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UK popularity soars over Easter, says eDreams Odigeo

The UK saw a “significant increase” in visitors travelling from Europe over Easter, data from online flight retailer eDreams Odigeo shows.

There was a 49% rise in international travellers to the UK, with a 233% rise in the number of Danish tourists compared to 2016.

There was also a 138% rise in the number of Norwegian passengers heading to the UK and a 128% rise in the number of Dutch coming to the country.

Data collated by eDreams also shows that the cost of flying to the UK has dropped by 16% since Easter 2016, making it cheaper for tourists to get here.

Edinburgh had the biggest spike in popularity, with visitors to the Scottish capital up 66% against last Easter. London also saw a 61% rise and there was a 48% increase in the number of passengers heading for Manchester.

The chief executive of eDreams ODIGEO, Dana Dunne said: “London has always been a favourite destination for travellers from around the world, and this Easter we’ve seen a 49% increase in international flight bookings to the UK.

“As one of the world’s largest online travel companies, our data gives us insight into global travel trends and what’s really encouraging for the British tourism industry is that inbound arrivals are also up for cities across the country, including Edinburgh and Manchester. It’s really great to see Britain becoming more popular than ever.”

The top ten nationalities travelling to the UK (based on percentage increases versus same Easter period last year) were:

1. Denmark (233%)
2. Norway (138%)
3. Netherlands (128%)
4. France (110%)
5. Germany (75%)
6. Luxembourg (67%)
7. Belgium (52%)
8. Portugal (39%)
9. Austria (38%)
10. Romania (35%)

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