Spain may need plenty of cava in stock for June, July and August, because it’s the holiday destination Britons most want to visit for a post-lockdown summer getaway, according to data from a flight search site.
Following the Prime Minister revealing his roadmap out of lockdown for England, Skyscanner delved into its databanks and kept tabs on booking and search volumes by Britons for summer 2021 holidays (meaning June, July and August) – and Spain is the most-booked destination by UK travellers since the announcement was made. It’s also No1 by search volume and has seen a 170 per cent increase in searches.
The most popular outbound date for Spain is August, says Skyscanner, most trips (54 per cent) will be a week or less in length, and the top destinations are Malaga, Palma and Ibiza. Flight prices, meanwhile, are currently up to 25 per cent lower during June, July and August than in 2020, the search engine and travel agency reveals.
Spain is the holiday destination Britons most want to visit for a post-lockdown summer getaway, according to Skyscanner. Pictured is Malaga, one of the top destinations within the country for a getaway this June, July and August
Greece is the second most-booked destination, according to Skyscanner, and has seen a 96 per cent increase in searches since Boris issued his lockdown escape route.
Average flight prices are up to 11 per cent lower for Greece than in 2019.
The third most-booked holiday destination by Britons for this summer is Turkey, which has separately seen a 113 per cent increase in search volumes.
Greece (Santorini pictured) is the second most-booked destination on Skyscanner and has seen a 96 per cent increase in searches since Boris issued his lockdown escape route
With an average of 2.9 passengers per booking, most of the planned trips are for families and groups and 76 per cent of bookings are for trips longer than a week.
And they’re making the most of cheaper flight prices, which are up to 27 per cent lower compared to 2020 and 31 per cent lower than 2019.
Portugal is the trending destination, with search volumes rising by 176 per cent, the most of any holiday spot, but in terms of overall bookings, it’s fourth on Skyscanner’s list.
The search engine and booking site says Faro is the most popular place in the country for a July getaway and flight prices are a whopping 34 per cent cheaper than in summer 2020 and 23 per cent lower than in 2019.
The fifth most-booked summer holiday destination by Britons is Italy.
Searches are up 122 per cent and 65 per cent of people when they actually book are doing so for a getaway that’s one week or less in duration.
Flight prices to Italy are 27 per cent lower than the 2020 average and 23 per cent lower than 2019.
Skyscanner also revealed that Spain and Greece take the top spots for trips in August, while trips to Turkey, Italy and Portugal will be more likely in July, travel rules permitting.
The data also indicates couples are choosing Italy while families favour Turkey.
Jon Thorne, Skyscanner’s Traveller expert, commented: ‘Whilst UK holidaymakers are still waiting for the green light to be able to travel again, we’ve certainly seen consumers react to the latest roadmap announcement with a surge in bookings for summer 2021 and beyond. European short-haul destinations are the order of the day for the summer months, with travellers pinning their hopes on mainstay favourites Spain and Portugal, as well as Italy and new favourite Greece for that all-important dose of sea and sunshine.
‘It’s good news for those eager to get away this summer and book ahead as airlines look to be keeping prices low and flexible booking policies in place in order to entice travellers back to the skies. Our analysis shows that average prices are up to 34 per cent lower compared to the same time last year, and up to 31 per cent cheaper than summer 2019.
The third most-booked holiday destination by Britons for this summer is Turkey, which has separately seen a 113 per cent increase in search volumes. Pictured is the Blue Lagoon in Oludeniz, in Turkey’s Mugla Province
Portugal is the trending destination, with search volumes rising by 176 per cent, the most of any holiday spot, but in terms of overall bookings, it’s fourth on Skyscanner’s list. The search engine and booking site says Faro (pictured) is the most popular place in the country for a July getaway
‘For those who prefer to wait until we have a clearer idea of dates, Skyscanner’s price alerts are a handy tool for being the first to know when flight prices drop on favourite destinations.’
The analysis period for the Skyscanner data was February 22, 2021, to February 24.
Other flight search engines are available.