News Middle East growing in popularity as a half term hotspot

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Middle East growing in popularity as a half term hotspot

Middle East growing in popularity as a half term hotspot

A survey by Skyscanner has found that 25% of families prefer to go on an overseas holiday in October, than any other time of year.

At a time when all attention is focused on budget, 60% of respondents stated that their preference for October was due to the better value it offers rather than travelling during the peak summer months.

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However, the survey also revealed that 23% preferred the weather in October – a statistic that could explain why Dubai and Abu Dhabi, destinations known for their uncomfortably high temperatures and humidity during the summer season, are seeing a huge rise in popularity for October – with searches more than doubling the previous fortnight.

Spain retained its position as top of the popularity stakes overall with more searches than any other destination, followed by USA and Italy.

Spain also scored well when respondents were asked for their best ever family holiday destination, taking second place to USA.

America taking the top spot was possibly not a surprise result; a massive 31% stated that a Florida theme parks holiday would be their idea of a dream family getaway, compared to 30% who wanted to go on a beach holiday and 21% who would opt for a safari holiday.

Sam Baldwin, Skyscanner Travel Editor said: “It’s clear from our rankings that good value destinations are ever popular with families, and with many Eurozone countries feeling the effect of the recession these destinations are proving as popular as ever”.

The top ten biggest increases in searches for half term: Top ten most commonly searched for half term destinations: Best family holiday destination ever:
1. Dubai 120% Spain USA
2. Gibraltar 119% USA Spain
3. Abu Dhabi 104% Italy Greece
4. Cape Verde 102% Turkey Australia
5. Slovakia 101% Cyprus France
6. Iceland 99% Portugal Canada
7. Spain 98% France Egypt
8. Malta 91% UK UK
9. Norway 80% Greece Caribbean
10. Israel 79% Germany Italy