Turkey was the top overseas package holiday destination for On the Beach customers this summer, according to the online travel agent, as consumers held out for last-minute deals.
On the Beach reported an 18% year-on-year rise in bookings to the eastern Mediterranean country.
This saw Turkey leapfrog mainland Spain and the Canary Islands as the most popular beach holiday destination, although when combined, mainland Spain, the Canaries and the Balearics still accounted for 52% of bookings.
The Balearics and Greece were not far behind, followed by Egypt, Portugal, UAE, Morocco and Cyprus.
Turkey was also rated as the cheapest destination for four and five star holidays with the average price for a seven-night, all-inclusive trip costing £520 per person.
Greece saw average prices drop by 18% and Spain by 13%, according to the report.
Despite being knocked off top spot, the Canaries continued to be a hotspot with a 10% increase in bookings, despite tensions in Tenerife and on other islands regarding overtourism.
Morocco saw an 81% increase in bookings year-on-year to climb into ninth place with Agadir seeing the biggest rise in visitors.
Long-haul destinations continue to rise with holidays to the likes of Las Vegas, New York, Thailand, Mexico and Dubai increasing in sales.
On the Beach said: “This year bucked the trend for the usual lates market and there were numerous factors for this.
“At the start of the summer, prices were slightly higher than previous years, especially for flights and our view is that lots of holidaymakers were holding out for a last minute price drop.
“With inflation and rising living costs there is also the belief that travellers held off on booking holidays until the last minute to gauge their financial situation following an summer of expense.
“Not to mention the great British weather, as always, is a huge factor. This summer was the coolest on record since 2015 and so it’s no surprise to see fed-up, sun hungry Brits wanting to get away in the dying days of the summer holidays.”
Chief customer officer Zoe Harris claimed there had been a “seismic shift” in where Britons want to holiday.
She said: “Destinations such as Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum and Marmaris have been steadily growing for the past couple of years and this summer they were more popular with holidaymakers than ever before.
“Egypt has continued its fantastic growth and Morocco makes an appearance in the top 10 for the very first time.
“These shifts are significant, it shows that the once ‘go to’ destinations of Tenerife, Lanzarote and Benidorm, although still incredibly popular, are being joined at the top by the likes of Antalya, Hurghada and Dalaman.
“This year, we’ve also seen a huge change in the number of last-minute holidays booked.
“We saw a real surge this year, most likely impacted by inflation, the cost of living crisis and people holding out to the last minute to see if they could get a great deal.”
She added: “The two destinations to watch for 2025 are definitely Egypt and Morocco. Both offer incredible value for money, have fantastic all-inclusive options, amazing hotels and best of all have almost guaranteed sunshine.
“Turkey will still dominate next year, alongside the Canaries and Spain, who will continue to hold a special place in British holiday hearts, but it’s the new, up and coming destinations which are really grabbing the headlines right now.”
On the Beach top summer holiday destinations based on percentage of bookings:
- Turkey (21%)
- The Canaries (19.5%)
- Spain (18.2%)
- The Balearics (14.1%)
- Greece (11%)
- Egypt (3.2%)
- Portugal (2.6%)
- UAE (1.6%)
- Morocco (1.6%)
- Cyprus (1.6%)
*Remaining 5.6% of bookings spread across other destinations