Travel and holiday website lastminute.com said its UK bookings were up 16 per cent on last year, while its UK hotel-only reservations have surged by 40 per cent. 

The website’s bookings for British seaside resorts were particularly strong, with those for Newquay in Cornwall more than double last year’s figure and Brighton up by 63 per cent.

The Camping and Caravanning Club, which represents 1,400 sites, said advance bookings were up 10 per cent on last summer. 

A spokeswoman said: “A lot of people are saying that the credit crunch is really affecting things.”

Pontin’s Holiday Parks also  reported a 10 per cent increase in summer bookings compared with last year.

Tom Wright, chief executive of tourism body VisitBritain, said: “Economic factors coupled with renewed enthusiasm for what a holiday in Britain can offer present real potential for domestic tourism this summer.

“Our seaside resorts have undergone a renaissance, with options to suit every taste. Cities have regenerated and destinations and standards are improving.

“With this, and the potential for queues and longs waits at the airport, it is no wonder that Britons are avoiding the hassle and maximising their holiday time by staying at home this year.”

Martin Couchman, deputy chief executive of the British Hospitality Association which represents hotels, said: “Britons do seem in many cases to be choosing the UK whereas, perhaps, previously they wouldn’t have done.”

Even Gordon Brown is planning to enjoy the delights of the English seaside this summer with a holiday at Southwold in Suffolk. 

The Prime Minister will hope this year’s break lasts longer than the ill-fated trip to Dorset he and his family “enjoyed’’ last July. 

The PM was called back to London for a meeting about foot-and-mouth disease after four hours and never went back.

Yesterday, meanwhile, glorious sunshine and the start of the school holidays sent families flocking to beaches across the country. 

Thousands of people flocked to Bournemouth to make the most of the warm weather. The resort’s 3,000 deck chairs and 1,000 sun loungers were all hired out within hours.

And in Weymouth, Dorset, traditional British beach pursuits like Punch and Judy and donkey rides were in full swing.

The warm temperatures are expected to continue until the weekend when unsettled and cooler weather is set to return.