The UK is set to be Britain’s top choice of holiday destination this year, according to new research.

A survey from Continental Research, the London-based market research agency, revealed that respondents aged 20-54 chose the UK as their most popular destination, while 55-74-year-olds chose Spain.

The study also said that despite the recession 48 per cent of respondents would not be changing their plans. Of the 34 per cent who said that they would be changing their plans, most of them would be looking to reduce their budget or go for last minute bargains.

Overall, 27 per cent said they would be holidaying in the UK rather than another country for their main holiday, with Spain and the USA in second and third place.

Colin Shaddick, director at Continental Research and author of the report, said: “It looks like the current economic climate will have one positive impact at least and that's on the UK travel industry, with a considerable number of Brits planning to holiday in the UK in 2009."

The survey asked a representative sample of 750 internet users aged 20-74, and quotas were applied at the interviewing stage to reflect the “actual profile of UK internet users by gender, age, social class and region”.