Caribbean hot spots, US cities are fast-growing long-haul destinations

Dollar destinations are proving popular with British holidaymakers despite poor exchange rates, ash-cloud problems and airline strikes, a travel trends report showed.

Caribbean hotspots and American cities are among the fastest-growing long-haul destinations this year, the report from holiday company Hayes & Jarvis found.

Bookings to the Caribbean were up 130 per cent in May and June 2010, with Antigua and Barbados the fastest-growing destinations.

Also in the top 10 are the US cities of Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco.

In third position was Bali, which has profited from people switching from Thailand after the civil unrest there earlier this year.

Bookings to the Thai resorts of Phuket and Koh Samui have now recovered.

In fourth place was Kenya, which is proving popular again following the political unrest in 2008.

"Ironically, dollar destinations hit by a double whammy of sliding exchange rates and airline strikes have been the big winners in a topsy-turvy year for long-haul travel," said Hayes & Jarvis commercial director Niel Alobaidi.

The following are Hayes and Jarvis's fastest-growing long-haul destinations this year:

1. Antigua
2. Barbados
3. Bali
4. Kenya
5. Cuba
6. Las Vegas
7. Egypt
8. Los Angeles
9. Chicago
10. San Francisco.