ABTA publishes 2014 Travel Trends Report

The Travel Association, today released its Travel Trends Report 2014, developed in association with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The report predicts cautious optimism in the holiday market for the year ahead with consumers continuing to holiday and planning to spend more than they did in 2013. It also reveals that value for money will remain a priority for many and that package holidays will perform well again in 2014. As well as market trends, ABTA’s 2014 Travel Trends Report highlights destinations to watch for the coming year.

Key trends identified in ABTA’s Travel Trends Report 2014 include:

• Same country, different destination – consumers are expected to choose a different resort or destination in favourite countries they know well offering them a mixture of familiar and new holiday experiences
• Package holidays – these will continue to be popular, driven by consumer demand for value and the ease of having arrangements taken care of, as well as as the greater choice and flexibility now offered by the package holiday market
• The simple life – while 5 star luxury will continue to appeal to many who can afford it, holidays that are perceived as more simple and authentic, which remove people from their hectic daily lives, are also set to be popular in the coming year
• Domestic tourism – domestic tourism is expected to remain in strong shape in 2014 with the feel-good-factor created by the success of the Jubilee and Olympics in 2012 further bolstered by 2013’s sunny summer
• Age groups – the baby boomers (those aged 55-64) look set for another strong year in 2014, after notable growth in 2013
• Tried and tested destinations close to home – these will continue to do well in 2014 as consumers seek well known, good value holidays. Short haul favourites including Spain, Greece, Italy, Turkey and France are likely to benefit from this trend.

In the report ABTA has identified its “Destinations to Watch” 2014. These include a mixture of long, mid and short haul destinations, holiday favourites and emerging destinations which are expected to capture the public’s imagination in 2014.

The destinations are:

• Brazil
• The Caribbean (Antigua)
• Costa Rica
• Greece
• Malaysia
• Mauritius
• Mexico, The Pacific Coast and Baja
• Oman
• Portugal
• Slovenia
• Sicily, Italy
• USA (Texas/New Mexico/Alaska).

Mark Tanzer ABTA Chief Executive said: “We know that Brits hate to cut back on their holidays and after several years of tough market conditions, we are seeing early signs of more optimism amongst British consumers. However, with the squeeze on household budgets continuing, we are expecting that tried and tested destinations and package holidays will continue to perform well in the coming year. We are also expecting a range of other overseas destinations to prove popular in 2014, as well as another good year for domestic tourism after the heatwave in the UK in summer 2013.”

In the report country-specific travel advice has been provided by the FCO to ensure Brits travelling abroad next year remain safe.

John Heppenstall, from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, said: “ABTA’s report suggests that British nationals will be travelling more in 2014. While the vast majority of these holidays are likely to be trouble-free, we continue to urge British travellers to prepare properly before they pack their bags – through simple steps such as investing in comprehensive travel insurance, taking the necessary health precautions and researching the local laws and customs of their destination.

“For those British nationals who do run into difficulties, the FCO will do all it can to help. For example, we can issue replacement travel documents and provide help to those who have been a victim of crime or are in hospital. However, we cannot pay people’s medical bills, lend money or influence another country’s legal system. Most people have rewarding and painless trips abroad but things can and do go wrong and taking time to prepare before you go can help ensure you have a holiday to remember for the right reasons.”