Is it to be winter sun...

FAVOURITE . . . Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, is among the favourite Christmas holiday destinations. It offers (below, left) sun, sea and sand.

OLDHAMERS are fleeing the miserable weather by heading to warmer climes this Christmas — despite the credit crunch.

According to local travel agents Co-op Travel, Going Places and Thomsons Holidays, the most popular holiday spots are Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt, and the Canary Islands, including Tenerife.

Manager at Co-op Travel, Keeley Johnson, said: “Local holidaymakers want to spend Christmas in hot weather and Egypt and the Canaries are places that are warm and yet not so far.

“We have the same number of people getting away each year and the recession hasn’t stopped anyone from booking holidays abroad this festive season.”

The first of an estimated three million Britons fleeing the gloom of winter left the country on Friday, with around 290,000 flying off from Manchester airport.

Travel organisation Abta said Christmas getaway numbers did not appear to have been affected by the economic downturn, with Tenerife, Egypt, the Caribbean, Dubai and Turkey among the most popular sunshine destinations for Britons.

Abta added that early snow had led to a good start to the European ski season, with Geneva the main destination for those heading for the slopes, where conditions have been described as “fantastic”.

The Highways Agency, which has responsibility for England’s motorways and major A roads, has finished a number of roadworks and is suspending others over Christmas, but some roadworks will remain in place for safety reasons.

. . . or a traditional Christmas on Britain’s chilly shores?

PEOPLE wanting to celebrate a traditional British Christmas, rather than soak up winter sun or swap turkey for paella, are giving our hotels and holiday operators a festive boost.

A study of over 14,000 bookings by Co-operative Travel, the UK’s largest independent travel retailer, showed that the UK was becoming an increasingly popular option for people looking for Christmas breaks.

The research found that the UK’s share of bookings for holidays over the Christmas period is up over 6 per cent on 2007. More than 38 per cent of people holidaying over Christmas now do so within the UK.

Traditional seaside resorts are the most popular destinations, despite the wintery weather, with many large hotels putting on a special festive atmosphere for their guests.

Trevor Davis, head of retail ristribution at Co-operative Travel, said: “After a difficult year, it seems that people are looking forward to the comforts of a traditional British Christmas.”


Top UK Christmas holiday destinations

1. Isle of Wight

2. Blackpool

3. Torquay

4. Bournemouth

5. Eastbourne

6. Llandudno

7. London

8. Scarborough

9. Newquay

10. Scottish Highlands