British holiday home buyers still strongly favour European destinations, according to an overseas property expert.
Figures compiled by property sales website Rightmove Overseas show that the number of searches run by users climbed from 6.8 million in the first five months of 2007 to 8.7 million during the corresponding period this year.
Despite the publicity surrounding the low prices and investment potential reportedly available in emerging markets such as Brazil and Russia, the website's figures showed that Spain is still the country which generates the most searches.
Paul Collins of property advice website BuyAssociation explained that traditional European favourites remain popular because most Britons planning to buy overseas view having a second home somewhere they can enjoy regular holidays for the next 20 years as their top priority.
"They will remain that way just because of the ease of getting to them and the fact that the culture and economy is geared up to foreigners buying property," he added.
