Agents and tour operators are the second top source of travel inspiration for UK travellers, new research has claimed.
A survey of 2,000 UK consumers by Epsilon, an advertising and marketing technology company, identified 13 channels that influenced travellers’ choices, with travel agents and operators cited by 20% of respondents.
The biggest influence was recommendations from friends and family (46%), with the trade being matched on 20% by TripAdvisor. Lower down the rankings were consumer travel magazines and articles (17%), TV adverts (14%), mobile apps for travel planning (12%), online forums like Reddit (11%), social influencers (11%), direct mail including holiday brochures (8%), radio or podcasts (6%), AI chat recommendations (4%) and virtual reality experiences (4%).
The report suggested consumers preferred sources with a balance of trust, variety, expertise, personal recommendations and third-party endorsements, with agents seen as “more trusted” when sharing their own trip experiences.
The survey also found 24% of respondents booked trips “last-minute”, 38% “several months in advance” and 43% answered “it could be any of the above depending on the trip”, meaning the total percentage booking further ahead could be higher.
Price was cited as “a major driver” for consumers’ travel choices, with 39% saying they spent the most time in the process finding the best deals, 26% cross-referencing flight and hotel options across apps and websites and 17% working out trip financing.
‘Enormous’ opportunities outside January
Only 7% of respondents said they typically booked holidays in January.
The report said the finding “draws into question” long-running conventions around Sunshine Saturday being a peak booking day, alongside peak or wave period campaigns from many operators and cruise lines.
“It is clear that the scale of opportunity for travel agents throughout the rest of the year is enormous”, the report added, although it did not suggest an alternative top month for booking or provide a monthly breakdown.
Elliot Clayton, Epsilon UK managing director, noted “a growing demand” for independent and flexible travel experiences and UK travellers “prioritising realistic, transparent travel options over aspirational content”.
He added: “Travel agents have a real opportunity to connect with audiences based on knowing the right price point and being clear in their messaging.”
“They must embrace personalisation and omnichannel strategies to meet these evolving expectations and loyalty has never been more important as a means to capture valuable word-of-mouth recommendations from satisfied customers.”