Britons jet to sunnier climes

Wednesday December 12th , 2007

People in the UK are increasingly choosing to fly to sunnier climes this winter, according to experts.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) stated that since Britain had been lashed by record-breaking amounts of rain over the summer, many wanted to spend part of the cold winter months abroad.

However, the group said that by the time the downpours began, many of the best holiday deals had been booked up, meaning that lots of people would have to wait until later in the year.

Sean Tipton, spokesperson for ABTA, told the Western Mail: "A lot of people didn't get to go abroad so there's been a ten per cent rise in winter sun holidays."

This is likely to be good news for owners of rental properties in the most popular destinations, as their occupancy rates will be higher than usual during the Christmas period.

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