More than 40 per cent of people will book an overseas holiday before Christmas, says new survey

More than two out of five people say they are likely to book an overseas holiday before Christmas, a new survey has suggested.

A poll of 2,301 UK adults commissioned by travel protection scheme Atol indicated the average spend per trip is expected to be £2,427.

Some 30 per cent of respondents planning a foreign trip said they intend to spend at least £3,000, while 7 per cent believe they will lay out more than £5,000.

People aged 18 to 34 are most likely to expect to book a foreign trip before Christmas, at 51 per cent.

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), which runs Atol, said its data shows an increase in demand for last-minute October half-term, winter sun and ski trips, as well as early bookings for 2024 holidays.

Michael Budge, head of Atol at the CAA, said: “There has been a trend for late bookings all summer and it looks as if this will continue into the autumn and beyond.

“We know from our research that people plan to spend thousands on their next overseas trip, so we would urge everyone to check their provider offers Atol-protected holidays, so they can then relax, knowing they won’t be left out of pocket should anything happen to their travel firm.”

Atol provides support for consumers who have booked a package trip – such as flights and accommodation – when a tour operator goes out of business.

It arranges for people already overseas to be flown home and reimburses financial losses suffered by those with future trips. The scheme was launched 50 years ago, and more than 1,600 travel businesses are licensed under the programme.

Last month, travel giant Tui said that holidaymakers are paying over a quarter more than they did in 2019.

In a pre-close trading update, the Anglo-German group revealed the average selling price for summer 2023 is also 8 per cent higher than last year.