Nobody likes to be stuck in the rain for weeks at a time; so, not surprisingly, an extended period of rainy weather across the United Kingdom has stimulated a surge in bookings for overseas trips.

According to TUI, formerly Thomsen, one of the largest travel agencies in the UK, heavy rain and unseasonal August weather has prompted travelers to look for sunnier destinations.

Shorter breaks most popular

Interestingly, shorter breaks of three or four nights are up 150 percent. Short breaks allow travelers to enjoy a brief reprieve from the weather and normal activities, before they return to their normal lives. Recent research released by the UK Office of National Statistics also reports that more and more people are opting to take shorter breaks.

Seeking sunshine and warmth

The most popular destination is a group of islands known as The Balearics, located in the Mediterranean, off the coast of Spain, almost due South of the UK. While the UK is having continuous rain, the forecast for the Spanish islands is persistent sunshine and temperatures in the low to middle 80s (Fahrenheit).

Southern Europe and other islands also doing well

In addition to The Balearics, searches have risen 22 percent overall and particularly to Ibiza, Barcelona, Alicante, Faro, and Tenerife---all sunny beautiful tourist destinations. Moreover, Southern Europe is performing very well, with bookings up 39 percent over the same time in 2016.

Holiday home bookings up, too

The holiday homes site Novasol over the past two weeks said its bookings were up 26 percent over the same period last year. Sales of last-minute holidays, booked within the last two weeks with departures in the next four to six weeks, are up 15 percent year over year.

Last-minute bookings on the rise

More and more travelers everywhere are booking at the last minute, because they can. And sometimes, they will even find a travel bargain that was not available earlier. Called "the lates market" in the UK, we expect this last-minute travel booking to become even more commonplace.

The role of weather

With the forecast of increasing storms and floods worldwide, due to a changing climate, expect to see increases in last-minute travel and tourism across the globe. Finally, there will also be changes in where people will choose to vacation, as the band of warm weather continues northward. Who knows? One day soon, we may be talking about vacationing in Russia's Siberia or Canada's Nunavut?

© Copyright 1998-2017 by The Herman Group of Companies, Inc., all rights reserved. From 'The Herman Trend Alert,' by Joyce Gioia, Strategic Business Futurist. (800) 227-3566 or www.hermangroup.com    

The Herman Trend Alert is a trademark of The Herman Group of Companies, Inc. Reprinted with permission.