Credit crunch Valentines dream of New York (but choose Edinburgh)

New York has been voted the number one destination for a Valentine’s break in a survey by The Co-operative Travel, but the reality for credit crunch couples is much closer to home.

The research suggests that for British couples the romantic image of Paris is fading, with the French capital coming third behind New York and Venice. An entry that might raise a few eyebrows is Dubai, which came 5th in the survey with 9% of the vote, showing how the resort is growing in stature with UK travellers.

However, according to The Co-operative Travel’s analysis of nearly 4,000 actual Valentines bookings made by couples in the UK, you probably won’t need a passport if your partner surprises you with a weekend away.

Whereas bookings to New York are down 8% for the same period last year, Valentines weekend trips to Edinburgh and London have rocketed. The Co-operative Travel reports a 3000% increase in bookings to Edinburgh and a 267% increase for weekend trips to London.

Trevor Davis, Head of Retail Distribution at The Co-operative Travel says, “As with most aspects of life, Valentine’s Day looks like it will be affected by the economic situation and people will need to be more realistic in what they can expect from their partner in terms of grand romantic gestures.

“However, it seems that UK tourism will once again benefit from an increased trend to stay closer to home.”


Most romantic cities as voted by visitors to www.co-operativetravel.co.uk

1. New York – 25%
2. Venice – 16%
3. Paris – 15%
4. Rome – 10%
5. Dubai – 9%
6. Florence – 6%
7. Barcelona – 4%
8. Prague – 4%
9. Verona – 3%
10. Edinburgh – 2%