Britain’s Love for Spain as a Holiday Destination May Be Fading

New data from flight site Skyscanner has revealed that the long running British love affair with Spain may be coming to an end. Examining flight search data for travel during the Easter holiday period, Skyscanner found that although Spain remains the most popular country overall for holidaying Brits, it’s not as popular as it was just one year ago.

London is the most searched for destination for Easter travel by UK travelers. Not only does the city itself have a huge number of attractions for families and couples, but the capital is also a hub for travelers heading for destinations outside the UK.
Malaga remained the second most popular place for an Easter break for the second year running. However, there has been a marked drop in popularity for Spain compared to Easter 2009. Searches for Alicante have fallen three places and Palma dropped out of the top ten altogether.

Meanwhile, searches for flights to Amsterdam were up, with the Dutch party capital rising two places. Barcelona held firm at number three, but the biggest winner was New York. Completely absent from Easter 2009’s top ten, flights to New York were the fifth most popular search for British travelers this year.

Dublin remained a firm favorite at eight; Paris fell two places to nine, whist Geneva, gateway to the Alps, was a new entry at number ten. Europe’s excellent ski season this year has likely led to more people taking a late ski break. Berlin, Marrakech and Istanbul all featured in the top 20.

Barry Smith, Skyscanner Co-founder and Business Development Director commented: “Spain’s long domination over the British tourist market may be on the wane. Whilst it’s still the most popular country for an Easter break, it seems to be falling from favor.

Meanwhile, New York has risen massively and we’re seeing less well known destinations such as Marrakech and Istanbul rise in popularity. UK destinations are also faring well with three in the top 20, suggesting the staycation trend is alive and well.”