China tops UK flight searches for Asia-Pacific region

Two destinations in China top flight searches by UK travellers in the Asia and Pacific Rim region.

Two destinations in China top flight searches by UK travellers in the Asia and Pacific Rim region.

Shanghai tops the list with the highest jump in searches in the first half of the year over the same period in 2009.

Searches for Shanghai rose by 151% year on year, according to a study by flight comparison site Cheapflights.co.uk.

Guangzhou in China also made the top five, with flight searches to the city up by 128% year on year.

The report also found that searches to Nadi, Fiji were up by 146%, to Siem Reap, Cambodia up by 141% and to Fukuoka, Japan up by 137%.

Moscow was among the cities showing the biggest drop in popularity together with Dabolim and Coimbatore in India.

Cheapflights travel expert Nadine Hallak said: “There is clearly a trend for travel to China amongst UK travellers.

“While China has gained international standing for leading the world out of the recession, its tourism has gone from strength to strength.”