British tourists head for Australia

Australia is proving to be a very popular holiday destination among Britons, according to a travel industry official.

Kevin Lang from BAA said that while many are still opting to visit traditional hotspots such as Spain, a growing number are looking beyond European shores.

Speaking to the Scotsman, Mr Lang said countries such as Australia are attracting more attention because it is now more easily accessible.

He told the newspaper that consumers now have an unprecedented range of destinations to fly to from their nearest airport.

As a result, attitudes towards holidays have changed and leisure travellers are becoming more and more adventurous.

Mr Lang commented: "People are more open-minded and more curious about visiting countries and cities that probably wouldn't have been high on a list some years ago."

According to official figures, Australia attracted a record number of foreign visitors last year.

Statistics cited by TravelMole revealed that the country attracted about 5.6 million leisure travellers in 2007.