Travel websites have reported a surge in searches in post-Christmas period as holidaymakers look to shake off the winter blues, with destinations such as Sharm-el-Sheik proving the most popular getaways.

Travelsupermarket.com has reported that searches in the three days after Christmas were up 15 percent up on the same time last year and 65 percent up on the three days before Christmas.

The favourite search was for the Canaries, a popular destination for both winter and summer sun.

In the top ten searches since Christmas Day, eight were traditional winter sun destinations, with Canaries topping the list. The exceptions were Turkey and Greece. Thailand has been the most popular destination so far for the Easter period.

Bob Atkinson, at Travelsupermarket, said: “Price will be king in 2010. The ‘staycation’ is likely to continue, but Brits hoping for a value getaway will look to destinations outside the eurozone. Assuming the value of the pound remains roughly the same, Turkey, Egypt and Bulgaria will continue to be very popular. Dubai also has some amazing deals.”

A number of tour operators have launched sales, including Thomas Cook. Kuoni has also launched a Boxing Day sale, offering savings of up to 30 per cent in what it claims is its “biggest luxury holiday sale”.

A spokeswoman for Kuoni UK said: “Some people feel it is even more important to holiday during a recession. Many people are having to work much harder and think they deserve a break from normal life.”

Top ten destinations by volume of searches since Christmas Day
1 Canary Islands
2 Mainland Spain
3 Egypt, Sharm-el-Sheik
4 United States, mostly Florida and New York
5 The Caribbean: Cuba, Barbados and the Dominican Republic
6 Greece
7 Turkey
8 Thailand
9 Cyprus
10 Mexico