SPAIN has been crowned the number one destination within Europe for Irish holidaymakers by Aer Lingus.
The Irish airline, along with Revolut, revealed Irish holidaymakers’ most-booked destinations for the summer.
Portugal grabbed the second spot while France followed in third.
The Basilica de la Sagrada Familia is the top tourist attraction in Spain.
The church, which is Antoni Gaudi’s most famous work, has a lift which offers a panoramic view of Barcelona city.
And its nativity facade and crypt have also been awarded UNESCO World Heritage Status.
In France, the Eiffel Tower is the most popular sight to visit
While these hotspots are top of the rankings, holidaymakers are changing the way they book their getaway.
Vacation bookings through Revolut have increased by 22 per cent this year, compared to the same time last year.
And the fintech firm announced that Aer Lingus adopted Revolut Pay in January, providing a one-click checkout for its customers.
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It was Revolut’s first foray into the airline industry as the banking app moves further into the travel space.
Customers can now pay for an Aer Lingus flight in less than 10 seconds with Revolut Pay.
Alex Codina, General Manager — Merchant Acquiring, said: “It’s been brilliant to see how Revolut Pay’s simplified checkout experience has helped so many more Aer Lingus customers book their dream destination, in what we expect to be a record-breaking travel season for Revolut users.”
Jet-setters can also stay connected in over 100 countries with Revolut’s eSIMs.
He added: “Wherever our customers are jetting off this summer, our range of useful travel features, such as currency exchange, airport lounges, travel insurance, and eSIMs, will help people to spend like a local and travel in style, avoiding costly bank charges or unexpected data roaming fees — and it all starts by booking flights with Revolut Pay.”
Susanne Carberry, Chief Customer Officer at Aer Lingus explained how customers “love to seek out new destinations” – as well as visiting firm favourites like Spain and Portugal.
‘Wide range of choice’
She said: “For summer 2024, we’re offering Aer Lingus customers a wide range of choice as we operate the largest ever North American network, including the commencement of new services from Dublin to Minneapolis St. Paul and Denver, as well as an expanded European leisure network.
“We’re also hugely excited to be launching an exciting new route to Las Vegas later this year, giving holidaymakers an incredible new winter travel destination to consider.
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“Aer Lingus is proud to have become the first airline in the world to offer Revolut Pay as a payment option, which offers customers a seamless one-click check-out experience.”
Since its soft launch in late November 2023, Aer Lingus reported a 277 per cent increase in Revolut Pay transactions when comparing both December 2023 and January 2024.