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Bank holiday exodus to approach two million, says Abta

Around 1.8 million British holidaymakers are set to head overseas this weekend for the Bank Holiday, according to Abta.


Spain remains the top destination for tourists, with many venturing to the Balearic and Canary Islands.


The top city break destinations include Amsterdam, Paris, Berlin, Dublin and New York.


But with the heatwave set to return over the Bank Holiday Weekend, domestic tour operators have reported a demand in UK holiday hotspots such as the south coast and southwest.


Abta said airports in the southeast are set for a busy weekend with 425,000 passengers expected to depart from Heathrow, 255,000 from Gatwick, 125,000 from Stansted, 70,000 from Luton, and 15,000 from Southend.


A further 160,000 are to depart from Manchester, while more than 160,000 will also be jetting off from Scottish airports.


Mark Tanzer, Abta chief executive, said: “The bank holiday weekend is always one of the busiest of the year as we see holidaymakers jetting off to enjoy the end of their summer breaks.


“The return of the good weather here in the UK will also provide another boost for domestic tourism.”

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