Coronavirus Travel Research: More than two-thirds of Brits plan to book through a travel agent

Brits are dreaming of short-haul holidays to Spain, Greece, Turkey, and Portugal, with Mexico and Florida topping the long-haul list

London, UK – 5 May 2020: British travellers’ attitudes towards how they book future holidays is shifting with more than two thirds of Brits planning to book through a travel agent because ‘they value the support and advice they give’. Whilst the over 70s remain the largest group to favour the use of a travel agent (79%), popularity amongst 18 to 30-year-olds is on the rise with 55% planning to use the expertise of an agent.

The Advantage Travel Partnership survey, completed by 4,228 respondents, shows the United Kingdom is dreaming of travelling abroad with more than two thirds of UK travellers willing to head overseas once restrictions are lifted. The destination top of the short-haul list is Spain followed by Greece, Turkey, and Portugal, while Mexico and Florida are the preferred long-haul destinations.  

More than three-quarters of Brits’ holiday budgets for the next 12 months will either remain unchanged or will increase as 86 per cent are willing to travel abroad despite the presence of COVID-19. Those aged under 30 are at least twice as likely, than any other age group, to increase their holiday budget for the next 12-months because of COVID-19.

The global pandemic has also given a fifth of British travellers a different perspective on life and is such drawing up a new travel bucket list.

“The research shows that coronavirus has led British consumers to re-evaluate how they book travel and it is human contact, a voice and opinion that people value most. Knowing that you have someone to contact easily is an attractive proposition during a time when the globe is fighting coronavirus. Expertise and knowledge are especially important when Brits are dreaming of returning to countries, such as Spain and USA which have reported high coronavirus cases,” commented Kelly Cookes, Leisure Director at The Advantage Travel Partnership.

Travellers aged 70 and over are most cautious to travel abroad in 2021 with COVID-19 stopping one in five, whilst only one in ten of 18 to 30-year olds will not go overseas due to coronavirus. Less than one-fifth of Brits have cancelled all travel plans for the rest of the year and less than one-fifth of UK travellers are looking for a staycation. Half of respondents aged 30 and under said that coronavirus will not impact their decisions on where to travel to, compared to a quarter of 70+ year olds.

The Advantage Travel Partnership is the UK’s largest consortium of independent travel agents and business travel management companies and collectively they produce over £4.5bn of travel sales each year. The anonymous survey was completed by 4,228 respondents between 19 April and 3 May 2020, with 26 regional airports indicated as respondents preferred aviation hubs.