Millions of Brits jet off each year and explore destinations outside of the UK – but where are they heading to?
New data has revealed the top international locations holidaymakers are choosing from the UK.
One spot, which isn’t too far away, has taken the crown as the most popular place to visit according to stats for the first six months of this year.
The Irish capital, Dublin, was visited the most by UK holidaygoers between January and June 2025.
A whopping 4.8million Brits jetted off to the Emerald Isle’s major hub, Dublin Airport, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data analysed by AirAdvisor.
AirAdvisor CEO Anton Radchenko explained: ‘Ireland is an extremely popular destination for UK travellers due to the two countries’ historic connections.
‘It’s a busy route for holidaymakers between the nations’ major cities and also people visiting family members based either side of the Irish Sea.’
Amsterdam followed as the second most popular destination and it attracted 4.1million people from UK airports.
The Irish capital, Dublin, was visited the most by UK holidaygoers between January and June 2025
A whopping 4.8million Brits jetted off to the Emerald Isle’s major hub, Dublin Airport, according to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) data analysed by AirAdvisor
Anton commented: ‘Amsterdam remains a popular city break spot for UK travellers while those looking for year-round sun often opt for destinations like Dubai and Tenerife.’
In previous years, Palma De Mallorca in Spain and Dutch capital Amsterdam, claimed the top spot over Dublin.
Alicante, Spain, came third with 3 million visitors from the UK and Dubai was fourth, also with around 3 million.
Malaga, in Spain, was fifth with 2.8million tourists jetting from the UK to enjoy the sandy beaches and sunshine.
Other Spanish hotspots, including Tenerife and Barcelona, followed with 2.7million and 2.3million respectively.
Faro, in Portugal, ranked eighth, drawing in 2 million Brits, while New York attracted 1.8 million.
Elsewhere, Qatar capital Doha came tenth with 1.7 million.
The analysis by AirAdvisor also looked at flight issues and found that so far in 2025, the average delay to flights was 12.5 minutes.
Amsterdam followed as the second most popular destination and it attracted 4.1 million people from UK airports
Alicante, Spain, came third with 3 million visitors from the UK and Dubai was fourth, also with around 3 million
Most popular international destinations for UK travellers Dublin, Republic of Ireland – 4.8 million Amsterdam, The Netherlands – 4.1 millionAlicante, Spain – 3 million Dubai, United Arab Emirates – 3 million Malaga, Spain – 2.8 million Tenerife, Spain – 2.7 million Barcelona, Spain – 2.3 million Faro, Portugal – 2 millionNew York, United States of America – 1.8 million Doha, Qatar – 1.7 million Madrid, Spain – 1.6 million Arrecife, Spain – 1.6 million Lisbon, Portugal – 1.4 million Istanbul, Turkey – 1.3 million Paris, France – 1.2 million
Meanwhile, 1.15 per cent of flights were cancelled in the 24 hours before they were scheduled to depart.
This is a slight improvement from the same period last year, which saw average delay times hit 15.5 minutes and 1.33 per cent of flights were hit by cancellations with under 24 hours notice.
Anton added: ‘The CAA’s data suggests that we are finally seeing a reduction in disrupted flights following a very difficult post-Covid period where airlines struggled to cope with consumer demand for getaways, leading to record levels of delays and cancellations.
‘Thankfully, the UK government’s UK261 legislation protects passengers whose flights are delayed or cancelled and when you are affected by a disrupted journey to or from the UK, you may be entitled to compensation.’
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Revealed: The most popular international destination for Brits flying from the UK
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