Brits prefer Europe to the UK for holidays

Figures released by the Office of National Statistics show that more Brits are choosing to holiday in Europe than last year.

In the 12 months leading up to August 2007, 54.8 milllion Brits flocked to European destinations.

Tom Wright, chief executive of national tourism agency VisitBritain said: "Unprecedented growth in cheap flights overseas and a strong economy means that domestic tourism is facing increasing competition."

Spring is proving a more popular time to go abroad, with the number of visits and spending between June and August down 2 per cent each compared with the previous three months.

The amount of tourists visiting the USA has also increased, up to 4.8 million over the same 12 month period.

Despite this news, British Airways has announced that it will be withdrawing services between Heathrow and Detroit, US in its summer 2008 schedule.

UK tourism, which according to Mr Wright relies on 80 per cent of its revenue coming from domestic residents, has seen a rise of three per cent of foreign visitors over the same 12 months.