Overseas spending rises as Brits prioritise travel
New Barclays Consumer Spend data reveals that Brits are continuing to prioritise holidays and overseas travel in 2026, with spending abroad up despite ongoing cost-of-living pressures and geopolitical uncertainty.
Barclays debit and credit card spending overseas increased 2.2% in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period last year, while international spending accounted for a slightly larger share of overall spend, rising from 5.0% to 5.1%
Customers are still keen to travel in 2026, but we’ve seen the choice of destination change. While Spain, France, Italy and Greece stayed firmly in favour, emerging hotspots such as Albania, Bulgaria and Montenegro entered the top 20 as customers look for ‘hidden gems’ and better value for money. Further afield, spending fell sharply in the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, reflecting changing travel preferences following the Middle East conflict, with Japan, China and Australia all climbing the rankings instead. We also saw a spike in travel to the USA, supported by the FIFA World Cup.
The findings build on Barclays research showing that consumers continue to place a high value on travel experiences. Almost half (49%) value holidays more than they did 10 years ago, while a third (33%) now spend a greater share of their income on getaways. Despite high demand for travel abroad, 36% of people still prefer staycations, supported by hybrid work and cost-conscious choices, and 30% say their travel spend is more influenced by online content than a decade ago.
The latest Barclays Consumer Spend data also points to renewed momentum over the summer as consumers’ confidence in both their household finances and spend on non-essentials improved in August, demonstrated by a 2.1% growth in card spending – a 13-month high. As part of this, travel spending saw a considerable rebound in August by 3.1%.
With more customers spending overseas, Barclays is introducing fee-free foreign exchange spending on debit cards for Premier customers from 28 September, making spending more convenient and helping customers make the most of their money when travelling abroad.