Reality TV Driving Travel Trends

Mykonos, Greece

Breaking Travel News: Reality TV is all the rage at the moment and so, apparently, are its destination choices.

Cheapflights.co.uk, the UK’s leading website for travel deals comparison, finds an increase in popularity among its users for destinations where different reality shows were filmed recently.

The biggest climber is Mykonos in Greece with a whopping 89 per cent jump in search to date after X Factor Judge Tulisa took her singing hopefuls there to compete for a position as a finalist in the show. Having aired only last weekend, this is a significant increase within just a few days.

The second biggest climber is Cannes in the South of France, driven by the show Made in Chelsea. Its popularity rose by 39 per cent to date since the episode aired on 12 June 2011.

Hot on its heels and tied in third place with 5 per cent increases each are Barcelona and Miami, both X-Factor destinations, with the former serving as Louis Walsh’s choice and the latter as Kelly Rowland’s.

Reality TV cooking show, Gordon’s Great Escape, drove interest to South East Asia up by 4 per cent to date since the show aired in May with destinations such as India, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and Malaysia, where the show was filmed, benefitting from being featured on the celebrity chef’s programme.

Made in Chelsea rival Geordie Shore helped increase interest in Magaluf in Majorca by 4 per cent to date, since the show aired its Magaluf Madness episode on 23 August 2011.

X-Factor judge Gary Barlow’s destination choice, Los Angeles, has only shown a 1 per cent rise so far, but that may increase further in the coming weeks as travellers go in search of winter sun.

“Following in the footsteps of celebrity holiday choices has long been a travel trend, particularly in the last few years,” says Nadine Hallak, Travel Expert for Cheapflights.co.uk.

“So it makes even more sense that this trend would cross over into mimicking the lives and travel habits of the stars of reality TV given their status as ‘regular people’ as opposed to Hollywood stars. They represent a more tangible version of celebrity and their destination choices are likely to be more accessible to a wider range of traveller,” adds Hallak.