Brits 'turn to sun and snow at Xmas'

Both skiing and winter sun holidays are popular with Britons at Christmastime, according to one expert.

A spokesperson for the Association of British Travel Agents said that perennially warm destinations such as Spain - the Canary Islands in particular - are most popular with festive sun worshippers, while France and Italy top the list for those planning to hit the slopes.

She added that Christmas is one of the busiest periods for the travel industry, partly due to the relatively large amount of time off that Britons get at the end of the year.

"It is a peak time and also people are going back to see their family. The number one destination at that time is Spain, particularly the Canary Islands, because you can guarantee that it's going to be warm around that time," she commented.

Figures from the Office for National Statistics show that 69.5 million visits abroad were made by UK holidaymakers in the 12 months to June, up two per cent compared with the previous year.

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