Over the upcoming autumn holidays, Belgians will be heading abroad again in numbers.
Travel agency TUI has recorded 15% increase in bookings made by Flemish people than last year, while French-speaking Belgians, who have a two-week holiday in October, have increased by as much as 40%. Travel companies Sunweb recorded 30% more bookings and Eliza Was Here has seen a 50% increase compared to last year.
Mediterranean countries are especially popular holiday destinations this autumn: Spain remains by far the top destination with 50% of bookings made by Flemish tourists. Spain, Egypt, Turkey, Tunisia and Morocco are the top five destinations for flight holidays with TUI.
Caribbean destinations are a less obvious choice for this week-long holiday period. The Cape Verde Islands, Gambia and Senegal destinations are just six hours by plane away and within a similar time zone, and are also seeing a rise in popularity.
Sunweb Group, the digital holiday expert operating with the Sunweb and Eliza Was Here brands, also sees an increase in bookings to sunny foreign countries in the autumn holidays. Also popular with these agencies are destinations around the Mediterranean, such as Crete, Gran Canaria and the Turkish Riviera.
The travel budget has also increased compared to the same period last year. At TUI, travellers spend an average of €1,406 per person compared to €1,332 last year, at Sunweb it is €1,074 compared to €990.
Sunweb Group is also already noticing strong growth in their bookings for winter holidays, both ski and beach holidays.
