Skyscanner Predicts 2011 Travel Trends: Where Are the Hot Spots Next Year?

2010 has been another testing year for the travel industry with financial woes, ash cloud disruption and the ‘Big Freeze’ all taking their toll on travellers. However, travel remains a priority with Brits who are reluctant to sacrifice their holidays and are still travelling in massive numbers.

With traffic to flights comparison site Skyscanner rising 62% year on year, 2011 looks to be a robust 12 months for the travel market, although patterns are changing as travellers seek the best possible value. Skyscanner predicts the big destinations for Brits in 2011.

1. Orlando – following massive publicity around the opening of Harry Potter’s Wizarding World this summer, Orlando’s popularity if set to continue throughout 2011, boosted by the recent cinematic release Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows pt 1, with part 2 to follow in 2011. The city is well known for its theme parks and searches for flights to Orlando already rank number one on Skyscanner for travel in 2011 as holidaymakers plan ahead.

2. Philippines and Indonesia – Manila (+46 places) and Bali (+36 places) showed massive growth in traveller interest compared to last year’s rankings. Offering excellent value for money, these vast island nations are attracting budget conscious backpackers as well as higher-end travellers who may have already visited parts of South East Asia and now want to explore more of the region.

3. Serbia, Slovenia and the Eastern Bloc – eastern European countries in the Balkans and the Baltics will continue to see a rise in interest as British tourists become more aware that they offer a range of high quality holidays (ski, beach, city break) but at much lower prices than Western Europe. Skyscanner has already seen a 130% rise in winter searches to Serbia, as savvy skiers head to Kopaonik, Serbia’s premier ski resort.

4. Down Under – New Zealand will expect to see increased interest due to the World Cup Rugby which will bring more visitors and is likely to have a positive effect on searches for flights to Sydney and the rest of Australia too. The filming of the two part Hobbit movie, due for release in 2012, will also help focus interest on ‘Middle Earth’.

5. Sri Lanka – capital Colombo was the highest new entry in Skyscanner’s 2011 Top 100, entering the rankings at number 66. The end of the 25 year civil war last year has meant that this once popular tourist destination is back on the map and is set to see strong growth throughout 2011.

Skyscanner is a leading travel search site providing instant online comparisons on flight prices for over 670,000 routes and on over 600 airlines, including flights to Dublin as well car hire, deals and holidays.