For the first time since the 1960's, Spain is no longer the No 1 destination for UK holidaymakers. In 2008, according to a survey by Cooperative Travel, Turkey has become the destination of choice for UK travellers looking for their annual holiday. This accolade follows many years of work by the Turkish Culture and Tourism Office to increase the visibility of the destination through TV and press advertising campaigns and through continuous improvements in the tourism infrastructure itself. Turkish Culture and Tourism campaigns extol not only the usual virtues of good beaches (there is 7000 miles of coastline) and excellent climate (the summer season extends well into October in the south, and even in high summer, it is possible to enjoy a more friendly climate away from the searing heat of July and August) - but also the extraordinary cultural side of the country.

So, here are three reasons of many to plan a visit soon.

Firstly, the UK's unpredictable weather has not helped those who decided to have a home-based UK holiday this year. Looking for a reliable climate from May to October has encouraged many people to select Turkey as "somewhere different" but with the reliability of Spain's Mediterranean weather.

Secondly, the gradual erosion of the value of the Pound against the Euro has made Eurozone countries (this includes Spain and Greece) a less attractive proposition financially. The holiday pound simply does not stretch as far as it did. Turkey is currently outside of the European Economic Community, and still has its own currency where exchange rates with the pound remain favourable.

And finally (although there are many other reasons for a visit, including varied cuisine, visits to the myriad open air archaeological remains of 7,000 years of civilisation including Hittites, Phrygian, Greek, Roman and Ottoman, amazing landscapes including the fairy chimneys of Cappadoccia, excellent sailing and water sports generally as well as the welcoming nature of Turkish people), the year 2010 sees Istanbul become the European Capital of Culture. The city is losing no time in creating new art galleries, international film and music festivals plus more chic restaurants and bars.

The European City of Culture 2010 is based around the theme of a City of Four Elements - Earth, Air, Fire and Water, and projects in hand are under five themes - cultural heritage, multiculturalism, urban transformation, artistic infrastructure and teamwork. Thus Istanbul is capitalising on it rich cultural legacy, where already the existing beauty of such gems as the Topkapi Palace, St Sophia Mosque an the historic heart of the city have captivated untold millions of visitors in recent years.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jimi St. Pierre, in collaboration with travel correspondent Penny Church writes for several Travel Companies in the UK, including Airport parking specialist www.holiday-parking.co.uk who offer a wide variety of airport parking and hotel arrangements for UK travellers.