Brits rate Tenerife top European beach destination

A new survey has revealed the timeshare hot-spot of Tenerife as the favourite European beach holiday destination for British families.

The survey of 1,000 British families, conducted by beach holiday specialists On the Beach, named Tenerife, which attracts more than two million British holidaymakers to its shores each year, the number one choice, with almost one in five (19%) choosing the island as their overall favourite.

The survey revealed it really does reign in Spain, with the ever-popular destination grabbing the top three spots, with the Balearic Island of Majorca named the second favourite beach destination for families with 18%, followed by the Costa Del Sol, with 13% of the vote.

The Algarve was named the fourth favourite beach holiday destination for families, with more than one in 10 (11%) naming the Portuguese coastal region their favourite, with Spain featuring once again, with the Canary Island of Gran Canaria grabbing fifth place.

Other destination named favourites amongst British families include Cyprus (9%), Lanzarote (9%), Costa Blanca (8%) and Ibiza (8%).

Best European beach holiday destination for families:

• Tenerife
• Majorca
• Costa Del Sol
• Algarve
• Gran Canaria
• Cyprus and Lanzarote
• Costa Blanca and Ibiza
• Turkey

Cheaper to holiday abroad than in the UK

The survey also revealed half of British families (50%) believe a one-week holiday abroad is cheaper than a week’s holiday in the UK, with less than one in three (30%) saying a holiday abroad costs about the same.

Only 14% of all those surveyed believe a one-week domestic holiday is cheaper than a holiday in a sun-kissed beach resort in Europe.

Why go abroad?

Even though the UK has experienced an unusually warm summer this year, the majority of British families (54%) say the main reason they prefer their annual beach summer holiday abroad is because of the guaranteed good weather, while 40% say they prefer to jet off to foreign shores because it’s good for the kids to experience different cultures.

Asked to rank the main reasons they choose to holiday abroad, 39% say foreign beaches are better than those in the UK, while 34% believe a holiday in one of Europe’s beach resorts offers better value for money.

Other reasons British families choose to holiday abroad rather than in the UK include the variety of things to do and see (31%), better quality hotels (23%) and better service (15%).

Alan Harding, marketing director at On the Beach, said: “Spain has been a hot spot for many years and our survey shows that overall, it remains the most popular destination for sun-seeking Brits.”

“The high cost of hotels, train travel and domestic flights make a holiday in the UK extremely expensive, which is why so many of us prefer to head to Europe’s beaches for our week in the sun.”