Edinburgh tops most popular UK destination for short breaks

Wotif.com ( www.wotif.com ), one of Europe’s leading discounted accommodation websites, has revealed that Edinburgh is by far the most popular destination for taking a short break within the UK.
The results were part of a nationwide survey of Wotif.com users preferences when taking short breaks for either weekends away or bank holidays. When asked their top three destinations for a short break within the UK, a substantial 52% of respondents named Edinburgh as the place they would most like to visit, ahead of London (34%), York (32%) and Bath (31%).
Wotif.com’s UK Manager Matt Harris, previously from Edinburgh, said he is not surprised by results:
“Edinburgh is home to some of the best galleries and museums in the UK, has great shopping, world-class theatre and fabulous food.
“Also part of Edinburgh’s appeal over a larger city like London is that it’s very easy to get around, and in a bank holiday, or even a weekend away, tourists can really get a feel for the city and see most of the major sites.”
Other questions within the survey provided Wotif.com with other insights: the type of accommodation people look for; what facilities are important to their holiday; what types of short breaks appeal most; how far in advance people book accommodation; and, the all important question, how much they are prepared to spend on accommodation.
Hotels or serviced apartments were the most popular form of accommodation, with 82% of respondents stating it was their preferred accommodation.
On the question of what sort of facilities they looked for, a whopping 54% considered a hotel restaurant as the number one draw-card, followed by 48% for a swimming pool. Only 6% wanted organised activities.
“A conclusion you could draw from this is that more and more people are seeing the savings and flexibility that come with making their own travel arrangements”, said Mr Harris.
The ideal short break showed a clear preference for city breaks (48%). Other popular choices were the beach (29%) and the countryside (16%).
Travellers are also leaving the booking of hotel accommodation until closer to the time, with the majority of respondents (65%), booking accommodation within the 28 days leading up to their short break.
“If you book accommodation closer to the time, in most cases your hotel room will be substantially cheaper with discounts of up to 70%. It is well worth the wait and you’ll save pennies you can put towards other parts of your break”, said Mr Harris.
So, how much are travellers prepared to pay per night for accommodation? The majority were prepared to pay between £40 and £79 per night, and in second place was £80 to £119 per night.
The top five favourite UK holiday regions, ranked in order:
1. Edinburgh (55%)
2. London (34%)
3. York (31%)
4. Bath (31%)
5. Manchester (16%)
The top five favourite European destinations, ranked in order, are:
1. Italy (55%)
2. Spain (30%)
3. France (30%)
4. Czech Republic (22%)
5. Portugal (19%)
-ends-
Wotif.com sells accommodation online in over 35 countries.

Our great rates, broad accommodation range, easy-to-use site and 24/7 Customer Service Centre have made us one of Europe’s leading websites for business and leisure travellers seeking discounted accommodation. Every month our site attracts almost 1 million users, who make over 110,000 bookings through our 28-day booking window.

Our European office is in London, with our head office in Brisbane, Australia, where we launched in March 2000. We also have offices in Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand and Singapore to support our growing international presence.

For further information, please contact:
Alice Kenny
Public Relations Executive
www.wotif.com
T: +44 (0) 20 7539 0767
F: +44 (0) 20 7539 0770
E: alice.kenny@wotif.com