Travel search site Skyscanner reveals a European shift away from previous summer staples to alternative Med options, whilst domestic flights also rise up the ranks. Analysis of millions of flight searches from the UK between 2013 and 2014 shows domestic flights have become increasingly popular with London entering into the top 10 most searched for destinations.
Scotland has also seen a rise in popularity with Glasgow increasing nine places to number 35 and Edinburgh searches moving three places up to 9th.
Whilst Spanish destinations continue to make up 50% of the top 10 list (shown in the table below) and Malaga maintains the top spot as Brits’ most favoured destination, a number of other European summer staples are dropping down the leader table, such as Murcia, Crete, Paphos and Gran Canaria.
That said, alternative options are rising in their place with Madrid moving up six places to 4th, cultural Athens and Barcelona both move up two places and the Nordics see an upsurge in popularity, with both Copenhagen and Stockholm rising in to the top 50 for the first time.
In fact, Skyscanner’s analysis sees a number of European city break destinations climb the top 30, with Amsterdam rising four places to 7th, Budapest up seven places to 27th and Prague up 11 places to 28th.
Portugal also sees a shift in popularity, from North to South. Its capital Lisbon, the largest riser in flight searches between 2013 and 2014, shoots up the ranks a massive 15 places entering into the top 25. On the other hand, family-friendly Faro has dropped four places. Despite this change, Faro still remains in the top 12 most searched for destinations.
Further afield, New York tops the North American destination list, rising three spots to 2nd place overall. Whilst Los Angeles and Las Vegas both rise seven places to 38th and 43rd consecutively and newcomer Toronto makes it in to the top 50 (46th).
| Top 50 (2014) | No. of places destination has risen/fallen |
| Malaga | 0 |
| New York | 3 |
| Alicante | -1 |
| Barcelona | 2 |
| Tenerife | -2 |
| Palma | -2 |
| Amsterdam | 4 |
| Bangkok | 0 |
| London | 3 |
| Dublin | 0 |
| Faro | -4 |
| Ibiza | -3 |
| Paris | 0 |
| Dubai | 3 |
| Orlando | 1 |
| Rome | -2 |
| Dalaman | -2 |
| Berlin | 1 |
| Lanzarote | -1 |
| Istanbul | 0 |
| Edinburgh | 4 |
| Belfast | 1 |
| Lisbon | 15 |
| Madrid | 6 |
| Venice | -3 |
| Milan | -5 |
| Budapest | 7 |
| Prague | 11 |
| Paphos | -5 |
| Athens | 2 |
| Larnaca | -5 |
| Sydney | -5 |
| Nice | -2 |
| Geneva | 3 |
| Glasgow | 9 |
| Hong Kong | -1 |
| Gran Canaria | -9 |
| Los Angeles | 7 |
| Marrakech Menara | -3 |
| Munich | 2 |
| Murcia | -12 |
| Crete | -9 |
| Las Vegas | 7 |
| Luqa | -4 |
| Copenhagen | New |
| Toronto | New |
| Stockholm | New |
| Fuerteventura | -5 |
| Brussels | New |
| Naples | New |
