A move towards shorter and later bookings was one of the clearest trends to emerge from the consortium's annual media briefing on Tuesday (8 September), with 35% of Advantage members' bookings coming between 15 to 30 days prior to departure.
Bookings made just a week out – or less – are also up by 20% year-on-year, which Advantage said demonstrated the extent to which consumers are keeping their options open in an "uncertain" travel environment.
The trend comes despite a generally robust demand for holidays, according to Advantage chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said. "Despite the cost of living crisis and real challenges people are having to manage, the appetite to travel is still so strong," she explained.
Seven nights remains the most popular holiday duration, accounting for 37% of bookings, but shorter breaks are taking a larger share as consumers become "more strategic" about how they spend their holiday budgets.
"It's not about the cheapest price, or a race to the bottom," added Advantage's Commercial Director John Sullivan. "It's about what can they get for the spend they've got."
Family market swings back
The family market has also staged a notable comeback, going from a 3% year-on-year dip last year to a 5% year-on-year uptick this year, despite agents recording a drop in family bookings during peaks owing, ostensibly, to the cost-of-living crisis.
Sullivan explained the Easter market had naturally been impacted by uncertainty in the Middle East, but claimed travel agents had been "really great" at pivoting demand and making sure "the customer still gets their holiday".
That flexibility is also evident in the spike in shorter breaks and shoulder-season travel. Advantage members' revenue for May, June, September and October is currently up by 5%, with average booking values increasing by 6% and bookings to cooler climates up by an substantial 29%.
'The narrative around agents really grates on me'
The figures also counter the long-running narrative that travel agents are becoming less relevant to younger consumers.
Advantage said 38% of under-35s are now choosing to book package holidays, with Lo Bue-Said arguing the travel agent remains "highly relevant" to the new generation.
"It really grates on me when I see claims that travel agents are no longer relevant," she said. "It's a profession that has and will stand the test of time."
Lo Bue-Said said the modern travel agent should not be judged solely by the traditional high street model, pointing out agents are in a "growth market" that operates across multiple channels, including online and by telephone.
"Agents are great at delivering an expert value proposition," she said, adding Advantage would "continue investing" in its independent agency community and the technology needed to compete.
The role of the agent will "only become more important" as travellers navigate disruption and geopolitical uncertainty, Lo-Bue Said added.
"Our role in all of this is to educate the consumer and provide them with all the information they need to be able to make educated choices and be prepared," she said.
Cruisers aren't 'waiting to see what happens'
Cruise continues to be one of the strongest-performing areas for Advantage members, with spending through Advantage agents up by 14% this year to date.
The fastest-growing segments are the more specialist areas, with expedition up by 41%, river cruise up by 29% and luxury cruise up by 22%, although ocean cruise spending has still enjoyed a 10% increase.
The wider UK cruise market is also expanding, with Advantage reporting a record 2.5 million UK holidaymakers took a cruise in 2025 – up by almost 6% year-on-year. In addition, the number of children under the age of 12 enjoying cruises with their families has increased by 7%.
The data shows a "wider range of customers" are now being attracted to cruise, according to Advantage's Cruise Director Jonny Peat – from families to luxury travellers – while also implying cruise is one of the few sectors rather resilient to a growing lates market.
"Customers aren't waiting to see what happens when they find the right cruise holiday," he said. "They're happy to plan and they're happy to put their money down earlier with the expert help of our members."
These points of discussion were part of a wide-ranging briefing covering everything from the growing economic contribution of outbound travel, with the sector forecast to grow by more than 15% by 2027 and currently supporting around 370,000 UK jobs, to the impact of the Middle East crisis on holiday patterns.
The Caribbean has emerged as one major beneficiary of the political uncertainty, while Egypt, Vietnam, South Africa, Hong Kong and Albania were flagged as "destinations to watch".
Advantage also mentioned its continued political lobbying efforts, including calls for reform of the school calendar and changes to consumer protection rules as the industry adapts to greater unpredictability.