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Spending in travel agents up almost 10% in July – Barclaycard

Overall year-on-year spending by consumers in travel agents rose by almost 10% in July.

Online travel agents saw growth of 11.7% against 7.7% in-store, according to the latest spending data released by Barclaycard.

Spending with airlines grew at half the travel agency rate at 4.2%, while hotel spend grew by a more modest 3.6% over the same month last year.

The results came as Barclaycard reported a 5% increase in overall consumer spending in July – the third consecutive month of growth.

Much of the increase was attributed to the good weather and the England football team’s strong performance in the World Cup which boosted pub spending by 16.8%.

However, despite a willingness to spend on summer treats while the good weather lasts, shoppers remain cautious about the broader economic picture with confidence in household finances dropping six percentage points from June to 59% last month.

Barclaycard director Esme Hardwood said: ““The prolonged warm weather combined with England’s World Cup performance has created a short-term boost in spending.

“With the sunshine showing no sign of abating, spending levels have remained higher than we would normally expect with Brits keen to make the most of the heatwave – whether in the pub over a few drinks or stocking up at the supermarket to enjoy a barbecue.

“It will be interesting to see if this strong level of growth continues as we move into the final stretch of summer.

“It’s clear that some consumers remain cautious about what’s to come with interest rates rising and overall confidence in household finances down slightly from June.”

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