GLASGOW (December 30, 2024) – Barrhead Travel, one of the UK’s leading travel agencies, has achieved a back-to-back record-breaking year, and says it is eyeing growth for 2025. 

The Glasgow-headquartered travel agency group last year celebrated success with 12 consecutive record-breaking months and has now gone on to exceed sales again every month in 2024. This year, the group invested in a series of store refurbs, as well as celebrating the launch of its second store in Northern Ireland earlier this month.

The group says it has also focussed on ‘sustainable growth’ with the launch of new product divisions including a specialist USA division. Training and development were noted as priorities for the business with the launch of its new Development Academy, designed for upskilling its workforce and nurturing talent.

Barrhead Travel will close the year trading up 13 per cent, compared with sales in 2023 which was previously the company’s best year. The firm says sustained high holiday demand has bolstered sales, with forward bookings for 2025 ahead compared with the same period last year. The shift towards early planning reflects a growing desire for customers to secure best availability as well as being able to spread the cost.

Top European destinations for 2024 included:

1. Turkey
2. Tenerife
3. Mallorca
4. Alicante
5. Cruising from Southampton

Top longhaul destinations for 2024 included:

1. New York
2. Barbados
3. Orlando
4. Canada
5. Dubai

Last-minute bookings were a notable feature of the group’s holiday sales as the poor summer weather encouraged spontaneous breaks. All inclusive holidays remained the number one holiday type while cruise bookings also grew in popularity – particularly river cruising where sales increased by 43 per cent.

Holiday duration was on the rise with breaks for 10 nights or longer accounting for more than 50 percent of bookings – something that the travel group says is reflective of people’s desire to make the most of their annual leave.

Jacqueline Dobson, President at Barrhead Travel said: “2024 has been a year of growth for Barrhead Travel, with a focus on investing in our high street locations and our people.

“Across the country, spend on holidays is being ringfenced, and we see our customers taking more frequent and longer breaks. With multi-generational and group bookings on the rise, it’s clear that people are using their holidays to spend time with those who mean the most to them.

“As we look to the year ahead, we’re expecting another strong year for travel. We’ve made further investments in our product portfolio to ensure we can offer the most exciting experiences on the market with value-for-money at the forefront of our plans. We’re also doubling down on our commitment to our colleagues and our communities with further investments earmarked for training as well as potential new store openings.”

In 2025, Barrhead Travel will be celebrating its 50^th year in business. Its store network is open seven days per week until late – find your nearest store by visiting barrheadtravel.co.uk/store-locator