European countries 'popular with Britons'
European countries are still the most popular holiday destinations among Britons, new figures have shown.
The Office for National Statistics said that during the 12 months to August, British nationals made a total of 69.6 million trips overseas - 1.5% more than during the previous year.
More than half of these trips were found to be to countries in Europe, with the continent growing in popularity by 1% on 2006.
However, a notable rise in the number of long-haul journeys was also recorded, as it rose by 7% during this period.
Commenting on the figures, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said that Britain's "love affair" with foreign travel was still in "fine shape".
Justin Fleming, president of the organisation, commented: "Europe is still our number one destination but we are increasingly looking to visit other parts of the world."
According to ABTA, many people are expected to fly abroad in the run-up to the festive season in order to do their Christmas shopping.
< Back to latest news