and drinking out (33%), clothes, shoes and accessories (31%), home and garden renovations (31%) and leisure activities (29%).

With so many Brits prioritising seeing the world over materialistic items, now is the ideal time to take the plunge and set up your own travel business.

An appetite for multi-destination trips

The survey also highlighted a growing trend toward multi-destination trips, with 17% of respondents describing them as their preferred holiday type — a 50% increase from the previous year - suggesting that more travellers are keen to tick off multiple bucket-list experiences in a single journey. And for our business owners, our world-class booking platform, Phenix, makes putting together these kinds of complex itineraries a breeze.

The value of a trusted travel advisor

The average Brit plans to go on two holidays abroad in the next 12 months, and nearly half (46%) of those surveyed said a stress-free journey was the number one ingredient for the perfect holiday, ahead of guaranteed sunshine (43%). Notably, 39% of respondents indicated that they booked their holidays through a travel advisor specifically for the peace of mind that comes with having support if things go wrong.

Steve Byrne, CEO of Travel Counsellors, said: “The demand for summer holidays and travel remains exceptionally strong, with our research indicating it remains the top spending priority for consumers. The reason we travel is to escape the pressures of everyday life, and our research underscores the importance attached to getting away from it all, exploring the world, and enjoying meaningful travel experiences.

“The data also highlights the importance of having a travel advisor by your side, and we have certainly seen this reflected in our own booking trends. More customers than ever are choosing a Travel Counsellor to create their unique trips, with bookings up 8% for this summer, and already 34% higher for summer 2025. Using a travel advisor allows travellers to truly disconnect, confident that every detail has been expertly managed, so they can focus on what really matters — creating unforgettable memories on holiday.”

Are you ready to unleash your potential as a travel business owner? Would you love to help make people’s travel dreams a reality? We’re always looking for passionate, driven people to join our community of entrepreneurs, and we’d love for you to join us. With the demand for travel well and truly booming, now’s the perfect time to come on board as a Travel Counsellor. Our inductions for the rest of the year are filling up fast, so don’t hesitate to get in touch if you want to get your business up and running ready to capitalise on the busy peaks period in early 2025.