With the winter weather remaining grey and wet in Greater Manchester and the January blues settling in, it should be no surprise that the thoughts of many residents will begin turning to booking holidays and some summer sun. And now Manchester Airport has released its list of what it thinks will be the top getaway destinations in 2023.
The 14 places which have been picked include long-established favourites with British visitors in Spain and Portugal, islands welcoming everyone from clubbers to nature enthusiasts, cities and destinations in countries including Croatia and Turkey.
The airport says it is expecting to see a spike in bookings over the coming weeks. January is usually a busy time for people looking to firm up their holiday plans while staring out at the dreary weather at this time of a year and the third Monday of the first month of the year (16 January in 2023) is Blue Monday, a term coined by the travel industry as it typically coincides with a peak of booking activity.
More than 630,000 travellers searched for a flight from Manchester on the corresponding Monday last year, according to data from price comparison site Skyscanner.
Here is the full list of beautiful holiday destinations airport bosses reckon we’ll be keen to jet off to this year.
9. Malaga
Not far from the famous beaches of the Costa del Sol, Malaga has plenty of culture including a museum dedicated to Picasso who was born here, a well-preserved Roman amphitheatre and the Alcazaba, a fortress from when the area was in Muslim-ruled Al-Andalus Photo: Manchester Airport
10. Tenerife
Tenerife has a lot of activities for all the family, whether it’s taking the cable car to the summit of Mount Teide to enjoy the extraordinary views, visiting the Siam Park waterpark or taking a boat ride Photo: Manchester Airport
11. Alicante
Alicante is at the heart of the Costa Blanca, with its white beaches and 120 miles of stunning coastline, but you can also enjoy visiting the historic Castillo de Santa Bárbara, an imposing medieval fortress Photo: Manchester Airport
12. Dalaman
Dalaman in Turkey has grown massively in popularity with tourists over recent years and is a gateway to attractions like Kumburnu beach, which extends like a pier into a deep blue lagoon and is a great for snorkelling, and Babadağ mountain which is an ideal spot to try paragliding Photo: Manchester Airport