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Hitwise confirms resurgence of Greece and Spain

The latest quarterly Experian Hitwise data has confirmed a resurgence for traditional summer holiday hotspots Greece and Spain.


Figures for January to April in the UK Travel Quarterly Review show the two countries have six of the fastest moving destinations between them.


The figures cover the period of political unrest in the previously high flying Egypt and confirm a slowdown for Turkey, the industry’s star performer in recent years.


The report also confirms feedback from tour operators that APD and exchange rates have hit Australia, which saw a 33% decline in flight searches.


The US is faring well, however, with New York the most searched for destination. ‘Flights to New York’ emerged as the most popular flight-related search term for the first time.


Reflecting the continuing poor economic conditions, Ryanair turned around a decline in the last quarter to become the fastest-moving carrier. Overall, commercial airlines saw a 30% year-on-year decline in UK internet visits, reflecting drops across the board in travel categories.


Travel agencies were down 6.7%, cruise down 7.2% and car hire down 20.2%. Only destinations and accommodation showed a year-on-year increase, with a 1.22% rise.


All categories also saw quarter-on-quarter declines with the exception of cruise, which was up 3.1% on the final quarter of 2010.


In the cruise category search engines and social networks significantly increased the amount of traffic they drove, accounting for 46% of all visits.

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