Study finds more Brits seeking spring sun this Easter

Barcelona beach basking in the Spanish sunshine. Image credit: annaspies/Flickr

More and more Brits are choosing to spend their spring in the sun over traditional Easter get-togethers at home according to new research.

It suggested that that sun seekers are increasingly looking to European destinations such as Spain, Belgium and France over a staycation in Britain.

The findings from travel search engine gopili also highlighted particular trends, including an increase of 63% in London residents looking to leave the capital.

Barcelona generated almost three times as many searches among jet setters wanting to get away over Easter compared to a typical weekend, and was twice as popular as Newquay.

However, Newquay saw the fastest growth in search traffic for destinations in the United Kingdom, clocking in at ninth on the list of popular getaways with a 96% increase in people looking for holiday deals in that area.

Newquay is one of the UK's most sought-after destinations this Easter. Image credit: Giuseppe Milo/Flickr

Fellow seaside town Bournemouth witnessed a 93% rise, while the city of Bath garnered 88% more searches, suggesting that many of those wanting to stay in Britain prefer to do so away from their families.

Yorkshire turned out to be the least appealing region for Brits scouring the web for trips this Easter, with searches for 2017 UK Capital of Culture Hull down by 19%, while Doncaster and Leeds fell by 18% and 10%, respectively.

Rodolphe Morfoise-Gauthier, UK Country Manager of gopili, said: “While many of us consider Easter to be a time to head home to visit our families, it is interesting to see that we are now booking more journeys to Europe, preferring to see the sun than our loved ones.

“Taking a trip this Easter could see brits heading on lengthy and expensive journeys, so it is important to ensure that the necessary research is undertaken to find the best deals available over the Easter holidays.”

The study also revealed some popular European destinations more than doubled in interest, including Brussels, Amsterdam and Bordeaux.

Gopili helps people to compare all transportation modes and find the best travel options for their journey, aiming to save time and money for travellers via their website and mobile apps available for iOS and Android users.