Brits heading off for last of the summer sunshine

As the summer holidays draw to a close, Brits are still heading abroad for some August sunshine. Data from travel insurance specialist Staysure reveals where they are headed.

Its data shows that Spain and the Balearic Islands remain the UK’s top two favourite holiday destinations, while France has crept into third place this August.

The results also show that holidaymakers are staying closer to home, seeking out city breaks or resort holidays in familiar countries, rather than travelling further afield according to the top ten list.

The United States dropped out of the top 10 altogether coming in at 11^th place. Cost of living pressures may have seen other destinations fall out of favour too, with Egypt, Mexico and the UAE all seeing significantly fewer visitors compared to last year.

Norway was a new entrant into the top 10 and came in at ninth place, while Greece jumped from ninth to seventh place this year. Even though Germany and Ireland rose in the ranking, they didn’t make the top ten, but this still suggests that trips to nearby cities like Oslo, Berlin and Dublin are driving demand for weekend city breaks.

The top 10 destinations:

1. Spain
2. The Balearic Islands
3. France
4. The Canary Islands
5. Turkey
6. Italy
7. Greece
8. Portugal
9. Norway
10. United Kingdom.

However, while Brits may be looking for cut-price getaways, they aren’t cutting back on their travel insurance according to Staysure. The new data shows more people than ever are now purchasing cover over a month before their departure date.

“It’s great to see holidaymakers buying their travel insurance further in advance, so they have cover for cancellation,” said Staysure’s Chief Marketing Officer, Brad May. “With many spending hundreds and even thousands of pounds on their summer holiday, being insured is essential to protect you and your holiday investment should something go wrong before departure or while you’re away.”