Brits are no longer dreaming of a white Christmas with its glistening treetops and characteristic snow.
If anything, the holidays have taken a decidedly warmer turn. That means basking in the sun, sand, and all else that the tropics offer.
The Philippines, in particular, has taken hold of British fliers, according to leading travel search engine KAYAK.
“Our list of trending destinations couldn’t be more diverse. From serene beaches in the Philippines to desert sunsets in Marrakech or world-class surf in Sydney, these spots are capturing the attention of British travellers,” KAYAK posted on its website.
Manila landed first on the platform’s top 10 trending destinations, which recorded the biggest increases in searches for Christmas and New Year travel in 2025 compared to last year.
The Philippine capital ranked ahead of Pakistan’s Islamabad, Morocco’s Marrakech, South Africa’s Cape Town, Spain’s Granadilla, India’s Mumbai, Qatar’s Doha, Australia’s Sydney, Switzerland’s Geneva, and Poland’s Krakow.
“With UK flight searches up 42 percent compared to last year, you might just bump into a few fellow Brits on New Year’s Eve, counting down the final seconds of 2025 at Rizal Park, or celebrating on the beaches of Boracay if Manila isn’t your final stop,” KAYAK wrote.
The search engine said that the average round-trip flight price (economy) in 2025 for the United Kingdom is £1,320.
KAYAK’s report was based on flight searches made on its UK domain and associated brands between June 15 and September 10 this year for flights with departure between December 20, 2025, and January 2, 2026, and return between Christmas 2025 and January 10, 2026, from any UK airport.
Meanwhile, Google Trends data shows that UK interest in the Philippines peaked in November this year, with England as the top subregion, followed by Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Top Philippine-related topics and queries in the UK include the country’s time zone, currency, weather, available flights (including direct flights from London), and visa requirements.
Aside from Manila, the province of Cebu was also a hot search topic.
