Since foreign package holidays began in the early 1950’s, the Canaries and Spain has always taken top spot when it comes to the most visited summer holiday destinations. However, this summer, with an 18% increase in bookings year on year, Turkey has leapfrogged Spain and the Canary Islands to be crowned the King of holiday destinations.
The news comes after mass protests across Spanish resorts against tourism, saying it is damaging local economies and the environment. Some destinations have imposed extra taxes on tourists and restrictions on numbers.
According to booking data by On the Beach, revealed in their 2024 summer sun report, Turkey, the Canaries and Spain took the top three spots with the Balearics and Greece not far behind. Egypt continued its rise as popular destination this year with a 69% increase in bookings since 2023 and the UAE had an increase in visitors this summer with a 41% uplift in bookings.
Zoe Harris, chief customer officer at On the Beach said: “This is huge moment in British holiday history, we have witnessed a seismic shift in where Brits want to holiday and for the very first time, Turkey is top. Destinations such as Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum and Marmaris have been steadily growing for the past couple of years and this summer they were more popular with holidaymakers than ever before.”
Despite being knocked off top spot, the Canaries continued to be a hotspot for Brits and despite tensions in Tenerife and on other islands regarding tourists, there was still a 10% increase in bookings. According to On the Beach’s data, there was also a newcomer to the top ten list of most popular destinations.
Morocco saw a huge 81% increase in bookings year on year to climb into ninth with the coastal gem of Agadir and its golden sandy beaches seeing the biggest rise in visitors. Last summer, On the Beach experts predicted that Turkey would take top spot in 2024 and looking ahead to 2025, they have another prediction to look out for.
Zoe said: “The two destinations to watch for 2025 are definitely Egypt and Morocco. Both offer incredible value for money, have fantastic all-inclusive options, amazing hotels and best of all have almost guaranteed sunshine. Turkey will still dominate next year, alongside the Canaries and Spain, who will continue to hold a special place in British holiday hearts, but it’s the new, up and coming destinations which are really grabbing the headlines right now.”
2024 Top Summer Holiday Destinations
- Turkey (21%)
- The Canaries (19.5%)
- Spain (18.2%)
- The Balearics (14.1%)
- Greece (11%)
- Egypt (3.2%)
- Portugal (2.6%)
- UAE (1.6%)
- Morocco (1.6%)
- Cyprus (1.6%)