Travel: New York tops city break chart

By Staff Writer, PinkNews.co.uk • June 19, 2008 - 11:08

Statue of Liberty, New York (credit: Adam Smith Flickr http://www.flickr.com/photos/adman_as/)

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With nearly 40 per cent of us enjoying two short breaks a year instead of one longer holiday, it’s hardly surprising that many of us decide to make it a fun-packed adventure in one of the worlds many glamorous cities.

You wouldn’t win many prizes for guessing that the Big Apple still rates as our number-one city break destination, according to a survey by holiday home rental site
Holidaylettings.co.uk. A popular playground for adults, Amsterdam is the second most sought-after destination for those after a short holiday. However, while these traditional destinations continue to dominate the city break market, low-cost flight routes are now beginning to open up previously unexplored cities and countries to both visitors and holiday home investors.

As a result, the predicted top city break destinations for 2008 are a step away from the norm and include: Kiev, Riga, Moscow, Kracow, Dubrovnik and Prague, among others.

This supports data from the home rental firm’s latest Holiday Home Hotspots Review, which reveals that people enquiring about trips to these locations look to travel in the traditional months of March, April, October, November, when prices are lower and tourists fewer.

Top city breaks for 2008 include:
1 New York
2 Amsterdam
3 Cairo
4 Copenhagen
5 Athens
6 Sydney
7 London
8 Munich
9 Naples
10 Paris

Managing director of holidaylettings.co.uk Ross Elder says: “Destinations that in 2008 might be a city break, may in 2009 or beyond become week or fortnight-long holiday destinations, if not holiday home locations for some potential investors. The past 10 years in Spain or the current situation in Croatia are examples of destinations visitors are comfortable travelling to, where they are well provided for as tourists, where they can source affordable flights to and where potential for capital gains appreciation will entice investors.”

As you might expect, holiday hot spots Spain, France, Italy and the UK are still the most

popular destinations for holidaymakers and the school holiday periods are still the weeks most in demand. Equally they are the most expensive weeks to travel, because of the volume of travellers. However, destinations climbing the popularity ladder include Malta, which was traditionally a hotel and package holiday destination, and Croatia, which has recovered magnificently from the break-up of Yugoslavia to today attract visitors and investors from around the world.

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a short break during the more chilly months, the most popular winter sun destination for 2008 is tipped to be the Canary Islands. This popular sunshine haven receives three times as many travel requests for December than for July or for August, due to its year-round temperate climate and the availability of short-haul budget flights from the UK.

If you’re tempted to fly further afield, India is currently the most requested long-haul destination for a winter sunshine break. Other popular destinations that see a lot of visitors this time of year are Australia, South Africa, Thailand and tropical islands such as Mauritius.

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