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The group\u2019s recently appointed chief executive Johannes Thomas said UK hotel bookings in the third and fourth quarters of the year are dominated by domestic destinations.<\/p>\n
The rising cost of flights has been a big factor in the increasing popularity of domestic holidays, he told the PA news agency.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThe UK is a very domestic market. Part of that is down to airline tickets, which are significantly more expensive.<\/p>\n
\u201cOverall across the globe, it\u2019s true for the US, Europe and the UK that people are going closer to home.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re travelling shorter distances and choosing to stay shorter periods and that\u2019s probably a sign of higher ticket prices.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mr Thomas\u2019s comments come after Ryanair warned last week of more steep hikes in air fares this winter.<\/p>\n
Don’t miss… <\/strong> \u2018Incredible\u2019 city is one of this year\u2019s best winter staycation destinations<\/strong><\/p>\n The Irish airline said its fares surged by 24% on average in its first half and are set for a further \u201cmid-teens percentage\u201d rise over the final three months of 2023.<\/p>\n Mr Thomas said flight prices have increased by more than 30% since 2019, before the pandemic struck, but there is some hope of relief.<\/p>\n \u201cSince the middle of 2023, we\u2019ve seen prices plateauing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Trivago\u2019s UK booking data shows that seven of the top 10 bookings destinations for Christmas 2023 are domestic locations, with London, Llandudno in Wales and Edinburgh the three most popular choices.<\/p>\n Britons are also choosing to celebrate the New Year in the UK, with London, Edinburgh and Blackpool among the top five places to see in the start of 2024.<\/p>\n The outlook for the first half of next year shows a similar trend, with more than half of the 10 most popular holiday destinations in the UK and Ireland for British travellers.<\/p>\n Germany-based Trivago, which is majority-owned by Expedia, said its bookings show that despite the trend towards staycations, international travel demand has continued to bounce back since the pandemic.<\/p>\n But the heatwaves and wildfires seen across Europe appear to be putting off some travellers, with searches on the site signalling a drop in demand for Greece and Italy.<\/p>\n Thousands of UK holidaymakers were on the Greek island of Rhodes when parts of it were devastated by wildfires in July.<\/p>\n![](\"https:\/\/cdn.images.express.co.uk\/img\/dynamic\/25\/590x\/secondary\/Brighton-beach-5062374.jpg?r=1699871077797\")
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