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Exclusive Travel Weekly survey reveals 56% of UK adults ‘likely’ to holiday abroad
More than half the UK adult population are likely to book at least one overseas holiday this year, with demand for outbound travel remaining higher than in 2018 and 2019, according to exclusive consumer research for Travel Weekly.
The research suggests the trade should also see the strongest demand to date for all-inclusive holidays, with 62% of prospective holidaymakers saying they are likely to book all-inclusive this year, three percentage points up on a year ago, 12 points up on 2019 and 22 points up on a decade ago.
The survey in January of almost 1,300 consumers for the 2026 edition of the Travel Weekly Insight Report found 56% ‘likely’ to take a holiday abroad, including 33% ‘very likely’, with an additional 17% undecided.
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The proportion ‘very likely’ to book an overseas trip was three percentage points down on a year ago, as was the total proportion likely to do so. However, the 59% who said they were likely to holiday abroad a year ago was the highest proportion since the survey began in 2012.
The 56% intending to travel abroad this year remains the second-highest figure on record, above that in January 2024 (50%) and at the start of 2019 (53%).
Two-thirds of those aged 25-44 and of parents with children at home said they would take a holiday abroad, although this age range saw the sharpest decline in intention, down five percentage points on a year ago – no doubt reflecting the cost pressures on many families.
Half those intending to travel overseas (49%) said they expect to spend more on their holiday this year than last, and 15% ‘significantly more’, with only 7% saying ‘less’. However, the proportion prepared to spend more was significantly down year on year among parents with children (-9 points) and those aged 35-54 (-7 points).
Almost three in five of those likely to book an overseas trip (57%) said they were “more concerned at the cost of holidays” this year than previously, and this rose to two-thirds (65%) among those ‘quite likely’ to book a holiday rather than ‘very likely’.
Two in three (66%) said they would travel outside peak season to reduce costs. A similar proportion (64%) said they would book cheaper travel options, half (47%) said they would seek cheaper accommodation and two in five (41%) said they would take fewer overseas holidays.
However, the findings suggest the trend towards shorter durations may have plateaued given a three-point increase on last year to 42% in those planning a holiday of seven to 13 nights abroad and no change in the 40% planning a holiday of six nights or less. This follows a consistent rise in shorter durations year on year since the post-Covid spike in inflation.
The value of the survey as an indicator of demand is illustrated by the fact that 59% of respondents said they took at least one overseas holiday last year, in line with the January 2025 research, with 31% taking two or more holidays abroad.
The survey was conducted by market research firm Kantar among 1,281 UK adults on January 2-4.
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