Tornos News — New research by travel protection body, ATOL, has revealed that Greece will be 4th most popular holiday destination for Brits in 2017 and that between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve over one million people each day will book their next holiday.
Over 13 million people made their travel plans after Christmas lunch to satisfy their wanderlust and find a holiday faster than they can digest their festive feast. Furthermore, one in ten eager travellers (10 per cent) book their next trip as a little extra gift to themselves before the New Year, totalling a staggering 6.5 million people booking in the last days of 2016.
Almost a third of people (29 per cent) are dreaming of a white sandy beach, rather than a white Christmas this year. Holiday planners are set to spend 15 hours and six minutes researching their 2017 holiday, the equivalent of watching Love Actually eight times. Social media will be their first stop as the most popular destination for holiday inspiration, with the average person spending two hours and 36 minutes scrolling for palm trees on smart phones and tablets. Next stop on the holiday research highway is checking out review sites with holidaymakers spending two hours and 18 minutes trawling forums for advice.
The research by ATOL lists Spain as the number one holiday choice for 2017. Spain has now topped the charts since records began more than 25 years ago, with its proximity to the UK and guaranteed good weather contributing to its popularity. Italy and the USA take second and third in the 2017 top 10 most wanted destinations list. Jumping up the list for 2017 is the Caribbean with double the number of people putting it on their holiday list than the year before.
Top 10 most wanted destinations for 2017
Destination and percentage of people wanting to visit in 2017
1 Spain 28%
2 Italy 19%
3 USA 18%
4 Greece 11%
5 France 11%
6 Caribbean 10%
7 Portugal 10%
8 Canada 7%
9 Cyprus 6%
10 Australia 6%
Sun, savings and snaps are the top three priorities for holiday makers. Escaping the gloom for guaranteed sunshine is still most important for UK tourists, closely followed by good value for money. UK holidaymakers want an authentic experience with one in five tourists (22 per cent) travelling in search of natural beauty and interesting culture.
Top 10 reasons for selecting a holiday destination
Reasons for selecting a holiday destination and percentage of people agreeing
1 Weather 62%
2 Reasonable prices 55%
3 Natural beauty 45%
4 Interesting culture 39%
5 Food/cuisine 37%
6 Sandy beaches 36%
7 Short travel 19%
8 Activities 18%
9 Family friendly 16%
10 Friendly staff 16%
Andy Cohen, Head of ATOL said, “The period between Christmas and the New Year is one of the busiest times of the year for holiday bookings, with around 13 million of us looking to find a holiday deal during the break. While many people in the UK will spend hours trawling the internet for the best deals and social media for the best locations, it’s equally important that they put just a couple of minutes aside to check their holiday is ATOL protected.
“Having an ATOL certificate means that your holiday is financially protected, so if the worst happens and your travel company goes bust, you will still be able to get home and will not lose your hard earned cash. For added peace of mind next year, those looking into their next holiday this festive season should look out for the ATOL logo to ensure they can fully enjoy their well-earned holiday – safe in the knowledge they are protected. “
