Britons taking more foreign holidays

British travellers made 69.6 million trips abroad in the year up to August 2007, new data released by the Office for National Statistics reveals.

This is a 1.5 per cent increase on the 68.6 million foreign holidays that were taken in the preceding 12 months.

Trips within Europe continued to be the most popular option for British travellers, with 54.8 million holidays taken within the continent, one per cent more than in the previous year.

Some 4.8 million visits were made to North America, another year-on-year increase of one per cent, while holidays to destinations in other parts of the world increased by seven per cent to ten million.

Commenting on the figures, Justin Fleming, president of the Association of British Travel Agents, said: "Our love affair with foreign travel is in fine shape.

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

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