MEETING Santa in Lapland, shopping in New York and seeing the northern lights in Iceland have topped a list of 20 best places to visit at Christmas.
The poll of 2,000 adults was, unsurprisingly, dominated by wintry destinations such as the famous festive markets in Vienna and skiing in the Alps.
But winter sun destinations were also popular, with Barbados, Florida and Sydney featuring in the top 10.
Many would like to plan a trip a little closer to home, admiring the light-trail in Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Gardens, while others would love to visit the Alps for a skiing holiday.
A third want to travel for Yuletide so they can experience the festive season in another culture, and 27 per cent want to enjoy an elusive white Christmas.
Matt Richardson from John Lewis Travel Money which commissioned the study, said: “Discovering the magic of Christmas goes beyond our doorsteps.
“With our world becoming more interconnected, a rising number of travellers are choosing to celebrate the holidays overseas.
“This growing trend isn’t just about chasing snow – it’s a quest fordiverse traditions, unique celebrations, and the joy of being together with friends and family wherever you are in the world.”
It also emerged 26 per cent want to set sail at this time of year to chase some winter sun – as 67 per cent of these are fed up with the cold weather.
Almost one in three (32 per cent) have previously travelled abroad at Christmas, with 63 per cent of these saying they are some of the celebrations they look back most fondly on.
And for these travellers, 80 per cent said it is important they have plenty of cash in the local currency to spend on the trip.
But while 68 per cent haven’t had the opportunity, it is on the bucket list to do so for 38 per cent – however, 31 per cent are worried doing so could break family traditions they hold dearly.
The research, which was conducted via OnePoll.com, went on to find 44 per cent plan to visit a Christmas market this year either in the UK or abroad.
With 78 per cent of these going on to say Christmas isn’t complete without visiting at least one, and 78 per cent also agreeing you know the big day is coming when they start to pop up.
Six in 10 (60 per cent) will make the effort to check one out which isn’t on their doorstep, as shopping for handcrafted gifts and sipping on hot chocolate and mulled wine is high on the agenda.
Matt Richardson from John Lewis Travel Money added: “Christmas lovers are in their element when browsing the markets here in the UK or abroad.
“And we are lucky to have so many brilliant ones in this country and hosted by our neighbours – and it’s clear from these findings, they are a quintessential part of our festive season.
“But when browsing the gifts and treats, it’s important not to be caught out without cash, especially overseas as many of the stalls are not accepting card payment.”
