BETWEEN the tourist guide lists of must-see destinations and the proliferation of air routes, some places can be overrun by tourists, as could well be the case in Crete, the Algarve and Brittany this year.
If you've grown tired of the hordes of tourists in Spain, maybe it's time to return to the country, where no particular region is forecast to be a future hotspot for vacationers.
Greece, particularly Crete, will once again be a popular summer tourist destination in 2022, predicts Mabrian, a travel intelligence company.
By looking at the emergence of new air routes, but also the capacity of the planes that will operate these trips, as well as average hotel prices, the data company identified Crete as the most coveted European region for travellers in 2023.
This status is bolstered by a Cretan offer rich in nature- and wellness-focused stays.
In fact, the Mediterranean island is very popular with hikers, who can enjoy a five-to-seven-hour hike through the Samaria Gorge, the longest in Europe.
Internationally, Crete is second only to Bali, according to Mabrian, which analysed more than 700 destinations worldwide.
Several European regions feature high on this list of top-trending destinations, starting with the Algarve.
The scenic Portuguese region is a serious option for vacationers due to its affordable hotel prices, with an average of €86.39 per night in the first quarter of 2023.
France also features in the top five, with the unmissable island of Corsica in fifth place and the Brittany region in fourth, echoing its rise among French tourists.
Last summer, the region recorded the strongest growth in visitor numbers of all French regions. Brittany then recorded nearly 22 million overnight stays (+7.2 per cent compared with in 2019), between April and September, according to France's National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies.
Brittany provided tourists with the perfect weather without being oppressively hot and with water that was a comfortable temperature because of the sweltering summer that Europe endured last year.
In terms of European regions offering a different kind of vacation, with lush countryside and mild temperatures, Wales takes a surprising sixth place in this analysis.
Mabrain's top trending destinations for 2023 are:
1
. Bali (Indonesia)
2
. Crete (Greece)
3
. Algarve (Portugal)
4
. Brittany (France)
5
. Corsica (France)
6
. Wales (the United Kingdom)
7
. Sardinia (Italy)
8
. Antalya (Turkey)
9
. The Maldives
10
. Sicily (Italy)
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