Kuoni's 2016 Holiday Forecast

Costa Rica, Kenya, Italy and Mauritius amongst 15 destinations tipped for success in 2016

Italy, Costa Rica, Peru and Kenya are just some of the destinations tipped to make an impact on the holiday market for British travellers in 2016 according to a new travel forecast from Kuoni.

Big movie launches, new direct flight routes from the UK, favourable exchange rates, state-of-the-art hotel openings and world-leading attractions are some of the factors which will influence our travel habits for the year ahead.

Experts at worldwide travel company Kuoni have selected 15 destinations to watch which are included in the company's forecast.

Italy will be on the map thanks to the new Ben Hur film starring Morgan Freeman, which is being shot in Rome and Matera in Basilicata, southern Italy. Matera will be the European City of Culture in 2019 and here Kuoni has introduced the Hotel Sant'Angelo for next year.

The relaxation of FCO warnings to Kenya will see the return of the safari and beach holiday next year, a combination which has long been hugely popular with British holidaymakers.

Next year is the 50th anniversary of the release of the Oscar-winning film Born Free and Kuoni's support for the eponymous Foundation has created a unique safari holiday, which combines seeing big game with visiting the site where Joy Adamson, on whose book Born Free was based, lived and where she and her husband George released the lioness Elsa into the wild.

Vietnam has been one of the rising stars of Kuoni's long-haul destination list for the last three years and even more so since Vietnam Airlines became the first carrier to fly a B787-9 Dreamliner from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City to Heathrow this year. In Spring 2016 the service will go up from four times a week to daily, suggesting that UK holidaymakers visiting Vietnam will grow even further.

A new direct scheduled service on British Airways from May 2016 will make it easier to enjoy vida pura, the unofficial motto of Costa Rica. Kuoni's touring team is working on a new itinerary to make the most of the volcanos, rain forests and beaches. British visitors to Costa Rica went up by almost 13 per cent in 2015 and this growth looks set to continue as BA's route makes the destination more accessible.

In Mauritius, Shangri-La's Le Tousserok Resort & Spa will set the pace in luxury when it reopens on 1 November 2016 after a major renovation making it once more THE place to go.

The battle between theme parks in Orlando will heat up in 2016 with Epcot and Universal Studios going head-to-head with new rides based on two of the most successful films ever.

Frozen Ever After is a dark ride based on the Disney film that has become a true global sensation and will open in 2016 in the Norwegian Pavilion at Epcot in Walt Disney World Resort, replacing Maelstrom. At Universal's Islands of Adventure the Skull Island: Reign of Kong ride will also open next summer for an experience that the company describes as 'massive in every way'.

Other destinations tipped for success in the report include:

South Africa thanks to an exchange rate of 20 rand to the pound and England's cricketers two-month tour starting in December.

Antigua, which has overtaken Barbados as Kuoni's top English-speaking Caribbean destination thanks to a strong pound against the US dollar and a greater offering of good value four-star hotels.

Kuramathi is one of the larger islands in the Maldives and will be even more popular next year thanks to brand new water villas, pool and dining area making it one of the best-value islands for couples, families and small groups of friends.

Despite a turbulent financial year, our love affair with Greece is unlikely to diminish and new EasyJet flights from Gatwick to Kalamata will make the award-winning Costa Navarino resort more accessible.

Peru will be on the map for tailor-made itineraries thanks to British Airways introducing a direct flight to Lima from May 2016.

Star Clippers will be launching fresh itineraries around Phuket, Sri Lanka and Singapore during 2016, the first time the company will offer Asian routes since 2010. In addition, Star Clippers plans to launch a new ship in 2016.

Travelling to India was made far easier and cheaper with the extension of the country's e-visa system to British citizens in August 2015 and the impact is likely to be felt next year.

Burma has been opening up to visitors in recent years but standards of service and comfort have not always kept pace. The big focus for 2016 will be the river cruise.

Japan produced one of the biggest surprises in the history of sport at this year's Rugby World Cup by beating South Africa. The Cherry Blossoms, who will host the 2019 World Cup, punched above their weight in that match and in further victories over Samoa and the USA and their country's tourism industry is quietly doing the same.

Ends

For a copy of the report: CLICK HERE

For images and up to date price examples for any of the listed destinations, please contact the Kuoni press office:

Rachel O'Reilly tel: 07866 427870 or email rachel.o'reilly@kuoni.co.uk, Jemma Purvis tel: 01306 744006 or email jemma.purvis@kuoni.co.ukor Nicky Betts tel: 01306 744669 or email nicky.betts@kuoni.co.uk

Editors notes

About us: Kuoni Travel UK is part of DER Touristik, one of Europe's leading travel groups. Kuoni has continued to set the pace in luxury worldwide travel in the UK market for fifty years and is regularly voted one of the best holiday companies in the country by readers of national newspapers and travel industry titles. The company excels in creating tailor-made holidays and honeymoons to more than 80 destinations around the world. Over the last six years Kuoni has grown its retail network across the UK and can be found in 35 locations on premium high streets and in selected John Lewis department stores. Each store is unique in design and showcases Kuoni's Personal Travel Experts and personalised customer service.