Flights up, prices down
Recent research by travel search engine KAYAK.co.uk has found that flight prices for many key destinations have significantly dropped for holidays this summer (June, July and August).
According to the research, Croatia is the European bargain of the summer, with prices down 43 per cent, while Spanish destinations Ibiza, Mallorca and Alicante are down by up to 32 per cent and Mexico, Rio and Singapore have shown some of the biggest worldwide price drops.
Additionally, KAYAK found that searches for flights to key US destinations have significantly fallen, with searches for flights to Tampa down 58 per cent, Orlando down 58 per cent, Fort Lauderdale down 57 per cent and Miami down 52 per cent when compared to last year. Also, searches for San Diego are down 43 per cent, Las Vegas 36 per cent and Los Angeles 32 per cent.
Meanwhile, Stavanger in Norway was found to be the place where prices have most risen. For example, flights from the UK were found to have increased, on average, by 153 per cent. Montenegro has also seen an increase in flight prices (up 122 per cent), along with Gothenburg (98 per cent), Kiev (71 per cent) and Tangier (56 per cent).
“The news overall for Brits is good – many of the most popular European destinations in Spain, Portugal and Eastern Europe have seen nice falls in prices which will benefit many travellers,” commented Suzanne Perry, travel expert at KAYA. “And factors are combining to lead to some massive price drops in more far-flung locations like Singapore, Brazil and Mexico – meaning that it could be the time to go for those who have been interested in these destinations for a while. However, the story of the summer is the fall of interest in the States. We noted that searches to the US dropped after the new president came to office – but it seems like this is a longer-term trend. The US has historically been one of the most popular countries for Brits, but searches to popular destinations falling by over half in one year is a massive shift. It will be interesting to see if it can bounce back in 2018.”