Q3 Marketplace Report from HomeAway.co.uk reveals Spain as top destination for summer 2011 and growth in rentals market in Thailand and Dubai:

Report highlights:

• More Brits than ever opt for Spain as their top summer destination
• Dubai and Thailand see considerable increases in holiday rental supply
• 70% of holiday home owners will not increase their rental rates despite council tax increase
• Holiday rentals are top choice for Christmas holidays

The latest figures from www.HomeAway.co.uk, the UK’s number one holiday rentals website, show Spain was the most popular destination for summer holidays in 2011. In terms of the number of booking enquiries for breaks in Q3 2011, Malaga Province and Majorca claimed first and second place, followed by Ibiza in sixth place.

There was also a clear preference towards short-haul breaks, with nine out of the top ten destinations for summer 2011 holidays being either in the UK, or within a three hour flight distance.

Investment opportunities in Dubai and Thailand

Dubai and Thailand both experienced a considerable growth in property listings on HomeAway.co.uk in Q3 2011, increasing the number of holiday rentals available to holidaymakers in these destinations. Dubai was the third best performing destination, with a 46% year on year increase in listings. Growth in interest from holidaymakers was also strong; the region saw a massive 86% year-on-year increase in booking enquiries on HomeAway.co.uk during Q3 2011 compared to Q3 2010.

Thailand also performed very well in terms of inventory growth on HomeAway.co.uk, with a 43% year-on-year increase in listings, which suggests a growing number of Brits are investing in this developing property market. Booking enquiries from holidaymakers also grew by a steady 32%.

Impact of council tax increase on holiday home owners.

Following the Government’s announcement to end council tax benefits for second home owners, HomeAway.co.uk asked holiday home owners advertising on its site how this might affect their rental rates. The good news for holidaymakers is that almost 70% of those surveyed said they didn’t intend to change their rates, however one in ten indicated they may have to increase rates by up to 10% to cover higher costs.

However, despite the difficult economic climate, almost one in five owners is thinking of buying another property in the next three years, according to research conducted by HomeAway.co.uk. The survey showed 80% would use the additional property for short term rentals, which suggests holiday rentals are still seen as a sound investment in uncertain times.

Holiday rentals, top choice for Christmas holidays:

According to a recent holidaymaker survey conducted by HomeAway.co.uk, 11% of people are planning to go away on holiday this Christmas and 46% will opt for a holiday rental versus 31% for a hotel. A cosy cottage or farmhouse with roaring log fire would be the ideal Christmas holiday home for most people (38%), closely followed by a luxurious villa with pool (32%).

City.Mobi

Also in Spain today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Madrid.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

Madrid.city.mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.