Christmas Is Cancelled (Almost): Brits Favour Long-Haul and Luxe Getaways This Year According to KAYAK
LONDON, Nov. 11, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- New data from KAYAK, the world's leading travel search engine, shows festive flight searches from the UK are up 13% year-on-year suggesting British travellers are leaning into the idea of skipping tradition and seeing out the year abroad.
According to KAYAK's latest Travel Check-In: Christmas & New Year 2025, travellers are prepared to take their festivities abroad with interest rising for long-haul escapes and indulgent upgrades over the festive season.
Trending escapes
KAYAK's data reveals travellers aren't just looking for a quick trip. Flight searches to Africa are up by nearly a quarter (24%) and flight searches to Asia have increased by 5% compared to last year, showing an increased desire for longer-haul travel over the Christmas and New Year period.
In fact, seven of the top 10 trending flight destinations for the festive season are outside of Europe, and flying to more than half of these festive hotspots is cheaper compared to last year.
| KAYAK'S TOP 10 TRENDING DESTINATIONS FOR CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR 2025/6 |
||||
| RANK |
DESTINATION |
%- CHANGE IN |
AVERAGE RETURN |
YEAR-ON-YEAR |
| 1 |
Manila, Philippines |
+42 % |
£1,320 |
+25 % |
| 2 |
Islamabad, |
+21 % |
£920 |
-7 % |
| 3 |
Marrakech, |
+20 % |
£219 |
-11 % |
| 4 |
Cape Town, South |
+17 % |
£1,197 |
-4 % |
| 5 |
Granadilla, Spain |
+15 % |
£391 |
-17 % |
| 6 |
Mumbai, India |
+12 % |
£796 |
-6 % |
| 7 |
Doha, Qatar |
+10 % |
£796 |
+6 % |
| 8 |
Sydney, Australia |
+8 % |
£1,542 |
+5 % |
| 9 |
Geneva, |
+6 % |
£190 |
+8 % |
| 10 |
Krakow, Poland |
+5 % |
£190 |
-10 % |
Five-star festivities
Travellers aren't just going further this festive season, they're upgrading their experiences too. KAYAK data shows a 17% rise in business class flight searches and a 25% increase in desire for five-star hotels, despite luxury prices holding steady year-on-year.
Rachel Mumford, KAYAK's UK Travel Expert, says: "This year, the glow of the Christmas tree is being replaced by the thrill of departure gates. Our data shows that travellers are swapping tradition for exploration, venturing further and embracing bolder ways to celebrate the year's end."
Read more about KAYAK's Travel Check-In, covering top tips, destination insights and planning hacks, here.
About KAYAK
KAYAK, part of Booking Holdings (NASDAQ: BKNG), is the world's leading travel search engine. With billions of queries across our platforms, we help people find their perfect flight, stay, rental car and vacation package. Trusted by millions of travellers, the KAYAK app makes travel planning seamless on iOS and Android, and we also support business travellers with our corporate travel solution.
Notes to Editors
Flight search methodology:
Flight trends are based on searches made on KAYAK.co.uk between 15 June and 10 September 2025 for travel departing 20 December 2025 – 2 January 2026 and returning between 25 December 2025 – 10 January 2026 from any airport in the UK. Searches were compared year-on-year to the same period in 2024/2025. All prices refer to average economy return fares and may vary. Percentages are approximate.
Data on luxury travel is based on the analysis of return business class flight searches and searches for five-star hotels made on KAYAK.co.uk and associated brands for similar search and travel periods.
Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2676068/5614978/Kayak_Logo.jpg
Share this article