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.
13. Antalya
Turkey’s most popular spot with Mancunian travellers is an ideal destination for history lovers, with Greek and Roman ruins including the monumental ancient city of Perge and the 2,000-year-old Hadrian’s Gate. There’s also a picturesque Ottoman harbour, beaches, museums and Turkish food to enjoy Photo: Manchester Airport
14. Palma de Mallorca
The largest Balearic island is the most popular destination for holidaymakers flying out of Manchester and it has something for everyone, from the party scene of Magaluf to tranquil national parks to golden beaches to the main city of Palma, which has an acclaimed food and drink scene Photo: Manchester Airport