The surprising new destinations everyone is flocking to

Our government has warned us about this city, but despite the risks holiday-makers are more interested than ever.

Traditional favourites like Bali and London will be given a run for their money in 2019 with a surprising list of emerging destinations luring Aussies away, new data reveals.

Skyscanner.com.au has compared search statistics from 2017 and 2018 to narrow down a list of what are tipped to be the top emerging destinations next year.

And it found the Ukrainian capital of Kiev was the place with the biggest surge in interest, with a year-on-year jump of 129 per cent, pushing it up 62 spots on the global ranking.

That’s despite the Australian government urging travellers to exercise a high degree of caution in Ukraine “due to the unpredictable security situation across the country” and the threat of escalating tensions, especially during political protests in Kiev.

Kiev is seeing a massive surge in interest from Australian holiday-makers. Picture: iStock

Ukraine has been under martial law since Russia seized Ukrainian naval ships in the Sea of Azov last month, and that will continue until Boxing Day.

But Kiev’s spectacular buildings, vibrant night-life and its proximity to the radioactive tourism site Chernobyl have made it a major drawcard for adventurous holiday-makers.

Elsewhere, a couple of destinations in new favourite Vietnam made the list of emerging destinations, including beachside Da Nang and Nha Trang on the country’s south coast.

Portugal made the top 10 list twice with its capital Lisbon and the city of Porto, which is famous for its colourful medieval houses and port wine.

And perhaps spurred by the popularity of Netflix series Narcos, the Colombian city of Medellin snuck into the list as well.

Da Nang, Vietnam, is emerging as a rival to Bali. Picture: iStock

Here are the top emerging destinations Australian holiday-makers will be flocking to next year.

1. Kiev, Ukraine (year-on-year rise of 129 per cent)

2. Thessaloniki, Greece (69 per cent)

3. St Petersburg, Russia (49 per cent)

4. Lisbon, Portugal (37 per cent)

5. Nice, France (33 per cent)

6. Nha Trang, Vietnam (33 per cent)

7. Palawan, Philippines (32 per cent)

8. Porto, Portugal (31 per cent)

9. Da Nang, Vietnam (23 per cent)

10. Medellin, Colombia (23 per cent)

That’s not to say we’ve forgotten about our old favourite holiday spots.

Bali, London, Auckland and Bangkok remained the top destinations searched by Australians on Skyscanner.com.au in 2018.

Prices to London have dropped for Australians in 2018.

Travellers to Bali and London have also benefited from year-on-year price drops, new flight routes and flash sales by budget airlines, Skyscanner said.

But on the flip side, while Bangkok remained popular, airfare to the Thai capital shot up by about 12 per cent in 2018.

Here were the most popular destinations for Australians using Skyscanner in 2018, along with the average return airfare and how that changed from 2017 to 2018.

1. Bali, Indonesia.

Average price: $376. YoY difference: Drop of 3.1 per cent

2. London, UK

Average price: $964. YoY difference: Drop of 1.2 per cent

3. Auckland, New Zealand

Average price: $341. YoY difference: Rise of 3.4 per cent

4. Bangkok, Thailand

Average price: $582. YoY difference: Rise of 12.3 per cent

5. Tokyo, Japan

Average price: $649. YoY difference: Rise of 9.5 per cent

6. Singapore

Average price: $442. YoY difference: Rise of 9.7 per cent

Bangkok remains a favourite but airfares have become more expensive. Picture: iStock

7. Manila, The Philippines

Average price: $534. YoY difference: Drop of 3.8 per cent

8. New Delhi, India

Average price: $678. YoY difference: Rise of 0.2 per cent

9. Los Angeles, United States

Average price: $813. YoY difference: Rise of 0.8 per cent

10. Phuket, Thailand

Average price: $481. YoY difference: Rise of 10.1 per cent

Finally, Skyscanner’s recent data analysis revealed how Australians are travelling on planes.

A comparison across other Asia-Pacific countries revealed Aussies have been the strongest growth in premium economy and business class bookings.

Skyscanner suggested that was because of a drip in airfares in those classes in the past year.