A leisure travel recovery is underway in France, Germany and the UK, with consumers who skipped their holidays when times were tough now feeling confident enough to return to the market, according to a recent report by travel industry research authority PhoCusWright.

The share of adults who took at least one holiday over the past year jumped four per cent in France (to 70 per cent) and Germany (to 72 per cent) compared to 2012. In the UK, the share increased three points to reach 78 per cent.

Europeans are also spending more on travel – consumers in Germany spent an average of €206 ($278, £170) more on holidays in 2013 versus 2012, and spending among UK travellers jumped €283 ($382, £234).

“Macro-economic trends are taking a slight turn for the better, with some stating that the recession is over,” said PhoCusWright analyst Marcello Gasdia. “The picture still isn’t rosy, of course, but things are starting to pick up. I wasn’t sure whether that would show up in my data, but it did.”

UK travellers are also leading their European neighbours in terms of travel trends, according to Gasdia.

“Compared to other European markets, the UK leisure traveller is paving the way in terms of technology adoption,” he adds. “They are a bit savvier in terms of shopping for hotels and flights on their tablets and smartphones. Germany is lagging a bit further back, with France somewhere in the middle.”

This article first appeared in the Q1 edition of Leisure Management magazine. To read the original extended version, click here.