British tourists name Tenerife and Majorca top summer destinations

British holidaymakers who are heading to Spain to lounge on a picturesque beach or explore romantic plazas this summer may feel like they haven’t left the UK.

British holidaymakers who are heading to Spain to lounge on a picturesque beach or explore romantic plazas this summer may feel like they haven’t left the UK.

Spain and its islands are the most popular holiday destinations for Britons this season, with Majorca and Tenerife emerging as the favorites, new research has revealed.

Those sunny destinations were followed by Portugal’s Algarve region and the Spanish islands of Ibiza and Lanzarote.

With schools breaking up and the great British getaway now underway, many holidaymakers are making a dash to the beach.

Comparison website TravelSupermarket analysed more than three million holiday searches, and found 68 percent of queries were for short-haul beach destinations.

One in three users researched a holiday to the Balearics, mainland Spain or the Canary Islands.

According to the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, more than 12 million British nationals visit Spain every year.

Spain has had a record number of holidaymakers in the first six months of 2015, with more than a quarter of its 30 million visitors arriving from the UK, The Local reported.

After Spain, Greece, the US, Portugal and Italy rounded out the five most popular countries, according to the TravelSupermarket study.

For families who are looking for a short break, Disneyland Paris proved to be the most popular destination, with four out of five searches for the theme park being from family groups.

Spain’s Costa Dorada claimed second place, followed by Orlando, which is home to Walt Disney World and other family attractions.

Couples looked to Venice, Rome, Paris and New York for romantic breaks, while groups looked to blow off steam in party destinations such as Malia and Kavos in Greece, Ayia Napa in Cyprus, and Spain’s Magaluf.

Young travelers are looking to destinations such as Sunny Beach in Bulgaria, which is developing an ‘anything goes’ party scene.

Bob Atkinson, travel expert at TravelSupermarket, said: ‘Its “Viva Espana” this summer with eight of the top 20 most searched destinations being to the country and its islands, six of them in the top 10 and the country firmly holding the top two positions.

‘Year after year Brits go en masse to the country’s resorts and cities, knowing it will deliver on sunny summer weather, great blue flag beaches, fantastic value for money and of course plenty of places to enjoy themselves.

‘Whether you want quiet, relaxing resorts and getaways or full on entertainment day and night, then Spain really does offer it all.’

Despite the economic crisis in Greece, holidaymakers are being lured to the country thanks to its stunning islands and reports of big savings on package trips, he added.

‘The lure of cheap deals and low prices on many resorts seems to be enough to convince people it’s still good to go, and with the destination offering tourists a big welcome this summer, so long as holidaymakers take enough cash with them, there are some real bargains to be had.’

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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