Nearly six million people have sought, or are planning to seek, warmer climes this winter, according to new research by ABTA – The Travel Association¹.

According to ABTA Members, the Canary Islands remain the top destination for British tourists looking for sunnier weather, with Fuerteventura, Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria seeing strong bookings. At this time of year temperatures in the region are often more than three times the average temperature at home, usually peaking between 17-20°C.

Dubai and Egypt are proving popular mid-haul choices, and Southern Turkey is opening up with more flights to Antalya and Dalaman throughout the winter season. 

Orlando, Cape Town, Mexico and the Caribbean – whether it be for a cruise or visiting a specific destination such as Barbados, Jamaica or St Lucia – are the pick of the long-haul destinations. For those looking for an alternative to the classic beach break, Thailand, Singapore and the rest of South East Asia offer options for a more adventurous trip. 

Winter sun seekers may also want to consider destinations such as Morocco, Cyprus and the Algarve. While they may not reach the scorching temperatures of the summer months, they’re much warmer and sunnier than back home in the UK. 

Overall, more than two-fifths (44%) of people have taken, or are considering taking, a winter holiday this season. Whilst winter sun is the most preferred option (25%), the second most popular trip is a city break (21%), with 25-34 year olds being the most likely to take one (28%).

Package holidays continue to dominate the overseas UK holiday market, with half of the holidays² people take each year being package breaks – a figure that has held steady since 2014. 

Packages also provide excellent value for money, with more than half of holidaymakers (51%) saying they have booked a package because it was the best option for the price.

Victoria Bacon, ABTA’s Director of Brand and Business Development, said: 
“A holiday with some sunshine is a great way to beat the winter blues, and now is a great time to explore your options and book a winter getaway. 

“Whether that’s visiting a popular destination, going on a cruise or trying something adventurous – holidaymakers will find there are great value last minute breaks available.”

Holidaymakers who have booked with an ABTA Member will have access to the support, protection and expertise provided by ABTA, so people can travel with confidence. You can find an ABTA Member by visiting abta.com/findamember.

For further information, contact:
Emily Jones, Media and PR Manager, 020 3117 0592
ABTA press office, press@abta.co.uk or 020 3117 0596

Out of Hours: contact the Duty Press Officer via landline: 020 3693 0183
Web: www.abta.com
Twitter: @ABTAtravel
#ABTAat70

Notes to editors

¹ 44% of UK holidaymakers who are going on or considering a winter holiday is 23,256,208 (based on ONS 2018 GB adult population estimate of 52,383,695). Of those Brits, 25% are taking a winter sun break, which is equal to 5,750,044

² 51% of UK holidaymakers travelling abroad took a package holiday last year

Research was conducted by The Nursery Research and Planning (https://www.the-nursery.net). The ABTA Consumer Trends survey generated responses from a nationally representative sample of 2,043 consumers using an online research methodology and related to holiday booking habits in the 12 months to July 2019. Fieldwork was conducted in July 2019

ABTA has been a trusted travel brand for 70 years. Our purpose is to help our Members to grow their businesses successfully and sustainably, and to help their customers travel with confidence. 

The ABTA brand stands for support, protection and expertise. This means consumers have confidence in ABTA and a strong trust in ABTA Members. These qualities are core to us as they ensure that holidaymakers remain confident in the holiday products that they buy from our Members. 

We help our Members and their customers navigate through today's changing travel landscape by raising standards in the industry; offering schemes of financial protection; providing an independent complaints resolution service should something go wrong; giving guidance on issues from sustainability to health and safety and by presenting a united voice to government to ensure the industry and the public get a fair deal.

ABTA has more than 4,300 travel brands in Membership, providing a wide range of leisure and business travel services, with a combined annual UK turnover of £39 billion. For more details about what we do, what being an ABTA Member means and how we help the British public travel with confidence visit www.abta.com.