Brits head overseas for Christmas shopping

Lots of holiday-loving Brits will be doing their Christmas shopping overseas this year, predicts one online travel company.

Lastminute.com forecasts fast-growing cities such as Hong Kong and Beijing will be competing with old favourites such as New York and destinations with Christmas markets across Europe this year, though America's shopping capital is expected to remain in the top spot overall.

Lastminute.com's travel director John Bevan commented: "Alternative long-haul destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing are also growing tremendously this year with ever more competitive ticket prices, fabulous shopping opportunities and luxury hotels drawing people to travel east - not just west - to pick up gifts for Christmas."

However European cities with Christmas markets are also predicted to be popular with travellers looking for late deals.

The site's prediction for Europe's top Christmas market is Valkenburg, located at the meeting point of Holland, Belgium and Germany.

Valkenburg's Christmas market is expected to be particularly popular due to its highly original range of craftworks, which are ideal as unusual gifts, and its limestone caves that have been turned into Christmas grottos.

The site predicts this year's other top destinations will be Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, and Cologne in Germany, Vienna in Austria, Budapest in Hungary, the Czech capital Prague and Bruges in Belgium.