The annual ‘hotlist’ for travel destinations has been revealed today by flight booking site Kiwi.com, with Mykonos, Split and Rhodes proving to be the ultimate holiday hotspots in a global study.
With its paradise beaches, world-renowned dance clubs and relaxing hotels and spas, Mykonos was the St Tropez-meets-Ibiza holiday that sun worshippers craved, grabbing number one spot with over a 1,000% search increase month on month in 2017. Split, Croatia, also saw incredible growth last year, with over 500% increases month on month between April and August 2017.
Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is the coolest new destination to visit in 2018. Showcasing stunning architecture and history with the Al Masmak Fort, the myriad of souvenirs on offer in the Deerah Souk bazaar and the thrilling rush of quad biking in the Red Sand Dunes, it’s a beautiful city to explore. Kiwi.com noted over a 700% increase in flight searches to Riyadh over the last few months of 2017.
Olbia in Italy, with its picturesque monasteries and prehistoric monuments for archaeology lovers, is also a popular new destination for 2018 according to flight searches. With Costa Smeralda on its doorstep, visitors are not far from the party spots of the rich and famous, with the Italian Prime Minister himself spending time in the most expensive location in Europe per square metre. May and August were particularly ‘hot’ months for the quaint Italian town, with the Giro D’Italia and Sardinia Jazz Festival events taking place. It seems historic landmarks and interesting archaeological sites are a particular draw for travellers, with historic Egyptian city Alexandria also featuring in the top 10 on-trend destinations.
Birmingham was the most popular destination in the UK in 2017 according to global travellers, ranking 35th on the list, and despite the recent events in Manchester, the resilient city ranked an impressive 46th on the list, with a host of sports and entertainment events taking place throughout the year drawing worldwide crowds.
Although it is one of the world’s most cosmopolitan cities, London ranked a lowly 111th in the list of destinations, behind other major capitals such as Madrid (86th), New York City (81st). However, with the announcement of the Royal Wedding, international tourists will travel from all over the world to London to be a part of it.
Stephen Davis of Kiwi.com said, “We’ve monitored travel searches from around the world in 2017 to reveal some of the latest trends for 2018. Whilst Mykonos, Split and Rhodes are always popular destinations for sun setters and party-goers, we’re seeing a new trend of historical and archaeological trips, with the likes of Riyadh, Olbia and Alexandria featuring in the top ten most searched places for 2017.
“Birmingham tops the list of the UK cities, whilst Manchester has rallied around the horrific attacks in 2017 and is still drawing plenty of tourists. We’re hoping that with the Royal Wedding in May, London will be creeping up the list for 2018.”
Trends were determined by comparing month on month searches on Kiwi.com in 2017. The full list of 200 destinations can be found here: https://www.kiwi.com/stories/kiwi-coms-200-coolest-cities-2017/,
