Cheap sunshine destination TUI says will be big next year as Brits are priced out of Spain
A CHEAP sunshine destination is set to be huge with holidaymakers in 2025 because Brits are being priced out of Spain.
While Spain has long been a favourite holiday hotspot, parts of the country are getting more expensive, with Brits being pushed out by the price hikes.
Earlier this week, Sebastien Ebel, TUI Group chief executive, explained how the tour operator was seeing more British tourists heading to North Africa for their holidays.
Ebel said: “What we see is more people going to Egypt in winter [instead of the Canaries].
“In summer, there is high demand for Bulgaria, Tunisia and Egypt, so there are changes in demand patterns.
“Majorca will be full in summer, the Canaries are full in winter, but there is enough choice for customers to find the right vacation.”
According to Ebel, the Canaries remain popular with holidaymakers from further afield, like the US, and tourists with a bigger budget.
With parts of Spain becoming more expensive, because of capacity nearing its limit, Brits are turning to North Africa.
Ebel added: “So there is a shift, especially in the family segment, to cheaper destinations.”
Neil Swanson, TUI UK and Ireland managing director, agreed with Ebel’s comments.
He added: “Looking ahead to 2025, we’re seeing growing interest in North African destinations.”
Tour operator TUI aren’t the only travel company to have spotted this trend.
Earlier this year, research by HolidayPirates as part of their Summer Travel Trends survey, found that interest in Spain as a destination had dropped by half.
However, interest in Tunisia has soared by 70 per cent, with package holiday prices down by 20 per cent.
Raphael Giacardi, Chief Editor UK at HolidayPirates, said: “Although the inflation rate has now lowered, the effects of its highs over the last year remain and external pressures including the rising cost of holiday packages is certainly having an impact on summer travel.
“We’ve seen that the nature of their travel is adapting according to affordability, and many are heading where the best deals take them rather than sticking with the most commonly-visited destinations at all costs.”
Holidays to Morocco with TUI are certainly cheaper with a seven-night stay at a beachfront hotel in Agadir starting from £296 per person in January.
Similar properties in Spain are slightly more expensive with week-long stays from £460 per person.
Holidays in North Africa are likely to be warmer too, making it an ideal winter sun destination for Brits.
From next year, TUI will add Enfidha in Tunisia to its list of destinations – making holidays to the north African country even easier for Brits.
It seems like some Brits are already ahead of next year’s travel trend, with one mum flying to Morocco for a day trip.
A day trip to Morocco
Melanie Evans, 42, wanted some last minute sunshine before Christmas, so she took herself and her son on a day trip to Agadir.
The day trip cost £99 per person with the pair having seven hours to enjoy the 27C weather.
Melanie said: “As soon as we landed, we got in the taxi and headed straight to the beach, where we chilled for a few hours.
“We then got a cable car up to the Kasbah and got some lunch at McDonald’s.
“He was playing away on the beach, which was nice to see, and he loved it.”
My View: TUI's New Route to Enfidha
THE Sun’s Head of Travel, Lisa Minot, explains what the new TUI flights from London Stansted to Enfidha means to Brit holidaymakers.
THE launch of flights to the sun-soaked Tunisian coast from Stansted gives yet more options to travellers who want to experience year-round balmy temperatures and great value holidays.
The new TUI flights to Enfidha give holidaymakers easy access to the popular beach resorts of Hammamet and Sousse as well as the modern resort of Port el Kantaoui with its glitzy marina, golf courses, shops and restaurants.
The beaches looking out over the Mediterranean are popular both in summer and winter and with extra Stansted flights, there’s even more choice for those wanting to head away for a short break or longer holiday.
It comes as travel giant TUI looks to expand the number of destinations that can be reached from a larger range of UK airports.
The newest easyJet flights were launched earlier this year, from Glasgow to Enfidha in Tunisia.
If you want a package holiday, you can find cheap deals for that too with all-inclusives under £300.