Loveholidays, Travelopia and Audley Travel are among the travel companies predicted to be involved in merger and acquisition (M&A) activity next year, according to accountancy and business advisory firm, BDO.
In its annual The Travel Diaries report, the company also predicted deals for Tour Partner Group and Rabbie’s.
This year, BDO – which advised Flight Centre Travel Group on its acquisition of Iglu earlier this month – correctly predicted deals for Iglu as well as Cruise.co.uk, which was acquired by Hays Travel in July, and Great Rail Journeys, which was acquired by Vitruvian Partners earlier in the year.
Two other companies it flagged last year for M&A deals – Riviera Travel and Audley Travel – received offers that were rejected.
BDO had said 2025 would be ‘another big year’ for travel deals, with 21 completed so far.
“Trade buyers have acquired significantly more travel businesses in 2025 than in 2024, with fewer deals involving private equity,” it said.
BDO advised companies planning to sell this year to make sure they understand ‘the opportunities and threats’ AI poses for their businesses.
It added that multiple source markets are a key factor to boosting value, and that companies must know who their customers are. “Know the key metrics such as repeat rate, lifetime value and customer acquisition costs by channel,” it said. “This evidences good systems, data-driven decision making and more predictable ROI (return on investment).”
Highlighting ‘reasons to be positive’ about 2026, the firm pointed to Barclays research demonstrating strong consumer spending through travel agents, alongside ONS data showing the UK household savings rate remains above its 10-year average.
Plus, BDO’s own consumer survey suggested positive intentions to spend on travel, with over 65s planning to spend more in the next six months, followed by young adults.
