Facebook gives rise to holiday envy

A study of 3,000 Brits by Teletext Holidays has found that one in four have booked an exotic holiday after being envious of a friend"s foreign jaunt.

After viewing someone else's holiday snaps and reading about their experiences on social networking sites, 27% say they are left feeling so envious they end up booking their own holiday soon after.

The study also found:

- 10% admitted to arranging their own holiday after hearing about someone else"s trip, despite originally having no plans to go away anywhere

- almost a fifth of jealous Brits have even booked an identical trip, right down to the same hotel, apartment or villa, after hearing about their friend"s getaway.

- a quarter also admitted to regularly updating their social networking profile with details of the weather and the fun they are having.

- 13% have gone on to book a similar holiday after seeing the Facebook photos on a friend"s profile

- another 6% have arranged a break after seeing someone"s status.

Mark Bloxham, marketing director, Teletext Holidays: "It"s not surprising that holiday envy is on the rise. Social networking sites make it easier than ever to gloat about where you"ve been or where you are going."

Australia was named as the destination most likely to leave others feeling jealous, followed by the Caribbean islands of the Bahamas and Barbados.

The USA, Maldives, New Zealand, Mauritius, Seychelles and Canada also featured in the top 10.

By Bev Fearis