9/11 Effect fades as cheap dollar lures more Britons than ever - figures are published by internet travel agent ebookers

America has become the favorite destination of British holidaymakers.

Four of the top five summer holiday spots are in the US, figures out today show.

Experts said that the weakness of the dollar was tempting travelers, with the cost of hotels, food and shopping at all- time low.

The top destination is Orlando, followed by the New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Faro in the Algarve, Portugal, is the only European destination to make the top five. Only three of the top 10 resorts are in Europe.

As well as American holidays, Britons are opting for long- haul trips to Dubai, Sydney and Bangkok.

Five years ago, more European cities such Amsterdam, Rome and Madrid were among the most popular destinations, with 70 percent of British holidaymakers opting for short-haul break.

A spokesman for the Association of British Travel Agents said: “The dollar has been weak against the pound for past two years and this, in conjunction with some of the most competitive transatlantic air fares we have ever seen, means we’re expecting to see a record number of British people travel to the US. Things recovered after 9/11 as flight to US bounced back pretty quickly.”

Today figures are published by internet travel agent ebookers ( http://www.ebookers.com?source=goog&keyword=news )and are based on bookings it has received for July and August.

Marketing director Chris Sherlock said: “We’ve seen a trend in the past five years for the traditional European break to be more of the weekend indulgence, to be taken a few times a year.

“As such, Britons are traveling further than ever for their summer holidays.

“The competitive dollar exchange rate has a lot to do with the current popularity of US destinations.”

“In terms of air travel it costs just 4p per mile to travel to US cities like New York and Los Angeles, which coupled with the favorable exchange rate, makes the US a very attractive destination.”

Top 10 Tickets
2005 2000
Orlando New York
New York Amsterdam
Los Angeles Rome
Faro (Algarve) Madrid
San Francisco London
Malaga Paris
Alicante Dublin
Bangkok Nice
Sydney Los Angeles
Dubai Sans Francisco

-Evening Standard-