FORMER Iron Curtain destinations are opening up to British citybreak visitors, thanks to the budget airlines. While Paris, New York and Amsterdam are still proving most popular with UK short break tourists, the likes of Riga in Latvia, Tallinn in Estonia; and Krakow in Poland are welcoming an increasing number of visitors, a survey from American Express Travel shows.
Other emerging destinations include Bratislava in Slovakia, while the comparatively under-visited Spanish cities of Valencia and Bilbao are also emerging. American Express Travel also reveals that the number of accommodation-only bookings by short break travellers has doubled.
The company's senior vice president Brendan Walsh said: "This year the market for short breaks has become more competitive than ever, with cheaper flights and an expansion in routes from the UK regions, resulting in both good deals and greater flexibility for the consumer.
"Eastern Europe and Spain are generally perceived to be inexpensive places to visit, so cheap flights and low-cost carriers opening routes to their cities was bound to stimulate demand from consumers looking for a great value break."
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