ABTA unveils the Travel Confidence Index at the 2023 Travel Convention

Monday, October 30, 2023

During the inaugural day of ABTA’s 2023 Travel Convention in Bodrum, where hundreds of industry delegates have gathered, ABTA has unveiled the findings of its initial overseas Travel Confidence Index on October 30th.

The UK population as a whole receives a score of +41 on the index, with some age groups and traveller types receiving higher confidence scores due to their positive scores. The most positive scores were given by those who booked through a travel agency and those who took a package vacation in the previous year (+70 and +72, respectively). Families (+52) and people in the 25–34 age range (+53) also showed greater than average confidence in their ability to travel.

The scores were derived by surveying a representative sample of 2,000 UK adults, who were asked to assess their current confidence levels about taking an overseas vacation on a scale from 1 to 10. By providing the same respondents with a list of potential “confidence boosters” when travelling overseas and asking them to rank them as essential, important, nice to have, or not important, the Travel Confidence Index also sheds light on the steps that travel businesses can take to increase consumer confidence to travel.

The survey revealed that 67% of respondents considered having a valid passport and/or visa as essential, while 54% viewed obtaining travel insurance as a vital factor. This underscores the value travel companies can provide by assisting customers in securing these essential travel prerequisites.

Additional crucial components related to budgetary worries and highlighted the part package vacations can play in instilling a healthy dose of consumer confidence. Being able to return home in the event that their travel company fails was deemed essential by 53% of respondents. Other essential factors included knowing the entire cost ahead of time (49%) and having financial security in case their travel company fails (49%).

The advantages that businesses derive from exhibiting their membership credentials are highlighted by the fact that two out of every five respondents (41%) and another 35% said that making a reservation with an ABTA member was crucial.

Graeme Buck, Director of Communications at ABTA – The Travel Association, said, “By launching our Travel Confidence Index, we plan to provide an annual measure of how confident people are feeling about overseas travel and why, so the industry can capitalise on positive sentiment.

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