European countries 'popular with UK holidaymakers'

Monday October 22nd , 2007

Britons are still opting to go to European countries for their holidays, according to new figures.

Data from the Office for National Statistics showed that a total of 69.6 million trips overseas were made by British holidaymakers in the year to August 2007.

Although there was a seven per cent rise in the number of people going on long-haul flights to foreign destinations, most of the journeys were to other European nations.

A total of 54.8 million holidays were taken within the continent during this period, one per cent more than during the previous year.

This is likely to be positive news for overseas property investors in countries such as Spain and Italy, as they can benefit from continued demand for rental accommodation.

Justin Fleming, president of the Association of British Travel Agents, welcomed the figures, saying that they showed how the UK's "love affair" with foreign travel is still strong.

He commented: "Europe is still our number one destination but we are increasingly looking to visit other parts of the world."

Earlier this week, Clickair announced that it would launch new flights between Edinburgh and Barcelona and Edinburgh, further highlighting the continuing popularity of Spain as a holiday destination.