CACI, the data specialists focused on people and place, have revealed the growth potential within the travel sector this summer. Through its latest consumer survey, CACI found that 40% of the UK’s holidaymakers are aiming to spend more time on holiday compared to last year, a trend already being reflected across travel-oriented brands and major UK shopping destination performance.
When looking across a variety of categories, people surveyed ranked holidaying as the second highest – behind only home improvement – for spend increases in 2024, highlighting a shift in consumer confidence. Thirty-eight percent of those surveyed expressed the intention to go abroad, with 8% of holidaymakers doing so for the first time since the pandemic, while the desire to embark on staycations and short-haul trips has increased, with 22% of people aiming to do so. However, the cost-of-living crisis is also continuing to have an impact, with 34% wanting to keep costs down when on holiday, potentially pointing towards more budget brands and operators.
This intention to spend more on travel is already apparent, both online and offline, with CACI’s Brand Dimensions data highlighting significant growth across leading holiday brands. Airbnb, EasyJet, and Booking.com have seen year-on-year sales growth of 62%, 61%, and 45% respectively. Luggage brand Antler has also benefitted from a healthy trading period, seeing a 71% sales increase, highlighting growth in a brand inextricably connected to holidaying.
Physical destinations are securing more spend too. Metrocentre, a regional mall, has had its travel sales up 8.3% like-for-like, compared to the previous year. This covers travel agents such as TUI, Kuoni, Hays, and Virgin Holidays, all having identified greater customer engagement and targeting varying demographics with both an in-store and online approach. The increase is also seen across travel accessory brands, with luggage outperforming for a number of retailers.
Hannah Smith, Managing Consultant at CACI, commented: “It’s always reassuring when we see that the intentions outlined in a consumer survey are being replicated in real-world data. We are noticing a clear shift in consumer spending across an abundance of travel-oriented operators, with both online and offline growth starting to really drive a sector that is regaining momentum. It is evident just how much each operator is contributing to this rise, from online and offline travel agents to budget airlines and holiday-connected retailers.
“These findings point to some brands already benefitting from the increasing consumer confidence and spend, and more than that, it’s an opportunity for all retailers, operators, and destinations that count themselves part of the holiday market.”
Ben Cox, Director at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, also said: “Travel within Metrocentre is performing well this year; it’s clear that more people are coming to our destination as part of their holiday planning. Whilst booking holidays online is a common practice for some people, such an important and big-ticket purchase means customer experience counts for a lot, and our visitors are actively making the extra effort for a more personal approach. That customer will also no doubt shop travel ranges amongst our region-leading collection of retailers, creating benefit for a wider pool of our operators.”
This announcement follows the latest data revealed by CACI’s Brand Dimensions, highlighting that travel brands such as EasyJet, Booking.com, Antler, and Airbnb ranked within the top 20 highest-growing brands year-on-year when looking at transactional data, further emphasising the growth of the holiday market amongst consumers. Other brands referenced within the top 20 were Vinted, Third Space, and Sephora, as well as Popeyes, Shein, and Joe & The Juice.
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