Turkey Tops 2010 Holiday Destinations

holidays in turkey

Holidaymakers could be in line for big bargains next year as travel companies embark upon a price war to make the most of returning customers.The Co-operative Travel reports that bookings across the top 20 destinations for next summer have seen a 26% increase in the last three months as the market begins to recover.

Leading the way are Turkish resorts, with Dalaman seeing an increase of 82% and taking over from Majorca as the number one destination for UK holidaymakers in 2010.The average price of a package holiday to Dalaman is £516, £79 per person lower than the average break to Majorca.

“As the holiday sector recovers, the battle for bookers will intensify with companies seeking to increase their market share after a challenging 12 months,” says Trevor Davis, Director of Retail Distribution at The Co-operative Travel. “We’re offering as much as 20% off thousands of holidays or free child places, along with very low deposits of £50 per person to allow people to book early and take advantage of the deals available.”

As the busiest period for booking holiday begins, Turkey is coming out on top as the most popular destination for 2010 breaks, according to the latest figures from tour operators. In a shake up of holidaymakers’ favourite destinations, bargain hunters are ditching traditional Spanish hotspots such as Majorca and the Costa Blanca in favour of budget-friendly Turkey, Egypt and Cyprus. The Co-operative Travel is reporting an 82 per cent increase in bookings to Dalaman in Turkey compared to the same period last year. And Bodrum, Crete, Sharm El Sheikh and Larnaka in Cyprus are also dominating the top ten destinations for next year’s holiday bookings.
Thomas Cook has also found increased interest in destinations such as Egypt, Cyprus and Turkey. To cope with demand, 20 new Turkish properties have been added to its brochure for summer 2010. However, Spain has not lost out to rival destinations completely, it is among the top three holiday destinations, alongside Turkey and Egypt, for forward bookings with travelsupermarket.com.

Bob Atkinson, of travelsupermarket.com agreed, saying: “Price will be king in 2010, with savvy travellers holding off for last-minute deals, keeping an eye on the strength of the pound and capitalising on the “‘voucher culture”‘ which has swept the nation. These methods, in the main, will lead to great deals.”

The Co-op, which lists Majorca and Orlando in second and third place behind the phenomenal demand for Turkey, has predicted a price war as operators and countries battle for precious business. Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/travel/article-1239430/Turkey-steals-crown-2010-holiday-spot-operators-slash-prices-war-business.html#ixzz0bCwkjGQm