Where are Britons going for summer holidays in 2025?

With warmer weather on the horizon, many Britons are turning their thoughts to summer travel. This year, YouGov DestinationIndex shows that classic European getaways continue to capture the public imagination. Which countries are topping travel wishlists in 2025?

Based on data from the past three months, Spain is the top spot for British holidaymakers, with 15.9% saying it’s the destination they’re most likely to visit next. The United Kingdom comes in close behind at 14.3%, suggesting that many still see value in domestic travel. Rounding out the top five are Italy (9.3%), Greece (9.3%), and France (8.0%).

What makes these destinations appealing?

The radar chart below shows how the top four destinations chosen by Britons stack up on four key metrics tracked by YouGov DestinationIndex: Impression, Quality, Value, and Satisfaction. Distance from the centre point represents the destination’s score.

Impression measures the net percentage of people who say they have a generally positive impression of a destination, while Quality reflects the proportion who believe a destination represents good (versus poor) overall quality. Value gauges whether people believe a destination offers a lot in return for the price paid—not necessarily whether it is cheap, but whether it provides good value for money. Customer Satisfaction captures whether visitors were satisfied or dissatisfied with their experience.

Italy leads on Quality and Impression

Among the top four destinations—Spain, the UK, Italy, and Greece—Italy performs particularly well in terms of overall consumer perception. It receives the highest Impression score at 54.3 and tops the list for Quality with a score of 35.4. This suggests that Britons see Italy as both an appealing and high-quality destination. Spain, while slightly behind Italy, also fares well in these metrics, scoring 50.2 in Impression and 25.0 in Quality.

Spain stands out for value

Where Spain truly differentiates itself is in value for money. Its Value score of 31.6 is the highest of any destination tracked by DestinationIndex. Greece also performs well here, with a Value score of 25.7, indicating that many Britons believe these destinations offer strong returns for the cost of travel. In contrast, the UK receives a modest score of 9.5, suggesting that while domestic travel is popular, it is not widely considered a great deal financially.

The UK and Spain lead in Satisfaction

When it comes to overall satisfaction with the travel experience, the UK and Spain are nearly tied, scoring 52.6 and 52.4 respectively. These results indicate that travelers are consistently pleased with their visits to these destinations. Italy and Greece lag behind in this category, with scores of 40.8 and 36.7 respectively, suggesting a more mixed experience.

Greece: strong Value, mixed reviews elsewhere

Greece presents an interesting case. It matches Italy in Purchase Intent and performs well on Value, but its relatively lower scores in Impression, Quality, and Satisfaction indicate that while Britons see it as an affordable option, they are somewhat less enthusiastic about the overall experience.

A continental summer for Britons

Continental Europe continues to dominate the travel intentions of British consumers. Spain, with its strong performance across all key metrics—particularly in Value and Satisfaction—remains the top choice. Italy impresses with its high Quality and Impression scores, while the UK maintains a strong position based on convenience and a high satisfaction rate, despite being viewed as less cost-effective.

As Britons plan their summer getaways, DestinationIndex reveals not only where they intend to go, but also how they feel about those places. Whether it’s the affordability of Spain, the cultural appeal of Italy, or the reliability of the UK, each destination offers a distinct combination of strengths that influence consumer decision-making.

Methodology: YouGov DestinationIndex tracks consumer perceptions toward travel destinations on a daily basis in 30 countries worldwide. The key metrics discussed in this article are derived from net scores ranging from –100 to +100, calculated as the percentage of positive responses minus the percentage of negative responses.

• Purchase Intent is based on the question: “Of the destinations considered, which are you most likely to visit?”
• Impression is based on: “Overall, of which of the following destinations do you have a generally POSITIVE/NEGATIVE impression?”
• Quality is based on: “Which of the following destinations do you think represents GOOD/POOR quality?”
• Value is based on: “Which of the following destinations do you think represents GOOD VALUE FOR MONEY? By that we don’t mean ‘cheap,’ but that the destinations offer a visitor a lot in return for the price paid. / Now which of the following destinations do you think represents POOR VALUE FOR MONEY? By that, we don’t mean ‘expensive,’ but that the destinations do not offer a visitor much in return for the price paid.”
• Customer Satisfaction is based on: “Of which of the following destinations would you say that you are a SATISFIED/DISSATISFIED visitor?”

Data referenced in this article comes from surveys of adults aged 18 years and above residing in the UK between February 16 and May 15, 2025. Sample size is between 4000-5000.