Atas hails strong start to year amid 13% rise in revenue

Atas has hailed a strong peaks period with overall revenue for January and February across its members up 13% versus the same period last year.

 

Speaking at the Atas Leaders Dinner on April 2, association director Claire Brighton also revealed booking volumes were up 9% overall when compared with the first two months of 2024 – and up 11% specifically through agents.

 

“These figures were driven by a strong January and a slightly softer, almost flat, February,” Brighton told attendees at Browns Covent Garden. “But if you look at agent-specific data, both January and February were slightly ahead of last year.”

 

She added: “Overall it was a strong start to the year and, as a reminder, this comes on the back of a very strong peaks last year.”

 

The top-selling destination for January and February was Italy, followed by India, Spain, Vietnam and South Africa.

 

Destinations that experienced the biggest year-on-year growth were Peru (+110%) Morocco (+98%), Spain (+75%) and Japan (+58%).

 

Brighton identified solo travel as a major growth opportunity for agents, with the trade accounting for only 8% of overall solo bookings.

 

“I see this as a massively valuable area for you to get behind and bring those clients to you,” she added.

 

James Clarke, general manager at Travelzoo UK, which was the main sponsor of the event, also shared some findings from the first two months of the year.

 

He revealed rail bookings have enjoyed a surge in popularity with Istanbul, Sri Lanka and Switzerland the top destinations.

 

"Rail has gone through the roof for us; clickthrough rates and bookings have surpassed all expectations," he said.

 

"When we asked our members at the start of the year about their aspirations for travel in 2025, 95% said they are either looking to book a rail holiday or want to encompass some form of rail in their holiday."

 

Clarke also reported a rise in escorted tours to Turkey, Thailand and Portugal, with "gastronomy and heritage driving engagement".

 

He added: "Cruise remains incredibly buoyant for us but in particular two areas: expedition - which is standout - and river. 

 

"In Q1 we sold out of all of our inventory focusing on expedition; it’s great to see the product being absorbed by our audience.

 

"River cruising is doing particularly well for us; we’ve been able to bring on partners like AmaWaterways and have great trips with APT this quarter. We’ve seen some really strong sentiment."

 

More: Ultimate guide to solo touring