18 Feb 2015
January Booking Trends from On the Beach
Croatia set to become new hot spot
Luxury self-catering holidays cheaper than last year
Research conducted by leading beach holiday specialists On the Beach has revealed Croatia as the new hot spot for British holidaymakers, with holidays to the destination showing the biggest year on year increase in bookings during the big January sales month.
Holiday bookings to Croatia are up a massive 250% on the previous year with the Portuguese Island of Madeira showing the second biggest increase, up 228%.
The Neapolitan Riviera in Italy is the third fastest growing destination (up 194%), whilst Tunisia (up 183%) and Cyprus (up 64%) make up the top five.
Top five destinations showing the biggest increase in bookings:
- Croatia
- Madeira
- Neapolitan Riviera
- Tunisia
- Cyprus
Overall, bookings made during January suggest the Spanish Canary Islands are set to be the most popular destination this year, closely followed by Mainland Spain. The ever-popular Balearic Islands are the third most popular choice, followed by the Greek Islands and Egypt.
Top five most popular destinations:
- Canary Islands
- Mainland Spain
- Balearic Islands
- Greek Islands
- Egypt
The research also shows self-catering holidays in luxury five star resorts are on average 33% cheaper than last year, whilst those looking for a three star holiday on a full board basis will find these holidays, on average, 15% cheaper.
All-inclusive holidays are by far the most popular choice this year, making up 50% of all bookings, however self-catering holidays remain a popular choice amongst British holidaymakers (24%). More than one in 10 (12%) are choosing half board holidays, whilst 10% of holidaymakers are opting for bed and breakfast board basis holidays.
Alistair Daly, Chief Marketing Officer at On the Beach comments:
"January is always a busy month for bookings but this year was busier than ever. Our January bookings suggests that Spain will once again reign this year but it is good to see Croatia becoming more popular. With an increase in flights from the UK to Madeira, we expect more people than ever before will be heading to this beautiful island this year."
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For further information please contact Jamie Wortley at: jamie@jpwcommunications.com, or call 01769 573 444
About On the Beach
Founded in 2004, On the Beach is a leading online travel company in the UK and has become one of the most popular holiday booking sites, with 50 million website visitors every year and one million customers choosing On the Beach to find, book and enjoy their perfect beach holiday. Book online at www.onthebeach.co.uk, or by calling the UK call centre on 0871 474 3000.
