Brits jet off in search of sun this winter

Dubai and Canary Islands top the list of Most Popular Destinations and Asian locations trending in Fastest Growing list

Turkey and Mexico in demand for Christmas getaways

January most affordable month for top winter travel destinations

Looking ahead, 83% Brits planning holidays for 2024 with one third taking 3-4 trips

LONDON, UK, 14 November, 2023 - Brits are keen to escape the cold, wet weather in search of sun this winter, with Dubai and the Canary Islands topping the destination charts according to Tripadvisor’s Winter Travel Index.

Using a combination of search and sentiment data to provide insight into travel demand this season (December 01 2023 - February 29, 2024), the index reveals that despite continued rise in cost of living, only around a third (29%) of Brits plan on changing how they travel this winter due to macroeconomic factors, lower than the global average. In fact, the vast majority of British travellers (86%) are planning to spend at least as much, if not more, on travel this winter compared to last.

Sun Seekers

Dubai is the No. 1 Popular International Destination this winter, and Spanish destinations make up half of the top 10 list. The Canary Islands are in high demand with Lanzarote and Tenerife coming out top.

East Asia is trending this winter, with Hong Kong taking the No. 1 spot in Fastest Growing International Destinations, followed by Tokyo, Japan at No. 2. Southeast Asia is also in demand, with Cambodia, Vietnam and Malaysia all making the top 10 list. Bora Bora in French Polynesia is ranked No. 3.

Popular International Destinations	Fastest Growing International Destinations
1. Dubai, UAE	1. Hong Kong, China
2. Costa Adeje, Spain	2. Tokyo, Japan
3. New York City, U.S.	3. Bora Bora, French Polynesia
4. Paris, France	4. San Agustin, Spain
5. Amsterdam, The Netherlands	5. Siem Reap, Cambodia
6. Benidorm, Spain	6. Hoi An, Vietnam
7. Puerto Del Carmen, Spain	7. Hanoi, Vietnam
8. Bangkok, Thailand	8. Muscat, Oman
9. Playa Blanca, Spain	9. Seville, Spain
10. Playa de las Americas, Spain	10. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Local Getaways

Of those British travellers making changes to their travel plans due to macroeconomic factors, a third (32%) will holiday closer to home. London, Edinburgh and York come out top as Most Popular Domestic Destinations this winter.

The Northern Irish city of Derry is the No. 1 Fastest Growing Domestic Destination. The historic walled city has more recently been drawing fans of popular TV shows such as Derry Girls and Game of Thrones. The picture perfect Cotswolds village of Broadway comes in at No. 2 and the seaside town of Eastbourne, East Sussex is No. 3. Scotland is also trending, taking three of the top 10 spots.

Popular Domestic Destinations	Fastest Growing Domestic Destinations
1. London	1. Derry, Northern Ireland
2. Edinburgh	2. Broadway, Cotswolds
3. York	3. Eastbourne, East Sussex
4. Liverpool	4. Pitlochry, Perth & Kinross
5. Manchester	5. South Queensferry, Edinburgh
6. Blackpool	6. Brockenhurst, New Forest, Hampshire
7. Bath	7. St. Ives, Cornwall
8. Glasgow	8. Newquay, Cornwall
9. Birmingham	9. Chester, Cheshire
10. Belfast	10. Aviemore, Scottish Highlands

Travel Tips

Looking at the top five most popular and trending destinations this winter, those in search of a bargain might want to consider booking for January 2024, which comes out as the most affordable month. The week of January 15th is the most affordable week for Bora Bora, Siem Reap, New York and Paris.

The average nightly rate for hotels in Vietnam is currently down 58% on the same period last year, which makes it a great choice for travellers looking to stretch their holiday budget a little further.

Christmas Break

With the holiday season approaching, 48% Brits are looking to make memories with family and friends on trips this winter and 71% are seeking out tradition, travelling to somewhere they’ve been before.

Top trending international destinations for the Christmas and New Year period are Mexico and Turkey, with two destinations making the top 10 each. Amsterdam comes out top overall as the No. 1 Fastest Growing International Destination and the festive Lapland comes in at No. 3.

Fastest Growing International Destinations for Christmas Travel (December 21, 2023 - January 1, 2024)
1. Amsterdam, The Netherlands
2. Cancun, Mexico
3. Rovaniemi, Lapland
4. Playa del Carmen, Mexico
5. Punta Cana, Dominican Republic
6. Istanbul, Turkiye
7. Paris, France
8. Paphos, Cyprus
9. Tulum, Mexico
10. Antalya, Turkiye

2024 Outlook

Looking ahead to 2024, four in five Brits (83%) are planning to take a holiday next year, with Gen Z almost twice as likely to book a holiday than Boomers. Around one third (31%) of British travellers plan to take 3-4 trips across the year and hotels are by far the preferred accommodation type for 2024 at 80%, followed by vacation rentals at 27%.

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Methodology

The data cited in this release was gathered and analysed from two key sources:

A Tripadvisor Consumer Sentiment Survey, based on data drawn from an online survey of over 2,400 consumers, in partnership with Qualtrics, conducted between October 9-13, 2023 across six countries, including Australia, Italy, Japan, Singapore, U.K. & U.S.
Site behavioural data sourced from first party traffic data on the Tripadvisor platform for searches made by travellers in the U.S., U.K. and Japan between August 1 - September 30, 2023 for travel between December 1, 2023 - February 29, 2024.

About Tripadvisor

Tripadvisor, the world's largest travel guidance platform*, helps hundreds of millions of people each month** become better travellers, from planning to booking to taking a trip. Travellers across the globe use the Tripadvisor site and app to discover where to stay, what to do and where to eat based on guidance from those who have been there before. With more than 1 billion reviews and opinions of nearly 8 million businesses, travellers turn to Tripadvisor to find deals on accommodations, book experiences, reserve tables at delicious restaurants and discover great places nearby. As a travel guidance company available in 43 markets and 22 languages, Tripadvisor makes planning easy no matter the trip type. The subsidiaries of Tripadvisor, Inc. (Nasdaq: TRIP), own and operate a portfolio of travel media brands and businesses, operating under various websites and apps, including the following:

www.bokun.io, www.cruisecritic.com, www.flipkey.com, www.thefork.com, www.helloreco.com, www.holidaylettings.co.uk, www.jetsetter.com, www.niumba.com, www.seatguru.com, www.singleplatform.com, www.vacationhomerentals.com, www.viator.com.

* Source: SimilarWeb, unique users de-duplicated monthly, September 2023

** Source: Tripadvisor internal log files

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