The rise of ‘value-first’ travel and the quiet comeback of the package holiday | News
The UK’s latest consumer spending figures show expenditure on travel has dropped (-5.8% year-on-year) for a third month in a row – a sign of caution in today’s unpredictable economy and global order.
But what we’re seeing at Thomas Cook is that it’s largely a case of adaptation, rather than the public cutting back on or forgoing holidays.
Customers are becoming more financially savvy, making smarter decisions when booking a holiday. Great value ‘destination dupes’ are becoming more popular, holidaymakers are looking for greater flexibility and protection, and most importantly, they want to know what their holiday will actually cost from the day they book to the day they come home.
Summer travel and family holiday bookings are up YoY
Across all destinations, Thomas Cook has seen an increase in the number of customers travelling this summer. In 2026, 67% of customers have chosen dates before the end of August, up 4% compared to 2025.
Family holidays have seen increased demand this year, with bookings up 41% year-on-year, despite the rising cost of living, signalling that time away together to reconnect, relax and make memories remains a priority.
Great value ‘destination dupes’ are rising in popularity
Our Albania holidays have seen a 282% increase in bookings year-on-year. Albania’s spectacular coastline and historic towns offer a very similar Mediterranean feel to popular destinations such as Croatia and southern Italy, at great value prices. Thomas Cook’s Albania offering has grown substantially over this period to reflect rising demand.
Our holiday packages in Turkey and Greece are also rising in popularity, with bookings up 41% and 76% year-on-year, respectively.
The ongoing situation in the Middle East has meant holidaymakers are considering other long-haul destinations this year, exploring the likes of Mexico (+106%) and Jamaica (+190%) instead.
The quiet comeback of the package holiday and demand for flexible payment options
In the era of value-first travel, we are seeing the quiet comeback of the package holiday, providing families, friends and couples with certainty, value, and greater control over costs. All-inclusive share is up to almost 50% of total bookings at Thomas Cook, compared to 46% in June last year.
The average lead time for bookings to departure, across all types of holidays, is 77 days in June so far – just shy of three months. This has remained relatively stable over the past year, just 3 days longer than in June 2025. Room-only bookings have the longest average lead time at 86 days, perhaps due to additional cost factors to plan for, compared to all-inclusive holidays booked 75 days in advance.
And its clear people value flexible payment options for their holiday. Only 5% of customers who have booked an upcoming holiday with us have paid the full balance of their trip, showing that many customers are choosing payment plans overpaying the total cost upfront.
Spokesperson: Nicholas Smith, Dynamic Packages Director at Thomas Cook
