KISS-ME-QUICK Spanish resort Benidorm has out sold Paris, Rome and Venice for short breaks over Valentine’s weekend, according to TravelRepublic.co.uk.

The online travel giant has seen sales of Valentine’s breaks soar by 55 per cent, compared to this time last year, as the British public gets romantic and loosens the purse strings thanks to an improvement in the economic climate.

Managing director Paul Furner said: “We’re totally gobsmacked by the fact that Benidorm has come out on top as the destination of choice for the Valentine’s weekend this year. Demand has also been really strong for short, romantic city breaks, with Rome, Prague, Paris and Amsterdam following hot on Benidorm’s heels.”

Alongside its Blue Flag beaches, nightlife and myriad hotels Benidorm has an extra attraction for visitors in mid-February. On February 13, Benidorm will be filled with colourful floats, music, dancing and street entertainment as its annual ‘Carnaval’ is on in the resort.

Benidorm is not the only surprising Spanish resort to feature on the TravelRepublic.co.uk top 10 list of Valentine destinations, with Torremolinos also appearing at number seven.

“Right now, on www.TravelRepublic.co.uk, you’ve got a good chance of being able to pick up a flight for around 100 pounds and you can stay self-catering at the 3 star Levante Club Apartments in Benidorm for under 10 pounds per person per night. That’s a 3 night Valentine’s break for two for a total price of less than 250 pounds. We also have some fantastic deals to the likes of Paris and Rome but things can get pretty expensive while you’re there. You can understand why an off-peak trip to a fun resort town would certainly have an appeal for the more budget conscious couple,” said Furner.

More than one million people book their holiday with TravelRepublic.co.uk every year and all bookings are protected through its Total Financial Protection scheme. This simple scheme promises the customer their money back if an airline, hotel or other travel provider fails.

TravelRepublic.co.uk’s top 10 Valentine destinations 2010

  1. Benidorm
  2. Rome
  3. Prague
  4. Paris
  5. Amsterdam
  6. New York
  7. Torremolinos
  8. Dublin
  9. Budapest
  10. Venice