Britons 'flee country to escape in-laws'

Tuesday December 18th , 2007

Many Britons are opting to leave the country instead of visit family this Christmas, new research has revealed.

A study by Lastminute.com found that an increasing number of people found jetting off to a hot and sunny destination preferable to spending the festive season with their in-laws.

The online travel agency reported an 11 per cent increase in the number of people heading abroad for the festive season compared with last year.

Commenting on the findings, managing director John Bevan said: "It would seem that Britons are opting out of the pressures of a family Christmas, which include having to visit both your own parents and the in-laws."

He added that people preferred to enjoy their time off work by visiting "sun-drenched destinations".

According to Co-operative Travel, a total of 3.3 million people from the UK are likely to spend the festive season overseas.