Med to lose ‘top holiday destination’ status

Research by The Co-operative Travel predicts that Mediterranean resorts will no longer be the number one destination for UK holidaymakers by the end of 2011.

Popular destinations in the Western Mediterranean such as the Costa del Sol and Algarve have seen a steady decline in numbers over recent years, losing ground to up-and-coming resorts. The Co-operative Travel has termed this emerging area as ‘the Mett’ – named after its key destinations; Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey.

This year Mediterranean resorts have seen a cumulative fall in bookings of 11.6% compared to the Mett’s increase of 23.4%. If these current trends continue then the two areas will swap places by the end of 2011, with the Mett becoming the number one choice for package holidays.

This would mean that by summer 2012, the Mett would be receiving over 38% of UK package holidaymakers.

Trevor Davis, Director of Retail Distribution at The Co-operative Travel says the trend has a lot to do with increased capacity to the Mett as well as the impact of the credit crunch: “The growth of all-inclusive deals, which appeal to people wanting to fix the total cost of their holiday, has helped to increase demand for these fast-growing destinations,” he said. “At the same time increased capacity and the high cost of the Euro have both contributed to a significant rise in bookings.”

Trevor adds that the travel sector will be watching these trends carefully to see if they represent a permanent shift in booking patterns: “Mediterranean resorts still have a lot to offer UK holidaymakers. They are cheaper on average and offer shorter flight times. We’ll be watching booking trends as the season progresses, as well as monitoring sales for summer next year.

“However, if these trends continue, it will represent the biggest change in bookings patterns since the boom of the package holiday in the 1970s.”