Economic gloom 'not impacting on tourism'

Economic problems in the UK are not putting people off booking holidays, it has been revealed.

According to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), holidays are now widely seen as a necessity and not a luxury.

Therefore, many are cutting back on their spending in some areas in order to make sure they can afford a trip to foreign shores.

Sean Tipton, spokesperson for ABTA, commented: "We are in a situation which is potentially quite depressing.

"One way to escape the current economic gloom is to take a foreign holiday."

He added that the poor weather in the UK has also contributed to the desire to book a trip overseas, as areas such as the Mediterranean offer consistently good weather.

This contrasts sharply with Britain, which has been tipped by the Met Office to see higher than average amounts of rain this summer.