The mass exodus of Brits going overseas during Christmas and New Year begins tomorrow. Nearly four million are packing their bags with peak travel days this weekend. But airports, ferry terminals and the Channel Tunnel will be busy right through until January 3, says travel association ABTA.
Many of the four million are looking for a traditional white Christmas and resorts across Europe are benefiting from bumper snow falls. Ski resorts in France, Austria, Switzerland and Italy have sold well with the week around New Year traditionally the busiest of the season. Many children are having the ultimate early Christmas present, a trip to Lapland to see Santa and the Northern Lights, which NASA says are the best for 50 years.
Sun-seekers are also on the move and travel companies report they will be heading to destinations such as the Canary Islands, Tunisia, Cuba and Mexico. Other travellers are flying south to Australia, South Africa and New Zealand for Christmas barbies on the beach.
Those staying in the UK are checking into country hotels and cottages. And Paris, Rejkyavik, Rome, Dublin and New York are popular cities for New Year’s Eve breaks.
Millions of people will be leaving the country through the major airports. Heathrow is expecting 1.7 million, Stansted 300,000, Gatwick 700,000 and Luton 125,000. In addition, 320,000 will leave from Manchester, 116,000 from Birmingham, 75,000 from Glasgow. And from tomorrow until December 24, 52,000 will be departing from Edinburgh airport and 56,000 from Bristol.
Hundreds of thousands of people will also travel across the English Channel by ferry or through the Channel Tunnel with 160,000 heading off on Eurostar with Paris being the favourite destination.
Mark Tanzer, Chief Executive of ABTA (www.abta.com) said: “Christmas and New Year is traditionally the busiest time of year for the travel industry with millions of people heading off overseas for some winter sunshine or guaranteed snow. This year is no exception and the ferries, railways and airports will be very busy over the festive season. With a White Christmas looking unlikely in the UK, thousands are heading off to the alpine resorts of Europe, where there has been some of the best snow fall for years, to experience the magic of a traditional Christmas.”
