Long-haul destinations benefit from crisis in Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia
Long-haul destinations are seeing a big increase in bookings due to recent terrorist activity in traditional hotspots, Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia, according to Travel Counsellors.
Spain, US and Greece are still the top three destinations for summer holidays, it said, but Italy, Portugal and Cyprus have overtaken Turkey, which has fallen from fourth to eighth place following a 57% drop in bookings, and bookings for more far flung destinations are on the rise.
It said bookings to Thailand were up 27% over last year, whilst Canada and Barbados are up by 45% and 24% respectively. Indonesia and Sri Lanka (pictured here) have seen uplifts of 63% and 101%, respectively.
Simon Jeffries, head of product at Travel Counsellors, said: "These figures are a clear indicator of the shift towards long-haul ‘experience’ holidays, which looks set to continue for the foreseeable future.
"Changing exchange rates across the EU are also likely to have had an effect on destination choices this summer versus 2015; just this week the pound has dropped again in value against the euro.
"The data is also consistent with a trend for resilience amongst British holidaymakers. Traditionally we might expect foreign travel to decrease in the light of recent global events, but total sales are up 8% overall, suggesting that – far from avoiding foreign travel – Brits are simply modifying their plans and taking advantage of destinations that they feel are ‘safer’, or where their money may go further."
Travel Counsellors said bookings to Egypt have dropped by 85%, causing it to drop from 11th place last year to 35th, and Tunisia, which was 29th, has fallen off the chart since the Foreign Office is advising against travel.
Linsey McNeill
Editor Linsey McNeill has been writing about travel for more than three decades. Bylines include The Times, Telegraph, Observer, Guardian and Which? plus the South China Morning Post. She also shares insider tips on thetraveljournalist.co.uk
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
All eyes on Qatar as Qatar Airways leads a season of global events