Advantage reports long-haul, family and late sales growth for summer

The Advantage Travel Partnership has released its summer trading report, showing a spike in Greece bookings, a 15% increase in long-haul sales and growth in the late and family markets.

The Canary Islands top the rankings of short-haul destinations, which also include Greece in the top five after its decision to delay participation in the EU’s Entry/Exit System contributed to a 20% uplift in bookings compared with 2025.

While long-haul bookings have risen by 15% year on year, Dubai has bucked the positive trend with a slump of 40% amid the Middle East conflict.

Late bookings “between 0-30 days of the peak summer period” have grown by 28% year on year, representing 12% of all summer bookings, with couples making more late bookings than any other group – they represent 45% of bookings made within 14 days, compared with families’ proportion of 10%.

Family bookings for the school summer holidays have grown by 3% year on year, with the top destinations being Greece, Turkey, the western Mediterranean and the Canary Islands. 

All-inclusive bookings represent 38% of all bookings, with the biggest growth recorded in Turkey, the Canary Islands and mainland Spain.

The average spend on bookings has risen by 5% year on year, Advantage said, “showing UK travellers aren’t put off by higher prices and prioritise their holiday over other expenditures”.

The consortium said there was “no evidence” of travellers rejecting destinations over heat concerns, noting the appeal of “the complete holiday environment – pool, beach, air conditioning and relaxation”.

It added cruise bookings have grown from 10% of all bookings last year to 12% this year, with travellers showing particular interest in no-fly sailings.

The top five short-haul destinations are the Canary Islands, Turkey, mainland Spain, Greece and the Balearic Islands.

The top five long-haul destinations are the US (Florida), the Caribbean, Thailand, Mexico and the Maldives.

Advantage said the desire to travel long-haul “clearly remains high”, with some bookings being redirected away from the Gulf to the Caribbean and Far East.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive, said: “Once again we see that Brits are determined to go on their summer holidays. Traveller confidence remains high, despite a tumultuous year for travel, with long-haul bookings up 15% and families seeking true value for money rather than simply racing to the lowest prices.

“Greece tops the charts as the highest growing summer holiday destination, in part thanks to the delayed rollout of the EES scheme, while Turkey has seen a last-minute rise in bookings by travellers seeking fantastic value for money and beautiful destinations.”