ABTA’s new Holiday Habits 2026-27 Report (1) finds demand for holidays remained resilient despite the impact of conflict in the Middle East, new border processes and climate-related events.

The research reveals 88% of people went on holiday over the past 12 months, in line with the year before (87%), as was the average number of holidays people took (3.9).

There was an increase in the proportion of people taking holidays abroad, with 62% doing so this past 12 months, up from 59%.  

Behind these headline figures the travel industry has experienced several challenges this past year. The impact of the conflict in the Middle East, and the introduction of the European Entry/Exit System, wildfires and extreme heat, have all affected people’s travel plans. Despite this, the desire to take a holiday remains strong.

Spain grows further in popularity

The number of people who said they visited Spain was up four percentage points (36%), increasing its lead as the most popular destination for UK travellers. According to ABTA members, this uptick is due to the impact of the Middle East conflict with people unable to transit through the region for some time and seeking a short haul alternative. Portugal (11%) also moved up one place in the top ten popularity ranking to sixth.

The resilience of holidays is also reflected in how confident people feel to travel, with ABTA’s Travel Confidence Index (2) showing a score of +50. While this is slightly down on last year (+53), it has rebounded since May 2026 when confidence was at +26 due to disruption caused by the Middle East conflict and speculation about fuel availability and prices as well as the difficulties with the new European Entry/Exit System (EES).

Travellers seeking reassurance from travel professionals

The findings suggest that at times of uncertainty and disruption, more people book with a travel agent or tour operator. 38% booked an overseas holiday with a travel professional in the past 12 months, up from 34%, and rising the most among 18–24-year-olds, (six percentage points) to 35%.
Furthermore, 63% of those taking an overseas holiday booked a package, up two percentage points.

Value for money has been an increasing factor for why people booked with a travel professional (44%, up five percentage points on last year) and was the top reason why people chose a package holiday (48%, up from 43% last year).

Holiday spending ringfenced, but more caution creeping in as people are booking later

Travel intentions for the next 12 months overall remain steady, with 70% of adults planning to travel abroad and 56% planning a UK holiday.

ABTA’s data shows that while people are still committed to spending on holidays above other non-essentials, they are becoming more cost-conscious compared with the previous year as 32% said they would spend more on holidays next year, down from 34%.

Of the 15% who said they’d spend less (on par with last year), 52% said the increased cost of living was the main reason, up from 47%.

This caution is causing people to book late; while members report people booking holidays for next year and 2028, more people are booking closer to departure. ABTA’s data also shows (46%) of those planning an overseas trip have already booked something so far, down from 48%.

ABTA Holiday Habits 2026-27 Report is available to download here.

(1) All figures in the press release are from ABTA’s annual Holiday Habits survey, carried out each summer by The Nursery Research and Planning (www.the-nursery.net) with a nationally representative sample of 2,082 UK adults. The 2026 survey took place between 21st July and 6th August.

(2) The ABTA Travel Confidence Index is calculated by asking a nationally representative sample of 2,082 UK adults to rate how confident they are currently feeling about taking an overseas holiday on a scale of one to 10, with one being not confident at all and 10 being extremely confident. Excluding those who rate their confidence levels as neutral (five or six out of 10), the scores are calculated by taking away the percentage of those with low confidence levels (one to four) from the percentage of those with high confidence levels (seven to 10).