Travel metasearch platform Kayak has revealed where Brits are travelling to this summer, from the most popular to the best-value locations. Gemma Harris reports
Kayak’s “Summer Travel Check-In” report reveals a data-driven glimpse into this summer’s popular destinations, pricing fluctuations and trends for the season.
One standout trend for summer 2024 is the surge in interest in China-bound travel due to flight price decreases and the relaxation of visa restrictions. The falling prices and a spike in flight searches to China make it this year’s long-haul destination for cost-conscious travellers, with interest in destinations such as Fuzhou up 131%, Beijing up 55% and Guangzhou up 50%.
Rachel Mumford, Kayak’s travel expert, says: “This summer, we’ve seen a few clear trends coming through, as post-Covid long-haul travel continues to buoy travellers. Brits seem to be keen to tick off bucket list travel to China since the country reopened its borders last year, and this summer could be the perfect time to go with falling prices.”
Searches for Germany have also increased more than three-fold compared to 2023. German cities such as Dusseldorf, Munich and Cologne have emerged as top trending destinations fueled by the anticipation of eager British football fans visiting Germany for the summer’s football games.
“Football fever set to sweep the nation has led to German destinations topping Kayak’s trending summer destinations this year as we see sports tourism soar, and travellers are still able to get good deals to Paris if they’re hoping to soak up the summer sporting buzz,” says Mumford.
Kayak has unveiled a lineup of destinations for those seeking the most cost-efficient summer trips. Dublin, Ireland, with an average flight price of £107, is the best value destination in Europe this summer, closely followed by an average flight price of £120 travelling to Copenhagen.
Venturing outside of Europe, Marrakech stands out as a recommended destination for cost-effective flights, with an average flight price of £224, solidifying Europe and North Africa as go-to budget-friendly regions.
The report also identified optimal weeks for securing the best value flight prices. For Europe-bound travel, June 23 presented an opportune window, with average flight prices hovering around £205. For those looking for international destinations further afield, September 9 is the best time to book, with average flight prices around £630. In comparison, note that prices across most destinations peak on July 22.
While flight prices from the UK currently remain stable or decreasing for this summer, Kayak advises travellers to embrace flexibility and consider departing during the shoulder season dates to secure the cheapest fares.
Those from the UK continue to look East for their summer adventures, with Bangkok, Thailand, claiming the top spot as the most searched destination. Manilla in the Philippines and Islamabad in Pakistan also feature prominently in the top five.
The data-driven insights from Kayak provide valuable direction for British travellers seeking affordable and trending summer getaways in 2024. 
Kayak’s best value summer 2024 flight destinations
(Based on average UK return flights between 15 June – 15 September 2024)
| Best value flights outside Europe | Avg. flight price | Best value flights within Europe | Avg. flight price |
|
£224 | 1. Dublin, Ireland | £107 |
| 2. Agadir, Morocco | £249 | 2. Saint Peter, Jersey | £120 |
| 3. Tangier, Morocco | £345 | 3. Copenhagen, Denmark | £120 |
| 4. Tunis, Tunisia | £346 | 4. Cork, Ireland | £134 |
| 5. Enfidha, Tunisia | £354 | 5. Paris, France | £141 |
| 6. Casablanca, Morocco | £359 | 6. Amsterdam, Netherlands | £141 |
| 7. Tbilisi, Georgia | £387 | 7. Milan, Italy | £143 |
| 8. Amman, Jordan | £412 | 8. Limoges, France | £144 |
| 9. Algiers, Algeria | £429 | 9. Brussels, Belgium | £148 |
| 10. Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt | £493 | 10. Geneva, Switzerland | £151 |
Most searched for summer 2024 destinations
| Most searched destinations this summer | Avg. flight price |
Price change 2024 vs 2023 |
|
£820 | -3% |
| 2. New York, USA | £552 | 10% |
| 3. Manila, Philippines | £893 | -2% |
| 4. Islamabad, Pakistan | £835 | 0% |
| 5. Orlando, USA | £740 | 8% |
| 6. Alicante, Spain | £223 | 20% |
| 7. Málaga, Spain | £214 | 18% |
| 8. Faro, Portugal | £234 | 15% |
| 9. Colombo, Sri Lanka | £985 | 4% |
| 10. Toronto, Canada | £583 | 6% |
Top trending summer 2024 destinations
| Destinations with largest search increases for summer 2024 | Search increase 2024 vs 2023 |
Average flight price |
|
271% | £234 |
| 2. Munich, Germany | 239% | £249 |
| 3. Cologne, Germany | 232% | £266 |
| 4. Fuzhou, China | 131% | £891 |
| 5. Frankfurt am Main, Germany | 125% | £252 |
| 6. Béziers, France | 105% | £204 |
| 7. Tivat, Montenegro | 74% | £245 |
| 8. Nashville, USA | 65% | £790 |
| 9. Shannon, Ireland | 61% | £196 |
| 10. Beijing, China | 55% | £712 |
Biggest price drops for summer 2024 flights
| Destination | Price decrease 2024 vs 2023 | Average flight price 2024 |
| Fuzhou, China | -45% | £891 |
| Beijing, China | -33% | £712 |
| Guangzhou, China | -28% | £840 |
| Shanghai, China | -22% | £726 |
| Bodrum, Türkiye | -16% | £310 |
| Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates | -16% | £526 |
| Istanbul, Türkiye | -14% | £262 |
| Antalya, Türkiye | -14% | £290 |
| Dubrovnik, Croatia | -11% | £223 |
| Hyderabad, India | -10% | £719 |