DOMESTIC UK holidays lose out to overseas demand
demand. The number of domestic business trips rose 14% on 2023 in the quarter while holiday trips fell 17% and domestic overnight stays as part of an outbound trip rose a further 7% to represent 8% of all overnight trips and 11% of total spending. Quarterly spending on these trips rose 52% year on year to £1.2 billion.
SPLIT ON PACKAGE TRAVEL REFORM
Given stalling domestic tourism growth, the sector will be pleased to have a tourism minister, Sir Chris Bryant, who appears engaged with DQG FRPPLिHG WR WKH LQGXVWU\ Bryant is an experienced MP, one of
the few in government to have served as a minister before last year. But he has a wide range of responsibilities not only at the Department for Culture, where he combines tourism with being minister for the creative industries, but also at the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology where he is minister for data protection and telecommunications. The Information Commissioner’s Office and UK Space Agency also fall within his remit. So, the time the minister devotes to tourism may necessarily be limited. The sector will be interested too in developments at the Department for
FIGURE 83: 150 120 120m UK DOMESTIC TRIPS AND HOLIDAYS, 2007-23 TRIPS 122m 114m 116m 127m 126m 123m 114m 124m 119m 121m 119m 123m 124m 117m
90 HOLIDAYS 60 52m 50m 30 59m 55m 58m 58m 57m 53m 56m 56m 59m 58m 61m 42m 33m 2007 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 37m 2021 2022 2023 Source: GB Tourism Survey 2020 figures not available as survey suspended
UK DOMESTIC trips appear down in number (Figure 83), but there appear strong intentions among consumers to take a domestic holiday in 2025 (Figure 84)
Business and Trade, since it proposed removing domestic packages from the Package Travel Regulations in a Call for Evidence in late 2023. The process has since stalled and it seems unlikely domestic packages including significant transport arrangements would be removed. But the Association of Atol Companies noted its members were “split equally” between those in agreement with removing these from the regulations and those considering it important to retain protection.
FIGURE 84: DOMESTIC HOLIDAY DEMAND, 2025
UK adults likely to take a UK holiday
+15
Unlikely 16%
Undecided* 15%
*Includes ‘don’t knows’
Quite likely 30%
Very likely 39%
100 %
20 40 60 80
0
TOTAL ‘LIKELY’: 69% +9
% point change YoY
79% 78% 66% 66% 63% 81% 69% 69% 70% 79% 85% By age, child status, region and likelihood of overseas holiday +8 +7 +11 +8 +5 +11 +10 +8
% point change YoY +2
+7
86m
16-24 25-34 35-44
45-54
55+
Child
North Midlands South London Likely to take holiday abroad
Source: Service Science/Kantar, January 2025 Base: 1,281 UK adults
58 Travel Weekly Insight Report 2025
Trips/holidays (million)
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