Manchester named top trending city destination in the UK

As voted on by TripAdvisor users, Manchester has been named the top 10 fastest growing domestic destinations in the UK.

With daffodils now popping up all over the shop and the clocks due to go forward in a few weeks, the long-awaited arrival of spring is imminent, and many people are *still* gagging for a holiday.

Tripadvisor today released its seasonal Spring Travel Index, using a combination of search and sentiment data to reveal what – and where – is hot this spring. After a slower winter with new variants curbing many holiday plans, data shows Brits are gearing up for a great escape.

The world’s largest travel platform positively describes Manchester as a ‘revitalised Northern city fuelled by a love of soccer, art, and music.’ According to its tourism page, Manchester is a ‘centre for sports and the arts is a down-to-earth and friendly city.’

‘The so-called Capital of the North has overcome industrial decline and bombing (in WWII and by the IRA) to become a confident and cosmopolitan city of over two million people. It is well served by a bus and light rail network, a boon for visitors on sightseeing expeditions.’

Despite the rising fuel cost and inflation overall, Brits aren’t willing to let this hamper their spring travel plans.

Daffodils symbolise rebirth and new beginnings, after all.

In fact, over half of Brits (54%) are planning on travelling this spring (1 March 2022 – 31 May 2022), with over a third (37%) planning on taking two or more trips. That compares with over a third (37%) of Brits who travelled in the same period last year.

On top of more trips, UK travellers are also planning to splash more cash. Of those Brits who travelled last year and planned to do so again, almost half (46%) plan to spend more than they did in 2021, with one in six (18%) planning to spend significantly more. Tripadvisor site data supports this sentiment, as the average spending per booking per UK traveller is up just over 75% year-on-year.

Tripadvisor search data shows that Brits’ most popular travel dates this spring are 11 March and 31 March, but where are UK travellers heading off to this spring?

International travel looks to be bouncing back in a big way as more than a third of Brits (38%) plan to holiday abroad, with 1 in 20 (7%) heading off on long haul trips. When looking at the destinations overseas, which have seen the most significant year-on-year increase in searches by Brits for trips this spring, Florida’s Key West topped the list, followed by Baa Atoll in the Maldives.

While international travel is on the up, domestic travel is still the preferred option. Over three-quarters, (78%) of Brits say they’ll travel within the UK between March and May this year. Respectively in terms of YoY growth of Tripadvisor clicks from UK travellers this spring, Manchester, Greater Manchester, is named in the top ten.

According to Tripadvisor, Afflecks, Etihad Stadium, Science and Industry Museum, The John Rylands Library, National Football Museum, Manchester Art Gallery, Royal Exchange Theatre, Fletcher Moss Park & Botanical Gardens, and Manchester Cathedral are named among the top ten essential places to see, ways to wander, and signature experiences that define Manchester.

Unsurprisingly, given the pandemic’s toll on us over the past two years, Brits cited rest and relaxation as the most popular purpose for their trips this spring. Spas came out as one of the most searched and booked accommodation amenities on Tripadvisor, and one in nine (11%) said they are planning a wellness trip this spring.

A third (33%) of Brits said they’re looking to experience something new and unique on their next trip. When looking at Brits’ most popular experiences categories, this Spring 2022, Movie and TV Tours, Ghost and Vampire Tours and Literary, Art & Music Tours came out on top. Highly rated experiences in these categories available to book on Tripadvisor this spring include Gavin and Stacey TV Locations Tour of Barry Island, The World Famous Underground Ghost Tour and The Original London Street Art Tour.