Travel with Katie Butler, Total Travel: A seasonal slowdown... but a bit later than expected
It is beginning to look – and feel – a lot like Christmas. As the festive period gathers pace, many of us are turning our attention from booking holidays to wrapping gifts, writing cards and finishing off those last-minute preparations.
As expected, our own phones have quietened slightly this December, though perhaps a little later than usual.
November turned out to be unexpectedly lively across West Yorkshire, with our desks in Ossett, Heckmondwike and Brighouse far busier than anticipated.
It appears to be a travel trend too, according to the latest Barclays Consumer Spend Report, travel bucked the wider economic trend last month.
While overall consumer card spending dipped by 1.1 per cent – the largest fall since February 2021 – travel agents saw their strongest year-on-year rise in nearly two years.
Spending in our sector grew by 10.7 per cent, and the number of transactions increased by an impressive 31 per cent, outperforming every other non-essential category by a wide margin.
This is particularly notable given that non-essential transactions overall fell by 2.3 per cent compared with last year.
Barclays highlighted that consumer and economic confidence remained subdued throughout November, following declines across all seven indicators the bank tracks. Yet despite that cautious mood, people continued to prioritise holidays.
According to the report, a combination of tempting offers, early-bird deals for 2025 and the impact of Black Friday encouraged many customers to secure their next holiday.
Even in a challenging financial climate, the desire to book a break, be it for sun, sea, snow or simply a change of scenery – clearly remains strong.
Black Friday itself proved to be the busiest retail day of the year, with transaction volumes surging by 62.5 per cent compared with the daily average.
Karen Johnson, Barclays’ head of retail, described November as a month of “uncertainty”, as shoppers waited for seasonal discounts and for details of the chancellor’s Budget. Still, she noted that the Black Friday boost was a welcome moment of positivity for retailers heading into Christmas.
While the wider economy might feel hesitant, the appetite for travel still remains with us especially for those late-deals and last-minute winter sunshine.
Looking at last week’s bookings, January emerged as the most popular month of travel, taking a nine per cent share, closely followed by December – also with nine per cent. Late bookings (travelling within 12 weeks of departure) continue to play a significant role, making up 27 per cent of all new bookings.
As for where people are heading, the top three destinations by passenger numbers tell an interesting story. In top spot cruises sailing from Southampton, reflecting strong demand for cruises as customers plan trips ranging from short winter sun breaks to longer adventures. Second place went to Tenerife, a reliable go-to for those chasing mild temperatures and a dose of winter warmth. Third on the list of overall new bookings was Caribbean fly-cruises.
So, while the tinsel, baubles and lights go up, the nights draw in and many households concentrate on Christmas rather than holidays, travel continues to weave itself into people’s plans – whether for now, for next month or for the year ahead.