did the x factor inspire your travels?
For the second year running, Tulisa proved to be the most influential judge. According to TravelSupermarket, the Young singer was this year’s travel star as she drove a 259 per cent increase in package holiday searches to the Caribbean island of St Lucia, the biggest increase of the series. In 2011 the winning judge set a record 433 per cent increase in searches to her Greek Island destination of Mykonos.
Meanwhile, Louis Walsh’s trip with the groups to the party town of Las Vegas drove a spike in flight searches of 236 per cent – over three times the interest that Nicole Scherzinger’s visit to Dubai with the boys group sparked this year (a 76 per cent uplift in Dubai flight searches). Las Vegas proved to be a more popular choice for Louis than last year’s, when his visit to Barcelona in Spain only saw an increase in searches of 22 per cent.
Being inspired by TV and celebrities isn’t a new trend. In fact, it is one of the biggest routes of inspiration for making holiday choices alongside recommendations from families and friends
As well as flights, this year’s online searches for package holidays to Las Vegas and Dubai also saw a significant boom – rising by 140 per cent and 88 per cent respectively.
Likely as a result of the weekend’s dreary weather, TravelSupermarket didn’t see a change in searches for Gary’s UK destination at Boughton House in Northamptonshire, where he hosted the over 28s category.
Bob Atkinson, travel expert at TravelSupermarket said: “Being inspired by TV and celebrities isn’t a new trend. In fact, it is one of the biggest routes of inspiration for making holiday choices alongside recommendations from families and friends. And it is great to see such a high profile programme showcasing such exciting destinations for those who want to rest, shop or enjoy lively entertainment.
“With recent bad weather, it’s no surprise people have been inspired by the sun of St Lucia, the bling of Dubai or the bright lights of Las Vegas, all of which offer a great solution for Brits for a holiday in the autumn and winter months.
“For those set on emulating their X Factor heroes, my advice is to shop around online to make sure they get the best price on their flight and hotel, or their package deal,” he said.
TravelSupermarket compared the following searches on its site for this week versus last week – before the weekend’s much anticipated episodes – to determine which destination has the X Factor:
Package holiday searches:
1. St Lucia, The Caribbean (Tulisa Contosavlos) – uplift of 259 per cent
2. Las Vegas, USA (Louis Walsh) – uplift of 140 per cent
3. Dubai, UAE (Nicole Scherzinger) – uplift of 88 per cent
Flight searches:
1. Las Vegas, USA (Louis Walsh) – uplift of 236 per cent
2. Dubai, UAE (Nicole Scherzinger) – uplift of 76 per cent
3. St Lucia, The Caribbean (Tulisa Contosavlos) – uplift of 11 per cent
Have your travel plans been inspired by celebrity holidays? Tell us in the comments below or tweet us @FemaleFirst_UK
FemaleFirst