Brits' holiday preferences revealed

A new survey has revealed what it is that British holidaymakers really want out of their trips overseas.

The poll by hotel chain Quintas da Madeira showed that 44 per cent of travellers prefer to avoid busy towns in the evenings and instead look for a family-run restaurant away from popular hotspots to mingle with local residents.

Most respondents said they believed themselves to be "explorers" looking for more than a lazy holiday on the beach, with 39 per cent citing finding beauty spots at their holiday destination as the most appealing activity abroad.

This compared with the 12 per cent who said they most like to play golf, as well as those who preferred spa treatments (17 per cent) and going to festivals (16 per cent).

Recent figures from the Office for National Statistics suggested that the number of holidays taken abroad by British travellers tripled between 1981 and 2005, with 66.4 million overseas breaks booked in 2005.

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