ABTA and Kuoni seem to think so; figures revealed at ABTA's Travel Trends conference in London suggest that over a third (34.2%) of holidaymakers are in it for the long haul next year, up over 6% against last year's figures
That put long haul at the top of ABTA's Travel Trends report for the year ahead, with destinations outside of Europe and North America making notable headway. One in 10 (11%) of people are looking to visit Asia next year; Japan, Thailand, India and China are the most popular long-haul hotspots.
Graeme Buck, ABTA's director of communications, noted the positive long-haul momentum against 2023. "Whereas in 2023 we had just over a quarter of people travelling to more far-flung parts of the world, that is now up to more than a third at 34.2%. That is a fairly significant increase over the course of the year.
"The data also shows that the number of people saying they are likely to go to a country they have not been to before is steadily on the up, now at 45%."
ABTA data also revealed that beyond the popularity of Asian destinations, South Africa and Kenya are leading the way in Africa, and Australia is driving a large portion of the 1.7% growth (from 4.3% to 6%) in guests committing to long-haul holidays in Oceania in 2025.
Rachel O'Reilly, Kuoni's director of communications, echoed the long-haul sentiment in a dedicated presentation.
"What we are seeing at Kuoni is quite an exciting diversity in what we are booking. Africa, India, the Indian Ocean, the Far East, Australia and New Zealand are all destinations which are trending for us at the moment."
While holidays were reported as the factor where guests are least likely to cut back on spending in ABTA's Holiday Habits report earlier this year, Kuoni bookings still indicate that even long-haul guests are looking for a strong value proposition.
"Nothing beats India when it comes to value... there is still demand for that 'big ticket' trip: the Golden Triangle. On the ground costs are really, really good, which is proving very attractive."
Rachel also noted the "success story" of the Far East, with Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia very much on the rise.
ABTA's Travel Trends conference took place in London on November 26th, 2024.
