On the Beach: Brits Flock to Seaside Holiday Destinations

MANCHESTER, England, May 20, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- According to a Survey by the European Commission, One in Five British Tourists in 2011 were Looking for Some Time at the Beach; On the Beach say this Owes to the Relaxing Environment of Seaside Resorts.

According to the European Commission's annual Eurobarometer survey, 22 per cent of British people looked to spend some time at the beach during their main holidays in 2010. On the Beach, one of the UK's leading online travel agencies, say this is thanks to the many opportunities for rest and relaxation available on holidays to Majorca ( http://www.onthebeach.co.uk/destinations/balearics/majorca), Greece, Turkey and other popular seaside destinations.

The data comes from a wide-ranging survey conducted by Eurobarometer (http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm), a public opinion monitoring program run by the European Commission. It polled 30,000 people over 15 years of age in all EU states. Spending time at the beach was the second most popular reason to go on holiday for respondents from the UK, preceded only by rest and relaxation which was highlight by 41 per cent of those surveyed.

Alistair Daly, Marketing Director of On the Beach ( http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/index_en.htm), says: "These numbers are not overly surprising to us, as our customers are always very focused on getting away to sunny destinations on the continent. In fact, it seems to have become a tradition for many families to travel to the seaside at least once a year - and, thanks to low prices and cheap packages, these holidays are open to everyone."

Daly believes this popularity owes to relaxing atmosphere of beachside resorts. He comments: "Holidays to places like Ibiza ( http://www.onthebeach.co.uk/destinations/balearics/ibiza), Majorca and the Greek islands truly have everything people need to relax: great hotels, fun restaurants and gorgeous weather ensure that our customers get the chance to unwind and pamper themselves. With these attractions it is no surprise that so many Brits are intent on travelling to the beach."

About On the Beach:

Founded in 1995, On the Beach is one of the UK's leading online travel agencies carrying over 500,000 passengers every year (ABTA K0813). On the Beach provides value for money flights and hotels in the world's most popular beach holiday destinations. On the Beach provides consumers with a huge selection of travel products, from 50 million available seats, more than 30,000 hotels around the world, insurance and in-resort transfer partners. Customers can book online at http://www.onthebeach.co.uk or by calling the UK call centre on 0870-606-07-08.

As the expert provider of DIY beach holidays to the UK market, On the Beach is so confident of its industry leading position, it offers a market leading price match guarantee for its customers. On the Beach will refund the difference if a lower price is found for the same product on any UK website*.

*Offer applies to exact product match