Jet2CityBreaks research reveals one in four Brits plan holidays based on books they’ve read

A study of 2,000 adults, undertaken to celebrate World Book Day (6 March), found one in four are set to book a holiday to visit a location referenced in a novel, with Tuscany the top choice thanks to ‘Under the Tuscan Sun’ by Frances Mayes.

Venice, Barcelona and Paris are also among the most popular due respectively to ‘The Thief Lord’ by Cornelia Funke, ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, and ‘Les Misérables’ by Victor Hugo.

Others long to visit Rome thanks to ‘Angels and Demons’ by Dan Brown and Corfu which features in ‘The Corfu Trilogy’ by Gerald Durrell. The research, commissioned by Jet2CityBreaks, found that more than 40 per cent of Brits had been on at least one holiday inspired by a book while almost a third (28%) said they had visited three or four destinations after being inspired by a novel.

It also unveiled that 20 per cent were willing to travel more than 1,500 miles to visit somewhere they head read about while half said they would venture out to explore landmarks and attractions mentioned in a book on self-guided tours.

Of course, 35 per cent said they were influenced by TV shows, with Iceland, Spain, and Italy among the countries to visit after seeing it on screen.

A spokesperson for Jet2CityBreaks, said: “Often there is no visual representation of the country or city a book is set in, so imagination is a must. It’s great to see so many people swap their imagination for reality and plan to visit a destination after being influenced by a book they’ve read.

“With so many destinations on sale with Jet2CityBreaks, it can be hard to decide on where to go next but our research clearly shows that books can act as big source of inspiration when it comes to holidays.”

Reasons for visiting a place that they have read about in a novel include wanting to see what it looks like in real life (46 per cent), learning more about the area (32 per cent) and ticking it off their bucket list (15 per cent).

For those who have already made a trip based on a book they’ve read, 62 per cent said they were pleasantly surprised to find their book-inspired destination was better than expected.

Once there, half explored landmarks or attractions which were mentioned in the novel, while 25 per cent stayed in accommodation featured in the non-fiction tale. And 27 per cent even signed up to a professional guided tour of some of the destinations they read about.

It also emerged those who enjoyed a holiday after reading about it in a book have made an average of three novel-related trips, with 15 per cent booking it the day after they had finished it.

While 17 per cent have a list of an average of five places, they’d like to visit in the future based on finished novels.

The spokesperson for Jet2CityBreaks, added: “On World Book Day this year, we think everyone should get inspired by the novels they have read that could well be the setting for their next holiday.

“There are so many fantastic holiday destinations to visit across Europe, so hopefully this research gives the nation some motivation to start thinking about where they might travel to next – and they will possibly have a book to thank for that.”

THE TOP 30 BOOKS WHICH HAVE MOST INSPIRED TRAVEL

1. "Under the Tuscan Sun" by Frances Mayes (Tuscany)

2. "My Family and Other Animals" by Gerald Durrell (Corfu)

3. "The Corfu Trilogy" by Gerald Durrell (Corfu)

4. "The Da Vinci Code" by Dan Brown (Paris)

5. "Angels and Demons" by Dan Brown (Rome)

6. "The Merchant of Venice" by William Shakespeare (Venice)

7. "Death in Venice" by Thomas Mann (Venice)

8. "A Year in Provence" by Peter Mayle (Provence)

9. “The Durrells of Corfu” by Michael Haag (Corfu)

10. "Les Misérables" by Victor Hugo (Paris)

11. "Captain Corelli’s Mandolin" by Louis de Bernières (Cephalonia)

12. "Heidi" by Johanna Spyri (captures the essence of the Swiss Alps) (Switzerland)

13. "The Birth of Venus" by Sarah Dunant (Florence)

14. "Homage to Catalonia" by George Orwell (Catalonia)

15. "The Shadow of the Wind" by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Barcelona)

16. “Beautiful Ruins” by Jess Walter (Italy)

17. "The Sound of Music" by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse (Austria)

18. "I, Claudius" by Robert Graves (Rome)

19. "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr (Paris)

20. "Prospero's Cell" by Lawrence Durrell (Corfu)

21. "A Game of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin (inspired by) (Croatia)

22. "Brunelleschi's Dome" by Ross King (Florence)

23. "On Her Majesty’s Secret Service" by Ian Fleming (Switzerland)

24. "The Third Man" by Graham Greene (Austria)

25. "The City of Marvels" by Eduardo Mendoza (Barcelona)

26. "The French Riviera: A Literary Guide for Travellers" by Ted Jones (French Riviera)

27. "The Snowman" by Jo Nesbø (Norway)

28. "Night Train to Lisbon" by Peter Bieri (Lisbon)

29. "The Provence Trilogy" by Peter Mayle (Provence)

30. "Roman Fever" by Edith Wharton (Rome)

Customers can choose award-winning holidays and flights, whether that is a package holiday with Jet2holidays, a city break with Jet2CityBreaks, or a leisure flight with Jet2.com to these novel-inspired destinations. Each provider has been recognised as a Which? Recommended Provider for providing industry-leading levels of customer service and customer experience.