Travel firms are reporting a significant shift in travel preferences, with\u00a0Morocco, Egypt<\/a>, Tunisia<\/a>\u00a0experiencing a boom in British visitors thanks to its competitive pricing, and top-tier accommodation.\u00a0<\/p>\n Airlines are responding to the demand, with flights from UK airports to north Africa increasing significantly, according to Cirium.\u00a0<\/p>\n Figures show 19,847\u00a0flights are expected to depart from the UK airports on routes headed to north Africa this year – more than double the 8,653 flights recorded in 2019.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile, flights to Spain and Portugal are projected to increase by just 10 per cent and 9 per cent respectively over the same period.\u00a0<\/p>\n This indicates tourists who are seeking sun and high-quality hotels for less\u00a0are willing to take longer flights to reach these destinations – even if it means forgoing reclining seats and onboard entertainment.\u00a0<\/p>\n Flights from London Gatwick Airport to Egypt generally take around 5 hours and 30 minutes, with direct flights available to destinations like Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada.<\/p>\n British holidaymakers are ditching bargain breaks in European hotspots for affordable high-quality vacations in an entirely new continent, travel companies report (Pictured:\u00a0Benidorm, Alicante, Spain)<\/p>\n Many UK tourists are flocking to north Africa for holidays due to its year-round warm weather, rich cultural heritage and budget-friendly luxury (Pictured:\u00a0Madeira island Funchal, Portugal)<\/p>\n Pictured: Ait-Ben-Haddou, Ksar or fortified village in Ouarzazate province, Morocco<\/p>\n Though the bustling Spanish hotspot of Alicante is much closer, with flights typically taking 2 hours and 30 minutes, passengers would only be spending an extra three hours on the plane to Egypt.\u00a0<\/p>\n However,\u00a0Morocco is a more accessible travel option than Egypt, with a shorter flight duration from London to Marrakech averaging 3 hours and 45 minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n In March, easyJet launched flights between Gatwick and Cape Verde, off the coast of west Africa – its longest route serving England at a distance of 2,332 nautical miles over 6 hours and 10 minutes.\u00a0<\/p>\n Travel company TUI said bookings from flight-only and package holiday customers for summer breaks in Egypt are 30 per cent higher compared with a year ago, as reported by the Independent<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Additionally, it said Tunisia saw ‘double-digit growth,’ while demand for Morocco surges.\u00a0<\/p>\n Online accommodation marketplace Booking.com reported a 68 per cent increase in the number of searches for breaks in Tunisia from January until May of this year compared with the same time frame in 2024.\u00a0<\/p>\n Egypt and Morocco experienced a boost of 64 per cent and 39 per cent respectively.\u00a0<\/p>\n Pictured:\u00a0Souvenir shops in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt<\/p>\n Pictured: South Sinai (Sharm El-Sheikh), Egypt<\/p>\n Pictured:\u00a0Riad Kniza, Marrakesh, Morocco, North Africa<\/p>\n As well as year-round pleasant weather, north Africa boasts rich cultural heritage, bustling cities, stunning beaches and desert landscapes,\u00a0establishing it as a leading destination for tourists this summer.\u00a0<\/p>\n Meanwhile,\u00a0British expats are flocking to a seldom-visited Mediterranean country dubbed the ‘Maldives of Europe’<\/a> with living costs a fraction of the UK and 300 sunny days a year.<\/p>\n Bargain-loving Brits say they are choosing to live in Albania, a formerly communist state overlooking the Adriatic and Ionian seas<\/a>, describing it as ‘prettier than Greece and much cheaper’.<\/p>\n![\"British](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/06\/99336809-14808879-image-a-4_1749808154567.jpg\")
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