By Andrew Batt:
EXCLUSIVE: Indonesian villas and apartments are seeing a huge increase in interest from British holidaymakers, according to a new report from the U.K.’s leading holiday home rentals website.
According to the Holiday Lettings Index published by holidaylettings.co.uk, the country experienced a 226 percent increase in interest during the first three months of the year. Thailand saw an 84 percent increase in interest over the same period.
Kate Stinchcombe-Gillies of holidaylettings.co.uk told PropertyGuru: “Indonesia is climbing the popularity ranks with travellers once again. It has experienced significant year on year uplift in enquiries for holiday villa and apartment accommodation, going from relatively small numbers the previous year.”
She added: “Given that World Travel Market research highlighted Indonesia as part of the SLIMMA countries expected to be hot in 2012 (Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Mexico, Malaysia, Argentina), it would appear renting holiday villas in these locations is following the trend.”
Andrew Batt, Regional Group Editor for PropertyGuru, said: “This is really good news for Indonesia, and for property buyers and investors who are looking to capitalise on this increasing interest from overseas holidaymakers. More Europeans are looking at Indonesia, and the rest of Southeast Asia, not only for their holidays but also for their next property investment.”
Interest in Thailand has also rebounded following the period of instability during 2010 and last year’s floods.
Stinchcombe-Giles said: “Thailand is pulling itself nicely out of the upset in Bangkok last year which knocked traveller and investor confidence, and it remains a cheap place to invest. It’s a prime winter sun destination for Britons, and enquiries for Thai holiday homes have been stable in the last six to 12 months.”
She added that according to data, Phuket is the most popular spot with investors and the fourth most popular area with holidaymakers in terms of enquiries per property, behind Bangkok, East Thailand and Koh Samui.
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