Holiday experts have revealed that a Cornwall town is set to be one of the most popular places for Brits in the next few months. 

The Autumn Winter Travel Forecast, from holiday rental marketplace HomeToGo, predicts that St Austell will be one of the top ten holiday spots in the coming months. 

The town is one of only two UK destinations to make the top ten, and one of four in the top twenty - beating out the Scottish Highlands and Chester. 

St Austell came in at tied ninth on the list, with a 182 per cent increase in year on year searches, being topped in the UK only by Cheltenham (265 per cent increase). 

Overseas destinations such as Lille, Marseille and Luberon (France), Dunedin (New Zealand), Pescara and Pisa (Italy), and Byron Bay (Australia) completed the top ten. 

Nearly three-quarters (74 per cent) of Brits surveyed are planning trips for this autumn and winter, showing a jump compared to 56 per cent in 2022/3. 

More than half (57 per cent) of travellers planning holidays are looking for overseas vacations. 

Urban destinations top wish lists, with 43 per cent of holidaymakers stating that they would be most eager to visit cities, followed by beaches and seaside spots (40 per cent), picturesque small towns and villages (37 per cent), mountains (28 per cent), and lakeside locations (25 per cent). 

Other trends which are emerging are planning early for next summer’s holiday - which 40 per cent of travellers have said they will be doing - and using AI to improve trip planning, with 60 per cent of British travellers considering the use of artificial intelligence tools. 

Dr. Patrick Andrae, co-founder and CEO of HomeToGo, commented: “We are very excited to release our latest travel forecast, which shows that the upcoming autumn - typically the off-season - has increasingly become a busy shoulder season, as travellers take advantage of fewer crowds, cooler temperatures, and more affordable prices. 

“The share of search interest for international travel is booming compared to last year, particularly around seasonal musts such as our personal favorite - Oktoberfest - and European Christmas markets this coming winter. 

“What makes the season ahead especially intriguing is how travellers continue to tap into AI to plan their trips. As an AI-powered marketplace with our latest innovation in our app, AI Mode, we are uniquely positioned to help guests intuitively find their uniquely perfect rental for the season ahead through generative AI. We look forward to continuing to be at the forefront of this exciting innovation in travel!”