Olympic fever inspires long-haul getaways
The success of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is inspiring Brits to plan ahead for travels next year, with online travel agent Travel Republic reporting spikes in sales for the USA, Japan, China and Jamaica.
Bookings for Jamaica, home of Usain Bolt, the fastest man in the world, are up 170%.
Interest in Japan, venue of the 2020 Games, has been piqued by the Olympic focus with sales up 77%.
The USA, which topped the medal board once again, is always a popular holiday choice. However the Rio Games have spurred this on further, with a double digit (17%) rise in bookings for Travel Republic.
Finally China, which ended up third in the medals table after Team GB, is also proving a more popular choice for travel next year, with sales up a huge 160%.
Travel Republic marketing director Naomi Wilkinson said: "It seems as though the Olympic action in Rio has really captured the public’s attention on many levels.
"Consumers making these bookings almost a year in advance for far-flung, and still relatively off the main tourist trail, destinations such as Japan and China, is a great testament to how strong confidence is in long-haul travel."
Lisa
Lisa joined Travel Weekly nearly 25 years ago as technology reporter and then sailed around the world for a couple of years as cruise correspondent, before becoming deputy editor. Now freelance, Lisa writes for various print and web publications, edits Corporate Traveller’s client magazine, Gateway, and works on the acclaimed Remembering Wildlife series of photography books, which raise awareness of nature’s most at-risk species and helps to fund their protection.
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