Data from KAYAK.co.uk has found that demand amongst Brits for stays in Cardiff this summer has shot up 223% compared to last year – more than anywhere else in Europe
- Greek revival, as demand for flights to Greek resorts increases by up to 71% vs last year
- Sri Lanka and Indonesia see huge rise in demand for flights
- Cardiff and Singapore are the European and global destinations where demand for hotels has increased most (+223% and +64%) vs 2016
- Looking at overall popularity, Spain is the destination Brits will head to most this summer
London, 29 July 2017
When it comes to the hottest destinations for summer 2017, one would be forgiven for expecting somewhere sun-soaked to lead the pack, or perhaps somewhere with a reputation for being cool and hip. But according to analysis of millions of searches made on travel search engine KAYAK.co.uk, the destination whose popularity has increased the most overall is… Cardiff.
Cardiff is King
The popularity of hotel stays in Cardiff this summer can be attributed to the large events taking place in the city as well as a thriving culture, art, and food scene. Incredibly, searches for hotel stays in the Welsh capital have increased a whopping 223% for summer 2017 compared to summer 2016. Furthermore, Dublin – another nearby city for Brits – is second on the list, with demand up 35% compared to last year. With London also on the list in third position, the findings suggest that Brits are looking closer to home for European breaks in summer 2017.
When it comes to hotel searches, Spanish destinations are also amongst the most popular, with Barcelona (up 23%), Mallorca and Salou (each up 15%), and Ibiza (up 5%) joining the Welsh, Irish and English capitals as the European destinations seeing the largest increase in demand for hotels for British travellers. In fact, Cardiff tops the global list as well as the European trending destinations list.
Greek Revival
Looking at British demand for flights to Europe, the story of the summer is the Greek revival, with three Greek island destinations appearing amongst the top five showing increased popularity compared with last summer. Thera (up 71%) and Zakinthos (48%) – both in Greece – are the European destinations where demand for flights has increased the most for summer 2017 compared to last year. Interestingly, demand for flights to London from other British airports has also increased by 26%, followed by Milan (25%). Argostoli, also in Greece, along with Luqa in Malta, round off the list.
Hottest destinations worldwide: Asia is the place to be
In terms of demand for hotels outside of Europe, the city-state of Singapore has seen the biggest increase – with demand for hotel rooms from Brits up 64% compared to last year. The average length of stay in Singapore for those from the UK is now four days, indicating that the culturally diverse and tourist-friendly city is now much more than a stopover destination for Brits. Singapore is followed by Bangkok (36%) and Los Angeles (22%).
When it comes to demand for flights to global destinations outside of Europe, Colombo is the hottest international destination of summer 2017, with demand for travel to the Sri Lankan city increasing more than anywhere else in comparison to summer 2016 – up 63%. The top five international destinations demonstrate that long-haul destinations in Asia are proving a hit with Brits this summer:
Flights to Spain show Brits are seeking inexpensive holidays Despite a few surprises when it comes to the destinations that are seeing the largest increase in demand this summer, the most popular destinations overall will be familiar, with several of the mainstays for British summer holidays retaining their positions. Four out of the top five most popular destinations overall for summer 2017 are located in Spain, although Faro in Portugal takes top spot:
Suzanne Perry – travel expert at KAYAK, comments: “At KAYAK we love using our data to spot travel trends, especially when it reveals something unexpected, and this was certainly the case when we found that Cardiff is the European destination trending the most for summer 2017 stays. With lots to see and do, good value for money, and of course lots of big events taking place at the city’s large stadium, it’s great to see that so many Brits want to visit the Welsh capital this summer.”
Data is based on flight and hotel searches by Brits on KAYAK.co.uk between 01.01.16 – 31.12.16 for travel between 01.07.17 – 31.08.16 compared to searches between 01.01.15 – 31.12.15 for travel between 01.07.16 – 31.08.16
Cardiff photo courtesy of (WT-shared) Cardiff at wts wikivoyage/Wikimedia Commons
