Irish look to get away from it all in enchanting… Enniscrone

FROM Sligo to Saudi, Kilkee to Kusadasi and Navan to Nairobi — Irish holidaymakers are nothing if not adventurous, at least online.

The seaside town of Enniscrone in Sligo has once again topped an internet “hot list” for July with searches up 483% compared to this time last year, perhaps reflecting a rise in those seeking out good value home holidays during the credit crunch.

But if wedding bells are pealing, we still like to buck the recession and head for exotic places like Bora Bora in French Polynesia.

The hotels.com hotlist, which compares destinations experiencing the biggest growth in searches in July of this year compared to the same period in 2010, shows the west of Ireland proved extremely popular with Irish holidaymakers. Searches for Oranmore in Galway were up 444% while searches for Ballinasloe were up 242%.

Clare also proved a favourite with searches for Lahinch up by 359%, Milltown Malbay saw an increase of 333% while Kilkee was up 264%.

Given the build up to Ramadan and reflecting Ireland’s growing Muslim population, the July hot list also saw a significant surge in searches for the Saudi Arabian cities of Medina and Mecca up 391% and 367% respectively.

Further away from home, the popular honeymoon destinations of Bora Bora (256%) and Mauritius (249%) saw a rise in searches while the Turkish resorts of Kusadasi and Antalya were up 288% and 240% respectively, a sign that Irish holidaymakers might be seeking some late summer sun.

Kate Hopcraft from Hotels.com, said: “From the recent hot lists it seems that the traditional seaside holiday has made a real return this summer with towns like Gorey, Lahinch and Kilkee all seeing an increase in searches.

“It’s also interesting to see that despite people cutting back, popular honeymoon destinations such as Mauritius and Bora Bora feature prominently on the list indicating that holidaymakers are still willing to spend that little bit extra when it comes to their wedding.”