ToursByLocals shares insights into habits to celebrate its 15th anniversary

30% of UK users booked customised itineraries, 5% higher than other countries

Private tour marketplace ToursByLocals has celebrated its fifteenth anniversary by sharing its top findings into holiday habits across the globe.

ToursByLocals has given 2.2 million people private and customisable tours, led by expert locals in over 185 countries so has a wealth of insights.

The data revealed that Brits like to customise their tours more than any other nationality.

Over 30% of UK users have booked customised itineraries, which is approximately 5% higher than the global average.  

The findings also concluded that across the past 15 years, UK residents have favoured the city break with the top destinations spanning multiple continents, including Tokyo, Kyoto, Rome, Rio de Janeiro, and Krakow.

2023 has also seen Cairo and Istanbul top the charts for UK travellers.

For travellers across the globe, Lisbon is the number one destination in which to book a tour, having recently knocked Paris from its top spot.

The City of Light has consistently dominated as the tour capital almost every year prior to this.

Italy has also remained the most popular country for tours over the last decade and a half, with bookers flocking to take in the historic sites and culinary prowess of the much-loved European destination.

The trend for la dolce vita is not slowing, with tours booked in Italy making up 15% of all tours purchased from ToursByLocals in 2023.  

The tour provider has also seen an increased global interest in personalised experiences, a key offering of the platform, with a third of all tours booked since 2008 being customised itineraries between the guide and visitors.

Post-pandemic, ToursByLocals are also experiencing a rise in cruise excursions, with those setting sail wanting a more in-depth adventure of each port of call and the want for bucket list experiences doubling sales since COVID.