Hotelbeds Group has published its European source market bookings for the Easter holiday period measured by room nights for its Bedbank brands. The Group has seen a marked trend for city breaks by European travelers this Spring. Orlando and New York fall just behind Paris in bookings followed by Rome and London. Asia’s most preferred destinations for Europeans are Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Bali, and Tokyo. Meanwhile, traditional sun and beach European locations such as Mallorca, Algarve, or the Canaries have fallen in the rankings of the most popular destinations for Spring holidays.
“This year, Easter falls particularly early. It was mainly skiers who used to benefit from such an early timing, but this year the great winners are city destinations. More and more European travelers prefer to spend their holidays in European and North American cities,” Carlos Muñoz, managing director of Bedbank for Hotelbeds Group, explains. “Holidaymakers are also prepared to travel further afield, with some Asian destinations seeing an increase in bookings. We believe this reflects a positive economic trend and a high level of confidence in traveling, which bodes well for this summer’s bookings.”
Overall bookings from European travelers have registered moderate growth compared to the same time last year, with Spain as the source market with the highest growth. German travelers showed a preference for traveling to the rest of Europe or long-haul locations like the U.S. or Thailand. Britons follow the same trend, but also prefer international holiday spots such as Orlando or New York.
“Although this early Easter has a slight impact on leisure destinations, Europeans are more likely to travel this spring holidays compared to Easter last year. Domestic tourism will enjoy another strong year in Spain, with 71 percent of Spaniards who are a taking break doing so in Spain,” Muñoz adds.
