Turkey - Ideal for Winter Holidays

The cold weather in the UK has had knock on effects throughout the economy. Not only were insurance claims up, productivity down and utility bills sky high, huge numbers of Brits jumped on the internet in search of cheap holidays and flights out of here.

With more cold weather on its way that is predicted to run well in January, it looks likely that more Brits will risk airport closures, strikes and who knows what else in an attempt to find some sun and warmth.

Online travel companies reported huge surges in traffic as soon as the weather turned nasty. Hotels.com for example, saw an astronomical 700% rise in searches for Miami. Travel Counsellors reported an increase of 20% in bookings and lowcostholidays.co.uk saw a jump of 60% in holiday bookings.

Aside from Florida, some of the most popular searches have actually been for destinations in Europe such as Turkey and the Canary Islands. Both are pleasantly warm right now and prices are attractively low.

Turkey has been steadily growing in popularity over the past five years and this year searches for Turkey holidays have outpaced all predictions. This extreme growth is largely backed by lack of the Euro and former Greece fans deserting to Turkey.

Along the coast Turkey has a well-developed string of beach resorts. Its beaches are stunning and the waters of the Mediterranean are warm and sheltered. It has geared itself up as a family destination, but in the last two years it is also opening up its interior to adventure travel and activity breaks. Mountain climbing, white-water rafting and cycling are becoming more popular in Turkey, not least because these kinds of holidays are more expensive elsewhere, but also because of the country’s enviable climate, which makes it attractive throughout the year.

It’s also home to Istanbul. This is one of the most exciting and enthralling cities in Europe. It is rapidly becoming a favoured city break destination amongst Brits thanks to its unique mix of cultures and accommodation and entertainment prices that are lower than other capital cities in Europe.

Turkey is therefore ideal if you want to relax on the beach in the winter, sail along its coastline in the summer, cycle through its interior during the spring or soak up culture in Istanbul during the autumn.

Many companies now offer flights to Turkey throughout the year, so if you can get any time off for a winter sun break, you can head out in the spring or summer time too.