Uk Holidaymakers Show Resilient Travel Appetite Abta Reveals Surge In Domestic And International Trips: You Need To Know

Published on October 7, 2025

The latest Holiday Habits 2025-26 study from ABTA reveals a singular surge successful recreation among UK residents, highlighting a beardown determination to prioritise holidays contempt economical pressures. The investigation shows that 87% of UK adults took astatine slightest 1 vacation complete nan past 12 months, up from 84% nan erstwhile twelvemonth and approaching nan decade highest of 88% recorded successful 2019.

Travel overseas is besides connected nan rise, pinch 59% of respondents venturing overseas, compared to 53% past year. This demonstrates a increasing assurance among UK holidaymakers to research world destinations, moreover successful a world facing economical uncertainties and geopolitical challenges.

The study underscores nan worth that group spot connected holidays, showing that spending connected recreation remains 1 of nan slightest apt areas to beryllium trim backmost amid rising surviving costs. Only 28% of respondents indicated they would trim their vacation fund to negociate day-to-day expenses. In contrast, much than half would trim backmost connected eating retired (57%), while cinema trips (45%), clothing (40%) and physics gadgets (37%) were much apt to look reductions.

Looking ahead, a important proportionality of UK travellers are readying to walk much connected holidays adjacent year. ABTA’s investigation finds that 34% of group intend to summation their recreation expenditure, reflecting a increasing inclination to dainty holidays arsenic basal alternatively than discretionary.

Holidays are besides being progressively recognised for their wellbeing benefits. Around 65% of respondents described their vacation arsenic nan astir important clip of nan year. This sentiment is peculiarly beardown among families pinch young children nether 5 (81%) and among 25-34 twelvemonth olds (83%). Additionally, 80% of group noted that holidays are important for their intelligence health, rising to 90% for nan 25-34 property group, demonstrating nan important domiciled that breaks play successful wide wellbeing.

ABTA cautions that while nan desire to recreation remains high, broader world factors specified arsenic ambiance change, economical pressures, governmental instability, and conflicts could power recreation behaviour. Nevertheless, existent information suggests that UK travellers stay resilient and committed to maintaining their vacation plans contempt imaginable outer challenges.

Destination preferences show small change, pinch Spain maintaining its position arsenic nan astir celebrated destination, attracting 32% of UK travellers successful nan past year. The United States continues to rank fourth, pinch 14% of respondents choosing to recreation crossed nan Atlantic. These enduring preferences item nan entreaty of tried-and-true destinations for British holidaymakers.

In position of vacation style, formation breaks proceed to dominate, pinch 48% of respondents choosing sun, sand, and oversea for their getaways. City breaks are besides increasing successful popularity, pinch 47% of travellers opting for municipality adventures, up from 43% nan erstwhile year. This displacement reflects a broader liking successful taste exploration and municipality experiences alongside accepted leisure holidays.

ABTA’s Holiday Habits study paints a clear image of a UK organization that values recreation highly and is consenting to set different spending to sphere vacation plans. Despite outer pressures, nan resilience and determination of UK holidaymakers underscore nan enduring value of recreation for leisure, relaxation, and wellbeing.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA – The Travel Association, said:

“As a nation, we are ‘determined to discover’ places and experiences done our holidays, whether that’s uncovering caller delights successful our favourite destinations aliases exploring a caller spot entirely, holidays connection tons of opportunity for discovery.

“Despite a challenging and changeable world environment, group are still heading overseas, and moreover much truthful this year. It shows we person a resilient sector, and that is often down to nan activity nan recreation manufacture does to thief group consciousness assured to travel.

“People are consenting to walk connected their holidays, but do truthful pinch worth for money astatine nan beforehand of their mind. Our study finds that nan number 1 logic group book a package vacation is to get worth for money and, similarly, it is among nan apical reasons for booking pinch a recreation professional.

“As an manufacture location are tons of reasons to beryllium positive, but we can’t beryllium complacent – peculiarly recognising that it is simply a value delicate marketplace and elemental things for illustration a lukewarm summertime successful nan UK tin sway bookings.”