Kuoni's Long-Haul Report, out this week, makes interesting reading. Kuoni is one of the biggest long-haul travel specialists in the country, and its annual breakdown of trends and booking patterns for far-off holiday destinations usually gives a fair reflection of what's happening on the travel scene.

While Thailand continues to be the most popular destination (for the sixth consecutive year), the Maldives and Sri Lanka are not far behind, with bookings up 30 per cent and 50 per cent respectively.

It may come as a surprise to learn that four of the top 10 destinations - Egypt, Kenya, Sri Lanka and the US - have been blighted by terrorism in recent years, while so-called 'safe' destinations such as the Caribbean, which you might expect to be benefiting from unease in the Middle East and South East Asia, are nowhere to be seen in the top 10.

And it's not just intrepid independent travellers who are setting the trends. Thomson is currently running two charter flights a week into Luxor and one to Sharm El Sheikh and claims to have no problem filling seats with winter sun-seekers. Travelbag Adventures says bookings for its family adventure holidays to Egypt are up an incredible 229 per cent on last year and it has had to add extra departures for the February half-term.

Kuoni managing director Sue Biggs attributes this trend partly to the 'amazing resilience of the British travelling public' and partly to the active promotion and generous deals available in countries such as Egypt and Sri Lanka. But it's not all about getting the cheapest deal. According to Kuoni, people are taking advantage of savings to trade up to a better hotel: in effect paying the same price for a better holiday.

Maybe it's no coincidence that places that have not had to face up to the threat of terrorism - such as the Caribbean and Mexico - have become complacent.

'There are lots of parts of the world investing more in hotels which offer better food, better service and better value for money than the Caribbean,' says Biggs.

The warmest welcome and the best deals are often to be found in a destination which is having to work hard for its tourists. When you look at it this way, the success of Sri Lanka and Egypt doesn't seem so surprising after all.