Turkey and Greece ‘falling out of favour’ as British holidaymakers rely on old favourites, study claims

Hyperinflation in Turkey has made the once low-cost country less appealing as British holidaymakers head elsewhere in search of affordability, a new study claims.

 

The first shift in destination hierarchy for more than five years is seeing Turkey and Greece drop in favour of old favourites that were consistently popular until the early 2020s, according to the analysis by Holiday Extras.

 

While Spain remains the UK’s favourite overseas holiday destination, data drawn on millions of bookings from more than 11 million customers a year, sees Italy reclaim second place with Greece in third position for the first time since the Covid lockdown era.

 

Turkey drops out of the top five into sixth place with Portugal fourth and the US fifth.

 

“Hyperinflation in Turkey has made this once affordable sunshine destination less appealing, with Brits voting with their feet as they head elsewhere for better deals,” the company noted. 

 

While all top destinations are up in bookings year on year, the new rankings paint a clear picture of holidaymakers’ priorities for 2026 as affordability continues to dominate decisions over travel plans for the year ahead, Holiday Extras suggested. 

 

Top 10 most popular countries based on its analysis: 

1.   Spain (+28% YOY) 

2.   Italy (+5% YOY) 

3.   Greece (+5% YOY)

4.   Portugal (+4% YOY)

5.   United States (+4% YOY)

6.   Turkey (+3% YOY)

7.   France (+3% YOY) 

8.   Poland (+2% YOY) 

9.   Ireland (+2% YOY)

10.Egypt (+2% YOY)

 

Four in ten people (42%) listed extreme weather as one of their main concerns – an issue that has affected Greece after consecutive years of wildfires on its islands. 

 

The data suggests a clear divide - travellers with more disposable income are going further, spending more and prioritising experiences, while those seeking affordability are more likely to consider locations that offer familiarity, perceived value and “fewer surprises”.

 

The add-on firm’s head of public affairs Seamus McCauley said: “What we’re seeing in 2026 isn’t a blip. These kinds of shifts in where Britons choose to go happen once a decade at most. 

 

“The last time we saw anything comparable was when the pandemic briefly reshuffled the pack. Before that, you’d have to go back much further. This is a major rebalance in British travel patterns.”

 

He added: “For people still wondering where to go this summer, there’s a clear picture emerging.

 

“Close, familiar destinations are going to be more popular than ever; Spain, Italy, Portugal and France are likely to book up or see price rises.

 

“But lots of places are almost as close, probably cheaper and hassle-free - the Adriatic Riviera, Poland’s Baltic coast, Bulgaria on the Black Sea or the Greek mainland.”

 

Meanwhile, Thailand is seeing a sharp rise in demand, with Phuket and Bangkok rising 121% and 88% respectively, with other Asian destinations also seeing surges in bookings. Male in the Maldives is up 69%, while Mumbai is up 68%.

 

In the Caribbean, Barbados has seen a similar rise (68%), with Antigua also proving popular (76%).