As we prepare for a summer of major events including the London 2012 Olympic Games and Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, ebookers.com reveals that 3 million* more Brits are looking to holiday on home soil this year.

The ebookers’ data reveals that searches for UK breaks have increased by 11% since last year, as more travellers plan to holiday at home this summer and take advantage of the once in a lifetime events taking place in the UK.

The excitement around this year’s events is helping bolster domestic tourism in Britain and, according to ebookers.com’s data, the top 10 places** Brits are visiting are:

*  London
*  Manchester
*  Edinburgh
*  Birmingham
*  Liverpool
*  York
*  Glasgow
*  Brighton
*  Bristol
*  Newcastle

Mario Bounas, Head of UK Marketing, ebookers.com, says “This summer is going to offer Brits a once in a lifetime opportunity to see two historic events on home soil. With a wealth of places to visit and things to do, it’s great to see that more people are looking to stay in the UK this summer to enjoy the celebrations. VisitEngland’s national campaign to encourage domestic tourism launches this week, so we will no doubt see the number of Brits searching for UK breaks increase further over the coming months.

James Berresford, VisitEngland’s Chief Executive said:  “The ‘Holidays at Home are GREAT’ campaign launches this week with a new and exciting TV ad staring national treasures such as Stephen Fry and Julie Walters. The campaign will encourage viewers to look at www.great2012offers.com, which goes live on the 8 March offering thousands of special deals of at least 20.12% off accommodation, attractions, meals and entertainment.  There really is no better time to take a holiday in the UK!”