Recent findings by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) have revealed that trips abroad by residents of the United Kingdom dropped by 15 percent last year.

The results of the Travel Trends report also found that only 58.6 million visits were made in 2009, which was 10.4 million less than the previous year.

In addition to this, visitor numbers from overseas also decreased by 6.3 percent.

There are many reasons as to these statistics but a drop in the value of sterling would appear to have played a part.

It was reported that the most popular destinations for UK residents still remain the same, with Spain, France and the US topping the list – accounting for 21.3 million of the total (58.6 million).

As we are now part way through July, booking any holiday this summer can prove to be a nightmare. It can be difficult trying to find a decent last minute deals, but it can still be done.

Here are a few pointers on saving your pounds when booking a holiday at this time of the year.

Renting a villa / apartment

With some travel companies you can get better rates during the last few weeks in August.

Booking your flights

If you avoid flying at the weekend you can find some top deals. When you decide to fly can impact the cost of your flight greatly.

Consider a package holiday

When scouring tour operators’ websites to find the latest deals, check out the bargains in late August instead of holidays beginning at the start of the month.

When it comes round to the time when I have to contemplate getting or renewing my travel insurance cover (I usually get an annual policy), it’s always good to look around for value.

With the ash cloud crisis affecting many travellers this year already, it is worth checking with each insurance provider on where they stand on this issue - especially as the problem expected to return at some point in the future.

In choosing a deal I usually look to the buyer’s guide on the Money Saving Expert website. This is because they offer impartial advice on single and joint policies as well as annual trips, like I normally buy.

Be sure to see for yourself and take into account the cheap insurance which is available and balance this against more comprehensive cover to ensure you get the best deal for yourself when going on holiday.

Whenever I got to New York I always use the website menupages.com as it provides an excellent guide to the many eateries in Manhattan and New York City’s outer boroughs.

If, for instance, you were looking for a place near to your hotel to get a belly-busting American diner breakfast, by using this website you could find exactly what you are looking for, comparing prices between establishments as well as the quality of food.

One of my all-time favourite places to grab a great tasting milkshake and delicious burger is Shake Shack in the Upper West Side (close to Central Park).

But there are so many opportunities in the city to grab Mexican food, sushi, kebabs and of course pizza!

Recent research from insurer Swiftcover has revealed that Britons are becoming more likely to travel to far-off destinations for their holidays and many of these are taking out cover for adventurous activities.

The online insurance provider found that almost a quarter of policies sold was for long-haul holidays, compared with a fifth of holidaymakers back in 2005.

However, the insurer did warn that it is important to take out suitable insurance to ensure that they are covered for their trip.

Roman Bryl of Swiftcover said:

“If people are venturing farther afield they do need to make sure they have the right travel insurance that covers them for more exotic destinations beyond Europe.”

If the flight chaos hasn’t managed to put you off and you have flights booked for this great occasion, then consider these points when entering the country for the first time.

• Make sure you are inoculated and have had vaccinations against the chances of catching a number of serious diseases while out there. Be sure to check with your GP.
• Take a first aid kit with you as medical facilities, especially in rural areas, aren’t always up to what you’d expect.
• Only drink bottled water as the local tap water may not be suitable to drink.
• Always keep an eye on your belongings, cash and stick to the main tourist areas as crime is rife in this country.
• Finally, be sure to purchase travel insurance that covers you for the trip. Oh and let’s hope for an England win!

Many England football fans were today warned that the strikes planned by British Airways may prevent them from going to the World Cup tournament in South Africa.

This bad news was delivered by experts in the travel industry who said that BA customers would be the ones to lose out in the battle between the airline and the union, Unite.

As the strikes are to be carried out over the mid-term school break, those who had booked holidays with this operator would also be affected.

If you are due to fly out to South Africa or go on holiday between the following dates, your flight may be affected by the walkouts by cabin crew; May 18-22, May 24-28, May 30-June 3 and June 5-9.

Last night I finally got round to booking my trip to New Zealand, but it wasn’t without its difficulties. There is quite a lot of choice these days when it comes to operators flying out of Manchester (most via London) to Auckland, so it took a while to get the best deal.

While searching for flights I did the usual search on flight comparison sites and found a couple of bargains that seemed too good to be true. Well, in the end I came to the conclusion that they were. After a quick Google search on the travel operators, many people said the same kind of thing: do not use this travel agent!

So, after discounting some of the best bargains on these sites, I began to look for quality of service and the flights that closely met the time I wanted to fly out there. After much deliberation it came between Singapore Airlines (who seem to be the carrier of choice for many) and Emirates (cheaper than most). In the end, I plumped for the former as I decided to compromise on price and go for comfort instead.

I have been to New York now too many times to mention. I’m not sure exactly what keeps drawing me back to this overcrowded and hectic city, but maybe it is a fascination with the lifestyle of its inhabitants.

If you go to stay in Manhattan during the cold winter months you will get quite a surprise. Yes, it is great for Christmas shopping and the fairytale image as seen in the movies is still certainly true, however it is bitterly cold and can get very windy around the shoreline of the Hudson River.

Like this time, I prefer to go at the end of the summer season, at the start of September. It won’t be as hot and humid as the sticky summer months but should still be warm enough to do plenty of outside activities and find things to do.

As I’m travelling with friends who have never been to the city before, it should be a really good trip and a bit different (I’ve still never done some of the more touristy things like go up the Empire State Building).

For those who thought the Icelandic volcanic ash crisis which has affected air traffic over the past few weeks was over; then think again.

Today, many thousands of passengers have been facing long flight delays due to the risk from a fresh cloud of ash affecting a number of airports in Scotland and Ireland.

Flights have been grounded in Glasgow, Dublin, Prestwick, Derry, Edinburgh and Belfast during the course of the day as the authorities continue to monitor the level of threat to the airspace.

If you are due to travel to or from one of these airports this week, it is important to check with the airport first before setting out.