More money is planned to be spent on holidays this summer by British millennials aged 29 to 44, who are increasingly turning to booking through travel agents or consultants. At the same time, they are leading the trend for more sustainable and conscious, travel choices, according to research by Travel Counsellors.
Nearly half (46%) of Millennials in the UK plan to spend more money on travel in the next 12 months, compared to the national average of 34%, while just 8% of Millennials plan to spend less.
More than a third of the demographic (34%) prioritise saving for holidays over saving for marriage or family planning (8%), according to the findings of a survey of 2,000 adults in the UK.
As the survey found, 44% of millennials booked a holiday through a travel agent or advisor in the last 12 months, compared to the national average of 31%.
Top reasons include reliable/specialist advice (50%), time savings (50%), personalised services (39%) and someone to help and support if things do not go well or plans change (37%).
Increased environmental awareness and extra spending on accommodation
The study also revealed that 42% of millennials have avoided booking a destination due to concerns about over-tourism or environmental impact, compared to the national average of 28%.
Meanwhile, 62% of Millennials claim to be more environmentally conscious when planning their vacations, compared to two to three years ago, as opposed to 42% of Gen X and Baby Boomers.
More than one-third (35%) of Millennials would pay extra for luxury accommodations during a vacation, compared to 21% of Baby Boomers.
Increase in sales
The findings came as Travel Counsellors announced a 10% year-on-year increase in sales to a record £566 million for the six months of the 2025 financial year ending 30 April.
The performance was supported by growing consumer demand for personalised, expert-led travel and the addition of 149 new Travel Counsellors, bringing the number of new appointments to more than 2,206 at the end of the period.
This summer will also be another strong season, with bookings for the July and August period being 11% higher than last year.
Travel Counsellors managing director Steve Byrne said that younger travellers are emphasising richer, more individual travel experiences.
“These generations are increasingly value-oriented, more environmentally aware and more likely to seek guidance and advice from experts to help them make the most of their travel,” he said.
“We saw an increase in bookings from Millennial customers in the first half of the year, with particularly strong growth in cruise and adventure travel. This demonstrates their preferences for premium and differentiated travel experiences. These are consumers who want more than just a holiday – they want peace of mind, personalised experiences and meaningful and memorable travel,” added Mr Byrne.
