Winter tourists prefer down under to downhill

British holidaymakers have shunned the slopes and headed down under so far this winter, according to research from Barclays Travel Insurance.

Melbourne and Sydney have seen a huge increase in British tourists this winter as millions opted to take in the English cricket team’s Ashes whitewash rather than the white slopes of a ski holiday. Sydney has seen a 25% increase in Brits visiting the city whilst Melbourne welcomed a massive 140% more British tourists than last year. The Australian cities are also two of the destinations with the biggest increase in the amount spent by British tourists with spending by Brits in Melbourne increasing by 178%.

Other destinations which are seeing an upsurge in UK visitors include Hong Kong and Phuket – both popular stop-offs on route to Australia – and New York, where shoppers have been flocking to take advantage of the strong pound/dollar exchange rate.

In contrast, spending and visits to European ski resorts such as Meribel, Val D’Isere and Chamonix are down by up to 18% on the same time last year, not helped by the limited snow fall so far this season in these regions.

The top five destinations by number of British tourists over December and January are Paris, Sydney, Dublin, New York and Dubai. Las Vegas, Verbier and Phuket are the destinations where Brits spend the most – an average of almost £400 each – whilst British visitors to Dublin, Paris and Prague spend less than £100 each.

Mark Till, Marketing Director for Barclays Insurance, comments: “Long haul breaks seem to be becoming increasingly popular with British holidaymakers over the Christmas and New Year period. Flights are getting cheaper and Brits are prepared to trek further for the chance of some proper winter sunshine. Of course this year the numbers travelling to Australia were boosted further by the added attraction of the Ashes taking place whilst Europe’s slow start to the ski season due to a lack of snow has also encouraged tourists to look elsewhere.”

Barclays offers travel insurance for single and multiple trips across the world including winter sports cover. For more information, a quote and a 10% online discount visit barclays.co.uk/insurance.