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6th February 2018
04:09pm GMT
With a combination of the post-Christmas blues and the miserable weather we get here, January is becoming an increasingly popular time for Irish people to book a getaway.
But which destinations are people flocking to in order to escape the real world for a while? Travel Counsellors Ireland reports that people are starting to go further afield for their holiday with long haul destinations rising by 25% in popularity over the past year due to more affordable air travel and increased demand leading to a surge in cost of European holidays.
The most popular long haul destination Irish people booked in January was the United States followed by Mexico and Thailand. The United Arab Emirates and Canada came in fourth and fifth respectively. General Manager of Travel Counsellors Ireland, Cathy Burke said:
“Throughout 2017 we witnessed the appetite for long haul holidays grow due to a boost in consumer confidence. This was cemented last month with a rise in those choosing to head further afield for their big holiday this year.
“As some European destinations have risen in price this year, due to demand, it’s very comparable in cost to travel long haul, particularly as a family, either westbound to the USA and Mexico or eastbound to Thailand. With the USA, the extra capacity on transatlantic routes is driving up availability and driving prices down. The world is much more accessible now, and for the adventurous traveller, there are fantastic opportunities to travel and explore.”
“We also saw the likes of Canada, Iceland, Mauritius, Dominican Republic and South Africa making their way onto the top 20 list. It’s great to see destinations such as Mauritius featured, and this year will be a big one for the island with lots of events as they celebrate 50 years of independence.”
Cathy said that "while we are witnessing a definite appetite in Europe for family holidays, the increased demand has sent prices soaring."
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