Advantage Travel Partnership shares an insight into consumer booking behaviours for Christmas 2025 and trends for 2026

Advantage Travel Partnership has reported an exceptional 12 percent rise in bookings compared to 2024 for travel over Christmas. 

The data shows trading from those who booked from January to October 2025 for trips to take place from December 2025 to January 2026. In addition, the Partnership shares insights into 2026 booking trends.

Top Destinations for 2025 Christmas Travel

Festive trips to Lapland in particular are proving extremely popular with bookings up 30 percent on last year whilst city breaks to destinations with popular Christmas markets such as Prague, Krakow and Berlin have taken 13 percent of overall bookings. Additional holidays that have become more popular in 2025 include cruise, which has risen in bookings by 5 percent, as well as ski holidays, which has risen by 6 percent. As always, the search for winter sun remains strong with bookings up 10 percent.

Advantage reports that long haul travel generally remains in line with 2024, however, the usually popular Dubai and the Caribbean have seen a decline in bookings compared to last year. Nonetheless, due to the rising trend in consumers favouring more value focused trips, the Far East has continued to remain popular with a 13 percent rise in bookings. For short haul travel, the Canary Islands remains the most popular winter destination for British travellers with bookings rising by 16 percent in 2025.

Throughout 2025, multigenerational travel has continued to grow as families seek options that cater to everyone's needs, from toddlers to teens, parents to grandparents, without compromising on quality. All-inclusive holidays are evolving their offerings to help cater for this, previously associated with budget-conscious holidays, many now provide more luxury elements, larger rooms and even villas as well as high-end wellness facilities. These resorts are providing a new generation of all-inclusive that extends beyond food and beverage to encompass curated experiences, from cultural immersion to local sightseeing to even babysitting services, all included in the pre-paid package. The all-inclusive proposition has matured from a simple 'one price, everything included' concept into a sophisticated, multi-faceted offering designed for discerning luxury family travellers.

Looking Ahead to 2026: A Positive Start to the Year

Looking ahead to 2026, Advantage Travel Partnership is tracking ahead of last year by 24 percent in bookings so far. As expected, summer holidays are leading the way, with summer bookings up 27 percent and taking a 49 percent share of 2026 travel. While some people are still booking last-minute deals, the dominant trend for 2026 appears to be shifting towards ultra-early bookings for increased value for money. Advantage is already seeing bookings for 2026/2027 winter holidays up by 24 percent and currently taking 6 percent of overall bookings.

2025 was a turmoil year for travel to America, marked by a tourism slump due to political rhetoric, policy shifts, and a strained aviation system, leading to fewer international visitors. Bookings to the United States for 2026 however are up 20 percent largely driven by major events such as the FIFA World Cup which will feature both England and Scotland as well as an increase in immersive experience destinations such as the deep south states.

For 2026, cruise is exceptionally well placed to outperform in the off-peak and shoulder seasons. Despite cruise representing only around 3 percent of global leisure travel by passenger numbers, demand is accelerating. With new ships and sustained marketing investment, cruise is undoubtedly one of the standout growth segments for the next 12 months. Tours and touring bookings are also likely to be popular in 2026 with bookings up by 25 percent.

Julia Lo Bue-Said OBE, CEO of Advantage Travel Partnership said: “Across our membership of independent travel agencies we have seen a strong performance throughout 2025 and it’s great that we’re ending the year on a high. The strength of trading throughout 2025 reflects the resilience of both our travel agent partners and the broader travel sector. For 2026, world events, competitive pressure from other source markets, and shifting consumer confidence will all shape travel bookings. What will matter most is value, and ensuring agents deploy strong value-led messaging that drives enquiries while helping customers understand what a genuinely good deal looks like. Consumers are continuing to focus on getting the best deal from their spend, it’s not just about booking the cheapest bargain available, but they want to see the most value from what their budget can afford. In the year ahead our travel agency partners will be working hard toelevate the booking experience and showcase this value.”