The Association of Touring & Adventure Suppliers (Atas) has reported that its members made 4% more bookings in 2023 than in 2019 – surpassing pre-pandemic volumes for the first time – with total revenue reaching record levels.
The figures for bookings made in 2023 come from an Atas data project produced in partnership with customer data analyst Radar, which compiles data from members to uncover sales and destination trends.
Atas director Claire Brighton said: “I’m delighted to see that 2023 was a record year for our members.
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“These combined figures demonstrate how the touring and adventure sector really surged back strongly in 2023 as all of our destinations were fully open and welcoming travellers back.”
In revenue terms, the figures showed that booking values for departures in 2023 were 64% higher than in 2022.
Looking ahead, the upward trend has continued this year, with agents’ forward bookings for Atas members for departures in 2024 up 42% on the equivalent figure this time last year.
The average revenue for 2024 departures is currently £4,565 via the trade, which is about 22% higher than this time last year.
The research also showed that the key booking month is January, followed by November, February, September and March.
The most popular departure months remain the shoulder seasons of September-October followed by May-June.
Brighton added: “We first released some preliminary statistics from our project during our annual conference last October because they showed such great revenues for Atas members’ bookings made by agents.
“We said we would continue to update agents and suppliers over the coming months with the key trends and market data, to help with their own marketing and sales strategies.
“It’s very encouraging to see the positive trends we reported in October have continued.
“We said in October that the average booking value for trade sales was £3,820, while those made direct by consumers were £2,660 – a difference of 43%. Now it is £4,565 via the trade.”
The stats from Radar – an associate member of Atas – also reveal the average lead time for bookings is four to six months and the average duration is six to 10 days.
Brighton said Radar’s findings would be shared each quarter, with the next update due in April.