Market size of the travel agency industry in the UK 2013-2023

The market size of the travel agency industry in the United Kingdom rose in 2022 over the previous year, after dropping sharply due to the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite the annual increase, this industry's market size remained below pre-pandemic levels, amounting to 16.9 billion British pounds in 2022. This figure was forecast to grow to 28.5 billion British pounds in 2023.

Travel agencies vs. tour operators

In 2022, the number of businesses in the travel agency industry in the UK increased in comparison to the previous year, totaling nearly five thousand. By contrast, the number of businesses in the tour operator industry in the UK recorded a year-over-year declined in 2022.

What are the leading travel agencies and tour operators in the UK?

As of June 2023, the leading travel agent based on the number of outlets in the UK was Hays Travel, with roughly 500 stores, followed by TUI and Advantage, with more than 300 stores each. On the other hand, Jet2holidays and TUI UK were the leading operating ATOL-licensed tour operators in the United Kingdom, with over five million passengers licensed as of March 2023.