Britons spending record amount of money while abroad
UK holidaymakers spent £3.3 billion while abroad in May - the highest figure for the month since current records began.
A total of 6.1 million visits abroad were made by UK residents in May, 8% higher than the same month last year.
As Britain prepares for the great summer getaway this weekend, the figures suggest the tourist industry is booming.
More UK residents are likely to head abroad in 2015 than in any year since 2007, when comparable records started.
A total of 60 million trips abroad were made by Britons last year. If the trend for the first five months of this year remains steady, the total for 2015 could be around 65 million.
An analysis of the figures, released by the Office for National Statistics, suggests that the average UK holidaymaker spends £541 while abroad.
This is around £50 more than eight years ago, before the financial crash of 2008/09.
Overall, the amount spent by Britons abroad has risen by almost a quarter (22%) in eight years.
Trips to North America showed the biggest growth in the past 12 months, with the number of visits rising by 8%. Trips to Europe grew by 5%, while those to other countries increased by 4%.
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