Sure, Blue Monday has just passed, but there’s a whole lot of winter left to go, and it’s probably the best excuse for booking a cheeky holiday. In fact, the first Saturday after New Year is the busiest trip-booking day of the year – it’s known as ‘Sunshine Saturday’ in the travel industry – and this year it fell on January 6.
If you’re looking for some travel inspiration, you’ve come to the right place. The UK’s travel agent association ABTA has released their annual list of top ten travel destinations for the year, and there are some fantastic places on the roster.
It’s all based on consumer research, which showed that 47 percent of people plan to visit a new city or resort, and 38 percent plan to visit a whole new country in 2024, which are both up from 2022’s stats.
A UK destination has made it onto the list for the very first time this year – you can read all about that right here. 58 percent of the people ABTA surveyed planned to take a UK holiday this year, after all.
Other destinations on the list include Extremadura, a relatively undiscovered gem in western Spain which is home to three Unesco World Heritage sites, as well as Zambia, a landlocked country in southern Africa that is blessed with stunning natural parks and wildlife.
The up-and-coming destination of Albania also makes the list, which has proven a popular, budget-friendly alternative to Greece and Italy for some European sun. The Tyrol in Austria also made the list, which is just as stunning in the summer as it is as a ski resort in the winter.
Here are the top ten destinations to watch for 2024, according to ABTA (in alphabetical order)
You can read a bit more about ABTA’s research on their website here.
If you’re after some more travel inspo for the upcoming year, have a look at the best destinations according to Tripadvisor or the New York Times – after browsing our list of the best European city breaks, and the best things to do across the world, of course.
Did you see that these cities have been revealed as Europe’s most accessible capitals?
Plus: Spain is having a massive train ticket sale this week.
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