Any savvy entrepreneur looking to make a business investment will want to choose an industry that’s resilient. One that’s able to sustain the knocks and bounce back. One that not only stands the test of time, but one that is forever evolving and growing. Over the past three years the travel industry has proved to be all of these – and more.
According to the latest World Tourism Barometer report released in May 2024 by the UN World Tourism Organisation, international global tourism is predicted to not just make “a full recovery” by the end of the year but to be 2% above 2019 levels.
In fact, in the first three months of 2024, international arrivals in Europe already exceeded pre-pandemic levels by 2% compared with Q1 2019.
Spain reigns supreme as the top destination of choice for UK holidaymakers. It welcomed 24 million international tourists in the first three months of this year. Not only is that 14.5% more than a year ago, but the highest on record. Tourists from the UK made up the greatest proportion. In April alone, some 1.5 million Brits holidayed in Spain – 8.5% more compared with the same month the previous year.
According to YouGov’s UK Travel Trends 2024 report, Italy and Greece are the next leading destinations of choice among Brits, but perhaps what’s more interesting is that the report states that 57% of Brits anticipate taking between two to four trips this year.
Not only are Brits planning to travel more but as the UK economy begins to show signs of recovery, research into spending habits suggests that holidays are increasingly being considered a ‘necessity’, rather than a ‘luxury’.
And they’re also spending more money on their holidays, too.
According to NatWest’s Retail and Leisure Outlook Report 2024, some 17.3% of UK consumers plan to spend more on holidays this year compared with last year. Even among those expecting their finances to weaken in 2024, a third (33.5%) plan to increase holiday spending.
Pent-up demand and a re-evaluation of priorities following the pandemic is seeing more people book those high ticket, ‘bucket-list’ holidays. There’s also a marked increase in demand for multi-generational holidays, meaning there’s an increasing need for someone to arrange complex itineraries for larger groups.
It’s no wonder then that more people are enlisting the help of a travel agent – someone who can help them choose the best destinations, the ideal hotels, the most convenient flights, the most efficient transfers and then be there behind the scenes to make sure it all goes to plan.
Latest statistics from IBS Software show that 47% of people now prefer to book their travel the good old fashioned way – via a travel agent.
In fact, it’s the younger generation of holidaymakers – the millennials and Gen Z population – who are leading this march. Some 38% of millennials and Gen Z are opting to use travel agents, as opposed to booking digitally.
It’s no surprise therefore that Not Just Travel, a company with over 650 homebased consultants, report record holiday sales every month over the last year. Each one of its consultants invested and launched their business with The Travel Franchise, the UK’s best franchise for people new to travel with some top selling agents earning six-figure salaries since the pandemic.
Many say that they have an advantage over the high street agents because they offer a highly personalised service often operating outside of working hours with the ability to meet customers at their convenience on the phone, on Zoom or in person.
Indeed, with the help of an award-winning travel franchise, consultants can literally have the world at their feet, positioning themselves to take full advantage of what is proving to be a growing and burgeoning tourism industry.
This article comes courtesy of The Travel Franchise, the UK’s leading home working travel company for those new to travel and rated the 10th best franchise in Great Britain.
