The sight of Brits sunning themselves on overseas holidays is unlikely to fade anytime soon, as research has revealed that almost half of UK travellers plan to put a spell abroad at the top of their priority list in 2013.
More than 32 million Brits have already started researching where they will be heading to on their next trip to the continent, according to searches on the Thomas Cook website, with Greece emerging as a top holiday hotspot.
European breaks and holidays to Antalya in Turkey also proved popular, with holidaymakers keen to get their annual dose of sun, sea and sand.
Further figures showed that UK holidaymakers are happy to splash the cash when it comes to their overseas break, spending an average of £672.
A quarter of Brits are content to plough even more money into ensuring they have the best holiday possible, spending between £500 and £1,000 per person.
The latest TripBarometer by TripAdvisor also revealed that 41 per cent of Brits are planning to increase their travel budgets in 2013, with just 23 per cent of those surveyed letting the threat of a triple-dip recession affect their travel plans.
A TripAdvisor spokeswoman said: “It’s encouraging to see that over two-thirds of British travellers expect their holiday budgets to either remain the same or increase this year.
“Whether it’s due to a healthier economy or Brits simply refusing to sacrifice a holiday, it’s good to see such an optimistic outlook for the travel industry in 2013.”
The findings reflect recent research by Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance, which showed that the amount Brits are planning to spend on the cost of their overseas holiday is set to rise by 8 per cent this year –up by £65.14 to £830.61.
The research also showed that a staggering 27.4 million Brits are planning a holiday escape this year.
