2010 ended with a bang at online travel retailer lowcostholidays.com. With yearly sales up 75% and annual site visits up 96% it looks like lowcostholidays is due to smash its already impressive ranking as the Sunday Times Virgin 100 20th fastest growing companies 2009.

With the successes of 2010 in the bag, here’s the lowcostholidays roundup of the past year. There’s some of the unexpected, the usual trends and a few customer insights that have helped lowcostholidays.com survive a pretty difficult year in the travel industry.

Despite the travel unease across the country in 2010, some intrepid travellers headed to the more off-beat destinations – Albuquerque, Fujairah, Kaunas and Oman all topped the lowcostholidays list of unusual destinations 2010, proving that with lowcostholidays.com anyone can go anywhere!

2010 also saw a few trend-breakers. The clubbers paradise of Ibiza was invaded by family holidaymakers, in particular families of 5 made the most trips to the clubber’s favourite throughout 2010. Majorca, Turkey, Tenerife and Egypt also topped the families’ list for 2010. These destinations also took the singles market, matching the top 5 like-for-like.

Few surprises for group travellers; Benidorm, Sharm el Sheikh and Magaluf are still drawing in Britons looking for a laugh. The clubber and stag night stalwarts were also joined by Albufeira and San Antonia Bay - perhaps 2011 will see people using a bit more imagination for that quick group break away?
Surprises all round with the lowcostholidays’ top destination for month long trips – Lanzarote! Typically a favourite for week long breaks, it seems that Lanzarote provides travellers will everything they need for longer trips abroad.

For the standard two-weeks the top-spots were taken by Marmaris, Corralejo and Puerto Del Carmen, whilst those in search of an all inclusive holiday went in their masses to Alcudia.

The lowcostholidays champion of destinations was Sharm el Sheikh – topping the lists of top all-inclusive, top two week and runner-up in top group destinations.

On an individual level – Doctors looked to Egypt and the Canary Islands for their travelling needs with Reverends headng to the predominantly catholic country of Malta.

Religion also took the lead in ‘most popular men’s names’ – the top 5 being David, John, Paul, Michael and Stephen. ‘Top women’s names’ were Susan, Sarah, Karen, Julie and Laura. Fruit-based names still appear to be the choice for celebrities only.

Little Britain fans will be please to know that Myfanwy made the lowcostholidays list of most unusual names.
lowcostholidays.com is now looking to 2011, hoping for the same turnover but preferably without the turmoil of ash, snow, ice and strikes!