January is the time when British minds begin to wander towards a break in the sun. As the search for this year's holiday gains momentum, leading online travel agent, Netflights.com reveals where's hot for those looking to travel long haul in 2012.

Travel agents received a nice Christmas present when the Miami Herald spoke of their successes. The Herald cited a study by Forrester Research that found the number of leisure travelers who enjoyed using the Internet to book travel fell from 53 percent in 2007 to 47 percent in 2010, as well as a survey by the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) that showed 44 percent of agents said they had more clients in 2010 than in 2009.

Even though Britain will also celebrate the Queen's Diamond Jubilee in 2012, VisitBritain said it expects visitor numbers to remain the same as this year. The tourist authority forecast 30.7m arrivals next year, bringing in a total of £17.6m.

While taking into account the global economy, as well as other factors, the travel experts at Cheapflights have compiled their Top 5 Trend Predictions for 2012 Travel forecasting where, why and how consumers plan to travel in the new year.

The Olympics, the centennial of the Titanic sinking, new rules on travel to Cuba, a once-a-decade horticultural festival in the Netherlands and a continued reliance on technology and personalization will all help shape travel in 2012. USTOA members anticipate a growth in sales in 2012 as the economy improves.

Luxury travel network Virtuoso has some advice on the top travel destinations for 2012. Among their choices are Jordan, Thailand and Laos, Tasmania, Ireland, river cruising, the Republic of Congo, Colombia and Brazil.