An estimated two million British holidaymakers will head overseas this bank holiday weekend.
According to ABTA, airports across the country are preparing for a busy few days. Heathrow is expecting 248,000 people to fly out on Friday alone, while Gatwick is set to handle 311,000 departing passengers over the entire weekend. A further 150,000 will fly from Stansted.
Outside London, Bristol Airport is anticipating that 55,000 people will depart over the weekend, while East Midlands is expecting 47,000. Manchester Airport is preparing for 103,000 passengers to pass through its terminals in just 24 hours.
Ports and the Channel Tunnel are also expected to be busy, as France remains a firm favourite for British holidaymakers.
“This weekend is the traditional curtain closer for the peak summer months and it is always a very busy weekend for travel, with millions taking advantage of the long weekend to head off overseas,” said Mark Tanzer, ABTA’s chief executive. “With the roads predicted to be extremely busy, holidaymakers should make sure that they leave plenty of time to get to their port of departure.”
City breaks expected to be a popular option for the bank holiday getaway, while many families will be heading to the beaches around the Mediterranean. Spain is a top choice, with Malaga, Mallorca and Barcelona among the most popular short-haul destinations. Further afield, the US has proved popular, with Orlando, New York and Las Vegas firm favourites.
UK destinations have also proved popular this year, and VisitEngland revealed earlier this week that it expects 5.1 million Brits to holiday in the UK over the bank holiday weekend.
Comments are closed.