A "bumper" 2008 for the UK travel industry has been predicted by a leading operator as more people show a desire to take a domestic holiday this year.

Online trade booking figures have surged ahead to more than double 2007's figures over the last two weeks, Hoseasons claims.

The increased interest in UK holidays is attributed to factors including continued concerns by holidaymakers over their carbon footprint, the negative economic effects of the global credit squeeze and more recent publicity regarding the weakness of the pound against the euro making travel to the continent more expensive for British travellers.

Chief executive Richard Carrick said: "We are certainly seeing an unprecedented demand for UK holidays and experiencing fantastic year on year growth in our booking figures, specifically for short breaks in our upmarket lodges and cottages, coupled with continued popularity for great value holiday parks.

"We also know that self catering is the number one option for a great number of families taking a break in Great Britain, which is why we have sought to buck industry trends and offer unique discounts, such as those for single parent families, aimed to make it easier and more appealing for Brits to take a holiday at home."

He added that the company has focused on offering an enhanced product portfolio that includes a hand picked 'Ultimate' collection of cottages and holiday parks and newly introduced range of Autograph Lodge Holidays - designed to offer a more consistently luxurious five star lodge holiday experience.

by Phil Davies