Bulgaria, the African island of Cape Verde and Canada are the new top holiday home destinations, figures reveal. One in ten inquiries about foreign holiday homes in the UK is about Bulgaria, which has become the latest holiday home hotspot for Britons. Spain leads, nevertheless, in the quest for the biggest land grab abroad after the Second World War.

"The number of properties bought by Britons in the former Eastern bloc country has risen by 38% since January", Glasgow Evening Times reported.

However, Spain still remains Britain's sweetheart destination, with 27% of all Britons' second homes and holiday homes abroad located in Spain. The Spanish Ministry of Tourism expects 1 million foreigners to set up a home on the Spanish coast in the next six years.

According to Banco Halifax Hispania, the Spanish arm of Halifax, the UK's largest mortgage lender, the main drive to buying in Spain were the low rate Euro mortgages and the boom in low cost budget airlines flying to Spain.

The passenger numbers from UK airports tripled from 1987 to 2005, with a 9% growth in 2004 alone. The low-cost flights to and from Spain are up 25% from last year, while low cost operators in Spain have increased 160%. This growth has not only opened new possibilities for the DIY traveller, but has also led to the development of new, regional airports. 

With all the low cost flights leaving to Spain from many national and regional UK airports, the Britons have a wide array of options for shorter, more frequent, affordable trips to Spain. It seems to be an overpowering drive for many Britons who buy holiday homes in Spain. A research from Euromonitor's "Travel and Tourism in Spain" report, shows that short trips of one to three days are the fastest growing type of holidays in Spain, accounting for 37% of all trips to Spain in 2004. The trend is only accentuating as more and more people discover a very accessible and affordable Europe on their doorsteps. 

Flying to Spain is nowadays often quicker and cheaper than rail travel within the UK, which fuels the drive of more people to use short trips and even commit themselves to buying a holiday home abroad.