Credit crunch 'won't put dampener on holiday plans'

Almost three-quarters of Britons will take a summer holiday this year, despite the credit crunch prompting many to keep a close eye on their budgets.

The investigation by Sky News revealed that while 40 per cent of people have already booked their trip away, a further 33 per cent are planning to or in the process of booking one.

And the amount of money spent by Britons has not altered since the onset of the economic downturn, with the average amount forked out coming in at between £500 and £1,000.

Speaking to Sky News, a spokesman for ABTA - the Travel Association, said: "There''s no doubt people are worried about the economy and have been considering carefully before taking a holiday."

Meanwhile, figures from the Office of National Statistics have shown that in the 12 month period to March 2009, the number of visits abroad by UK residents decreased by six per cent when compared with the 12 months to March 2008, from 70.2 to 66.0 million, following an all-time high.