Agent Insight
TTG Insight Report: New data reveals how peaks are performing for the trade
What’s the one out-of-the-ordinary destination that travel agents are recommending to clients this year? How much are customers spending on holidays? And how is peaks 2025 faring compared with last year? All this and more is revealed in TTG’s first Insight Report, straight from the mouths of more than 130 travel agents.
For many agents, 2025 is the first year of “business as usual” since the pandemic. That’s according to the more than 130 of you who responded to TTG’s exclusive survey analysing the state of the market during peaks.
That’s not to say there isn’t plenty to get excited about as 2025 gets under way. The first of TTG’s Insights series lifts the lid on which holidays are selling fast during peaks, the top tips for destinations that will inspire your clients (even if they don’t know it yet), and why price wars with suppliers, or your competitors, are perhaps the biggest thing to watch out for this year.
Who responded to the survey?
Of the 132 travel agents that took part in our survey, there was a reasonably even spread of home-based, or self employed, and high street agents, with each making up more than four in 10 of the respondent base. Our insights come from a mix of consultants, team or branch managers and agency directors or owners.
Which types of holidays are selling well this peaks?
Beach holidays are far and away the most booked breaks, with three-quarters of respondents putting these in their top three holiday types most in demand. Also in favour this peaks, though markedly behind beach holidays, are ocean cruises, sold by nearly half of our travel agents. River cruises and expedition cruises were lagging behind, though our respondents indicate these are becoming more front-of-mind for recommendations. Slightly behind ocean cruise, four in 10 said all-inclusive breaks were one of their top three sellers, meaning all-inclusive completes the podium of the top types of holidays sold during peaks 2025.
Peaks 2025 on par with 2024
We're unlikely to see the same announcements of “record-breaking” peaks we saw in 2024. Only a quarter of respondents say their sales are out-performing last year, while just over one in 10 are optimistic 2025 will be their best-ever peaks. Slightly more (15%) believe that despite a surge in peaks performance, they won't achieve record sales. More pessimistic are the 10% who say peaks are currently behind 2024, and look set to stay that way. A higher proportion of high street agents (30%) have had a more successful peaks than last year so far, compared with home-based agents (20%).
Client spend likely to match (or even exceed) 2024
Nearly twice as many high street respondents said they expected clients to spend more this year (35%) compared with those based at home (19%). But more than one in 10 home-based agents reported their clients as already parting with an average £6,001 to £10,000 per person during peaks, compared with just under 2% of their high street counterparts, so this may be a factor for their more muted expectations for the year ahead. Across all agents that have seen clients spend £3,000 or less per person on average during peaks, more than a third were optimistic their clients would be bigger spenders this year than last.
Pricing is key when it comes to recommending suppliers
Partly due to cost of living concerns and partly because of rising consumer expectations of “good deals” or demanding greater value, agents say it is price that is most likely to sway them in recommending a supplier. Almost two-thirds of agents ranked a competitive price for their clients as one of their top two considerations for a recommendation, significantly ahead of their own interests such as commission, which the majority of respondents (58%) ranked third to fifth in their pecking order.
At the other end of the scale, a supplier’s sustainability credentials are rarely front-of-mind, with 84% of agents ranking this at the bottom of their lists. Agents have told us this is something few of their customers show interest in, and there are hesitations around “pushing” sustainability. This is partly due to a lack of confidence in understanding which holidays can be accurately described as sustainable and also due to scepticism around potential greenwashing claims.
Which lesser-known destination or experience are you suggesting to clients?
Consumers are always looking for inspiration – after all, it’s one of the many reasons for using a travel agent! So when we asked readers for their hidden gems, the one “lesser-known destination or experience” you are pushing to your clients right now, here’s what you told us, (with the biggest words representing the most popular answers)...
“What other industry has suppliers as main competitors?”
Undercutting top of agent concerns
We invited agents to tell us in their own words what’s most concerning them for the year ahead. It’s clear many feel the industry is getting more aggressive, particularly when it comes to remaining competitive. A number of agents told us it was becoming harder to compete with online prices, and even their own supplier partners, while “discounting” was a word that appeared frequently in the comments, whether in frustration at having to lower their own prices to secure a booking, or dissatisfaction with the already high levels of discounting by suppliers or online travel agents which high street and home-based agents feel devalues their service.
Speaking of devaluing, agents also told us of concerns around “unqualified” or “untrained” peers appearing within the industry, adding to pressures already felt by the number of experienced agents that have left the profession during the pandemic, only to not be replaced. Low pay, recruitment issues and problems around attracting talent into travel agencies bottomed out the list of concerns we heard.
The graph below shows what agents told us when we asked them to specify their top three concerns.
“Our industry is putting on more events, training and experience to build a real community of professionals and expand our personal knowledge – it gives us a real edge over the internet!”
New destinations, better training and excelling in customer service – reasons to be positive in 2025
There is also plenty to get excited about in 2025. A number of respondents highlighted the opportunities around newer, lesser-known destinations and “seeing where clients are prepared to travel” as reasons to be inspired as a travel agent, with one highlighting clients who ask for “bucket list” rather than “bucket and spade” holidays. Some also noted increased opportunities in training from both suppliers and industry associations to boost product knowledge.
But far and away the top positive of being a travel agent in 2025 is the satisfaction of delivering “exceptional” customer service, alongside the buzz that still comes from creating dream holidays for clients. It’s this drive, to do the best for customers, that remains a passion among our respondents, and the reason, after all, why most customers return time and again to book with a travel agent.
Join TTG's Insights Panel to share your views and get paid for your time
We value the expertise and insight from our travel agents, and we want to hear more from you in return for payment for your time. TTG's Insights Panel is now open to join - register now to get paid for sharing your honest, anonymous views in tailored surveys throughout the year.
Sarah Dennis
TTG Insight Report: New data reveals how peaks are performing for the trade
What’s the one out-of-the-ordinary destination that travel agents are recommending to clients this year? How much are customers spending on holidays? And how is peaks 2025 faring compared with last year? All this and more is revealed in TTG’s first Insight Report, straight from the mouths of more than 130 travel agents.
For many agents, 2025 is the first year of “business as usual” since the pandemic. That’s according to the more than 130 of you who responded to TTG’s exclusive survey analysing the state of the market during peaks.
That’s not to say there isn’t plenty to get excited about as 2025 gets under way. The first of TTG’s Insights series lifts the lid on which holidays are selling fast during peaks, the top tips for destinations that will inspire your clients (even if they don’t know it yet), and why price wars with suppliers, or your competitors, are perhaps the biggest thing to watch out for this year.
Who responded to the survey?
Of the 132 travel agents that took part in our survey, there was a reasonably even spread of home-based, or self employed, and high street agents, with each making up more than four in 10 of the respondent base. Our insights come from a mix of consultants, team or branch managers and agency directors or owners.
Which types of holidays are selling well this peaks?
Beach holidays are far and away the most booked breaks, with three-quarters of respondents putting these in their top three holiday types most in demand. Also in favour this peaks, though markedly behind beach holidays, are ocean cruises, sold by nearly half of our travel agents. River cruises and expedition cruises were lagging behind, though our respondents indicate these are becoming more front-of-mind for recommendations. Slightly behind ocean cruise, four in 10 said all-inclusive breaks were one of their top three sellers, meaning all-inclusive completes the podium of the top types of holidays sold during peaks 2025.
Peaks 2025 on par with 2024
We're unlikely to see the same announcements of “record-breaking” peaks we saw in 2024. Only a quarter of respondents say their sales are out-performing last year, while just over one in 10 are optimistic 2025 will be their best-ever peaks. Slightly more (15%) believe that despite a surge in peaks performance, they won't achieve record sales. More pessimistic are the 10% who say peaks are currently behind 2024, and look set to stay that way. A higher proportion of high street agents (30%) have had a more successful peaks than last year so far, compared with home-based agents (20%).
Client spend likely to match (or even exceed) 2024
Nearly twice as many high street respondents said they expected clients to spend more this year (35%) compared with those based at home (19%). But more than one in 10 home-based agents reported their clients as already parting with an average £6,001 to £10,000 per person during peaks, compared with just under 2% of their high street counterparts, so this may be a factor for their more muted expectations for the year ahead. Across all agents that have seen clients spend £3,000 or less per person on average during peaks, more than a third were optimistic their clients would be bigger spenders this year than last.
Pricing is key when it comes to recommending suppliers
Partly due to cost of living concerns and partly because of rising consumer expectations of “good deals” or demanding greater value, agents say it is price that is most likely to sway them in recommending a supplier. Almost two-thirds of agents ranked a competitive price for their clients as one of their top two considerations for a recommendation, significantly ahead of their own interests such as commission, which the majority of respondents (58%) ranked third to fifth in their pecking order.
At the other end of the scale, a supplier’s sustainability credentials are rarely front-of-mind, with 84% of agents ranking this at the bottom of their lists. Agents have told us this is something few of their customers show interest in, and there are hesitations around “pushing” sustainability. This is partly due to a lack of confidence in understanding which holidays can be accurately described as sustainable and also due to scepticism around potential greenwashing claims.
Which lesser-known destination or experience are you suggesting to clients?
Consumers are always looking for inspiration – after all, it’s one of the many reasons for using a travel agent! So when we asked readers for their hidden gems, the one “lesser-known destination or experience” you are pushing to your clients right now, here’s what you told us, (with the biggest words representing the most popular answers)...
“What other industry has suppliers as main competitors?”
Undercutting top of agent concerns
We invited agents to tell us in their own words what’s most concerning them for the year ahead. It’s clear many feel the industry is getting more aggressive, particularly when it comes to remaining competitive. A number of agents told us it was becoming harder to compete with online prices, and even their own supplier partners, while “discounting” was a word that appeared frequently in the comments, whether in frustration at having to lower their own prices to secure a booking, or dissatisfaction with the already high levels of discounting by suppliers or online travel agents which high street and home-based agents feel devalues their service.
Speaking of devaluing, agents also told us of concerns around “unqualified” or “untrained” peers appearing within the industry, adding to pressures already felt by the number of experienced agents that have left the profession during the pandemic, only to not be replaced. Low pay, recruitment issues and problems around attracting talent into travel agencies bottomed out the list of concerns we heard.
The graph below shows what agents told us when we asked them to specify their top three concerns.
“Our industry is putting on more events, training and experience to build a real community of professionals and expand our personal knowledge – it gives us a real edge over the internet!”
New destinations, better training and excelling in customer service – reasons to be positive in 2025
There is also plenty to get excited about in 2025. A number of respondents highlighted the opportunities around newer, lesser-known destinations and “seeing where clients are prepared to travel” as reasons to be inspired as a travel agent, with one highlighting clients who ask for “bucket list” rather than “bucket and spade” holidays. Some also noted increased opportunities in training from both suppliers and industry associations to boost product knowledge.
But far and away the top positive of being a travel agent in 2025 is the satisfaction of delivering “exceptional” customer service, alongside the buzz that still comes from creating dream holidays for clients. It’s this drive, to do the best for customers, that remains a passion among our respondents, and the reason, after all, why most customers return time and again to book with a travel agent.
Join TTG's Insights Panel to share your views and get paid for your time
We value the expertise and insight from our travel agents, and we want to hear more from you in return for payment for your time. TTG's Insights Panel is now open to join - register now to get paid for sharing your honest, anonymous views in tailored surveys throughout the year.
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