Oscar-nominated films inspire holiday ideas

Lowcostholidays.com are reporting a huge surge in online searches for travel destinations that have been featured in this year’s Oscar nominated films.

It seems that film-fanatic travellers have been inspired by the glamorous screen locations - enough to search for the destinations on the Lowcostholidays website. Searches for holidays to Hawaii, a destination which happens to be where George Clooney filmed The Descendants, are up by 70 per cent.

Meanwhile, best picture nomination ‘Midnight in Paris’ has pushed the already popular romantic destination up by 215 per cent and the success of The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo has created interest in Sweden with a 100 per cent year on year increase in searches for short breaks in Stockholm.  

In honour of the 84th annual Academy Awards taking place in LA on Sunday, the travel website has come up with its own 'Oscar Travel Awards' - to honour the best destinations in 2012. 

The winners include Mexico as best long haul destination, because of it's unbeatable value for money, and the Mediterranean island of Majorca for best short haul destination - due to its sandy beaches and fabulous scenery. 

The award for 'great value for money' for summer 2012 holidays went to Portugal because of its huge variety of accommodation and low cost flights. Bookings to the Algarve are up 46 per cent year on year - perhaps not suprising when you consider that prices for seven nights in April start from as low as £75 per person including flights.

Matt Hall, deputy managing director at Lowcostholidays, commented: “If you’re after true LA glamour and glitz, then head to Los Angeles, home of the Oscars, with prices in May starting from £975 per person for seven nights at a four-star hotel including flights.”

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