KAYAK reveals the trends of summer, with UK searches up on pre-Covid summer holidays
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UK flight prices were up around 17% on pre-Covid prices
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Pakistan, Nigeria and New York were the top searched destinations this summer
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Last minute getaways were down on pre-Covid holidays
It’s been another tough summer for holidaymakers, with many of the ever popular European destinations having restrictions for travel. KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, has revealed some of the key search trends that shaped this summer.
The data shows that holidays in the UK have seen an increased share in searches as so many European destinations have been on the amber and red lists for most of the summer. Searches for European destinations were down around 40% compared to 2019, whereas searches for domestic destinations were up around 76% compared to 2019.
As many decided to holiday closer to home, it appears prices were impacted, with flights within the UK up about 17% on pre-Covid times, with an average flight price of around £168. Despite the increased popularity in long-haul travel, flight prices were down by about 2% compared to 2019 prices, with an average flight price of around £639*. Unsurprisingly, with many destinations being on red and amber lists, European flight prices were down around 19% compared to 2019, with average flight prices of about £157.
Despite the uncertainty about travel this summer, it seems British holidaymakers wanted to plan ahead instead of searching for last minute trips, with people searching for holidays about 35 days in advance compared to 25 days in advance in 2019. For overseas travel outside of Europe this figure was even greater, with people planning about two weeks longer than they did in 2019 (about 48 days in advance compared to 35 days in 2019)**.
Despite being on the red list, Pakistan was the most popular searched destination this summer with two cities featuring in the top five, followed by Nigeria, New York and Ghana. Another red list destination, Turkey, also made the top 10 destinations. London and Newquay are the only UK destinations to make it into the top 20.
Top 20 summer destinations
- Islamabad, Pakistan
- Lagos, Nigeria
- New York, USA
- Lahore, Pakistan
- Accra, Ghana
- Tirana, Albania
- Manila, Philippines
- Cairo, Egypt
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Dubai, United Arab Emirates
- Beirut, Lebanon
- Lisbon, Portugal
- New Delhi, India
- London, UK
- Newquay, UK
- Palma, Mallorca
- Los Angeles, USA
- Dhaka, Bangladesh
- Amman, Jordan
- Bucharest, Romania
The KAYAK data also found that people appear to have gone on longer holidays this summer, with the average number of days for a long-haul holiday being 23 days, three days more than summer holidays in 2019.
Laure Bornet, VP and General Manager, EMEA, at KAYAK said: “With so many restrictions in place this year, holidaymakers have had to be a little more explorative with their travel. We’ve seen some interesting destinations make the top 20 list, which could be explained by people perhaps visiting family after being unable to visit them for so long. For those looking to find the perfect place to travel to, KAYAK has the Rediscover Travel hub to help travellers navigate where to go and what’s open for their trips away.”
The Rediscover Travel hub includes destinations seeing emerging signs of interest, where to fly for a deal and prices on hotel stays and rental cars.
Travel restrictions are subject to change, and travellers are still advised to be cautious and make sure to follow government guidelines before travelling. KAYAK pioneered the metasearch category in 2004 and today is the world’s leading travel search engine. For more tips on how to plan the next getaway, KAYAK’s suite of travel tools, including Price Alerts, Travel Restrictions Map and Flexible Filter, visit KAYAK’s COVID-19 Travel Guide.
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ABOUT KAYAK
KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world’s leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car, cruise, or vacation package. We’re also transforming the in-travel experience with our app and new accommodation software. For more information, visit www.KAYAK.co.uk.
ABOUT THE DATA
*Data collection based on searches made on KAYAK.co.uk between 1st May to 23rd August 2021 for travel between 1st June to 31st August 2021.Yo2Y comparisons based on searches made between 1st May to 23rd August 2019, for travel between 1st June to 31st August 2019.
Prices are subject to change and cannot be guaranteed.
** Last minute trips for summer based searches for flights with a departure within 1 week max.
