Brits are choosing staycations after wildfires and soaring fares

Brits are choosing staycations this year after Europe wildfires and soaring air fares as Trivago releases top holiday destinations for 2024

More Brits are choosing London, Edinburgh and Blackpool over going abroad

More Brits are choosing staycations this year amid soaring air fares and wildfires abroad, as Trivago releases the top holiday destinations for 2024.

The rising cost of flights has been a big factor in the increasing popularity of domestic holidays, according to the website’s chief executive Johannes Thomas.

He said more people are ‘travelling shorter distances and choosing to stay shorter periods’ due to the significant rise in air fares.

This comes after Ryanair warned of more steep hikes to come this winter for its ticket prices – which have already risen by 24 per cent on average for the first half of 2023.

Trivago’s UK booking data shows that seven of the top 10 bookings destinations for Christmas 2023 are domestic locations, with London, Llandudno in Wales and Edinburgh the three most popular choices.

Britons are also choosing to celebrate the New Year in the UK, with London, Edinburgh and Blackpool among the top five places to see in the start of 2024.

More Brits are choosing staycations this year amid soaring air fares and wildfires abroad, as Trivago releases the top holiday destinations for 2024

UK holidaymakers are swapping the sands of Benidorm for the beaches of Blackpool. Pictured: Benidorm Poniente beach in Alicante Mediterranean of Spain

London, Edinburgh and Blackpool among the top five places to see in the start of 2024. Pictured: Blackpool Tower and beach

Britons are also choosing to celebrate the New Year in the UK. Pictured: Christmas lights on Regent Street, central London

UK hotel bookings in the third and fourth quarters of the year are dominated by domestic destinations.

Trivago’s Mr Thomas said: ‘The UK is a very domestic market. Part of that is down to airline tickets, which are significantly more expensive.

READ MORE – The fire factor: Rhodes resort stands deserted after mass evacuation as wildfires spread across Greek isle

‘Overall across the globe, it’s true for the US, Europe and the UK that people are going closer to home.

‘They’re travelling shorter distances and choosing to stay shorter periods and that’s probably a sign of higher ticket prices.’

Mr Thomas said flight prices have increased by more than 30 per cent since 2019, before the pandemic struck, but there is some hope of relief.

He said: ‘Since the middle of 2023, we’ve seen prices plateauing.’

Trivago’s UK booking data for 2024 shows that more than half of the 10 most popular holiday destinations are in the UK and Ireland for British travellers.

Germany-based Trivago, which is majority-owned by Expedia, said its bookings show that despite the trend towards staycations, international travel demand has continued to bounce back since the pandemic.

People sit under an umbrella as a helicopter operates during a wildfire, at a beach near Gennadi village, on the Aegean Sea island of Rhodes, southeastern Greece

Thousands of UK holidaymakers were on the Greek island of Rhodes when parts of it were devastated by wildfires in July. Trivago data signals a drop in demand for Greek holidays

But the heatwaves and wildfires seen across Europe appear to be putting off some travellers, with searches on the site signaling a drop in demand for Greece and Italy.

Thousands of UK holidaymakers were on the Greek island of Rhodes when parts of it were devastated by wildfires in July.

Trivago said its bookings data also shows the cost pressures faced by consumers and moves to make savings on travel, with a fall in average price per night and length of stay.

But he said despite the cost crisis, ‘we see the appetite for travel remaining very high’.

‘People feel a strong necessity to travel and want to get out and experience the world.’

Here are the top 10 destinations for the first half of 2024, according to Trivago bookings:

1. London

2. Edinburgh

3. Dubai

4. Blackpool

5. New York

6. Benidorm

7. Amsterdam

8. Liverpool

9. Manchester

10. Dublin

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