Unlikely places Aussies have flocked to this summer - and the 'cheapest' country expert has ever been
It's not just the typical Euro summer hotspots Aussies have been enjoying filling up social media feeds with in recent months.
One travel expert responsible for getting thousands of holidaymakers across to the continent has revealed a few surprising places have been hot on itineraries this year.
Emirates Regional Sales Manager, Dean Cleaver tells 9Travel some cities and countries some many consider as 'secondary' to the main spots are becoming more popular.
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Malta is a surprising European hotspot. Getty
"Lisbon seems to be hot property. Malta - everybody wants to go to Malta," Dean tells us.
Indeed, Aussies are on trend.
Malta's capital, Valletta, achieved a historic milestone by being named the Number One City in the World in Condé Nast Traveller's prestigious Readers' Choice Awards 2025, just a day after it was also crowned Europe's Best City.
"There's still a lot of interest in the traditional stuff - Ireland we've put a third flight on," Dean adds.
"We've seen some trends in some of the smaller secondary cities."
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The Cliffs of Moher in County Clare, Ireland. Getty
Think France not just Paris, like Nice and Lyon.
"In Switzerland, we've got Zurich and Geneva. Austria is still very popular and we fly to four cities in Italy," Dean explains.
"Greenland is starting to trend a little bit too."
Dean says the top spots he's sent people overall this year are Spain, France, Ireland, UK, and Greece.
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Lisbon, Portugal is a popular Euro summer destination. Getty Images/iStockphoto
But he is also seeing another change.
There has been a move away from the traditional Euro summer travel time of June, July and August, adding to the chorus of travellers who say the traditional holiday trip is over.
That's because of the crowds, the expense and the heat.
"We've seen it extend. A lot of Aussies are learning to go later in September and October has been huge," he says.
Next year, Dean expects to see even more of that, with April and May also sought after.
Shoulder season travel - or travelling outside of the typical high tourist season - is increasingly attractive for many Australians.
Meanwhile, while Dean admits to being a big fan of Europe, his next trip will be his first venture to Africa.
"I'm going on my first trip to South Africa next year, Cape Town, Victoria Falls and a game reserve," he says.
But there's plenty of other places on his list.
Uzbekistan is the 'cheapest place' Dean has been to. Getty
"I haven't been to Japan yet, haven't been to South America," he says.
Meanwhile, for a really under the radar destination, he recommends Uzbekistan in Central Asia.
Aussies can get there by flying via Dubai with Emirates and then on to capital Tashkent with Fly Dubai.
Dean went two years ago and said it was "probably the cheapest place I've been to."
"It's very western I felt completely safe," he adds.
"The 'stans' are very in."
