The growth, which came in the period from 1 October 2023 to 30 September 2024, spans both Advantage’s leisure and business travel segments, and comprises existing members expanding their operations as well as new businesses joining the network.
Chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said hailed it an "extraordinary achievement". "At our Cancun conference last year, we announced a £100 million increase in UK turnover for the prior financial year," she said. "This year’s result is five times that figure."
It comes after Advantage doubled its profits during its 2022/23 financial year to their highest level since 2018. The consortium’s global turnover now stands at around £17 billion, of which £8.8 billion is in the UK – split 70:30 between corporate and leisure (£2.5 billion).
Advantage members currently operate out of around 750 locations. And while Lo Bue-Said declined to discuss total members or the consortium’s internal target, she said at the group’s current rate of growth, it would "quite easily" exceed £20 billion in annual turnover "in the next year-and-a-half to two years".
David Moon, Advantage’s head of business development, said he was pleased by the level of growth over the past year that came from within the existing membership "wanting to add new locations". "I think there was a lot of pent-up demand following Covid.
"Obviously, interest rates were high, so borrowing money to expand was problematic. We’re in a more favourable interest rate position now, which has given members confidence to expand. And I think there will be more [expansion] as we go forward. We’re optimistic for that to continue."
Lo Bue-Said noted how the growth highlighted shifts in travel retail models, with more than a quarter (29%) operating home-based models and a further 19% opting to work from an office environment rather than a customer-facing retail outlet.
"While traditional high street presence remains strong, with 52% of new joiners operating from physical shops, there is clear diversification in operational models," said Lo Bue-Said, who added the shift also vindicated Advantage’s decision to offer a wider range of flexible and adaptable membership options.
More than a fifth of new members (22%) have opted for Advantage’s managed services (AMS) proposition, with the option is proving popular too with existing members keen to simplify their business model. AMS members can hand over all back-office functions and payment processing, freeing up resources to focus on sales and customer service.
Opening the conference, Lo Bue-Said revealed AMS turnover grew to £155 million during its 2023/24 financial year, a 33% year-on-year increase.
Advantage revealed the figures on Wednesday (14 May) at its 2025 conference in Malta, which represent a more than five-fold increase on the £100 million additional turnover it accumulated in its 2023/23 financial year.
"This year’s result is five times that figure – an extraordinary achievement that not only demonstrates the travel sector’s resilience and strength, but also highlights our members’ unwavering confidence in the future of our industry," Lo Bue-Said added.
The consortium also believes its wholesale rebrand, also outlined at the conference, will act as a "powerful catalyst" for recruiting new members and further differentiate its proposition, signalling Advantage’s position as "a community of travel professionals poised for growth".
"By updating our brand language and visual identity, we’re sending a clear message about our forward-thinking approach and commitment to innovation in the travel industry," said marketing director David Forder.
