Spain Shares the Spotlight With Italy and Türkiye as British Travellers Broaden Their European Holiday Choices Beyond Traditional Favourites

Spain remains the undisputed heavyweight of Britain’s overseas holiday market, but the destination map around it is becoming more varied. UK residents made 94.6 million overseas visits in 2024, spending an estimated £78.7 billion, while Spain accounted for 18.2 million visits. France followed with 9.1 million and Italy with 4.9 million. Yet newer evidence points towards broader destination experimentation, with Greece, Portugal, Türkiye, Croatia and Cyprus maintaining strong appeal. The real story is diversification, not abandonment, as British holiday demand spreads across established Mediterranean rivals and emerging long-haul markets.

Spain Remains the Market’s Great Anchor

Any assessment of British holiday behaviour must begin with Spain because its scale remains exceptional. ONS estimates show Spain attracted about 19.2% of all overseas visits by UK residents in 2024, based on 18.2 million visits from the 94.6 million total. France accounted for roughly 9.6%, while Italy represented about 5.2%, showing the sizeable gap between Spain and its nearest European competitors.

That dominance also survived into 2025 on the inbound side. Spain received a record 96.8 million international tourists in 2025, up 3.2% year-on-year. British arrivals rose 3.7%, while visitors from the UK generated €23.65 billion in expenditure, up 4.9%. The figures make one point unmistakable: British demand for Spain is still expanding rather than collapsing.

The more revealing question, therefore, is not whether Spain is losing its British audience. It is whether other destinations are capturing additional demand, specific holiday segments and trips that might otherwise have gone to Spain. That distinction changes the story from a simplistic substitution narrative into a much richer examination of destination competition.

France Offers More Than a Nearby Escape

France occupies an unusual position because its British market includes beach holidays, city breaks, skiing, gastronomy, touring and family travel. Its proximity also gives travellers options beyond aviation, including rail, ferry, driving and the Channel Tunnel.

Official French statistics show the UK remained the largest European source market for French hotels during summer 2025, generating 4.2 million hotel nights. Across hotels and campsites, British visitors accounted for 15.5 million nights in 2025, unchanged from 2024.

This stability matters because France does not compete with Spain on a single holiday proposition. Paris can absorb short breaks, the Alps attract winter travellers, the Atlantic coast supports summer tourism, while Provence and the Riviera extend demand into the shoulder seasons.

France’s winter picture also reveals how destination choice varies by season. British hotel nights fell 19.5% during the 2025 winter season to 2.9 million, yet the UK remained France’s largest European source market.

Italy Is Winning the Experience Economy

Italy represents another form of competition. Its appeal is less dependent on the classic package-resort model and more connected with culture, food, heritage, landscapes, luxury and city breaks.

Italy recorded 458.4 million tourist nights in 2024, a 2.5% increase on 2023. Foreign visitors generated more than 250 million nights, representing 54.6% of the national total. Italy ranked second in the European Union for total tourist nights, behind Spain.

The latest Italian figures show the international component continuing to strengthen. In the fourth quarter of 2025, foreign tourist nights increased 5.1%, while the foreign share reached 56.5% of all nights. Across the year, foreign nights rose 4.3%, despite a 0.9% fall in overall arrivals.

For British travellers, that creates a different proposition from Spain. A week in Tuscany, Sicily, Puglia or the Italian Lakes may satisfy travellers seeking food, scenery and cultural immersion rather than a traditional resort package.

Greece Is Building Stronger Mediterranean Momentum

Greece has become one of the clearest alternatives within the Mediterranean holiday belt. Its islands offer the familiar combination of beaches, sunshine and resort infrastructure, but Athens, Crete, mainland Greece and smaller islands provide additional cultural and experiential depth.

Greek accommodation statistics show the UK supplied 16.4% of foreign arrivals and 19.4% of foreign nights in 2025. British arrivals increased 5.7%, while nights increased 5.8%, indicating that the market was expanding on both measures.

The wider Greek accommodation market also grew. Hotel and similar establishments recorded 30.2 million arrivals and 119.0 million nights in 2025, with arrivals increasing 2.4% and nights 1.8%. The UK appeared among the leading source markets across several major Greek regions, including Central Greece and the Aegean Islands and Crete.

That regional spread is significant. It suggests British demand is not confined to one resort corridor, giving Greece a broader tourism proposition than a simple summer-sun competitor.

Portugal Balances Beach and City Demand

Portugal has developed an especially resilient British-market ecosystem because it combines the Algarve with Lisbon, Porto, Madeira and a growing range of cultural and nature-based experiences.

The UK remained Portugal’s leading source market by overnight stays in 2025. British visitors generated about 10.1 million nights, representing 17.7% of foreign overnight demand, while British tourism receipts reached approximately €4.3 billion, up 3.5%.

The geographical concentration is striking. The Algarve accounted for 57.0% of British overnight stays, followed by Madeira at 18.8% and Greater Lisbon at 12.7%. British air demand is also widely distributed, with London providing the largest share, followed by Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and Edinburgh.

Portugal therefore demonstrates an important feature of the diversification story. A destination does not need to displace Spain nationally to compete for British travellers. It can capture particular regions, travel styles and spending segments.

Türkiye Brings the Value Equation

Türkiye occupies another strategic position because its appeal often intersects with value-conscious resort demand. Antalya, Dalaman, Bodrum and Istanbul allow the country to combine all-inclusive holidays, beaches, culture and city tourism.

ABTA’s 2025–26 Holiday Habits data placed Türkiye eighth among countries visited during the previous 12 months, with 8% of respondents naming it. Greece reached 12%, Portugal 11%, while Spain remained at 32%.

This is not evidence that travellers are abandoning Spain for Türkiye. It instead shows how the Mediterranean competitive field has widened, particularly for travellers evaluating resort packages, accommodation value and different regional experiences.

The distinction becomes especially important when examining booking behaviour. Destination remains a major decision driver, with 45% of respondents in ABTA research ranking destination as their most important booking consideration. Cost followed at 33%, while 12% prioritised holiday dates.

The New Markets Are Already Visible

The most intriguing part of the market lies beyond the established Mediterranean circuit. ABTA’s 2025–26 survey found Spain, France, Italy, the USA and Greece leading the countries visited during the previous year. Germany, Portugal and Türkiye followed, while Australia, Austria, Cyprus, Ireland, the United Arab Emirates, Croatia and the Netherlands also featured.

The continental figures reveal a wider shift. Europe still accounted for 83% of destinations visited, but Africa rose from 8% in 2023 to 12% in 2025. The Middle East increased from 8% to 11%, while Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific climbed from 7% to 10%. Asia held at 15%, after rising from 11% in 2023.

This is where the phrase destination diversification becomes meaningful. The British market remains heavily European, but the outer edges are becoming more substantial.

Travellers Want New Places Too

The appetite for discovery reinforces the statistical picture. ABTA found 48% of people were planning to explore a country they had not previously visited, while 54% were open to discovering a new city or resort.

That creates space for destinations that would never challenge Spain in absolute visitor volume. Croatia, Cyprus, Morocco, Albania, Montenegro and further-flung markets can instead capture travellers looking for novelty, different landscapes or a fresh interpretation of familiar holiday themes.

Travel inspiration is also changing. ABTA reported that 8% of people used artificial intelligence for holiday inspiration in its 2025–26 research, double the previous year’s 4%. Internet searches remained the leading source at 48%, while recommendations from friends and family reached 41%.

The implication for destinations is substantial. Discovery no longer depends entirely on traditional tour operators or established destination brands.

Airlines Can Manufacture Destination Momentum

Air connectivity is another crucial piece of the puzzle. A destination can attract more British travellers when airlines increase seats, open regional routes or extend operations beyond the traditional summer peak.

Portugal provides a useful illustration. Its 2025 British market was heavily connected to London, but Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham, Edinburgh and other UK cities also supplied substantial demand. That regional spread reduces dependence on one departure market and makes the destination accessible to a broader British audience.

This is why visitor growth should never be interpreted purely as a change in traveller preference. Capacity can create choice, and choice can create demand. A new route can turn an unfamiliar destination into a realistic weekend break or family holiday.

Seasonality Is Changing the Competitive Map

The traditional British holiday calendar is also becoming less rigid. Spain remains exceptionally strong during summer, but other destinations can compete more effectively in spring, autumn and winter.

Italy can draw cultural travellers in spring and autumn. Portugal can extend beach, golf and city demand beyond the height of summer. Greece and Türkiye have also expanded their shoulder-season propositions, while Morocco, the UAE and other warm-weather destinations can compete for winter-sun demand.

That matters because destination substitution is often season-specific rather than absolute. A British traveller might choose Spain for a July family holiday, Italy for an October city-and-food trip and Morocco for February sunshine.

What The Numbers Mean for Travellers

The data suggests there is no single “replacement Spain”. Instead, travellers now have a much broader menu of destinations offering different combinations of climate, cost, connectivity, culture and accommodation.

The practical lesson is equally important. Comparing countries only by arrival numbers can hide the reason travellers choose them. A destination with fewer British visitors may offer stronger value for a particular travel style, season or departure region.

Spain’s Lead Is Becoming More Nuanced

The evidence ultimately points towards a more sophisticated British outbound market rather than a dramatic Spanish retreat. Spain remains far ahead in absolute UK visitor volume, and its British market continued growing in 2025. Yet Greece, Portugal, Italy, France and Türkiye are sustaining powerful demand while newer destinations broaden the competitive field.

ABTA’s latest evidence reinforces that interpretation. Spain remained the most visited country among surveyed holidaymakers, while 48% expressed interest in visiting a country they had not previously visited. The market is therefore doing two things simultaneously: returning repeatedly to trusted favourites and experimenting with alternatives.

For travellers, that creates a more flexible holiday landscape. Spain still offers enormous choice, but it no longer defines every form of British overseas travel. The emerging pattern is a portfolio of destinations, with different countries serving different budgets, seasons, experiences and motivations. That may prove more important than any single country’s ranking.