Scots are already thinking of their summer holidays

Scots are looking to the sun after a leading travel agent revealed 2019’s top destinations.

Barrhead Travel named Majorca, Orlando and Cancun amongst top destinations as it revealed the top-selling holiday destinations for 2019 as holidaymakers rush to secure their next getaway during travel’s busiest booking season.

Barrhead Travel’s top five European destinations for 2019 are Majorca, Tenerife, Alicante, Antalya and Dalaman.
Their top five USA destinations are Orlando, New York, Las Vegas, Miami and San Francisco.

And Barrhead Travel’s top five longhaul destinations for 2019 (excluding US) are Cancun, Dubai, Barbados, the Dominican Republic and Hong Kong.

Following the first full trading week of the year, the Scottish-based agency has released their top-selling destinations and has reported sales for summer 2019 holidays soaring by 10% compared to the same period in 2018.

Demand for European summer getaways in 2019 remains strong, with Majorca scooping the top-spot for the third year in a row. Spain and Turkey dominate the top five with Tenerife, Alicante, Antalya and Dalaman following Majorca.

Further afield, Orlando has been named as their number one USA destination ahead of New York and Miami. Elsewhere in the world Caribbean favourites such as Barbados and Dominican Republic are proving popular, with many holidaymakers also opting to head east to explore places such as Hong Kong and Dubai.

Barrhead Travel’s findings chime with ABTA’s recently released Travel Trends Report which cited Europe as the firm favourite for UK holidaymakers with a record 61% planning to visit the continent during 2019. The travel body reported an increase of 12% on forward bookings for 2019, demonstrating that the UK’s appetite for enjoying a holiday abroad remains strong.

Cancun in Mexico is Scotland’s favourite long-haul destination, aside from the USA

Holidays further afield are also on the rise with Barrhead Travel noting destinations such as Cancun, Barbados and Miami as key players for 2019.

Jacqueline Dobson, president of Barrhead Travel said; ‘We are not surprised to find that once again, Majorca is the top choice for our customers this year. It’s a destination for everyone – beach, city and even soft adventure thanks to its interior landscapes. We have also noticed a resurgence in popularity for the beach resorts in Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria which are offering great value for money against the pound.

‘Beach escapes and city breaks, respectively, remain the most popular types of holidays but cruise is also continuing to grow thanks to an innovative and burgeoning market; one third of the holidays we sell are cruises and we expect this trend to continue to accelerate this year.

‘In particular, Caribbean cruises have proven to be exceptionally popular so far this year, no doubt thanks to the fantastic pricing and flexible flight options from Scotland.’

She added that booking earlier is advisable for those looking to pick up a bargain: ‘Holidaymakers should consider booking early to take advantage of early booking discounts, free child places, first choice of cabins and hotel rooms and even £0 deposits are currently available for many holidays.’

The world’s first seven stars luxury hotel Burj Al Arab in Dubai

Barrhead Travel operate exclusive charter flights to some of the most popular destinations in the Mediterranean during the summer months, including weekly departures from both Glasgow and Edinburgh to Majorca.

The UK-wide travel agency also recently released a zero-deposit scheme for customers booking through their newly-launched Direct Debit or Holiday Finance offering.

Since it was founded in 1975, Barrhead Travel has expanded from a traditional ‘bucket and spade’ travel agent to a multi-faceted travel group chartering its own flights, offering bespoke holidays to all corners of the globe, running an in-house training facility, employing specialist consultants providing expert advice in areas such as long haul, cruise and ski holidays and promoting youth employment through its apprenticeship scheme.

The company has won many awards over the years, including Top UK Travel Agency and Best Travel Agency in Scotland for 17 years running. Barrhead Travel has been recognised as one of the Best Companies to Work For for the last five years.

Barrhead Travel has over 70 outlets in the UK and 1000 staff within the group.