Thousands of Brits are ditching Europe for these three cheap African holiday destinations
WITH expensive costs and overcrowded attractions, thousands of Brits are ditching Europe for more affordable destinations in Africa.
Recent research by TUI has seen a boom in demand for North African holidays.
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Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia are all seeing a boom in demand, with destinations like Marrakech reporting record tourist numbers,
TUI's UK commercial director Chris Logan said that the reason for the demand was not because of the "fantastic value for money" compared to pricier places in Europe.
He told PA: "There's good quality accommodation and great weather beyond the traditional summer season.
"Even in the winter months temperatures are mild, making them a perfect choice for year-round travel."
And according to aviation analysts Cirium, nearly 20,000 flights are set to fly from London to North African destinations.
This is up from around 8,600 back in 2019.
Some of TUI's new routes include Stansted to Enfidha in Tunisia and from Newcastle to Agadir in Morocco.
Holidays are extremely cheaply too - we found deals under £300 each when four-star hotels in Morocco.
This demand has also been backed by Booking.com who said they had seen an increase in searches for summer holidays to Tunisia by 64 per cent compared to last year.
Searches for Egypt were up 64 per cent while Morocco was up 39 per cent.
Inside luxury camping bivouac under the dunes in Morocco's Sahara desert
Experts say many people are being drawn to the region by its wide availability of high-quality hotels costing considerably less than similar properties in locations such as Spain, France and Italy.
Nicki Tempest-Mitchell, managing director at travel agency Barrhead Travel said north Africa was "a region to watch over the next few years".
Other new Africa flights from the UK include easyJet's first route to Cape Verde from London Gatwick as well as flights to the Tunisia capital of Djbera.
And Norse Airways is increasing its flights from the UK to Cape Town after huge demand following the launch of them last year.
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said there is a "clear trend toward value-conscious holiday planning".
She went on: "Ongoing cost of living pressures and squeezed disposable incomes have meant that while people remain committed to taking holidays, they're increasingly focused on maximising value for money.
"This shift has driven growing popularity for destinations like Morocco, Egypt and Tunisia, which offer more competitive pricing and high-quality accommodation options compared to the more traditional western Mediterranean resorts."
The Sun's Deputy Travel Editor recently visited El Gouna in Egypt.
Our Head of Travel (Print) Lisa Minot went to Djerba in Tunisia.
And our
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