Consumers are looking to save money by booking earlier than usual for 2024 – and opting for more all-inclusive holidays, according to sales trends seen by Advantage Travel Partnership members.
Its sales figures also show that UK travellers are continuing to prioritise travel despite the cost-of-living crisis.
The consortium said this trend for more early bookings was a shift away from patterns prompted by the pandemic, when constant changes to travel restrictions meant clients often left decisions to the last minute to avoid Covid disruption.
Bookings for summer 2024 have made up 54% of all 2024 bookings so far followed by 46% for winter 2023-2024.
Bookings for next summer are also up 67% and nearly half of bookings made through the Advantage network departing next summer are for all-inclusive options.
Long-haul destinations are proving popular for Christmas with Mexico, Australia and Thailand taking the lead in bookings.
Cruises account for 14% of 2024 departures so far, with the Mediterranean and Caribbean proving to be particularly popular.
The top selling destinations among Advantage travel agents for 2024 so far are Tenerife, Antalya, Costa Blanca, Majorca and Lanzarote.
Kelly Cookes, chief commercial officer at Advantage, said: “This shows that holidays really are a necessity and something people are looking to prioritise in the year ahead.
“Our travel agent members are seeing strong bookings for October half-term, and beyond which is a very positive sign that the industry is continuing to thrive.”
Alongside the booking patterns, Advantage has revealed survey findings suggesting younger travellers in particular may change their holiday plans because of climate-related disruption such as heatwaves and flash flooding.
A poll of 2,000 UK adults commissioned by consortium shows that 70% of people aged between 18 and 24 are somewhat or very likely to change the time of year they travel, as a result of changing weather patterns, compared to 25% of people over the age of 64.
Two-thirds (62%) of the younger demographic of customers are also likely to alter their holiday destination as a result of the impact of the warmer climate in certain countries.
Furthermore, the poll found that consumers living in the east of England, Northern Ireland and London are the most likely to have different travel plans amid climate change.
Despite the cost-of-living crisis, 74% of respondents plan to take a holiday abroad in 2024, and 76% of consumers are looking to book their trips earlier than usual, in order to save money.
Two-thirds (68%) of respondents said they would be booking a new destination they have never travelled to in 2024 rather than return to places they have already visited.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, Advantage chief executive, said: “It’s interesting to see from the poll that the impact of the adverse weather conditions across Europe this summer has made an impact on the younger generation.
“What is very positive from the survey for us is that Brits are looking to book their well-earned holidays early. Booking early is a great way to manage budgets, it gives people more time to save up for the holiday and make the most of early booking deals.
“It’s also exciting to see people looking to travel to new destinations that they’ve never been to before.
“Disruption with strike action, changes to flights and other issues that impact the smooth running of a holiday have clearly left people wanting more support when they travel and this research, along with what our travel agency partners are telling us, shows that the professional services delivered by an expert travel agent are in high demand.”