Bookings with travel agents have risen in the past 12 months due to a shift away from booking direct, new research by Abta claims.
The trend is particularly marked for domestic holidays. One in ten (10%) people said they booked a domestic holiday with a high street travel agent in 2014 (up from 7% in 2013) and 16% booked with an online travel agent (up from 12% in 2013).
The Abta study shows that 41% booked at least one overseas holiday direct in 2013, compared to 34% this year.
During the same time period, more people booked both an overseas holiday and a domestic holiday with a travel agent, either online or on the high street.
High street agents are particularly popular among 35-44 year olds, with more than a quarter (28%) booking a holiday abroad in this way, suggesting that those booking family holidays welcome the benefits of face-to-face contact.
Agents are also particularly popular with younger consumers aged 16-24, with 18% using a high street travel agent and 36% an agent online to book at least one overseas holiday.
People aged 65 and over were the most likely to book directly with a tour operator, with 43% booking an overseas holiday like this.
Those living outside London are more likely to use a travel agent than those in the capital. Only 11% of Londoners booked a holiday abroad using a high street agent compared to an average of 20%.
The research also revealed that travel professionals were most valued for the ease of booking (51%), for saving time (46%) and for saving money (41%) suggesting that this shift in booking may be due to these reasons.
Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “It is encouraging to see more holidaymakers using travel professionals to book their holiday, when family finances are tight we know that they are also looking for that extra security that booking with a travel agent or tour operator can bring.
“People may also perhaps be realising that DIY holidays are time consuming to put together and value having someone else do the hard work for their holiday.”