Holidaymakers head west

Destinations such as Mexico, the US and the West Indies are proving more popular than those in the east, holiday company Hayes and Jarvis said.

St Lucia, Las Vegas and the Dominican Republic are among the hotspots where bookings have soared this year, the company added.

Of destinations to the east of the UK, only Dubai is riding high in the list of top long-haul destinations for bookings in 2012.

Bookings for the Dominican Republic are up 800 per cent, Mexico is up 143 per cent, Cuba is up 66 per cent and St Lucia has risen 55 per cent.

In contrast, Kenya bookings are down 58 per cent and Egypt is down 22 per cent on 2011 levels.