National Geographic Traveller (UK)’s assistant editor, Sam Kemp, attended the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) Travel Convention in Calvia, Majorca (6-8 October). 

Marking ABTA’s 75^th anniversary, this year’s event brought together leading figures from the UK travel industry for three days of social events, networking opportunities and a varied selection of panel discussions focusing on everything from sustainable growth to travel trends.  

The theme of this year’s conference was ‘Reasons to be Cheerful’, with key panel discussions focusing on how destinations are evolving in reaction to overtourism, AI and other challenges. During ‘Overtourism – moving the dial’, Spain’s director of tourism, Manuel Butler, captured the mood, saying that “social sustainability is the biggest challenge [we face], not only for Spain but for global tourism. We need to create a new model”. 

Having immersed himself into the debates, Sam’s key learnings are: 

• The shoulder season is the new peak season – Operators noted the period from September to October is becoming the most popular time to travel. That switch is reflected in figures from ABTA’s Holiday Habits report, which found that September travel has increased by two percentage points to 17%, making it the second-most-popular month to travel after June.  

• Young people are exploring closer to home – According to ABTA, while the over-65s are showing the fastest-growing intention to travel overseas in the coming year, younger respondents are indicating a growing desire to explore more destinations in the UK. Showing the most interest are 18-24-year-olds.  

• Solo travel is at an all-time-high – Around 19% of consumers took solo trips between August 2025 and July 2025, partly due to what ABTA called ‘the drive to discover’.  

• Tighter household budgets have boosted interest in all-inclusive holidays – While relatively affordable places like Greece and Morocco are gaining popularity, according to Kuoni, there’s substantial resistance, both from consumers and operators, to the return of ‘cheap’ mass tourism.  

• Party destinations are rebranding themselves beyond their nightlife –Majorca, for example, where this year’s conference was held, is seeing a big rise in ‘race-cations’, with travellers, especially younger Brits, spurning the island’s clubs to compete in marathons and half marathons.  

• AI’s role in trip planning is growing – Over the past year, the number of travellers using AI for holiday inspiration has doubled to 8%, with that figure rising to 13% of 18–24-year-olds. However, it’s 25–34-year-olds who are using AI more than anyone else according to ABTA. 

• The rise in global conflicts and political crises doesn’t appear to have drastically affected travel confidence – While many of this year’s speakers framed the modern world as an increasingly unstable and unpredictable place, ABTA found travel confidence to be surprisingly high. In 2025, travel to the Middle East was up one percentage point compared to 2024, while travel to North America (including the Caribbean) dropped by just one percentage point, falling from 21% to 20%. 

ABTA’s Travel Convention will return next year in Funchal, Madeira from 12-14 October 2026. 

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About APL Media 
APL Media is a multi-award-winning content marketing agency and publisher, producing high-quality print, digital, and live media across the travel and lifestyle sectors. Since 1997, it has published National Geographic Traveller (UK) under licence from National Geographic Partners LLC, supported by brand extensions including guides, events, and digital platforms. The portfolio also features Living360, a digital lifestyle brand covering wellness, travel, food, sustainability, and culture, distributed via national media and its own platform. APL Media delivers custom content, branded campaigns, editorial consultancy, and leading events such as the Travel Media Awards and Step Up. Its trade titles include Postcards and the ASTA Worldwide Destination Guide, with content also produced for national newspapers. 
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