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Spain tops list of ‘dream destinations’ for British people to start new life, survey claims

European country beats New Zealand and Australia to be most desired home location

Friday 28 June 2019 18:42 BST

Spain is currently experiencing a heatwave that could see temperatures soar above 40 degrees over the weekend (Getty Images)

Spain has beaten New Zealand and Australia to top the list of dream destinations where British people would choose to start a new life.

The European country, famous for its sun, sea and sangria, is currently going through a blistering heatwave with temperatures forecast to soar above 40 degrees.

However, it remains a hot destination for those in the UK – with a survey revealing 13 per cent of adults would choose Spain over any other country as a place to call home.

New Zealand, recently named the second most peaceful country on earth, was named the second most popular country to move to.

The Commonwealth country, which takes 24 hours to reach by air, boasts extraordinary scenery, stunning deserted beaches and imposing mountains.

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

Show all 11

1/11Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

Grand prize winner and 1st place: Cities

"Upernavik is a fishing village on a tiny island in west Greenland. Historically, Greenlandic buildings were painted different colors to indicate different functions, from red storefronts to blue fishermen’s homes—a useful distinction when the landscape is blanketed in snow. This photo was taken during my three-month, personal photo project to present life in Greenland."

Chu Weimin

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

1st place: Nature

"A gorgeous griffon vulture is seen soaring the skies in Monfrague National Park in Spain. How can anyone say vultures bring bad omens when looking at such tenderness in this griffon vulture's eyes? Vultures are important members of the environment, as they take care of recycling dead matter. Vultures are noble and majestic animals—kings of the skies. When looking at them flying, we should feel humbled and admire them."

Tamara Blazquez Haik

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

2nd place: Cities

"There are four runways at San Francisco's International Airport (SFO). This is a rare look at the approach end of runways 28 left and right. I had dreams of documenting the motion at SFO and arranged permission to fly directly overhead. What a windy day it was. Winds at SFO were 35-45 miles per hour, which meant a bumpy flight, and it was much harder to control the plane while photographing. The flight was challenging, but it was also so thrilling that I couldn't sleep for several days afterward."

Jassen Todorov

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

Honourable mention: People

"I captured this layered moment during sunrise along the banks of the Yamuna River in Delhi, India. This boy was thinking silently, and visitors were enjoying the loud musical chirping of thousands of seagulls. The early morning golden light from the east mixed with the western blue light, creating an ethereal atmosphere. I am a regular visitor here and have photographed this place for the past three years. Now, many national and international photographers have begun visiting too."

Navin Vatsa

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

Honourable mention: Nature

"A herd of ibex in Switzerland’s Bernese Oberland cross a ridge above Lake Brienz. Their powerful and impressive horns show who the king of the Alps are. Ibex are ideally adapted to live at dizzying heights. The continuing ridge path and the rising fog show the natural habitat of these animals. After a few hours of observing the animals, I spotted the ibex herd on one side of the ridge. Several ibex stopped at the transition to view the world around them."

Jonas Schafer

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

3rd place: People

"Every year on the feast of Saint Anthony the ceremony of the purification of animals, called Las Luminarias, is celebrated in Spain. In the province of Avila, horses and horsemen jump over bonfires in the ritual that has been maintained since the 18th century. The animals are not hurt, and it is a ritual that is repeated every year. To make the photo, I moved from Seville to San Bartolomé de Pinares because I am very interested in photographing ancestral rites."

Jose Antonio Zamora

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

2nd place: People

"This photo was taken at a public park at Choi Hung House in Hong Kong. When I visited during the afternoon, it was very crowded with many young people taking pictures and playing basketball. But when I visited at sunrise, it was quiet and a different place. The area is designated for neighborhood residents in the early morning, and there was a sacred atmosphere. I felt divinity when I saw an old man doing tai chi in the sun."

Yoshiki Fujiwara

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

3rd place: Nature

"Dusky dolphins often travel together in great numbers in the deep canyons of the Kaikoura, New Zealand in search of food. They glide through the ocean effortlessly, coming up only to breathe. Dusky dolphins are fast and will often keep pace with a speeding boat. I waited on the bow of the boat as the Dusky dolphin almost broke through the surface. Their elegance and streamlined bodies are built for speed and maneuverability—accentuated by the smooth, clear water of the New Zealand coastline."

Scott Portelli

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

2nd place: Nature

"What happens before a wave breaks? That question has been my assignment this past year. On this particular day, I decided to shoot the sunset on the east side of Oahu, Hawaii. About 100 photographers were out in the morning, but I had the evening to myself. The textures from the trade winds created subtle colors from the west and blended well using my 100mm lens. I had to look into my viewfinder while this wave was breaking. Not an easy task when a wave is about to crush you."

Danny Sepkowski

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

1st place: People

"Actors prepare for an evening opera performance in Licheng County, China. I spent the whole day with these actors from makeup to stage. I’m a freelance photographer, and the series “Cave Life" is a long-term project of mine. In China's Loess Plateau, local residents dig holes in the loess layer to create cave living spaces, known as yaodongs, and use the heat preservation properties to survive cold winters. This series mainly records the life, entertainment, belief, labor, and other daily scenes of the people living in the caves."

Huaifeng Li

Winners of National Geographic Travel Photo Contest

3rd place: Cities

"People pray on the street in Dhaka, Bangladesh during Ijtema. Bishwa Ijtema is one of the major Islamic religious gatherings which is observed annually in Dhaka and millions of Muslims visit during this time. Dedicated prayer grounds are not large enough to handle this huge number of people, so large numbers of people come to Tongi, the main street of Dhaka. All the ground transportation and pedestrian crossings are suspended during that time."

Sandipani Chattopadhyay

New Zealand polled 12 per cent along with its neighbouring nation Australia.

Other popular moves on the wish list, compiled by AnyVan.com, included USA (10 per cent), Canada (9 per cent), Italy (7 per cent) and France (6 per cent).

Angus Elphinstone, CEO of AnyVan, said: “It’s nearly a national sport in the UK to dream about moving.

“From flicking through property prices and listings on Rightmove to sitting down to watch one of the vast number of primetime TV shows offering advice to those looking to change homes for a place in the sun.

“Our research highlighted where people dream to move to, but there were still 16 per cent of residents who didn’t want to move anywhere.”

He added: “With such a vast number of different landscapes, coastal views and green spaces, it’s easy to see why so many are living their dream in the UK and don’t feel they need to move elsewhere.”

The removal company’s research revealed age was a major factor in determining the popularity of the locations people wanted to move to.

Young adults preferred countries with more opportunities for lucrative career prospects and lavish lifestyles.

The results of the AnyVan poll on 'dream destinations' for British people (SWNS)

The USA came out as the top choice for under 34s, with 16 per cent listing it as their favourite, followed by Australia and then Spain.

Dubai was also more popular with younger adults, with four per cent dreaming of a move to the Middle East.

For adults over the age of 55, New Zealand (14 per cent) came out as the top dream move.

It also emerged that Spain topped a list of removal enquiries for AnyVan.com, followed by France, Germany, Italy and Ireland.

Alongside furniture, appliances and general house removals, the company had dozens of requests to transport pianos onto the continent.

SWNS

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