UK tourists continue to look longingly at Spain’s ever-popular beach destinations including Murcia as their firm favourites for sunny holidays this year. Noting that foreign travel is now much easier as a result of pre-departure tests being removed, ABTA – The Travel Association said Spain was number one on the list of top 10 destinations people planned to visit in 2022.
“Offering sun, sea and sand aplenty, Spain has long been the UK’s favourite holiday destination and usually attracts over 18 million of us each year.” More than one-quarter of respondents (29.3 per cent) opted for Spain, with the US next at 18.1 per cent.
The ABTA (formerly known as the Association of British Travel Agents) said the relaxation of UK testing requirements from 7 January for fully vaccinated travellers had made travel more accessible.
“January is typically when people start to plan their holidays for the year ahead,” said ABTA director of communications Graeme Buck, “so we’d encourage anyone who is thinking of booking a holiday to speak with an ABTA member.
“Whether they’re looking to visit one of these popular destinations or somewhere else entirely, our members are experts at finding the best holiday for their customers – and at a competitive price. They’ll also be there to look after their customers every step of the way, from doing all the research to keeping them up-to-date with any restrictions or changes they need to be aware of, so they can book and travel with confidence.”
ABTA has put together a comprehensive guide for travelling during the pandemic, and also recommends that travellers regularly check travel advice at the UK Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office website, to ensure they can meet latest entry requirements.
Top 10 Destinations for 2022
- Spain (29.3%)
- United States (18.1%)
- France (17.8%)
- Italy (16.4%)
- Greece (10.1%)
- Portugal (8.7%)
- Germany (8.2%)
- Australia (5.1%)
- Canada (4.5%)
- Turkey (4.0%)
High Life Expectancy in Spain
Another relevant, if less heralded, attraction for holidaymakers is Spain’s consistently prominent status in global life expectancy rankings and the opportunity of enjoying that lifestyle – albeit briefly.
According to the World Population Review, which outlines life expectancy rates by country based on the latest available statistics from the World Health Organisation (WHO), Spain ranked sixth – behind (in order), Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Switzerland and Singapore.
While the global life expectancy is 72.0 years (74.2 for females and 69.8 for males), in Spain the average is 83.612 years (86.3 for women and 80.9 for men). “Spain is known for its Mediterranean diet, which its people see as the main reason for such a high life expectancy,” notes the Review. “The diet, which is rich in healthy fats and includes plenty of vegetables and fish, is also linked to higher cognitive performance and a lower risk of dementia.”
