TL;DR
- 26% of UK consumers now plan a staycation in 2026, up from 19% in April… a UK break now plus a sunshine week later is two conversations with one client, not one.
- Spending with UK travel agents grew 1.9% in June, ending three months of falls (April down 5.7%, May down 5.8%).
- Overall travel spending was flat (down 0.1%): airline spend down 5.4%, hotels and accommodation up 1.7%, so the money moved around within travel and a good slice came back through agents.
- UK card spending hit an 11-month retail peak, up 1.9% year-on-year, so clients have room in the budget for the trip that matters.
- Figures come from Barclays Consumer Spend research, a survey of 2,000 UK consumers, fieldwork 26 to 30 June 2026, reported by Cruise Trade News on 13 July.
What’s Changed
Right, here’s a nugget to carry into your week. More than a quarter of UK consumers, 26%, now plan a staycation in 2026, up from 19% in April. Here’s the useful read for you and your clients… a UK break now doesn’t cancel out the sunshine week later. It tends to sit alongside it. That’s a client with two conversations to have, not one.
The channel news underneath is warm too. Spending with UK travel agents grew 1.9% in June, according to Barclays Consumer Spend research reported by Cruise Trade News on 13 July. That ends three months of decline, with agent spending down 5.7% in April and 5.8% in May, so June is the first rise since late winter. The figures come from a survey of 2,000 UK consumers, with fieldwork run between 26 and 30 June.
A Closer Look
The wider travel numbers point to where clients are placing their trust. Overall travel spending was flat in June, down 0.1%, with airline spending down 5.4% while hotels, resorts and accommodation edged up 1.7%. So the money didn’t leave travel… it moved around within it, and a healthy slice came back through agents. That’s your opening to walk clients through the parts of a trip worth getting right with a person beside them.
One line of backdrop for anyone worried clients have gone quiet: UK card spending hit an 11-month retail high in June, up 1.9% year-on-year, so there’s room in the budget for the holiday that matters.
For Client Chats
Put those together and you’ve a natural conversation for the weeks ahead. Airline direct spending fell 5.4% while money flowing through agents climbed, and when the economy feels wobbly, people want someone who knows them to help get it right. That’s the moment to be in front of them. A quick check-in now, while the mood’s a touch brighter, does more than one in a nervous week.
Keep that staycation figure in your back pocket too. A client eyeing a home holiday this year is rarely finished for the year… the UK trip scratches one itch, winter sun scratches another. Two trips, one client who trusts you with both, and a reason to open both chats now rather than wait.
The Helpful Bit
I know this is your week, not a line in a trade report… but it’s a good one to have on your side. June suggests clients are choosing the agent channel again, and they’re planning more than one trip while they’re at it. Small signs, genuine ones, and good reason to keep an eye on July’s figures when they’re published next month.
