The number of holidays being taken per person has reached a record high, driven by so-called “habitual holidaymakers”, a new survey has indicated.

People in the UK are taking an average of 3.94 holidays per year, the poll commissioned by travel trade organisation Abta suggests.

That is the most since the annual research began in 2011, overtaking last year’s figure of 3.42 and the previous high of 3.91 in 2019.

The survey indicated the proportion of people going on holiday is the same as last year, at 84%.

This suggests the increase in trips per person is due to some consumers embarking on multiple holidays annually.

Abta described these people as “habitual holidaymakers”.

Respondents with families containing at least one child aged under five take the most holidays per person per year at an average of 6.49, the research indicated.

This consists of 3.74 UK holidays and 2.75 foreign trips.

Nearly half (48%) of people surveyed who went on a holiday in the previous year visited a beach destination, with 43% opting for a city break.

The proportion of holidaymakers travelling with children who opt for cruises has nearly doubled in the past five years, from 8% in 2019 to 15% this year.

Holidays have become the last thing consumers are willing to reduce their spending on, the survey indicated, with just 32% saying they will do so.

That is a smaller proportion than for spending on eating out (58%), leisure activities (43%), clothes, shoes and accessories (43%), and electronic gadgets (36%), according to the poll.

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer, speaking at the organisation’s annual convention in Costa Navarino, Greece, said: “You can’t underestimate the power of a holiday – giving people the chance to relax and spend time together – which is why we’re seeing people taking trip after trip.

“In recent years, there has been a change from many people having one summer holiday but nothing else during the year.

“Instead, many people are now choosing to spend their spare money on taking multiple trips throughout the year.

“This says a lot about the confidence and trust people have in the travel industry to help them make special memories.”

– The survey is based on a nationally representative sample of 2,000 UK adults who were asked about what holidays, if any, they had taken in the previous 12 months. It was carried out by The Nursery Research and Planning between July 24 and August 2.