British holidaymakers 'doing it for themselves'

More than two-fifths of Britons use the internet when researching their next holiday, a new survey has revealed.

According to research by Holiday Which?, this is compared with 29 per cent who consulted a travel agent, 14 per cent who asked family or friends and 13 per cent who used a guidebook, TravelMole reports.

Nearly half of respondents also said they prefer to put together their own flights and accommodation packages when booking a holiday, rather than use a travel agent, because they believed it was cheaper.

And about 50 per cent of those who had booked a holiday in the last 12 months had done so by putting together their own travel and accommodation, according to the poll.

Last month, a survey by research firm Nielsen found that one-quarter of UK online shoppers booked a flight over the internet in the last three months of 2007.

• Emirates completes move to new terminal in Dubai
• New US airport runways welcomed
• New campaign invites holidaymakers to Paris
• Tokyo 'the world's culinary capital'
• Observation wheel to open in Melbourne
• Visitors offered Christmas bonuses in Brussels
• Stansted Airport eco-certification extended to 2011
• United Airlines to resume flights from London to Denver
• US airspace expanded for holiday period
• British Airways strikes inflight entertainment deal