Internet hits package holiday firms :: Xmas online retail boom

This is Money

>> "....since the advent of the internet and budget airlines, increasing numbers shun such organised vacations and make their own plans
>>According to retail analysts Mintel, Britons will book about 24m independent holidays this year - 55% of the market
>>This is a rise of 60% since 1998, with spending more than doubled to an estimated £11.7bn
>>Mintel predicts that such spending on independent holidays will rocket to £21bn within five years
>>The web and cheap fares have also brought a boom in short breaks, again widening horizons"

Combine the above findings and predictions with the online retail boom this Christmas and the future for internet travel looks even more promising.

This is Money report that:

SHOPPERS are abandoning the High Street in record numbers. Figures released today show that 18m Britons are set to spend a record £4bn shopping online this Christmas, while £40bn is expected to be spent in stores over the same period...A recent study by psychologist Dr David Lewis found High Street trips more than twice as stressful as online shopping. He said: 'We've found heart rate and blood pressure among some consumers similar to combat pilots and riot police.'