Record numbers of Britons are planning winter breaks in the sun to escape freezing temperatures, dark nights and seemingly endless gridlock on the roads.
Travel agents yesterday predicted that about a million people will escape to the sun for nearly two weeks over Christmas and New Year, - a 50 per cent rise on last year.
According to the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta), the leading winter travel destination is the Canary Islands, with a growing number also heading farther afield to destinations such as the Caribbean and India.
'A large number of British people want to go and find the sun,' said Keith Betton, head of corporate affairs at Abta. 'They want a change, and they're keen to escape the bad weather in this country.
'While our research shows that places such as Florida are always popular, since it is regarded as the best value, people are also starting to look for more exotic locations.'
The popularity of the Canary Islands, Portugal and Cyprus also reveals that holidaymakers are increasingly prone to signing on for sun spots nearer to home. 'It's very easy to find the sun without travelling too far,' added Betton.
The top 10 was compiled by the market research company AC Neilsen, which polled internet travel companies and travel agents. When compared to figures from December 2001, it reveals that 50 per cent more people are going abroad over Christmas.
The rise is partly due to a collapse in bookings last winter because of fears of flying post-11 September, but it also underlines the growing consumer spending boom that has prompted record levels of credit card debt.
India is a surprising entry to the list. 'The fact that India is proving so popular is interesting,' said Ewan Darby, of AC Neilsen. 'Only in February, India was a country of heightened tension on the brink of war. But the situation has improved since then.'
Like most consumer lists, the Christmas and New Year holiday top 10 is prone to fads and fashions.
Last year New Zealand proved a favourite holiday retreat following a blaze of publicity for The Lord of the Rings , which was filmed on location in the country. This year, though, despite the advanced fanfare of the forthcoming instalment in the Tolkien trilogy, The Two Towers , the country doesn't rate in the top 10.
