Spain reigned supreme as the number one destination for sun-seeking Britons, making it the most visited country for holidaymakers in summer 2012.
This came despite a rise in VAT which saw an increase in holiday prices, according to a travel trends report by flights search site Skyscanner.
The US dropped from second most popular destination in 2011 to third this year as the UK moved up into second place, while Italy was fourth.
France was the fifth most popular destination for British travellers during 2012.
Typical holiday destinations which have suffered from troubled economies saw a rise in flight searches with Greece showing the biggest increase, up by 63% on last year.
Portugal was up by 45% and Italy up 38%. Cyprus, Turkey and Germany made up the top ten most popular destinations for British tourists.
India became one of the most popular long-haul destinations, rivalling Thailand and overtaking Australia and the UAE. Searches to India jumped by 66% during the summer and 114% during the winter season.
Burma saw the biggest increase in searches overall, up by 125%, followed by China, up 64%, and Pakistan, up 48% and tipped to rival India as a long-haul destination of the future.
Lithuania and Slovakia saw the biggest increases in flight searches in Europe throughout the year, both up more than 100% on 2011.
London was the top city break destination as the Olympics and Queen’s Jubilee attracted millions of flight searches.
Bangkok was the most popular long-haul city break destination followed by New York. Barcelona emerged as the most popular short-haul city destination, followed by Dublin and Paris.
Skyscanner’s Sam Poullain said: “Despite the economic gloom, 2012 has been a very busy year for travel.
“Spain has continued to dominate this year as sun destinations have proven popular in light of the washout weather in the UK.
“Despite problems with local economies it’s encouraging to see Brits still travelled to Greece, Portugal and Italy.
“Mid to long-haul destinations performed extremely well this year with India, Thailand and the fastest growing destinations of Burma and China, proving yet again that the British holidaymaker is as adventurous as ever.”
Top 10 most searched destinations from the UK during 2012
1. Spain
2. United Kingdom
3. United States
4. Italy
5. France
6. Turkey
7. Greece
8. Portugal
9. Germany
10. Cyprus
Top 10 fastest growing destinations from the UK during 2012
1. Burma +125%
2. Lithuania +122%
3. Slovakia +116%
4. Iceland +67%
5. Malta +66%
6. China +64%
7. Croatia +51%
8. Pakistan +48%
9. Hungary +47%
10. Sweden +45%