Around a third (36%) of the 1,000 respondents to a new survey of InteleTravel advisors in the UK and Ireland said their clients were spending the same as last year; a quarter (24%) said they were spending up to 25% more; 16% some 25-50% more; and 6% in excess of 50% more.
This is despite more than nine in 10 respondents (91%) stating their clients’ foremost concern at this time was higher prices. Other worries raised by clients including the general cost of living squeeze, flight disruption and crowded destinations.
Two-thirds of respondents (67%) said they expected their business to grow in 2023 compared with last year, 26% said they were expecting growth of up to 25%, while another 24% said they were expecting growth of 25-50%. Nearly one in five respondents (18%) said they anticipated growth of in excess of 50%.
Less than a quarter (22%) of respondents said they expected their business to remain at around the same level as last year, with just one in 10 anticipating their business contracting this year.
Short-haul trips to the Med currently account for more than 50% of InteleTravel bookings this year, with long-haul trips accounting for another 27% of bookings. The rest, said the homeworking firm, comprise medium-haul and domestic bookings.
Beach sales account for two-thirds (65%) of trips booked with InteleTravel advisors, with 64% of bookings being made on an all-inclusive basis. More than half (51%) of bookings are for five- to seven-night trips, 36% for trips of eight to 13 nights and 10% for trips of two weeks or more.
The new data, though, did buck a widely reported broader industry trend towards more multi-generational holidays, with 70% of respondents revealing they had sold about the same number of these trips as they did last year.
‘Quiet confidence’
Overall, InteleTravel sales increased by 58% year-on-year in May, with average booking values in May 2023 up by 14% compared with May 2022. Cruise sales now account for 8% of total revenues.
Some 29% of respondents said they were very optimistic about the future, with a further 29% "quietly confident" about the future; 27% said they felt less sure about the future; while 12% said they expected the future to be a struggle.
Nearly half of the 1,000 respondents (46%) said it was their service clients valued above all else, followed by their knowledge, research and preparation (30%) and their ability to secure good prices (20%).
