Taking a holiday abroad is no longer seen as a luxury by the majority of British holidaymakers.
Instead, new research carried out by travel search engine Multicom suggests that Brits now consider holidays as an essential.
A survey by the firm found that the number of holiday bookings made in the first quarter of 2008 rose by 40 per cent compared to the same period last year.
According to Multicom spokesman Chris Nourse, these figures highlight the unwillingness of Brits to give up their annual holidays, even if they do not have as much cash to spare as in previous years.
"Years ago, holidays abroad were seen as a luxury for the few who could afford them," he said.
"Now, it seems they are being seen more and more as an essential which people refuse to give up just because they have less money in their pocket after paying their other bills ."
Nourse added that although the UK travel sector will still be affected if household inflation continues to increase, it should prove more resilient to an economic downturn than analysts had previously predicted.
Last month, the World Travel and Tourism Council announced that according to their estimates, the global tourism industry is expected to grow at a rate of 4.4 per cent a year over the course of the next ten years.
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