Irish travel agents report bookings growth

The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) is celebrating research which suggests that most members enjoyed a growth in bookings in 2023 compared with the previous year and 2019.

The results of the annual member survey show that 75% of respondents said their bookings in 2023 increased by more than 10% compared with 2022, with 21% saying bookings increased by less than 10% and 4% saying booking levels remained the same. No agent said bookings had decreased.

ITAA chief executive Clare Dunne (pictured) said: “We are delighted to see our members succeeding and we are very happy to see that travel is well and truly back.”

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Comparing 2023 and 2019, a total of 46% of agents said bookings had increased by more than 10%, while 21% said bookings grew by less than 10% and 11% said booking levels remained the same.

A total of 11% said booking levels decreased by less than 10%, with 11% reporting that bookings decreased by more than 10%.

When asked about turnover, 78% of agents said they experienced an increase of more than 10% in 2023 compared with 2022.

When comparing turnover with 2019, 54% said they had recorded growth of more than 10%.

A total of 44% of respondents attributed 40-60% of their business to repeat customers, with 37% attributing 60-80% of their business to repeat customers.

The three most popular countries for Irish holidaymakers in 2023 were Spain, Portugal and the USA.

The figures on corporate bookings showed that 50% of agents experienced an increase of more than 10% in 2023 compared with 2022. A total of 29% of respondents reported an increase in corporate bookings in comparison to 2019, with 29% recording the same level of bookings.

The ITAA has more than 100 travel agent members and 70 partners.