In the association’s annual travel trends report, which surveys 2,003 people, Abta found that 17% of those questioned had used a high street travel agent to book an overseas holiday.

This compared with 20% in 2014, and 19% in 2013, while some 13% said they used a high street agent to book a UK break this year.

Meanwhile the number of people using an online travel agent to book a holiday abroad has increased notably to 32% this year, up from 25% in 2014 and 23% in 2013.

The majority of people said they booked directly with service providers for breaks abroad, with 54% stating that they used this method.

 However of the six different categories of holiday identified by Abta, travel agents - either high street and online – were named as the most popular booking method.

This includes honeymoons, booking a trip to a new destination, a last minute break, and a holiday lasting seven-nights or more.

Only city breaks and domestic holidays were categories which consumers said they would look to book directly with the service providers themselves.

Meanwhile the research also revealed that almost a quarter of those surveyed – 23% - said they were expecting to spend more on their holidays next year – up from 20% who said the same last year.

Early indications suggest that the number of overseas holidays book to date are 12% up year-on-year, while bookings for winter breaks are up 5%.

Elsewhere, looking at destinations that have performed particularly well, Abta said that its members had reported good numbers for Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Malta both for summer 2015, as well as for forward bookings for next year.

Further afield, members said bookings to Cuba, Cape Verde, Kenya and Thailand had been healthy for 2015 and were looking positive for 2016, while demand for Jamaica, Barbados and the UAE also remained strong for this winter and next year.