ABTA’s new Holiday Habits 2026-27 Report, released, finds small but important changes in consumers’ preferred holiday types, with three in particular coming through.
As more people went on holiday in the past 12 months (88%) than at any time since 2019, city breaks grew the sharpest in popularity with 53% saying they had taken at least one in the past year (up six percentage points from last year), and now above beach holidays which rose slightly from 48% to 49%.
The popularity of cruise edged up a little, with 13% having taken one against 12% the previous year. Perhaps more importantly for the sector, 17% of respondents said they planned to take a cruise during the next 12 months, showing scope for further growth in 2027.
ABTA members are also reporting those who took a cruise for the first time are rebooking and that, overall, people are tending to book a cruise further in advance than other types of holidays to secure their preferred itineraries.
The other holiday type to advance in this year’s report is wellbeing breaks, with 9% of people saying they took one in the previous year, up from 7% the year before that. Related to this, among those saying they had taken or plan to take a cruise, interest in a wellness cruise advanced from 21% to 28% in just a year.
The research also reveals travellers continue to spread their holidays across the year, including into the shoulder seasons.
Looking ahead into 2027, May emerges overall as the most popular month when people say they are planning to take an overseas holiday at 17%, with September also popular at 15% - although August remains the favourite for families, with around 20% saying they plan to take an overseas holiday then.
The search for good value holidays is a strong theme across ABTA’s research this year and is likely to be one of the driving factors behind the popularity of shoulder season travel. The increased appetite for city breaks may also be a reason why people are looking to travel in the slightly cooler months, with them often being more comfortable for city exploration.
Graeme Buck, Director of Communications at ABTA – The Travel Association, said: “Although the statistical differences are relatively small - and so suggest an evolutionary rather than revolutionary change in consumer habits - the ‘travel trio’ of city breaks, cruise and wellness are growing in popularity and ones to watch.
"That doesn’t mean the traditional beach holiday is any less popular – not least with families, where 57% took one in the past year – but it indicates that demand for a variety of holiday types is set to continue.”
