a rooftop bar with a city in the background
Banyan Tree Bangkok

Anyone need a holiday?

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with planning travel now, for trips later. The question many are asking on Zoom and Skype chats with friends is “where to next, once travel restrictions lift”? Travel search site Skyscanner crunched the data from its millions of searches to figure out the five places British travelers are eyeing up most, when travel is safe,and permitted again.

Brits Want To Visit…

Few nations take holidays more seriously than Brits, and that coveted trip is still on the cards for many, with a particular eye towards travel between December 2020 and February 2021. Can you guest the five most searched destinations?

a row of gold statues in a templeIf you guessed: Bangkok, New York, Tenerife, Orlando and Dubai in descending order – you’d be correct. Intriguingly, the list is identical to the same time last year, but with one notable missing exception, Sydney.

Dubai climbed the rankings after Australian tourism ministers pointed to a ban on international travel through December, which clearly prompted Brits to loo elsewhere. Fun in the sun of Dubai certainly doesn’t sound too bad right now. One could argue that this is precisely why tourism ministers should keep their mouths shut until official plans are unveiled.

In a similar study, one third of respondents noted that they’ll travel more than ever once the worst is behind us, noting that travel was taken for granted before. For many, a deeper sense of desire to tick off those must see bucket list items is even stronger.

When Are We Going?

All across Europe, and beyond, conversations are mounting about how and when to reopen borders, and who can be let in. Greece is aiming for a return to full on travel in July, with Austria already ahead opening up many elements of travel by the end of the month. Further afield in Mexico, Cancun, the country’s crown tourism jewel, will reopen to visitors in June.

Many questions remain about what will be necessary, such as blood testing or a certificate of health before travel, but from the sheer volume of searches, it looks like many travelers will be back in the skies, and with a greater sense of appreciation than ever, sooner than you might think.

Gilbert Ott

Gilbert Ott is an ever curious traveler and one of the world's leading travel experts. His adventures take him all over the globe, often spanning over 200,000 miles a year and his travel exploits are regularly...

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3 Comments

  1. Picture says it all, I stayed at the Banyan Tree Bangkok in Feb, on a great deal, and it was worth every penny and more. The view and ambience is spectacular, you cannot bat it – I personally think that it is best sky bar in Bangkok, and the drinks are not that expensive, when you consider where you are! Get the right deal and the meal and drink is thrown in!

  2. Hi Gilbert – thanks as always for the post.
    Interesting list of aspirational vacation destinations.
    Just curious where that search data was drawn from..?
    Just surprised it doesn’t contain the more run-of-the-mill Brit ‘go-to’ destinations such as mainland Spain…?

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