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.
1. Mykonos
Mykonos is particularly popular with younger holidaymakers and offers a mixture of Greek culture, food, striking architecture, sunshine and vibrant nightlife . The ‘Little Venice’ in the town of Chora is a popular day trip. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto
2. Almeria
Many people flock to the south of Spain for sunshine and beaches, but there’s the fascinating Andalucian culture to explore as well as Europe’s only desert, which has been visited by many Hollywood film crews for shooting. Photo: Manchester Airport Photo: Manchester Airport
3. Dubrovnik
The Croatian city of Dubrovnik is an Adriatic gem that has become known to many TV enthusiasts through Game of Thrones but has a wealth of monuments, history and culture to explore within its 800-year-old city walls. Photo: Manchester Airport Photo: Manchester Airport
4. Gran Canaria
The largest Canary Island is lush, green and mountainous and ringed with golden beaches, making it perfect for a relaxing break in the sun or more active pastimes ranging from watersports to climbing. Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto Photo: Getty Images/iStockphoto