Holidaymakers from UK prefer long-haul destinations

New figures indicate Britons ditching Europe, while Europeans choose London for their autumn season leisure trips. 

After Brexit, UK citizens show new holiday habits, in an attempt to spend their money more efficiently and visit hot spots from other continents.

Destinations such as America, Morocco and Turkey have been preferred following the 2016 referendum, as the bookings for international flights have increased by 15 per cent when compared to the previous year.

The United States hold the first place among Britons’ choices, with a 27 per cent growth in holiday reservations. The top is followed by Turkey, Morocco, United Arab Emirates and Israel.

At the same time, the preferences for European destinations have only increased by 5.1 per cent.

“No doubt, the decline in the value of sterling and media stories about tourism overcrowding in certain parts of Europe during the summer have made long-haul destinations appear relatively more attractive. The UAE deserves a special mention for attracting a relatively high proportion of outbound travel”, the CEO of ForwardKeys, Olivier Jager commented.

Here’s the top ten for medium and long-haul destinations Britons currently prefer:

1. US
2. Turkey
3. Morocco
4. UAE
5. Israel
6. Lebanon
7. Mexico
8. Tunisia
9. Canada
10. Jordan

Moreover, Greece seems to make a slow comeback for Londoners, with Corfu being quite popular this year.

On the other hand, travelers from Germany and Austria prefer London as their top destination, with a 48 per cent and 81 per cent increase respectively when compared to 2016.

As the UK has received the title of “one of the world’s best-value travel destinations” from Lonely Planet, head of eDREAMS UK, Robert McNamara, also added:

“London is a hugely popular destination for holidaymakers from across the Channel and October half term proved no exception. We’ve seen a significant 15 per cent spike in the number of Europeans flying to London for the holiday week."
According to the Office for National Statistics, the number of travelers visiting UK, in July only, exceeded 4 million people.

Source: standard.co.uk