WHILE summer may seem the obvious time for holidays, more people than ever are panning a winter getaway.
New stats from travel pros Tripadvisor show that the majority of Brits are set to travel as much, if not more this season.
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Their 2024 Winter Travel Index has revealed that a massive 84 per cent of people are planning at least one to two trips over the next three months.
The experts have also worked out the top staycation destinations across the UK, with four north of the border, as almost a third of Brits are planning to holiday closer to home.
And the top Scots destination for this winter is the lovely little town of South Queensferry.
The seaside spot, which sits in the shadow of the Forth Bridges, has a bit of everything with a pretty beach, lots of cafes and restaurants and a rich history.
It’s a perfect vantage point to see the bridges. The Forth Bridge, a railway bridge which was completed over 125 years ago, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Meanwhile, the neighbouring Forth Road Bridge opened in 1964 and the more modern Queensferry Crossing, to the west, opened in 2017.
You can learn about the area’s heritage in the Queensferry Museum or take a boat tour and explore the wildlife of the nearby islands. You can even land on Inchcolm, which is home to both a 12th century abbey.
The town is also a great place to start a coastal walk by joining the John Muir Way.
Also in the top 20 UK trending travel destinations are three Scottish cities, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness.
Wales is a popular choice for a UK trip as Newport and Tenby are named the second and third top trending UK destinations.
Coming in at number one in the UK is Borrowdale in the Lake District.
This latest seasonal travel index reveals a notable uptake in Brits planning holidays abroad this winter, with 34 per cent more people dreaming of a getaway.
And they seem to be seeking adventure with more than a quarter planning to travel somewhere they haven’t been before and just under half flexible when choosing a destination.
When it comes to overseas trips, the Maldives is the top trending destination for Brits, with four islands taking a top 10 place in the fastest growing international destinations list this winter.
Olhuveli Island and Male are the third and fourth fastest growing international destinations, just behind Esquinzo in Fuerteventura at number two and Agadir, Morocco at number one.
The Maldivian islands of Dhaalu Atoll and Iru-fushi come in at number eight and nine on the list respectively, as cost of travel to the country drops this winter, with hotels in some areas up to 60 per cent cheaper this season than last.
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