People value of travel agents and tour operators: ABTA

Findings from ABTA’s Vacation Habits 2025-26 report, launched on the Journey Conference in Calvià, reinforce the significance folks place on journey brokers and operators to supply implausible holidays with wonderful customer support and worth for cash.

Mark Tanzer, Chief Govt at ABTA – The Journey Affiliation, stated: “At ABTA we all know all too effectively the added worth our members – journey brokers and tour operators – carry to folks’s vacation.

“Whereas folks profit from the great offers brokers and operators can safe, additionally they recognize their worth in numerous different methods, together with the arrogance they get to journey, entry to experience, and  making life simpler by dealing with all the journey preparations. All in all this makes for a greater vacation.”

A 3rd (34%) of individuals used a journey skilled to e book their vacation over the past 12 months, with ease of reserving the most typical cause for doing so (57%), adopted by saving time (42%).

The variety of folks saying they felt extra assured having booked by an agent or operator elevated by 5 proportion factors at 41% this 12 months, in contrast with 36% the earlier 12 months. This maybe displays the necessary function of journey professionals in supporting their prospects, and rebooking preparations, within the face of any change, problem or disruption.

With the ability to accommodate prospects’ particular necessities and wishes can be mirrored within the responses, with 16% saying it helps with guaranteeing that any incapacity or mobility necessities are factored in.

Not solely do folks recognize the function journey professionals have in organising their vacation, one in 5 (22%) additionally say that they had a greater vacation because of reserving with them – rising to 30% of 18-24 12 months olds.

ABTA’s report additionally reveals worth for cash is entrance and centre of the selections individuals are making about their vacation, with 43% of individuals reserving a package deal vacation as a result of it was the best choice for the value, rising to 47% of 18-24 12 months olds. It’s also the most typical cause why folks booked a package deal.

Equally, worth for cash was cited by 39% of individuals as the explanation why they booked with a journey skilled.