Cambodia comes top of 2015 holiday hotspots list

Fort Lauderdale, Florida, was among the top destinations. Picture: Getty

They head the top ten destinations to watch in a list compiled by global travel search website Skyscanner.

Siem Reap in the north-west of Cambodia tops the list with a 33 per cent increase in searches from the UK, followed closely by Fort Lauderdale at 32 per cent and Mykonos at 31 per cent.

Travel experts say that with a wide choice of upmarket hotels springing up alongside hostels, Siem Reap is set to become the hot new destination for 2015 for both backpackers and luxury travellers.

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Fort Lauderdale is now regenerating itself to attract a more sophisticated crowd thanks to investments in its infrastructure, including a £500 million expansion of its airport, a new high-speed rail station and the creation of ultra-luxury accommodation.

Mykonos is also experiencing a revival in popularity after celebrities including Ronaldo, Jennifer Lopez and Lindsay Lohan flocked to the Greek party town and its luxury hotels.

New direct flights from Heathrow and endorsements from superstar DJs such as Afrojack, who has claimed tourists will get a “cheaper and more fun” experience on Mykonos than Ibiza, helped secure the Greek island’s place in the top three.

The predictions are based on the analysis of millions of Skyscanner flight searches over the last three years, combined with research carried out by trend forecasting companies The Future Laboratory and Trendhunter providing additional insight on consumer trends and influences.

Mary Porter, of Skyscanner, said: “It is really interesting to see how people’s travel interests are changing.

“With over 30 million searches to the site every month from all over the world, our search data gives us some really robust insight into these trends.

“We’ve analysed the data to spot emerging trends and cross-referenced this with factors that are likely to affect their popularity over the next 12 months such as film releases and new hotels.

“While Spain, the USA and France continue to be the most popular holiday destinations for Brits we know that many of our customers like to be ahead of the trend and are looking to be inspired by new destinations.”

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