British Airways Holidays Reveals Results from 2024 Travel Trends Report

Dark/Light Mode (10/05/24)  British Airways Holidays has revealed the results from its 2024 Travel Trends Report.

One of the UK’s leading tour operators also revealed the most searched for travel destinations for 2024, with seven destinations rising substantially in popularity: St Kitts +97%, Jamaica +73%, Malta +58%, Gran Canaria +57%, Tokyo +42% (pictured), and Lanzarote +31%.

Key trends from the report include the fact that more people are looking to start the summer earlier and take breaks outside of the main summer travel peak, and this is expected to grow in popularity in 2024 and 2025.

The growth in searches from customers looking to travel in May and June 2024 was double the level for trips in July and August 2024 (compared to the same period in 2023).

23% of UK consumers use TikTok for holiday inspiration and, of those, almost one in five (18%) said they’d booked a trip as a direct result of viewing content on the platform.

Tokyo, Japan. Picture by Steven Howard of TravelNewsAsia.com

Travellers are increasingly looking for budgeting strategies to enhance the feasibility and enjoyment of their holidays, including alternative ways to pay.

The report reveals that 58% of holidaymakers would be interested in paying for a holiday in interest-free installments, given the opportunity. This option particularly resonates with those aged between 22-44, with 69% of those aged 25-44 expressing an interest.

Travellers are also increasingly on the lookout for alternatives to more obvious holiday hotspots such as Maldives and Dubai and opting for “step-sibling” alternatives.

31% of UK consumers said they opt for lesser-known alternative locations – with just 16% saying they prefer to travel to the most popular locations.

78% of travellers have also been inspired to visit a location from a movie or TV show, and almost a quarter (24%) of those who have been influenced have gone on to book a trip.

42% of working adults have confessed they do not take their full annual leave allocation. Furthermore, 37% revealed that they have felt stressed about work whilst on holiday.

It’s not just work that UK consumers have got on their mind when they’re on holiday, 37% agree that they struggle to switch off from the day-to-day.

“I’ve been fascinated to see the latest external factors influencing how people book their holidays, and how behaviours have modified since our last report,” said Claire Bentley, Managing Director of British Airways Holidays. “At British Airways Holidays, we’re passionate about taking holidays seriously and we value getting to know our customers’ habits and interests, so we can give them the autonomy to create incredible memories, however they choose to holiday.”

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