Holidays 'will be vital this year'

Ferry breaks and other holidays will be a vital part of the coming year for many consumers, according to a report by the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).

A study by the association found that, despite the credit crunch, summer holidays are three times more important to British people than pay rises.

Two thirds (66 per cent) of the people surveyed said that a summer break gives them a big emotional boost and nearly half said a break from their routine is vital to escape from the pressures of the credit crunch.

Psychotherapist Christine Webber, who helped develop the study, said that holidays "are not just about the two weeks away".

"The feel-good impact is felt from the moment you start to pick a destination and, in these troubled times, the whole process offers welcome relief from the gloom," she said.

"The nation is suffering from collective stress at the moment – January is a particularly depressing month at the best of times – and holidays are one way of keeping the UK on an even keel. Everyone has to think long and hard about what they spend but holidays are still firmly in the family budget."

More than two thirds (68 per cent) of people are reportedly prepared to spend at least as much this year as they did on ferry holidays and other trips in 2008.