New research shows interest in traveling abroad continues | News

New consumer sentiment research, released today by ABTA – The Travel Association, examines the impact of the conflict in the Middle East and the rising cost of living on people’s intention to travel over the next twelve months.

This shows that there is still a strong desire to travel abroad, with 64% of people planning to travel abroad in the next twelve months1.

Holidays also remain a spending priority with more than a third (34%) saying they plan to spend more on holidays in the coming year.

When asked if they should cut back to cover living costs, vacations remain the last thing they can do. It was eating out (55%), leisure activities (45%) and clothes/shoes etc (41%) that people said they would cut out before the holidays (33% abroad, 23% on holiday in Britain).

ABTA says that while the intention to travel abroad in the coming year is there (although last year’s 70% showed a slight decline2), it expects a strong late booking pattern in the coming months, with many people planning to book just weeks before they travel.

The new data shows that almost a third (30%) of people planning to travel during the summer period3 plan to book their trip two to four weeks in advance, while a further 10% say they will book less than a fortnight in advance.

Of those planning to travel in the next twelve months, 38% of people have postponed booking their holiday. Waiting to see what happens to the costs of flights (43%) and holidays (31%) and waiting to see if the cost of living improves (33%) are among the top reasons people are delaying their bookings. Other reasons included waiting to see what happens with the conflict in the Middle East (36%), which is a bigger concern than the availability of jet fuel (26%).

While vacations remain a priority above all other non-essential expenses, they are not exempt from the impact of the increased cost of living. When all respondents were asked what was putting them off booking a holiday, the cost of living was the top response at 31%, suggesting that those who don’t plan to travel may already be put off by rising household bills.

Similarly, a higher proportion of people said they would spend 20% less on their holidays over the next 12 months, compared to 15% in the previous survey. Again, it’s the rising cost of living that’s causing this, with 54% saying they’re cutting back on spending due to higher costs (household bills), up from 47% in the latest survey.

ABTA says these findings are not just for the industry to take note, but also for the government to consider, given the generational outbound travel industry adds £52 billion a year to the UK economy and supports more than 818,000 jobs.

The consumer research has been released ahead of ABTA’s Travel Matters conference, taking place in Westminster today, which will bring together government officials, industry leaders and experts to discuss what travel companies need from government. Following the conference, ABTA and its members will discuss the value of the outbound travel industry, including how outbound travel companies support local communities across the country, at an event in Parliament with MPs.

ABTA will share the findings with members in the coming weeks.

Mark Tanzer, CEO of ABTA – The Travel Association said:

“Global and economic uncertainty poses challenges for every business, with travel often experiencing them acutely; the conflict in the Middle East has not only had an operational impact, it has also eroded consumer confidence, both when it comes to travel and confidence in their finances.

“However, our research shows – and we will explore this at today’s event – ​​that the appetite and interest to travel remains, and we remain hopeful of a strong summer season. There is plenty of competition in the market, which will ensure that customers continue to get value for money.

“It is clearly not an easy time to travel. Our members are not only dealing with the impact of the conflict in the Middle East and its uncertainty, but also with rising costs, such as higher business rates and air travel taxes.

“Travel makes a major contribution to the UK economy, providing employment to hundreds of thousands of people. At times like these, collaboration and open dialogue with government are vital for ministers and officials to understand the pressures all parts of the industry are under, and to explore the solutions that will help businesses, including our members, the travel agents and tour operators.”

1 Figures refer to ABTA research, conducted by The Nursery Research and Planning (www.the-nursery.net) with a nationally representative sample of 2,000 British adults. The survey took place between May 8, 2026 and May 19, 2026.

2 All figures referring to the previous survey or the previous twelve months are from ABTA’s annual Holiday Habits survey, conducted by The Nursery Research and Planning (www.the-nursery.net) with a nationally representative sample of 2,001 British adults. The 2025 survey took place between July 21 and August 1, 2025. The full Holiday Habits 2025-26 report is available here – www.abta.com/holidayhabits2025-26

3 Between May and September this year.