The Balkans are set to be the latest summer sun hot spots to benefit from the weak pound against the Euro, according to online retailer Expedia.co.uk.
Countries such as Croatia, Slovenia and Serbia will join the more recent rising stars Turkey and Egypt as the pound shows no sign of revovering its value.
Expedia also predicted sporting events will be a big driver of tourist visits in 2010, with Vancouver benefitting from the Winter Olympics, India from the Commonwealth Games and South Africa from the FIFA World Cup. Brazil is already seeing an upturn after its successful bid for the 2014 tournament and the 2016 Summer Olympics.
Long-haul destinations in the Far East like Indonesia, Borneo and Malaysia were also expected to benefit from holidaymakers seeking good value hotels and Mexico was predicted to bounce back from last year’s problems associated with the swine flu outbreak.
However, closer to home UK destinations like York, Brighton and Oxford were expected to enjoy a continued renaissance, along with favourites London and Edinburgh.
The US can also expect higher visitor numbers driven by good deals on hotel rooms and new attractions, like Universal’s Wizarding World of Harry Potter, opening in spring 2010.
Expedia.co.uk director of product management Jonathan Cudworth said: “This year, travellers have shown that they are unwilling to give up their well-earned holiday.
“Customers can choose from such a wide variety of destinations these days with the flexibility to choose exactly when they want to travel so making predictions can be a risky business.
“However, we know that sport will dominate the travel calendar for the best part of next year with South Africa, Vancouver and India all key hotspots. And it is great deals that will still be one of the main draws, with some real bargains available.”