This weekend, thousands of Swedish holidaymakers are traveling to warmer latitudes. The most popular destinations during this year's holiday weeks are Gran Canaria, Phuket and Tenerife. This is according to booking statistics from travel company TUI. At the same time, bookings to Cape Verde have increased by 44 percent.
This year's sports holiday season is underway and the upcoming weekend and the days that follow are among the most travel-intensive of the entire year. This year is no exception. The travel company TUI reports several full departures to, among others, the Canary Islands, Egypt and Cape Verde in the coming week. For example, there are just over 30 percent more travelers traveling to Gran Canaria in week 9 compared to the previous year.
Even across all sports holiday weeks, Gran Canaria is the destination that most Swedes travel to. This is followed by Phuket in Thailand and the Canary Island of Tenerife. However, one of the destinations with the largest percentage increase in travelers compared to last year's sports holiday is Cape Verde. Bookings to the small islands of Boavista and Sal off the west coast of Africa have increased by a full 44 percent.
– Although the Canary Islands maintain their strong position as the Swedes' favorite for sports holidays, we have noted a positive trend for Cape Verde for a long time. It is easy to understand why. Cape Verde has a slightly warmer climate than the Canary Islands and offers at least as nice sandy beaches and hotels with an incredibly high level of service, says Dian Martinez Valencia, communications manager at TUI.
But it's not just sun-and-swim destinations that are on the rise. TUI's bookings to the Italian Alps have more than tripled compared to last year.
– When it becomes more expensive to ski in the Swedish mountains, more people are turning their attention to the Alps. Above all, it is the Italian Alps that attract both ski enthusiasts and families with children. Our ski packages include flights, hotels and transfers, and travelers are also covered by the Package Travel Act, which provides extra security, says Dian Martinez Valencia, communications manager at TUI.
Top 10: Where Swedes travel over the sports break
1. Gran Canaria, Spain
2. Phuket, Thailand
3. Tenerife, Spain
4. Krabi, Thailand
5. Lanzarote, Spain
6. Sal, Cape Verde
7. Cancun/Yucatan Peninsula, Mexico
8. Boavista, Cape Verde
9. Hurghada, Egypt
10. Mauritius
About booking statistics
The data is based on TUI's sales of trips departing between February 5 and March 10, 2024 among Swedish travelers compared to the same period in 2023, as the booking situation looked in week 7.
