Short-break operators have identified a new breed of traveller, the 'beachender', who takes off for a few days in the sun, often combining the beach with sightseeing.

This trend has placed Palma, Majorca, in tour operator Travelscene's league of top 20 cities for the first time this year, with Marbella also enjoying an 85 per cent growth in bookings.

Travelscene marketing director Nick Bamford said, 'The kind of cities that appeal to this developing market are generally ones that are already familiar to holidaymakers from summer holi days. These might be second, third and fourth holidays.' He added that the determining factor in opening a city up to 'beachend' breaks was the availability of scheduled flights.

In the long-haul sector, Amman picked up more bookings than expected because clients combined visits with excursions to Red Sea resorts nearby. Dubai was also a popular 'beachend' destination, and Travelscene's third most popular long-haul destination.

Other significant trends reported by the operator include a massive increase in popularity for Stockholm. 'Stockholm is following on from Reykjavik in being regarded as the cool capital of Europe,' said Bamford.

Paris, Amsterdam, Bruges and Rome remain the most popular short break destinations overall for the tour operator.