The announcement of the new Pope Francis is causing a surge in bookings to Rome for online travel business www.cheapOair.co.uk. Since a decision was announced on Wednesday 13 March 2013 and Pope Francis’ inauguration mass on Tuesday 19 March 2013, bookings made online with CheapOair for flights to Rome have increased by a huge 27 per cent compared to the same week in February 2013.

According to the flight searches made at www.cheapOair.co.uk in the last week, the departure city with the most interest in heading to Rome is Manchester. A whopping 21 per cent of searches were for flights from Manchester, with London Gatwick following with 17 per cent of CheapOair.co.uk’s searches for flights to the Italian capital.

Peter Grover, managing director, CheapOair UK comments:

“The global significance of a new Pope is not to be underestimated, and the intense media coverage showing the splendour of the Vatican City is also boosting tourism interest in the Italian capital. Our booking statistics show that the high profile of the last week’s events for the Catholic Church is driving a significant upswing in flight bookings to Rome from around the world. It is great news for Rome – whilst the city has always been a short break favourite, the increase in accessibility and affordability of cities outside of the Euro has led to some stiff competition. Pope Francis is certainly good news for tourism.”

Return flights to Rome Ciampino airport from the UK cost from £71 with www.cheapOair.co.uk. Price is for flights only, with Ryanair from Manchester airport, based on 25 April departure and 4 May 2013 return.

Fares are based on availability at time of release, are subject to change and cannot be guaranteed at the time of booking. All fares quoted include taxes and charges, and are subject to availability.

For more information and to book, call 020 3104 0059 or visit www.cheapOair.co.uk. All low cost airline prices quoted include relevant taxes and chargesand are subject to availability.

CheapOair offers great value and convenient travel options to savvy online travellers. With the lowest guaranteed flight prices, CheapOair is ranked #3 most popular online travel agencies in the USA by Experian Hitwise as of January 2013, and has recently launched its money-saving travel site in the UK.

CheapOair offers access to the best prices on over 100 million cheap flights across 450 global airlines, plus hotel rooms and car hire.

With round the clock telephone customer support available, CheapOair.co.uk is also packed with tips and advice for travellers looking for the greatest possible value.

-Ends-

Media Enquiries: Siren Communications: Sarah Rathbone (sarah.rathbone@sirencomms.com), Stacey Stockwell (stacey.stockwell@sirencomms.com) or Kate O’Brien (kate.obrien@sirencomms.com) on 0208 237 1210.