A new report has shown a decline in British visitors to Greece, Italy and Spain as other countries welcome more and more travellers from the UK. These European countries have been favourites for Brits for many generations, but new destinations emerge as alternatives, often proving to be less crowded and friendlier to tourists’ wallets. Meanwhile, protests against overtourism are putting many Brits off visiting popular spots they would have once regularly flown to.
A report by Travel and Tour World has revealed that Spain saw a decrease in British sun holidaymakers by 9%, with similar drops experienced in the likes of Italy, Greece and Portugal. This comes as long-haul travel becomes more accessible to Brits with budget airlines flying further afield and more competitive prices as airlines add new flights to destinations across the globe. Looking at the latest travel trends, the report revealed that more Brits are looking to travel further afield for their getaways, with countries like the US, Canada and Thailand standing out.
The report revealed more interesting trends, including that the US is now a more popular destination for Brits than France, despite the significant difference in distance from the UK compared to Britain’s European neighbour.
Cheaper flights to destinations like New York have become available for British travellers in recent years. When it comes to Canada, the North American nation holds an impressive 9% of the outbound British tourism market. Popular spots in Canada include Toronto and Vancouver.
Australia and Thailand are attracting growing numbers of British tourists, each holding an impressive 5% of the market. However, Thailand has reported a fall in visitor numbers from abroad, and is yet to recapture its pre-pandemic levels.
Ministers in Thailand have gone as far as to propose free internal flights for visitors to Thailand in an attempt to promote tourism in the country’s off-season, and to more overlooked parts of the country.
Despite the decrease in British visitors to Spain, the country still remains the most popular for UK tourists. Currently, 38% of British holidaymakers are booking tickets for Spain.
Meanwhile, 25% of them are travelling to Greece while 23% of them are going to Italy for their holidays.
