• 79% of respondents reported an increase in new customers
• 27% are seeing customers seeking lesser-known destinations to avoid the more popular hotspots
• 79% of respondents are getting more requests for travel during shoulder season
• 69% of respondents in the Business Travel sector have won more new business this year than last year

The latest Business Impact Analysis* conducted by The Advantage Travel Partnership has revealed a surge in new customers across both leisure and business travel.

79 percent of Advantage travel agent partners who took part in the survey are seeing an increase in new customers across leisure travel with the majority of new customers being aged between 35-54. 27 percent of respondents said that customers are seeking lesser-known destinations to avoid the more popular hotspots, whilst 79 percent of respondents in leisure travel also reported that they are seeing more requests for travel during the shoulder season, citing cost and weather as the main drivers. Travelling between seasons is becoming more popular than ever as people are looking to avoid extreme heat, beat the crowds and get better deals.

Despite reports of protests in popular destinations over the summer months, all respondents to the survey reported that they are seeing no impact in bookings to destinations which are being highlighted through over-tourism protests.

The latest Business Impact analysis also reported that a number of sectors are gaining popularity. 72 percent of respondents to the survey reported an increased interest in cruise holidays. The cruise market has seen massive growth after taking a major hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, partly due to the plethora of destinations now available to visit on a cruise and also due to the ships themselves. Global passengers are expected to grow by 10 percent this year and by 15 percent next year in the UK. Cruise companies are increasingly investing in new ships, which is attractive to customers and destinations which not only appeal to existing customers but also to the new-to-cruise market. There will be 12 new ships this year and another 8 next year.

Despite the cost of travel increasing, 55 percent of respondents to the survey stated that the luxury sector is proving increasingly popular, and as a result the luxury travel market is booming. The trend for luxury travel that was prevalent in 2023 has continued unabated in part due to the fact that the luxury travel market is no longer dominated by older wealthy individuals, but with a growing presence of younger affluent travellers that want to travel well and have unique personalised experiences.

Advantage’s survey also revealed that rail travel, solo travel and the adventure and touring sectors are all growing in popularity.

A similarly positive picture was painted across business travel with 69% of respondents who operate as part of Advantage’s Global Business Travel division reporting that they have won more new business this year than last year. 33 percent of respondents also reported that they anticipate that corporates are looking to spend more on business travel in 2025, suggesting business is finally booming again for those in the global business travel supply chain.

Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of The Advantage Travel Partnership said: “Given the increase in new customers our travel agency partners are seeing across leisure and business travel we’re anticipating a really strong year for travel in 2025.

We haven’t seen the protests and demonstrations against local political issues, manifesting as overtourism debates, impact on holiday sales, and it’s a really positive sign that our travel agency partners are seeing people look for lesser-known destinations. This desire for lesser-known destinations is a great opportunity for our travel agency partners to highlight all the incredible destinations that are available to travellers at great prices. We’re really excited to see where people are aspiring to travel to in 2025 and the new places they look to explore.

There’s no denying that there’s an upward tick in people travelling over shoulder season months which is a trend we have been following for a while now. Travelling out of season can be a great way to see a destination without the crowds, for better prices and with milder weather.

Travel agents are best placed to help consumers navigate booking holidays that account for their various needs, desires, concerns and budgets, whilst the critical role TMC’s play in facilitating managed travel for their corporates has never been more evident. What is reflected in the results of our latest Business Impact Analysis is that people are continuing to prioritise travel and that consumers have found there really is no substitute for agents who act as advisors, who know their clients and can provide expert consultation, support and peace of mind.”