The credit crunch has hit many households in Britain but with freezing temperatures sweeping across the country, finding some winter sunshine has become a priority despite the dwindling finances in many households.

According to travel association ABTA, Christmas and New Year is a traditional time for going away, and the latest figures suggest that a similar number of Britons will be abroad on holiday for Christmas this year same as 2007.

ABTA also reveals that more than three million Britons will be heading abroad this festive season for winter sun or snow and experts are warning that they should take out adequate travel insurance cover.

It is thought that many Britons will be visiting warmer climes such as Tenerife, Egypt, and the Caribbean. Travel experts say that the busiest days for travelling after Christmas Day is Saturday December 27th as thousands of Brits seek out exciting destinations to bring in the New Year, such as Amsterdam, Paris, Dublin, Athens, and New York City.

Skiers to get cheaper cover

Many Britons will also be hitting the slopes in some of Europe’s favourite destinations with Geneva topping the Alpine destination list for UK skiers. Reports suggest that skiers escaping for some winter fun are already being offered half-price insurance at Direct Line over Christmas.

The offer includes a 50% discount on European ski cover, with single cover starting from £6.70 and annual cover from £46. The discounted price for travel cover comes at a time when more than 1.3 million ski-lovers are expected to hit the slopes this winter. Market experts are worried that those going on winter ski holidays are prone to accidents and should consider taking out cover.

Chris Price, head of travel insurance at Direct Line, says: “Cutting out insurance may seem like an easy way of saving a few pounds to help fund the holiday, but winter sports cover will give skiers peace of mind that the cost of their valuable equipment, or medical expenses, will be recovered if anything did happen.”

Busy time predicted for airports

Many of the winter travellers will leave through BAA airports, with 1.1 million leaving through Heathrow, 500,000 through Gatwick, 250,000 through Stansted, and thousands others will be flying out of Southampton, Glasgow, Manchester and Luton, according to ABTA.

However, reports suggest that some 200,000 Britons will travel over or under the English Channel and a further 210,000 will take the Eurostar to their destination.

Justin Fleming, president of ABTA said: “Holidays, especially at this time of year, are considered to be so much more than a luxury.”  He added:  “They provide a valuable time to unwind and spend quality time with family.”

The research comes after another study by the Office of National Statistics, suggested that  October’s tourism figures show a significant drop in the number of people travelling in and out of the UK this year.

Other reports show that BAA recorded a nine per cent fall in the number of passengers using its airports compared to last year as the credit crunch continued to bite, forcing consumers to cut back on luxuries such as foreign travel.