Advantage Travel Partnership sees members’ global turnover top £17bn

The Advantage Travel Partnership has hailed “another exceptionally strong year” with members turnover globally surpassing £17 billion mark.

Earlier this year, the consortium had reported the total global sales turnover across the membership had increased to £15.6 billion, for the year ended September 30, 2023.

The latest figure was revealed by chief executive Julia Lo Bue-Said at Advantage’s annual Big Celebration Lunch in London.

She said the group has “made significant progress” over the past year, “delivering against our strategic goals, as well as building a strong financial performance in order to deliver on future investment opportunities aligned with delivering our vision”.

“But most importantly – it’s a been another year when we have seen our members continue to thrive, with many of our members expanding, venturing into new locations and sectors, and driving growth in what has been a positive trading environment,” she said.

“As the third largest network in Europe, turnover across our global community including UK members surpassed the £17 billion mark.

“In the UK we saw turnover across all our members grow 16% year on year.”

More: Advantage survey reveals ‘significant challenges’ facing travel agencies

She said 2024 had been “a remarkably strong year – the first since the pandemic that has truly felt like a return to some form of normality”.

“While we’ve faced our fair share of challenges – the political uncertainty, air traffic control strikes, unprecedented weather patterns and continued cost of living crisis to name a few – our ecosystem has demonstrated extraordinary resilience,” she said.

“Despite significant economic pressures, the desire for travel hasn’t just persisted – it has positively thrived, with UK outbound travel emerging as a frontrunner in consumer spending, outperforming many other service sectors.

“We’ve seen this both in leisure travel, where holidays remain a non-negotiable part of family budgets, and in corporate travel, where we’re witnessing a notable uptick in managed travel programmes.”

Advantage has also welcomed more than 50 new branches, and acquired Cork Bays and Fisher in February.

She also highlighted key member anniversaries: Althams Travel’s 150th year, and both Ockey White and Border Travel celebrating 60 years in business.

“We also recognise the impressive 40-plus year milestones reached by Idle Travel, Garstang Travel, Sheffield Travel Centre, Symphony World Travel, Oasis Travel and one of our newest Advantage members, Soliman Travel,” she added.

“Other celebrations this year have included Fred Olsen Travel expanding their network with an additional five stores in the last 12 months; Barrhead Travel opening first ever store in Northern Ireland this week; Beverley Travel opening two new stores in Hedon and Swanland as well as growing their homeworking division – and Baldwins Travel opening their first store outside of the southeast in Grantham, Lincolnshire.”

She also told attendees at the event how she had recently met tourism minister Chris Bryant MP.

“It was an excellent meeting and, as the only representative from UK outbound travel at the meeting, it gave me the opportunity to update him on our key messages and a reminder of the importance of our sector to people, and the UK economy,” she said.

“The minister was incredibly receptive to what I had to say, and unlike some of his predecessors, appears to have a keen appetite to get to know our sector better.”

This year’s Big Celebration Lunch is supporting the Children’s Hospital Pyjamas charity.