Turkey has become the preferred holiday destination for British tourists for the first time ever after it soared to the top of the charts for beach package holiday destinations
British holidaymakers are ditching the Canary and Balearic Islands for Turkey, reveals a startling new travel report.
On the Beach’s second annual Summer Sun Report has crowned Turkey as “the number one holiday hotspot for Brits” after it soared to the top of the charts for beach package holiday destinations.
For the first time in two decades, the Canary Islands and Spain have been dethroned from their usual top spot by Turkey, according to On the Beach, a leading UK online retailer of beach holidays.
The stats show that 21 percent of beach holiday package bookings are now heading to Turkey. The Canary Islands attracted about 19.5 percent of tourists, while the Spanish mainland and the Balearic Islands drew 18 percent and 14.1 percent respectively.
Greece secured the fifth position with 11 percent of British beachgoers, and Egypt marked a notable rise to three percent of beach package bookings, reports the Express.
Turkey’s leap from third to first place within a year is attributed to an 18 percent surge in bookings.
This shift comes as anti-tourist sentiment escalates in the Canary and Balearic Islands, with locals protesting against tourism for driving up housing costs and diminishing their quality of life, which seems to be turning tourists away.
Zoe Harris, On the Beach’s chief customer officer, declared that Turkey is “officially the King of summer and the number one holiday hotspot for Brits”.
She commented: “This shift marks a momentous moment, when Turkey finally takes its place at the top table of beach package holiday destinations.”
“These shifts are significant, it shows that the once ‘go to’ destinations of Tenerife, Lanzarote and Benidorm, although still incredibly popular, are being joined at the top by the likes of Antalya, Hurghada and Dalaman.”
The Mediterranean hotspot was crowned the most affordable all-inclusive beach holiday destination, stealing the spotlight with the cheapest prices for luxurious 4 and 5-star getaways.
Savvy sun-seekers can bag a seven-night all-inclusive deal for just £520 per person.
Hot on its heels, Tunisia offers similar packages for £560, while Greece and mainland Spain tempt travellers with an average figure of £580.
In contrast, the Canaries and Balearics sit at the heftier end of the scale, with a week’s stay averaging around £750.
Even far-flung idylls like Mauritius, Jamaica, the Bahamas, and the Maldives are boasting competitive rates this year, according to the beach holiday pros.
Boosted by a 19 percent jump in UK tourists flocking to its shores, Turkey saw nearly 1.8 million British visitors in the first half of 2024 alone.
Tourism chief Mehment Nuri Ersoy hailed these early numbers as a testament to Turkey’s dedication to hitting a year-end goal of 60 million tourists and a whopping £47 billion tourism income.