The boom is back. Kind of.

With the recession firmly in the rear view mirror for most of us, the annual holiday is back on the calendar; and Cork families have their sights set on faraway shores indeed.

Long haul destinations have risen by 25 percent in popularity over the past year, with the USA in lead position as the holiday destination of choice.

Experts say that more affordable long-haul air travel combined with a surge in the cost of European holidays due to increased demand is fuelling the fresh interest.

“As some European destinations have risen in price this year, due to demand, it’s very comparable in cost to travel long haul, particularly as a family, either westbound to the USA and Mexico or eastbound to Thailand.” explains Cathy Burke, General Manager of Travel Counsellors Ireland.

“With the USA, the extra capacity on transatlantic routes is driving up availability and driving prices down. The world is much more accessible now, and for the adventurous traveller, there are fantastic opportunities to travel and explore.”

Long haul destinations included in Travel Counsellors’ top 10 list for January 2018 saw the USA in first position, with Mexico in second place followed by Thailand, United Arab Emirates and Canada. The busiest day for bookings was Friday, January 19th.

On the top European destinations list, Spain took top position followed by Portugal, France, Italy and Greece.