New research shows appetite for overseas travel remains | News
New consumer sentiment research, released today from ABTA – The Travel Association, explores the impact of the conflict in the Middle East and the rising cost of living on people’s intention to travel over the next 12 months.
It shows that a strong appetite to travel abroad remains, with 64% of people planning to travel overseas during the next 12 months1.
Holidays also continue to be a spending priority and over a third (34%) say they plan to spend more on holidays over the coming year.
When asked if they needed to cut back to cover the cost of living, holidays remain the last thing to go. It was eating out (55%), leisure activities (45%) and clothes/shoes etc (41%) that people say they would cut before holidays (33% abroad, 23% UK breaks).
ABTA says that while the intention to travel overseas during the coming year is there (albeit down from 70% last year showing a slight softening2), it is expecting to see a strong late booking pattern over the coming months, with many people planning to book just weeks before they are due to travel.
The new data finds that almost of third (30%) of people planning to travel over the summer period3, intend to book their trip two-to-four weeks in advance, with a further 10% saying they will book less than a fortnight in advance.
Of those who plan to take a trip over the next 12 months, 38% of people have delayed booking their holiday. Waiting to see what happens with the costs of flights (43%) and holidays (31%) and waiting to see if the cost of living improves (33%) are among the top reasons for those delaying their bookings. Other reasons were waiting to see what happens with the conflict in the Middle East (36%), which is more of a concern than the availability of jet fuel (26%).
Although holidays remain a spending priority above all other non-essentials, they are not free from the impact of the increased cost of living. When all respondents were asked what was putting them off booking a holiday, cost of living was the top response at 31%, suggesting those not planning to travel may have already been deterred by rising household bills.
Similarly, a greater proportion of people said they would spend less on their holiday over the next 12 months at 20%, compared to 15% from the previous survey. Again, it’s the rising cost of living driving this, with 54% saying they are cutting down their spending due to increased costs (household bills), up from 47% from the last research.
ABTA says these findings are not just for the industry to note, but for Government to consider as well, given the outbound travel industry generations £52bn a year for the UK economy and supports over 818,000 jobs.
The consumer research has been released ahead of ABTA’s Travel Matters conference, which takes place in Westminster today, and brings together government officials, industry leaders and experts to discuss what travel businesses need from Government. Following the conference, ABTA and its members will be discussing the value the outbound travel industry with MPs at an event in Parliament, including how outbound travel businesses support local communities across the country.
ABTA will be sharing the findings with members over the coming weeks.
Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association said:
“Global and economic uncertainty pose challenges for any business, with travel often feeling them more acutely; the conflict in the Middle East has not only had an operational impact, it’s has also affected consumer confidence, both when it comes to travel and confidence in their finances.
“However, as our research shows – and we’ll explore at today’s event, the appetite and interest to travel remains, and we continue to be hopeful for a strong summer season. There is plenty of competition in the market, which will ensure customers continue to get good value for their money.
“Clearly is it not an easy time for travel. Not only do our members have to contend with the impact of the conflict in the Middle East, and its uncertainty, but also rising costs, such as increased business rates and air passenger duty.
“Travel is a huge contributor to the UK economy and provides employment for hundreds of thousands of people. At times like these, collaboration and an open dialogue with government is key to Ministers and officials understanding the pressures all parts of the industry are under, and exploring the solutions that will help businesses, including our members – the travel agents and tour operators.”
1 Figures refer to ABTA’s survey carried out by The Nursery Research and Planning (www.the-nursery.net) with a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults. The survey took place between 8th May 2026 and 19th May 2026.
2 All figures referring to the previous survey, or previous 12 months are from ABTA’s annual Holiday Habits research, carried by The Nursery Research and Planning (www.the-nursery.net) with a nationally representative sample of 2,001 UK adults. The 2025 survey took place between 21st July and 1st August 2025. The full Holiday Habits 2025-26 report is available here – www.abta.com/holidayhabits2025-26
3 Between May and September this year.
