Millennials more likely to book via travel agent
Phil Davies
Millennials aged 28 to 43 are prioritising spending on holidays and increasingly booking through a travel agent or expert, a Travel Counsellors survey found. Nearly half (46%) of millennials
plan to spend more on travel in the next 12 months compared with the national average of 34%, with just 8% of millennials planning to spend less. More than a third of the
demographic (34%) prioritise saving for holidays over saving for weddings or planning a family (8%). The survey of 2,000 adults found
that 44% of millennials booked a holiday through a travel agent or advisor in the past 12 months, up from 41% a year ago and well ahead of a national average of 31%. The top reasons include
trusted/expert advice (50%), saving time (50%), personalised service (39%) and someone to help and support if things go wrong or plans change (37%). The findings came as Travel
Counsellors reported 10% year-on-year sales growth to a record £566 million for the six months to April 30. This was supported by “growing consumer demand for personalised, expert-led travel” and
Nearly half of millennials surveyed plan to spend more on travel in the coming year. Inset: Steve Byrne
the addition of 149 travel advisors, bringing the total to more than 2,200 at the end of the half-year period. This summer is set to be another
strong season, with bookings across the July and August peak 11% ahead of the same period last year. Chief executive Steve Byrne said
younger travellers are placing an emphasis on richer, more individual travel experiences. “These generations are
increasingly values-driven, more environmentally conscious and most likely to seek out expert guidance and advice to help make the most of their travel,” he said. “We’ve seen a rise in bookings from millennial customers in the first half, with
Jet2holidays expects 200 to join
first event for non-retail agents Almost 200 trade partners are expected to attend Jet2holidays’ first dedicated gathering for non-retail agents. The event for top-performing homeworkers and non-retail workers is to be held at the operator’s Holiday House offices in Leeds on September 11 and will feature supplier showcases and panel sessions before an awards evening at the city’s Queens Hotel.
8 17 JULY 2025
particularly strong growth in cruise and adventure travel.” Byrne added: “During the first
half of the year we’ve continued to experience good growth across the business, which is once again a firm demonstration of the strength of our differentiated strategy, and was underpinned by the record number of customers who trusted Travel Counsellors with their leisure and corporate travel needs. “I am delighted that despite our
transformational growth trajectory in recent years we have maintained our five-star Trustpilot rating. This is a strong testament to our customer- first culture that runs through everything we do.”
Tui head of retail to leave after
29 years to pursue new chapter Tui head of retail Ste Bracegirdle is to leave the business after nearly 30 years. The company confirmed Bracegirdle was leaving “to pursue a new chapter outside the company” and hailed his “lasting impact on the business over an extraordinary 29-year career”. Bracegirdle joined Tui as an apprentice.
Royal Caribbean China chief aims to grow UK sales
Royal Caribbean International’s China chief said he sees significant scope to grow sales from the UK market as the line launched a competition to showcase its itineraries to destinations including Japan and South Korea. President Ben Bouldin outlined
his hopes for the market at the launch of an agent competition in partnership with Travel Weekly and Online Travel Training. The Fortune Awaits competition,
which launched last week, will see 10 winners heading to Shanghai on a VIP trip incorporating a four-night cruise to Japan on Spectrum of the Seas. To enter, agents need to
snap the “most delicious, daring or downright hilarious selfie” using the Royal Caribbean chopsticks included with the July 10 edition of Travel Weekly, before completing a newly created online course via OTT. Bouldin said: “Royal Caribbean
is a great vehicle for guests to come and see China, but also a chance to go and experience the broader Asia market with us. “Before the pandemic, China
was one of the largest outbound markets for the UK market, in terms of growth.” For full information, visit
travelweekly.co.uk/competitions/ fortune-awaits
Silversea pays tribute to ‘dear
friend and colleague’ Julie Nunes Silversea has paid tribute to sales and strategic account manager Julie Nunes, who died on Saturday (July 12) after a two-year illness. Nunes, who joined the cruise line in 2014 as regional sales manager for the northeast, was praised for her passion and enthusiasm and hailed as a “dear friend” as well as a valued colleague.
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Shutterstock/
alphaspirit.it
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