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'Tourists choose Australia over the slopes for winter break'

(21 Feb 2007)

Going on holiday? – Get a great deal on travel insurance

An increasing number of British travellers are heading for the likes of Australia and Hong Kong for their winter break rather then the traditional ski holiday, according to a new report.

Figures released by Barclays Travel Insurance indicate that Melbourne has witnessed a 140 per cent rise in the number of British tourists between December 2006 and January 2007, compared to the same time in 2005-06.

Meanwhile, Sydney and Phuket, Thailand, have seen visitor increases of 25 and 24 per cent respectively.

Hong Kong and Dubai made up the rest of the top five.

However, the four most popular skiing resorts for British tourists had all seen a fall in visitor numbers over this period, with Val Meribel, D'Isere and Morzine all reducing their tourism spend.

Chamonix reported the largest decrease in tourism, down by 18 per cent from 2005-06.

Marketing director Mark Till said: "Long haul breaks seem to be becoming increasingly popular with British holidaymakers over the Christmas and New Year period. Flights are getting cheaper and Brits are prepared to trek further for the chance of some proper winter sunshine."

A report by Halifax travel insurance claimed that a lack of snow could see about two out of five European ski resorts be forced to close by 2032.

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