The Dominican Republic, Cuba, Mexico and Cambodia are the four fastest-growing long-haul holiday destinations for British travellers, according to a new report by Kuoni.
Maldives is still the operator’s best-selling destination (10 years in a row), Thailand is still number two but new in third are combined sales for Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
The report, which is Kuoni’s 35th, looks at the operator’s sales figures for January.
Managing director Derek Jones said: “This has been one of the busiest January periods. Growth is down to more visibility for our brand having invested in bolder marketing – overall we’re well ahead of last year and we’re in a good position to see the destinations which are in demand for the year ahead.”
“In our 50th year of operating in the UK market, we can clearly see how travel trends have changed over the decades.
“Destinations such as Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand, which were once the domain of backpackers, have become popular for mainstream travellers of all ages who want adventure combined with comfort and style.
“The Maldives has been our biggest selling destination for the past decade and we’ve continued to grow our presence in these Indian Ocean islands, with more resorts which are only bookable through Kuoni in the UK. The quality, style and service in the Maldives is market-leading so for honeymoons and special holidays there is nothing else like it.”
The Caribbean had a strong month with the Dominican Republic, Grenada, Antigua and Cuba all among the fastest-rising destinations.
Cuba also makes the best-sellers list at number seven – it’s highest ever ranking – which the operator puts down to relaxed tourism regulations following Fidel Castro stepping down.
The Dominican Republic has seen the biggest leap out of any destination year-on-year. The country has moved up 15 places in the best-seller list from 38 last year to 23 for 2015.
Kuoni believes this growth can be attributed to BA’s introduction of twice weekly direct flights and a general improvement in food quality and service.
Vietnam has seen record rises over the past few years and is in 13th place with its neighbour Vietnam up five places up five places to 22.
Other emerging destinations for 2015 include Ethiopia, which has been added to Kuoni’s 2015 touring programme for the first time, and the Philippines, which are now more accessible with a direct flight from London to Manila.
This year’s report also tracks changes in the way people research and buy worldwide holidays. Kuoni’s web traffic is at an all-time high with more than half of all searches coming from mobiles and tablets. However for honeymoons, cruises and tailor-made holidays the operator says there is “clear evidence” that clients still value talking to an expert.
The top 10 list is
- Maldives
- Thailand
- UAE (Dubai and Abu Dhabi)
- Sri Lanka
- USA
- Mauritius
- Cuba
- Antigua
- Singapore
- Barbados