Advantage reports £17.6bn turnover


Robin Murray Advantage Conference, Madrid


Advantage Travel Partnership has reported record-breaking financial results for the 2024-25 financial year, with total turnover across its global network hitting £17.6 billion. The results, for the year to


September, were revealed during the consortium’s annual conference in Madrid and show turnover for its UK membership climbed to £8.9 billion – a £30 million year-on-year increase. The group posted a net profit before tax of just under £1.4 million, with net assets rising to £9.25 million. The Advantage Managed Service


model saw its turnover approach £200 million – an increase of more than 20% year on year. Chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said


described the period as “defining”, but noted the results come against a challenging economic backdrop, with the industry facing “direct strain” from recent Budget measures. Pointing to rising National


Insurance contributions and business rates, she said: “If we want businesses to invest, to hire and to grow, then we must create the conditions that enable that growth – not simply expect businesses to absorb continued pressure.” A major contributor to the


partnership’s record turnover has


Travel Counsellors ‘on track for record revenue and profit’


Samantha Mayling


Travel Counsellors remains on track for a record year, despite the Middle East conflict and economic challenges. Chief executive Steve Byrne said


sales for the past four weeks had recovered to be 8% up year on year but added: “The market is tougher than it was [before the war]. “We’re delivering record revenue


and record profit this year . . . unless things get worse. It just would have been even better without this.” Byrne has been sharing sales


trends with agents at the annual TC Together events, held across the UK. “Travel is being prioritised


6 14 MAY 2026


by consumers,” he said. “We’re obviously going through some short-term, more-challenging times – transiting through or travelling to the Middle East has been really difficult – but we’ve got a much bigger medium-term opportunity.” About 70% of clients whose


travel plans were affected have been rebooked, either to the same destination for later dates or different destinations. Byrne added that about 15% of revenue came from sales to or via the Middle East, and noted about 4,000 bookings had been affected by the war. He said the Mediterranean


market had been “soft” for about four weeks but was now coming


been sustained demand for cruise, with the sector now responsible for about 15% of annual turnover. This growth is being driven by


what the consortium describes as the sector’s ability to “over-index” by attracting consumers even during periods of financial constraint. Commercial director John


Sullivan attributed the momentum to cruise’s strong “value positioning”, noting: “Cruise has been brilliant for some time now; it is positioning itself in that value space and it is really reaping the benefits, with an increase in average selling price.” To shape the sector’s trajectory


over the next decade, Advantage has launched a “first-of-its-kind” cruise


advisory board. The invitation-only forum will meet twice a year to examine long-term trends, with founding members including senior representatives from Princess Cruises, Celebrity Cruises, Riviera Travel, Imagine Cruising and Clia. Jonny Peat, Advantage director


of cruise, described the board as an exclusive space for senior decision-makers and a “genuine catalyst for meaningful, lasting change across every facet of the cruise ecosystem”. He reported that market demand


remained resilient, noting the recent hantavirus outbreak on Oceanwide Expeditions’ Hondius had had “no effect” on bookings.


Steve Byrne


back, and Greece was doing well, thanks in part to its relaxation of the EU’s Entry/Exit System procedures. The agency’s focus on premium


leisure travel was paying dividends as it was proving “more resilient” than the non-premium market – and there was “good volume growth” for its corporate business over the past six to eight weeks, he added. About 60% of sales are now


premium leisure, with itineraries created through the Phenix platform, or agents booking package holidays with TC Journeys or partner operators.


Luxury, river and expedition


cruising is seeing “significant growth” and Byrne also noted growth in South Africa, the US and Japan. The agency is not seeing many


late sales as its premium, long-haul focus means the lead time to departure is about 150 days. “We do sell a lot of short-haul


beach holidays – and have seen it pick up in the past four weeks – but we’re not as heavily focused on it as other businesses,” Byrne noted. “Forward bookings into 2027


are up by 27%.” travelweekly.co.uk


PICTURE: Simon Wright


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