Travel with Katie Butler: ABTA's Destinations to Watch 2025

Katie Butler, Total Travel, writes: Of course, this meant a busy weekend for the industry and not just for the right reasons. Flights were delayed and many then subsequently cancelled due to crew running out of flying time and aircraft not positioned in the right places for their departure.

Unfortunately, if your flight was delayed or cancelled due to the bad weather, you will not be entitled to claim under the EU261 regulation. However, your airline does still have obligation to take care of you.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) states that if there is a substantial delay, airlines should look after their passengers, including providing food and drink and also overnight accommodation if necessary.

If your flight is fully cancelled due to bad weather you should be offered a refund or alternative travel arrangements.

Last week were excited to catch up on the new 2025 Destinations to Watch list, provided by ABTA. The report features ten destinations that ABTA believes will inspire UK travellers looking for their next holiday.

ABTA’s Director of Communications, Graeme Buck, said: “As ever, we have deliberately not chosen the ‘most popular’ or ‘fastest growing’ destinations, but instead aimed to inspire with some fantastic places, which may not currently be top of mind.”

The ten Destinations to Watch in alphabetical order are:

Belize – This pocket-sized Central American tropical paradise is a nature lover’s delight with rainforests and idyllic beaches as well as historic Mayan sites.

Denmark – This Scandinavian gem is home to delightful towns, unspoilt countryside, idyllic seascapes and a world class capital city.

Hokkaido – This northern island has some of Japan’s most beautiful countryside and is home to mountains, volcanoes, ancient forests and breath-taking lakes.

Hungary – Beautiful countryside, delicious food and wine, one of the world’s greatest cities, all at prices that won’t break the bank.

The Islands of the Cote d’Azur – The delightful towns, villages, coastline and countryside of the Cote d’Azur in the South of France are world famous, but the lovely unspoilt islands a short ferry ride away are a better kept secret.

Le Marche – Le Marche in central Italy is one of the country’s best kept secrets. Its stunning countryside, dramatic coastline, historic towns and cities are worthy competition for the better-known areas of ‘il bel paese’.

Malawi – This African country packs a great deal into its compact borders. Although landlocked, visitors can still relax on beautiful sandy beaches and idyllic islands on Lake Malawi, bordered by jungle teaming with wildlife.

Oviedo and more – The northern Spanish city of Oviedo is a largely undiscovered gem, a historic city with squares full of bars and restaurants, and capital of the fascinating and alluring province of Asturias.

Quebec – The Canadian province of Quebec offers historic cities, stunning countryside and very much reflects its French heritage, in language, architecture and cuisine.

Tasmania – This Australian island is a spectacularly beautiful island paradise with a vibrant and buzzy capital city, Hobart.

A brilliant start to January at Total Travel and it seems across the industry, lets hope we have seen the last of the snow!