European hotspots 'will always be popular'

Mainstream holiday destinations in Europe such as Spain and Greece will always be the most popular choices for British travellers, regardless of the strength of the euro against the pound, according to Abta - The Travel Association.

Sean Tipton, a spokesman for the association, argued that the established travel destinations for the British market have become so dominant that they will still be the most popular even if they see a drop in visitor numbers.

He stressed that of the five most popular holiday locations with Brits - Spain, Greece, France, Italy and the USA - only one is outside the eurozone.

"People are still going to be taking holidays in the eurozone because it is so dominant - countries like Spain and Greece have massive numbers of Brits visiting each year," Mr Tipton said.

"Twelve to 13 million UK holidays are taken in Spain each year. It is so dominant [that] even if numbers go down, it will still be number one."

People looking for alternative destinations for a cheap city break this year were recently advised by the Post Office to visit eastern Europe, with a study finding Budapest, Warsaw and Prague to be the most affordable locations.

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