UK travellers show growing interest in European cities

New research has shown that there is a growing interest amongst UK travellers in European cities, with Barcelona in particular proving to be extremely popular.

Other locations such as Reykjavik, Budapest, and Dubrovnik have also seen a considerable rise in interest, according to a study by cruise agent Bolsover Cruise Club.

The study looked at the holiday destinations that UK travellers have been searching for on google and analysed 50 locations around the world.

Cities such as Tokyo, Shanghai, Toronto, Reykjavik and Venice were all found to have had a significant increase in interest, however, Barcelona topped the list with 522,800 searches a month.

Bolsover Cruise Club managing director Michael Wilson said: “We didn’t expect Barcelona to receive as many searches per month as it did, but it’s clear that with its beach close to the city centre people are wanting the best of both worlds.”

Bali came in second with 47,900 searches a month, closely followed by Cape Verde, Budapest and Santorini.

Searches increased by 140% for Budapest, 106% for Reykjavik and 49% for Dubrovnik, highlighting UK travellers interest in European city destinations.

Interestingly, Amsterdam - which is well renowned for its tourism – had the biggest decrease in searches out of all the destinations examined, dropping by 15%.

Magaluf in Majorca also took a hit in searches, which is likely to be down to a stronger stance taken by the police towards late night drinking and partying.

One of the most well renowned destinations in the world, Las Vegas, recorded one of the smallest increase in searches, showing a 4% rise.

Mr Wilson believes that some of the typical destinations chosen by UK travellers have paved the way for more interest in vibrant cities that offer both culture and fantastic beaches.

If you’re thinking of travelling abroad this year, be sure to organise your European travel insurance in advance 

Date Created: 27/07/2017