Brits 'looking forward to 56m breaks this summer'

Sailing holidays in Croatia could prove more popular than ever this summer as the British public defies the effects of the recession and embarks on some 56 million trips, according to research.

Sainsbury's Travel Insurance carried out a survey which found that Britons will spend nearly £44 billion on holidays over the coming months, forking out an average of £784 per person on each break.

More than 16 million people are planning to go away more than once this summer, according to the poll.

Sailing holidays in Croatia could prove an attractive prospect for the 23 per cent of respondents who said they will be taking an overseas trip outside the eurozone this year.

Sam Marrs, Sainsbury's Travel Insurance manager, said: "Despite tough economic conditions, it would appear that rather than sacrificing our holidays, we Britons may even be taking more breaks in a bid to put all the credit-crunch doom and gloom behind us."

People who choose a sailing holiday in Croatia this year can get away from the stress of the recession on a seven-day cruise along the Adriatic coast, visiting picturesque islands and historic cities along the way.