New York tops the Christmas chart, says Heathrow

Ask any teenager what will be Christmas number one this year, and they'll probably say Leona Lewis. Ask an employee at Heathrow Airport - and they'll say New York.

According to the airport, the Big Apple is set to top the charts this year, with more people set to travel there than anywhere else.

Donna Casey, spokeswoman for the hub's operator BAA, revealed that long-haul destinations are set to feature highly on people's Christmas list in 2007. As well as New York, places such as Dubai, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Sydney are all proving to be popular destinations.

Nor has the hunger for winter breaks in New York gone unnoticed by the Association of British Travel Agents. Sean Tipton, a spokesman for the body, recently remarked that the dollar's passing of "the magic £2 barrier" means that the American city is more popular than ever with British holidaymakers.

In the short-haul market, BAA revealed that some familiar names are pushing New York for the Christmas crown. The romance of Paris is expected to make it the second most popular destination, followed closely by Dublin and Amsterdam.

Making up the top ten are Frankfurt and Edinburgh.