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Entertainment

Daniel Hall

Booking.com names Newcastle as one of five trending UK destinations for 2023

Newcastle Ian Thomas United Kingdom Ad Gefrin (Organization) Birmingham Glasgow Manchester Preston (Geopolitical Entity) Bookingcom Lilidorei

São Paulo in Brazil, Pondicherry in India, Bolzano in Italy and... Newcastle?

There's one thing these four places have in common. All have been named trending destinations for 2023 according to holiday booking platform Booking.com.

The accommodation giant's annual Travel Predictions Report, which aims to reveal the hottest trends and where to go next year, has taken into account responses from more than 24,000 travellers across 32 countries and territories. And Newcastle is one of five cities in the UK that is expected to have a big year in travel - alongside Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham and Preston.

The report also showed that a third of UK travellers were looking for "off-grid" style holidays to escape from reality. And with Northumberland's stunning countryside and coastline right on the city's doorstep, it means that many of those who travel to the city may get to satisfy that craving too if they spend a decent amount of time in the region.

Ian Thomas, Destination Director at the NewcastleGateshead Initiative, is delighted with the endorsement from booking.com and hopes that it will encourage more people to visit the North East. He said: "Newcastle is a world-class place where everyone is welcome and being named a booking.com trending destination is testament to this.

"We are a destination with a unique offering, a vibrant and exciting city centre brimming with culture and creativity, as well as stunning coast and countryside right on our doorstep. Research has also shown that we provide excellent value for money to prospective visitors. We hope this accolade encourages even more people to visit and enjoy our fantastic region."

However, Ian has admitted that even with the travel aggregator's accolade, it's hard to predict what travel will be like next year. He cites the effects of the cost of living crisis, the war in Ukraine, and the long term impacts of the Coronavirus pandemic - though is certain that our region is worth visiting.

Ian continued: "We remain certain that as a destination, we offer fantastic value for money and can provide a unique and memorable visitor experience. We also have lots to look forward to in the region, with the likes of the opening of two fantastic new visitor attractions, Ad Gefrin and Lilidorei, the return of Magic Weekend at St James Park, Sam Fender’s homecoming gig also at St James Park and further growth in key events and festivals such as Loosefest and the North Sea Weekender."

Ad Gefrin will be Northumberland's first whisky distillery (Sally Ann Norman)

The new visitor attractions mentioned by Ian, Ad Gefrin and Lilidorei, are expected to give Northumberland a further tourism boost, with 99 percent of visitors already saying they would recommend the county to others according to a recent announcement. Ad Gefrin is set to open in February 2023 in Wooler and is an Anglo-Saxon museum and whisky distillery, while Lilidorei will be the world's "largest play structure" inside Alnwick Garden.

A 'clan house' arrives at the Alnwick Garden which will be installed as part of Lilidorei (PA)

Though there's plenty for those who want to stay in Newcastle too. Ian finished: "Newcastle is a fantastic destination to visit all year round, I would recommend visiting our iconic quayside to take in the spectacular views of the bridges and waterfront buildings, take a guided tour around the city to make the most of our hidden gems, galleries and museums and learn all about our fascinating history, sample some of the best food and drink from our community of independent bars and restaurants, and visit the Ouseburn Valley to experience the city’s up and coming music and art scene."

Arjan Dijk, Senior Vice President at Booking.com said: "If the last few years have taught us anything it’s that travel should not be taken for granted.

"This year’s travel predictions research shows the undercurrent of intentional paradoxical behaviours that will put us all more comfortably in the driving seat amid relentless instability. It also demonstrates a desire for travel to be a way to seek unapologetic moments of happiness and escapism to counteract the heavy realities of our news feeds."