Abta, which made the prediction, said the peak day of travel during the festive period will be December 22, while Christmas day will be the quietest.

Popular short haul winter sun destinations include the Canary Islands, Antalya in Turkey and Hurghada in Egypt, while long haul sees Mexico and the Dominican Republic proving popular.

Those looking for traditional winter destinations with snow are heading to France, Italy and Austria as well as Lapland and Iceland.

 New York, Amsterdam, Geneva, Dublin, Barcelona and Budapest are all proving popular for New Year’s Eve while London and Edinburgh are the most popular in the UK.

More than a million of the travellers are leaving the country from Gatwick, 525,000 from Stansted, 480,000 from Manchester and 330,000 from Luton.

More than a quarter of a million travellers will pass through Edinburgh airport Heathrow is apparently popular too.

A significant number of people are also travelling across the English Channel by ferry or through the Channel Tunnel, with hundreds of thousands heading off on the Eurostar who report their busiest days will be 22, 27 and 29 December.

Abta chief executive Mark Tanzer said: “Christmas and New Year are always a very busy time for the travel industry with people heading off for winter sun or guaranteed snow for a truly authentic Christmas experience.

"For many people the festive period is a really busy time of year, going away for Christmas or New Year gives families and friends time to relax, safe in the knowledge that someone else is doing the hard work for them.

"The weather in the UK looks set to be mild over the holiday period, which should help avoid travel disruption, but the roads will be exceptionally busy so customers should allow extra time to get to their departure port and check for line closures and engineering work if using public transport.”