The survey, which was commissioned by the Spanish Tourist Office, revealed that 86% of UK residents said sustainability was either “important” or “very important” when choosing where to go on holiday.

This figure was even higher among younger age groups (94% of 18- to 24-year-olds) but this percentage dropped to 75% for people aged 65 and above.

While sustainability is an issue for all types of holidaymakers, those going on trips based around active outdoor activities, such as hiking or watersports, were found to value it more than those going on beach-based breaks.

The poll also asked 1,800 consumers which destinations they thought they could easily travel to and around sustainably, with Spain coming second with 66%, which only ranked behind domestic breaks in the UK (74%) and ahead of other major European countries, such as France (65%), Germany (59%) and Italy (57%).

Despite Spain’s high ranking for sustainable travel, only 12% of respondents could provide a practical example of how the destination is taking action to make holidays more sustainable. More than half (54%) said they were not aware of any sustainable measures introduced in Spain.

Manuel Butler, director of the Spanish Tourist Office in the UK, said: “Sustainability lies at the heart of our tourism strategy and is a vital part of our government agenda.

“We have ambitious targets in place to support and deliver on the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda and significant funds have been invested to ensure we deliver on these goals which include the distribution of funds to our regions to help fund energy efficiency and circular economy projects.

“It’s important for us to understand the attitudes and perceptions of the UK public to help inform our strategy. Whilst we are pleased that 66% of respondents think it’s easy to have a sustainable holiday in Spain, we need to work harder to communicate our initiatives.”