The latest results from the BETA Business Barometer (BBB) reveal that business confidence within the UK’s youth, student, and educational travel sector has softened, as members forecast international youth travel volumes in 2025 will fall slightly below 2024 levels.
While global uncertainty and market volatility are adding new pressures, the greatest concern remains a familiar one: long-standing visa and border entry challenges that continue to limit growth, especially among education and group travel providers.
Despite these persistent issues, the report offers reasons for cautious optimism. Bookings from South Asia are outperforming seasonal norms, and several members report encouraging levels of domestic demand and long-haul interest.
There is also hope that the recently announced UK–EU youth mobility agreement will open the door to improved access for under-30s, and potentially enable the expansion of the UK–France school group agreement, a development that would be welcomed across the sector.
Conducted in May 2025 and supported by Home & Away Student Services, the latest wave of the BBB achieved a 63% response rate among eligible BETA members. This robust level of participation ensures that the findings reflect the current state of the market and provide a strong foundation for ongoing advocacy.
Emma English, Executive Director of BETA said
This data provides a valuable pulse-check for the sector. While there are certainly headwinds, the underlying demand for youth and student travel remains strong, and new policy developments give us reason to be hopeful for the future.
The BETA Business Barometer is a vital resource, enabling evidence-led discussions with government and giving youth and student travel operators a collective voice.
Author: Emma English
