Amsterdam and Paris still firm favourites

Amsterdam and Paris are among the top destinations for travellers this year, according to one industry figure.

The French and Dutch capitals, short ferry rides from the UK and long-term favourites with the British holidaymaking crowd, are once more expected to be at the top of the list for travellers in 2008.

That is the view of a representative from Heathrow Airport, with spokesperson Damon Hunt saying the two were part of a "fairly static" top ten which kept people coming back time and time again.

Identifying Paris as the second most popular destination, Mr Hunt said Amsterdam was fourth and a popular German site, Frankfurt, is fifth. Frankfurt is home to the financial centre of Germany, but also offers welcoming bars and a vibrant cultural atmosphere.

Almost 70 million visits abroad were taken by UK resident in 2007, with more than ten million Britons crossing the Channel each year by ferry and plane.