THE growth in holidaymakers ignoring packages and planning their own trips means millions of consumers are at risk from airline or tour operator collapses this summer.
Many of these 11.2 million "DIY" holidaymakers seem unsure about their level of protection, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said.
Nearly half of the DIY holidaymakers said financial protection was "essential", but one in five incorrectly thought their holiday would be protected if their airline, hotel or car hire company stopped trading.
Advertisement your story continues below
The CAA survey of 2,400 adults also showed that 33% believed their travel insurance would cover them against company insolvency, while 11% thought their credit card company would rescue them. But the CAA said this was not always the case.
The biggest DIY holidaymakers are the Scots, with 28% organising their own trips this summer.
In the whole of Britain, about 24% will organise their own foreign holiday this year. The growth is fuelled by low-fare airlines.
Bankrupt
The survey follows the events last year when Kent-based airline EUjet went bankrupt and 12,000 passengers were stuck overseas. A further 27,000 with forward bookings had their holiday plans ruined.
The CAA urged holidaymakers today to book all elements of their holiday with a company that is part of the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) scheme.
Atol spokesman David Clover said: "Our research shows that although millions of holidaymakers will build DIY breaks this summer, they don't realise they are at risk. Holiday purchases are still a significant household purchase so we want consumers to make informed choices about financial protection.
"We must also emphasise to those building their own holidays that they may not be protected against the risks of travel company insolvency."
He continued: "Booking an entire holiday with one travel company does not mean that consumers have to compromise flexibility for protection. Many of the major online holiday operators allow holidaymakers to build their own tailored Atol-protected break.
"If consumers are booking DIY holidays this summer, we urge them to take out their own financial protection measures, such as buying with their credit card or taking out insurance which covers against the dangers of insolvency."
