Thomson and First Choice will see nearly 30,000 holidaymakers head off in search of the sun with their families today.
Brits are choosing to holiday closer to home with short and mid-haul beach destinations topping the list of sought-after destinations.
One in four holidaymakers who chose ‘fly away Friday’ to take to the skies will be visiting firm favourites in the Balearics, with cultural hotspots Bulgaria and Croatia also seeing a significant increase in demand.
Bulgaria, which offers holidaymakers good value for money, has seen a 21% increase in passenger growth since 2016, with Croatia close at 17% in the same period.
Sun-seekers from the midlands and south-west are the most likely to be flying away, with East Midlands, Birmingham, Cardiff and Bristol airports seeing the biggest number of Thomson and First Choice passengers today.
TUI UK and Ireland director of product Mark Hall said: "We’ve seen strong demand for favourite destinations like Spain, Balearics and Greece but this year we’ve also seen a big trend for mid-haul cultural travel as people look for holidays that offer more than just a week on the beach.
"Hot spots like Croatia and Bulgaria are perfect for this, offering holidaymakers the chance to balance relaxation with exploration to get the most out of their holiday.
"We’ve also recently expanded our mid-haul collection for next summer with another cultural gem, Montenegro, in response to this incredible demand."
