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Safety concerns over the traditional spring holiday destinations mean that British families are opting to fly long-haul this Easter, according to Cheapflights.co.uk.
New York is the most popular destination, up 4%, while Dubai in second place has seen a 141% surge in demand.
However, interest in Orlando in third place has soared by 397% for the Easter week, compared with the first week of March, data from the flight comparison site shows. Bangkok, in tenth position, has seen an 85% rise.
Overall demand for travel during the Easter period is up 76% compared with the weeks preceding the Easter break.
Of the short-haul destinations in the Easter top 10, Malaga has seen the biggest hike in demand – up 50% – for flights during the Easter holidays, versus the weeks preceding the holiday period.
For those who have the freedom to travel outside of the school holidays and simply want to build a mini-break around the long, Easter weekend,
Amsterdam takes the top short break spot, followed by Dublin, Barcelona, New York, Paris and Rome.
A company spokesman said: “Previously, we would expect to see mid-haul favourites such as Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt topping the list because of the guaranteed sunshine they afford at this time of year.
“However, with safety concerns beleaguering many of the traditional spring-holiday destinations, British families are turning to long-haul destinations such as Dubai and Florida for their Easter escape.”
He added: “Our search data suggests it’s going to be a bumper Easter for UK airports.
“Many Brits are opting to add holiday to the week leading up to the Easter weekend, whilst families – dictated by the school holiday dates – will be jetting off during and post-Easter, creating a pro-longed busy period for UK airports.
“Our advice to holidaymakers battling crowded airports over Easter is to plan ahead to make your transit through the airport as swift and stress-free as possible; pre-book airport parking, check-in online, know what your baggage allowance is and weigh your luggage beforehand, take off jewellery and watches to avoid a delay at security and, above all, arrive at the airport in plenty of time for your flight.”