British holidaymakers are counting the pennies and shunning expensive destinations for those where they can squeeze as much value from their sterling, new data has revealed.
In the race to be named the most popular family package holiday destination, Tenerife has come out on top for the second year running, according to data from TravelSupermarket.
The largest Canary Island is a firm favourite thanks to its pretty beaches, almost guaranteed sunshine and affordable family accommodation.
It comes as the price of package holidays has dived this year, thanks to delays in booking trips.
Tenerife is the most popular package holiday location (Pictured: El Duque beach in Tenerife)
It’s also not surprising Britons are trying to save money wherever possible, as the pound is now the worst it has been against the euro since the single currency’s launch in 1999.
Meanwhile, it’s 50 years since the pound was worth less than the 1.24 US dollars you could get last night.
Emma Coulthurst, from the comparison website, said: ‘There have been price drops on package holidays of as much as 38 per cent this year, compared with if you’d been booking a package holiday for last summer.
‘Brexit has raised concerns and seen people delay booking. As a result, demand has dropped and prices have followed.’
Turkey, Majorca and the Algarve also rank highly with holidaymakers who receive bang for their buck with a huge number of resorts for families that have a variety of budgets.
To ascertain the most popular package holidays, TravelSupermarket compared searches made by British holidaymakers for hundreds of thousands of holidays across more than 25 different package holiday providers.
The searches were made on the site between 1 January 2019 to 18 July 2019 for holidays departing between 1 May 2019 and 30 September 2019 compared to the same dates last year.
There have been price drops on package holidays of as much as 38% this year…demand has dropped and prices have followed.
Emma Coulthurst – TravelSupermarket
It found that Spain is a clear favourite as the Costa Dorada saw the biggest increase in interest, rising from sixteenth place last year to eighth this summer.
Nearby Portugal is also of interest with the sunny Algarve jumping from fourth place last summer to third place this year.
Turkish resorts in the area of Antalya, including Kalkan, Lara and Alanya have risen from seventh place last year to fourth place which is unsurprising given the strength of the lira against the pound.
Emma adds: ‘Britons get a lot of lira in Turkey and it offer some of the largest range of and best value all-inclusive holidays on the market.
‘With currency volatility with the euro on Britons’ minds, choosing to holiday in these countries enables you to avoid that and not spend a fortune.’
The Algarve in Portugal is the third most popular package holiday destination this summer
Meanwhile, Britons are shunning more expensive locations including Menorca, Ibiza, Dubai and Orlando.
The Spanish destinations of Ibiza and Menorca feature in the top 20 most expensive holiday destinations for a package holiday from the UK this summer, according to TravelSupermarket pricing research, highlighting why they are less popular this year.
This is Money, with data from TravelSupermarket, can reveal the top ten most popular package holiday destinations for families this summer and what position they held the year before – along with some bargain trip examples.
1. Tenerife (-)
Where: Globales Tamaimo Tropical (3 stars) Puerto de Santiago, self-catering
When: Depart 20 August for seven nights from Doncaster
How much: £328pp based on a family of four with two school-age children
What to do: One of the most famous attractions in Tenerife is Siam Park, a Thai themed water park, that claims to be the biggest and the best.
It is also well known for Teide National Park which is home to Mount Teide, the highest peak in Spain. Travellers can either walk or get a cable car to the summit.
2. Majorca (-)
Where: Sun Club Eldorado, El Arenal (3 star) all-inclusive
When: Depart 25 August from Birmingham for seven nights
How much: £441pp based on a family of four with two school-age children
What to do: Majorca is one of Spain’s Baleriac Islands in the Mediterranean which is home to many beaches, mountains and an historic castle.
Majorca is the second most popular package holiday destination (Pictured: Cala Figuera, Majorca)
3. Algarve (+1)
Where: Studio 17 Atlantic Hotels, Portimao (3 star) self-catering
When: Depart 22 August from Exeter for seven nights
How much: £308pp based on a family of four with two school-age children
What to do: The Algarve is a southern region of Portugal famed for its sunny beaches, golf resorts and fish markets.
Families can take boat trips along the coastline to discover more secluded beaches and limestone caves or explore the medieval town of Silves.
4. Antalya, Turkey (+3)
Where: Select Apart Hotel, Alanya (3 star) self-catering
When: Depart 16 August from Gatwick for seven nights
How much: £390pp based on a family of four with two school-age children
What to do: Antalya is a Turkish resort city which has recently grown in popularity. There are plenty of fascinating historic sites and ruins to visit including the district of Kaleiçi and the Roman harbour.
The Düden waterfalls are also a popular place to visit and many travellers take a picnic for the excursion as well as take a look at the natural caves behind the cascades.
Crete was number 5 on the list – although this means it has fallen from third place last summer
5) Crete (-2)
Where: Hotel & Village Panorama, Agia Pelagia (3 star) all-inclusive
When: Depart Manchester on 13 August for seven nights
How much: £461pp based on a family of four with two school-age children
What to do: Greece’s largest island is home to the Heraklion Archaeological Museum which houses Minoan artifacts, and Knossos, a Bronze Age settlement.
It also has a number of mountains, including Mount Ida which holds the Ideon Cave – the birthplace of Zeus, according to Greek mythology.
6) Costa del Sol (-1)
Where: Hotel Las Palmeras, Fuengirola (4 star) half board.
When: Depart 20 August for seven nights
How much: £406pp based on a family of four with two school-age children
What to do: Costa del Sol is a region in the south of Spain that is home to popular holiday destinations including Marbella, Granada and Seville.
There are a number of water parks in the area, whilst families also have the opportunity to go sea kayaking, visit local wildlife parks or go dolphin spotting along the coast.
The resort city of Antalya in Turkey has increased in popularity for families heading abroad
7) Lanzarote (-1)
Where: Hotel Tabaiba Center, Costa Teguise (3 star) self-catering
When: Depart Luton on 20 August for seven nights
How much: £408pp based on a family of four with two school-age children
What to do: Lanzarote is one of the Canary Islands off West Africa known for its warm weather, multiples beaches and volcanic landscape.
One of the main places to visit is the Timanfaya National Park which is made up entirely of volcanic soil.
8) Costa Dorada (+8)
Where: Villamarina Club Hotel, Salou (3 star) all-inclusive.
When: Depart Liverpool on 22 August for seven nights
How much: £481pp based on a family of four with two school age children
What to do: PortAventura is a theme park located in Tarragona, Costa Dorada’s main city which is a fun day out for all the family.
The resort area is known for its beaches and historic sites including the Roman Tarragona Amphitheatre, the Roman Pont del Diable aqueduct and a 12th century cathedral.
Santorini, Greece, has gone down four places from last year in the list of popular locations
9) Corfu (+4)
Where: Kamari Apartments, Acharavi (3 star) self-catering.
When: Depart Gatwick on 21 August for seven nights
How much: £426pp based on a family of four with two school age children
What to do: Corfu is one of the most popular tourist destinations due to its hot weather and wonderful beaches.
There is also a lot of history to explore with Greek ruins scattered across the island.
10) Santorini (-4)
Where: Paradise Santorini Resort, Megalohori (4 star) half board
When: Depart Gatwick on 13 August for seven nights
How much: £761pp based on a family of four with two school-age children
What to do: Santorini is instantly recognisable by its whitewashed houses on the cliffs of its two main towns, Fira and Oia.
Whilst in Santorini, families can visit the numerous Greek ruins, soak up the sun on the beautiful beaches as well as treat themselves to some local Greek delicacies in the many restaurants on the island.
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