Holidays over presents at Christmas

SUN-seeking Brits would rather spend their hard-earned cash on a winter holiday than buying presents for loved ones at Christmas, a study by British Airways has found. The average Brit plans to spend £1,260 each on Christmas this year, including £360 on presents. However we would spend a similar amount – £1,345 – on a winter getaway and 45 per cent of us say we would rather splurge our cash on a winter getaway than a Christmas giveaway. 

After presents, the biggest drain on Brits’ wallets over Christmas was found to be food (£180), travel (£179), drink (£113) and decorations (£86). British Airways, who commissioned the survey as part of their Winter Sun campaign which offers an array of holiday and flight deals over the winter season, found that twenty-eight per cent of those surveyed said they would rather give holidays as presents rather than objects, believing they create more lasting memories than objects placed under the tree. 

A quarter (25%) of Brits say they have no idea what they received for Christmas last year – and 40 per cent can only remember some gifts they received. 

For two-thirds of Brits (65 per cent) the stress of the festive season is such that they say they need a holiday to get over the Christmas break. 

Nearly half (47 per cent) said they go on holiday if they could get out of the obligatory Christmas visit to families and friends and more than half (54 per cent) say they need a holiday during the Christmas break itself. 


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Heading for some winter sun

WITH the winter chill predicted to last four months in the U.K. Brits will be heading abroad for some winter sun in their droves. Research conducted by beach holiday specialist On the Beach has revealed Spain as the most popular winter sun destination this year, with the Canary Islands and resorts across the mainland attracting more Brits than any other destination in Europe, with Turkey firmly back in the Top 5 winter sun destinations.

Top 10 most popular winter sun destinations:

1.   Canary Islands
2.   Mainland Spain
3.   Balearic Islands
4.   Turkey
5.   Algarve (Portugal)
6.   Greece
7.   Malta
8.   Morocco
9.   Egypt
10. Cyprus

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Winter Sun . . . Dominican Republic

ACCORDING to the 2017 Farmer’s Almanac which is predicting a cold winter for most of the US a recent press release by GoDominicanRepublic.com promotes the sun-soaked weather in #DominicanRepublic as perfect for an escape from the cold.

In "the Dominican Republic, relaxation can mean much more than a day at one of our world-class beaches,” said Magaly Toribio, Marketing Advisor for the Dominican Republic Ministry of Tourism. “From yoga workshops to water sports to bird watching, no matter how you prefer to unwind, Dominican Republic has the perfect winter vacation to suit any traveler.”

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Up in the air . . .

NORWEGIAN has unveiled plans to launch two winter sun routes from Manchester Airport, with services to #GranCanaria commencing on October 30 and flights to Tenerife starting on November 1. 

Flights to Gran Canaria will operate every Friday and Sunday for the winter season, while the Tenerife route will run every Tuesday and Saturday.

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Picture Credit: By Wouter Hagens - Own work, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1765205

5 million Brits plan Xmas escape

AN ESTIMATED five million Britons are planning to #escape the weather and family politics this #Christmas by jetting off to sunnier climes, based on a survey of 10,000 UK holidaymakers. 

Research by insurance and travel specialist Staysure reveals that more than two thirds (68%) of people put the weather at the top of their list of reasons for the great festive get-away, followed by avoiding having to cook Christmas dinner (30%). One in five is keen to skip the stress of hosting family and friends (20%), and steer clear of family politics (13%).

The Canary Islands remain a firm favourite for short haul winter sun, while Florida, Sydney and New York top the list for long haul #destinations.

For those staying home during the festive period – one in five cannot get away due to family obligations, while one in ten feel they must stay home to look after their pets.

Top 10 Christmas/New Year destinations

1. Lanzarote
2. Gran Canaria
3. Algarve
4. Fuerteventura
5. Florida
6. Sydney
7. Malta
8. Barcelona
9. New York
10. Majorca

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Israel bids for winter sun & city break tourists

THE LAUNCH of direct flights to Eilat and Tel Aviv next month will help to re-position #Israel as a #wintersun and #citybreak destination for the UK market, says the country’s tourism chief.

Monarch will begin weekly services from Luton to Eilat every Thursday, and three times a week to Tel Aviv, from December 3 until April 2016.

Says Amir Halevi, director general of the Israel Ministry of Tourism: ‘The city break is becoming very popular now with the rise of low-cost airlines, but this year we have more than six times the number of weekly flights to Eilat from around Europe, so it’s becoming better known as a winter sun destination.’

Israel has seen an 8% rise in visitor numbers from the UK so far this year, and is investing in a new international airport for Eilat, due to open in 2016, as well as hotel development and plans for a casino to be built on the site of the current airport.

The Dead Sea will also see a significant increase in the number of hotels, with 5,000 rooms to be added over the next five years.

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Safety first for Brits choosing winter sun destinations

HALF of Brits are avoiding traditionally popular winter sun hotspots in favour of ‘safer’ destinations as a result of terror attacks and the migrant crisis, according to a Travelzoo survey.

More than half of 2,000 adults surveyed blamed recent terrorist attacks and the migrant crisis for reducing their willingness to travel abroad. 

The poll suggested that Tunisia, Morocco, Egypt, Greece, and Thailand – all traditionally popular winter sun destinations – are now the places that UK consumers are most worried about visiting.

It found Britons felt most secure travelling to the Canary Islands, the Caribbean, and Australia for a winter sun holiday. Over the next 12 months they felt most confident about vacations in Italy, Spain, France, Portugal, and the US.

Travelzoo managing director, Richard Singer, said the survey showed that personal safety was now a key factor in holiday choice. “It was all about price; now safety is right up there.”

More than half of those surveyed said the Tunisia terrorist attacks alone had put them off booking a holiday anywhere abroad, while only 1% said they would consider visiting Tunisia.

The research also showed 75% of respondents were now actively avoiding Islamic countries as holiday destinations, while 73% said the migrant crisis had put them off travelling through the Channel Tunnel.

Yeganeh Morakabati, an academic in risk and tourism at Bournemouth University, said: ‘What is clear from the research is that risk perception has increased uncertainty, and this has left the door open to fear. As a result, Britons are finding it increasingly difficult to decide on the safest destination for a holiday abroad.’

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British Airway adds new winter holiday destinations from Gatwick

BRITISH AIRWAYS is adding flights for people in search of winter sun. From October 27, there will be seven extra flights a week from Gatwick to Funchal, Faro, Seville, and Turin.

The flights are available to book through ba.com and are scheduled to operate through to March next year.

The extra flights come on top of recently announced 48 additional flights to 14 European destinations this October half-term from Gatwick.

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BA plans record winter flights to Ibiza

British Airways(BA) is planning to offer a record 26,000 seats from London City Airport to Ibiza next winter. 

The one-way hand baggage only winter fares from London City to Ibiza start from £71, and are available to book on ba.com/londoncity

British Airways is the only airline to operate from London City to Ibiza during the winter.

Luke Hayhoe, BA’s general manager at London City, said: ‘Ibiza has long been a popular summer destination, but the island is now attracting thousands of visitors looking for some winter sun and alternative places to visit. It’s a great short break destination.’

Carmen Sanchez, director of the Ibiza Tourist Board said: ‘We are delighted that BA s is increasing flights to Ibiza for winter 2015/2016. The capacity increase is testament to the appeal of the island throughout the winter when the balmy climate, scenery, UNESCO culture, and relaxed atmosphere make Ibiza an ideal break from the UK winter.’

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