UK travellers spend £1bn more

UK travel expenditure is forecast to reach £41.1 billion – £669 per person – in 2010, new research has revealed.
The Kelkoo City Index, which is conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, is predicting a 2.4% rise in UK travel expenditure, marking a £1 billion increase from 2009, when sales plummeted by £3.7 billion.

Bruce Fair, managing director of Kelkoo UK, said: “In the current climate, British holidaymakers seem to be more cost-conscious than ever. However the trend for taking shorter but more frequent breaks is still proving popular.” The Kelkoo City Index assesses the performance of 10 key travel criteria - including climate, security, affordability and exchange rates - and ranks the world's 20 most visited city destinations, based on the factors which matter most to British holidaymakers.

SECURITY IS IMPORTANT
Around 85% of Brits claim affordability is the clincher in choosing a holiday destination, while 81% say security is the most important factor.
Other significant factors include weather, rated by 78% as key, and good food, chosen by 77%. According to these statistics the Portuguese capital Lisbon should be the number one city break destination this year, closely followed by Athens, Istanbul and Barcelona.

Palma, it appears, still has work to do to crack the city break market.
Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town ranked lowest. “While Portugal's capital may not be renowned for having the romance of Paris or the glamour of New York, Lisbon appears to fit the bill most closely when it comes to delivering against the criteria that matter most to today's holidaymakers - value for money, great climate and security,” said Fair.