Several agencies reported strong demand at the premium end of the market, offset by an unpredictable mid-level customer base who are shopping around more, booking later and, in some cases, changing destination to make the numbers work.

"We seem to have lost that mid-market two-plus-two, 10 nights for £3,000 type of client," said Paul Dayson, Owner of Spa Travel. Dayson said his agency, based in Boston Spa, has instead been "very, very strong" on higher-value bookings, including a family booking last week worth just shy of £100,000.

After finding his business 40% down in April owing to the conflict in the Middle East, Dayson said Spa Travel had turned things round by the end of August after the agency recorded several six-figure trading weeks.

'Chasm' between luxury and mainstream market

Global Travel Moments Founder Duncan Greenfield-Turk agreed, telling TTG the London-based agency had made more six-figure bookings this year – including a spike in "ultra-luxury" over the past six months. He attributed the increase to inflation, which he said was widening the "chasm" between the luxury and mainstream ends of the market.

Both Travel Counsellors and The Travel Network Group (TTNG) reported "resilient" summers with premium, tailor-made and experience-led holidays performing "particularly well". "The biggest trend has been the continued move towards higher-value travel," said TTNG Chief Commercial Officer Lloyd Cross.

"Customers remain value-conscious, but they're increasingly choosing premium accommodation, longer stays, multi-centre itineraries and experience-led holidays."

Cruise has also been steady. Cruise365 Owner Anthony Blackmore described business as "very good", highlighting luxury brands such as Silversea and Explora Journeys as top sellers, while Travel Counsellors identified cruise as one of its "highest-performing products".

'This summer has been very random'

While the top end continues to spend, agents say the wider market is far less predictable. Jo Richards, Owner of Yorkshire-based Tivoli Travel, described this year's trading as "very random", with no two enquiries looking the same.

She has seen a mixture of late and forward bookings, while Thorne Travel Owner Shona Thorne said business remained "mixed", despite strong cruise and European lates demand.

The majority of agents TTG spoke to towards the end of August and start of September all reported a healthy lates market, albeit with the caveat that price has significant influence over where the traditional market chooses to travel.

Greenfield-Turk said bookings to European favourites including Italy and France had fallen, with customers instead looking towards cheaper Greek islands or more affordable Asian destinations. The agency has also seen increased interest for Thailand and South Korea, with the latter viewed as a more affordable alternative to Japan. "We are having to map out different areas and avenues for customers, where costs aren't as high," Greenfield-Turk said.

Similarly, Thorne Travel has seen a pronounced shift towards Spain and Greece at the expense of Italy, France, the US and Asia. "It's unusual for us, but not unexpected considering everything that's happening in the Middle East, as well as general cost of living concerns," Thorne explained.

TTNG said the lates market had "remained significant" throughout the summer, with around 50-56% of bookings coming within nine weeks of departure.

However, Cross insisted customers were "not simply waiting for discounts", with strong value, free child places and promotional support prompting some to commit earlier.

'It's important for agencies to be visible' 

The situation in the Middle East has naturally raised concerns about consumer confidence, with agents working hard to capture demand in the lead-up to lates. Thorne responded by increasing the agency's visibility, with around eight local radio advertisements a week, alongside coffee mornings and pop-up events. "I think it's important to be visible and reassuring in times like these," she said.

Travel Chaps co-owner Ashley Phillips said the agency had seen its "best summer ever", helped by recommendations, referrals and customers discovering the agency through its awards buzz. He added customers were looking to the agency for honest advice on topical issues such as the EU Entry-Exit System, heatwaves and wider travel disruption caused by the Middle East.

Richards, meanwhile, has taken an intentionally broad sales approach, with the value of winning a customer not determined by the profit on an initial booking. "I don't turn any business away," she said. "We'll book anything from £99 up to whatever they want to spend."

'We never take it for granted'

That emphasis on service and reassurance is a natural response to a market where customers are becoming more deliberate about what they buy. Greenfield-Turk said even wealthy customers were not spending without scrutiny.

"There's been a big shift from accepting a package price to wanting to know more about what's in that package price," he explained. "They really want to understand the value of what they're getting."

The unevenness of the market means some agents are reluctant to prematurely celebrate strong headline figures, even with the promise of a return to form post-Gulf crisis. "We never take it for granted," Dayson said. "It can be great one week, and different the next. That's the nature of our business."

Richards, however, believes there is little point dwelling on the uncertainty. "I'm optimistic – I always think out of every situation there will be a silver lining," she said. "If you go into business being pessimistic, you'll never do anything with it."