United Kingdom
United States
Asia Pacific
City breaks suffer as downturn bites
A single long holiday and fewer short breaks have emerged as booking trends for this summer.
A study by online travel company Opodo of bookings made during January and up until February 10 against the same period last year show that southern hemisphere destinations are up but city breaks in the eurozone are suffering.
Long haul city trips to New York and Las Vegas are down this year, whereas Florida is making a comeback as holidaymakers look for safety and security in difficult times, according to the company.
Opodo UK country director Caroline Noble said the booking patterns indicate that holidaymakers are taking one longer holiday and fewer short breaks as the value of the pound makes European and US city breaks less attractive options.
“Bookings to Africa, Asia and the South Pacific have dramatically increased for summer 2009 whereas European cities are struggling, with Paris, Athens and Florence all reporting negative growth year-on-year,” she said.
“We are also noticing that our customers are booking short-haul much later this year with the economic uncertainty, so we expect to see bookings increase as they book short holidays later in the year to complement the longer one they have already booked for further afield.”
Top 10 destinations with the biggest growth this year (source Opodo):
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
Tony from Gatto’s Pizza on Columbus’s Unique Pizza Trail
Sophia Hyder Hock on Global Social Inclusion in Tourism
Sustainable Tourism: Don Welsh on Community Values and Global Collaboration
Jane Cunningham: Enhancing European Engagement in Tourism
Kristin Dunne: Navigating Destination Strategy
Revolutionizing Mobile Connectivity: Boris Bijlstra on HUBBY eSIM
Capturing Glasgow’s Vibrancy: An Interview with Susan Deighan, Chief Executive of Glasgow Life
Lebua Hotel & Resorts: Rajan Khurana on Hospitality and Bangkok’s Charms
Sustainable Tourism and Growth: Insights from Chiravadee Khunsub from Tourism Authority of Thailand
Revolutionizing Travel: SmartSIM USA’s Dale Takio Unveils the Power of E Sims
TravelMole Interview with Hishan Singhawansa, Deputy CEO of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, Sri Lanka
Unveiling the Essence of Magari Tours: A Dive into Authentic Italian Experiences
EU airports bring back 100ml liquid rule
British Airways passengers endure 11-hour 'flight to nowhere'
CLIA: Anti-cruise demos could cause itinerary changes in Europe
Co-pilot faints, easyJet flight issues ‘red alert’
Dozens fall ill in P&O Cruises ship outbreak