Italy overtakes France
The USA held on to its number two position showing that Brits are still willing to spend on long haul flights despite tougher economic times, but the third most popular summer destination was Italy which moved up two places compared to last year, displacing Turkey (4th) and overtaking France (5th).

After a summer of civil unrest in 2010, Greece also moved up two places to number six this year which will come as welcome news at a time when economic woes in the country are still ongoing. Portugal fell one place to number seven, Cyprus moved up one to number 8, and the UK also dropped slightly to 9th, suggesting a move away from the ‘staycation’ trend of last summer. Croatia moved into the top ten, displacing Thailand which fell one place to number 11.

Balkans Booming
The highest new entry was from Kosovo which rocketed into the top 100 at number 67. Interest in the Balkan region has increased generally, with neighbouring Serbia climbing 11 places, FYROM entering the Top 100 at number 95, and Bosnia and Herzegovina also just squeezing in at number 100. With a choice of city breaks, stunning coastline and mountain retreats, the Balkan region is evidently increasing its appeal to British visitors looking for somewhere different and offering good value for money.

High Risers: Bangladesh, Cape Verde and Madagascar
Destinations to see the biggest jumps in popularity compared to last summer were: Bangladesh which rose 15 places to number 81, Cape Verde rising 13 places to 78; Madagascar rising 11 places to 86, possibly helped by the recent BBC documentary series on the country, and Serbia which has been marketing heavily to the UK over the last year, rising 11 places to number 40.

Beach Luxury Down
Mauritius dropped in popularity as did Antigua, Barbuda, and the Seychelles which disappeared from the Top 100 altogether; possibly due to the recent increases in APD tax, and a drop in high-end, luxury destination bookings.

10 Most Popular Summer Destinations for British Tourists 2011

1. Spain [0]
2. USA [0]
3. Italy [+2]
4. Turkey [-1]
5. France [-1]
6. Greece [+2]
7. Portugal [-1]
8. Cyprus [+1]
9. UK [-2]
10. Croatia [+1]

Numbers in brackets show movement in ranking compared to Summer 2010.