ABTA: Consumers Still Set on Spending for Holidays Despite Instability, Brexit

Political instability and Brexit woes aside, consumers are still set on spending their savings on travel with more awareness of the impact of their holidays on destinations they visit, according to the latest Travel Trends Report 2020, released this week by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).

More specifically, ABTA findings confirm that travel is a spending priority for the year ahead, with 27 percent (against 25 percent last year) of the respondents planning to spend more on their holidays.

Meanwhile, all the more consumers are placing priority on value for money opting for package holidays which made a strong comeback this year.

Favorite destinations are once again in Europe, a top choice for those intending to travel in the next 12 months, with 57 percent saying they plan to visit.

“With so many political uncertainties ahead, such as the shape of the new government and the outcome of the Brexit process, it is difficult to predict with certainty what 2020 will bring. However, we do know that travel is still a spending priority for the year ahead,” said Mark Tanzer, ABTA chief executive.

“Sustainability issues are now firmly in the minds of holidaymakers… The travel industry continues to develop plans and initiatives which support local communities, their economies and the environment, so that tourism is a benefit to everyone,” Tanzer added.

Τhe five key trends expected to shape holiday choices in 2020, according to ABTA, are an increased interest in ‘slow travel’; travel agents applying a multi-channel digitalized approach to personalizing services; increased awareness of the environmental and social impact of tourism; the development of new forms of flexible and immersive tourism products; and a shift towards electric powered aircraft.

Vienna, Austria

As for next year’s 12 winning destinations, the report names Basilicata, Chicago and Lake Michigan, Georgia, Grenada, Madrid and its surrounding cities, Morocco, Namibia, South Korea, Singapore, The Netherlands, Uruguay and Vienna.

Photo © Maria Theofanopoulou

According to ABTA’s report, Greece was among top destinations for 2019.

At the same time, Greece was also among the countries – including Thailand, France, the US and Spain – with the highest number of assistance cases handled by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).