British tourists visiting churches

As many as 49 per cent of Britons on trips abroad said they liked to visit places of worship, with 26 per cent having attended a religious service, the poll by insurance company Direct Line showed.

In contrast, 26 per cent said they had never visited a church in the UK, with a further 25 per cent visiting less than once a year.

Of the 2,102 adults surveyed, 15 per cent said they had been on a religious pilgrimage, a spiritual holiday or visited a holiday destination primarily for religious reasons. However tourists from the Yorkshire region preferred the sun-and-sand option rather than a trip to church.