Broadband News

Are you dreaming of a holiday in the sun?

Wednesday 28 December, 2011

By Anthony Hill

Online Brits book beach getaways to beat the winter blues

It’s the festive tradition no one enjoys, but unfortunately it’s here already. The first day back in the office after Christmas is just about as grim as it gets.

So perhaps it’s no surprise that thoughts are turning from winter wonderlands to sun-drenched beaches. In fact, research suggests that today could be the busiest day of the year for booking holidays online.

As working Brits try hard to beat the post-Christmas blues, visits to holiday websites are rocketing. According to data from Hotels.com, web traffic will peak this evening at 5.38pm, as people finish their first day back at work.

Kate Hopcraft, from the travel deals site, told the Daily Mail: “We've found that traffic to our website peaks between Christmas and New Year. The trends on our site show that once the festive season is out of the way, Brits are racing to find something else to look forward to.”

The research also found that we aren’t willing to wait too long for our sunshine hit - the most popular times for holiday bookings in 2012 will be the February school half-term, the Easter break at the start of April and the June bank holiday.

Meanwhile, findings from the Post Office Holiday Costs Barometer show that Spain is the cheapest of all European holiday hotspots at the moment, though Croatia has proved increasingly popular in recent times.

For those seeking long-haul destinations, the index shows Thailand, Sri Lanka and Mexico offer the best value for money in more exotic climes.

Today’s online rush to book holidays comes less than a week after this year’s quietest period for web surfing. Following the pre-Christmas rush to buy our gifts online, Sky Broadband predicted a 27% drop in internet traffic over the Christmas period itself.

Christmas Eve will be closely followed by New Year’s Day as the second quietest day for broadband activity, as people recover from celebrating the night before. However, in the coming days the January sales are expected generate a rush for online bargains.

Image courtesy of Miemo