New York named world’s coolest destination

New York has been named the world’s coolest holiday destination for 2018 by British holidaymakers.

The Big Apple is followed by Iceland, South America and Paris.

According to the study of 2,000 travellers by First Direct bank, the top 10 coolest destinations are:

1 – New York
2 – Iceland
3 – South America
4 – Paris
5 – Japan
6 – Amsterdam
7 – Cuba
8 – Tuscany
9 – Cote d’Azur
10 – Croatia

Eight out of 10 think a destination has to have a completely different culture in order to be considered cool. Sought-after destinations are seen as those with a strong selection of unique activities and attractions,, but they also need to attract great reviews from travel writers and other influencers.

But while some destinations are on the up, Brits have labelled traditional party hotspots, such as Ibiza and Marbella, as ‘not cool’.

One reason could be that eight out of 10 holidaymakers now claim they prefer to get up at 5am than fall into bed at 5am, with only one third saying the chance to party influenced their choice of holiday destination.

A third of UK travellers say they want others to think they’re going somewhere enviable on holiday, and nearly half (45%) want family and friends to be jealous of their destination.

Joe Gordon, head of First Direct, said: “Being off the beaten track or offering value for money doesn’t have an impact on whether somewhere is a cool holiday destination.

"Holidaymakers told us different cultures, and finding places to stay and see that others haven’t experienced yet, is key to having a good time on holiday.

“Wherever people go on holiday, making sure you have arranged your travel money before you leave means you can focus on enjoying being in the moment more.”


Ends
Notes to Editors:

For further information please email Ben Marquand at ben.marquand@firstdirect.com or call 0113 276 6700.

Or email laura.cavanagh@aberfield.com or chloe.matthbury@aberfield.com, or call 0113 8800 444.