Romantic retreats and a bucket-list bounce: Six trends set to define summer

Although big-ticket bookings are still coming in, consumers are now armed with strict budgets when booking a trip, spurred on by the cost of living crisis tightening Brits' finances. "I think families are struggling a little bit, they are changing what they would normally do," explained Thorne Travel director Shona Thorne. "Those who would normally go for 14 nights are now looking at seven nights or different airports," she added. "They’re coming in with a budget and saying 'what can I get?' – which is very different from normal."

Multigenerational families are opting to take longer trips abroad as a group, making up for lost time during the pandemic. "The pandemic itself has changed lots of people's priorities, they care more about experiences and spending time with each other," Cheesman said. "People are travelling further, and a lot of the time it's families, multigenerational or big groups of friends," added Reyes. "We've done lots of stags and hens recently."

In line with new experiences and big-ticket bookings seeing a bounce, more and more consumers are also opting for holidays at sea for the first time. "We have noticed a lot more people looking into cruising, especially river cruises," Pike said. Meanwhile, Cheesman reported an uptick in first-time cruisers while Reyes detailed how a £13,000 suite booking led to an additional £22,000 cruise booking. 

Agents also reported an uptick in couples looking to spend more on a romantic getaway this summer. "It has been predominantly couples for us recently, which is a bit of a change," explained Throne. "Couples are spending a lot more, and our average spend has been up. They are still quite happy to spend, as they are not experiencing the same financial restraints as families perhaps." 

Clients are also opting for more than one trip in 2023, Corkin said, booking extra holidays just a few months out. "They're coming in and booking trips for a few months ahead, and then planning their next trip after that as well," she added. "There's definitely excitement and appreciation from our customers that they are able to travel and they want to do it properly."