Holidaymakers' great escape

The Barclay family always go abroad at Easter

A high profile campaign urging Britons to stay in this country over Easter has been launched, but nearly two million people are set to leave UK shores for warmer climes abroad.

BBC News Online's Katie Osborne spoke to some of the 98,000 passengers arriving and departing from Gatwick airport on Thursday to find out why.

The government has insisted Britain is open for business and has spent several days drumming up support for the country's tourism industry, which stands to lose £5 billion this spring and summer due to the ongoing foot-and-mouth crisis.

Things are market-led and you cannot buck the market. The UK is great for some things but not the weather

Richard Barclay

But despite the campaign, record numbers of people will be travelling abroad.

Brittany Ferries has reported a 7% rise in bookings, Stansted airport is predicting a huge increase in holiday makers and Hoverspeed said it had received a 26% rise in bookings from the UK compared to last year and a 40% decrease in the number of people coming to Britain.

So has the message come too late? Are people sick and tired of all the restrictions imposed as a result of the foot-and-mouth? Or would they have been going abroad anyway?

Patricia Freeman (left) and Sylvie Kerr wanted to get away

Sisters Patricia Freeman, 52, and Sylvie Kerr, 51, from Maidstone were heading off to Goa for a two-week holiday in the sun.

They said the foot-and-mouth crisis in Britain had made no difference to their holiday plans - they simply wanted some good weather.

Ms Freeman said: "We just fancied a break.

"Anyway if it's OK for MPs to shoot off abroad it's good enough for us."

The Barclay family (main picture) from Hampshire regularly go abroad at this time of year and this year parents, Richard and Barbara, with children Jack, eight, and Olivia, six, were looking forward to a week in Lanzarote.

Mr Barclay said: "One of the main reasons we leave this country is for the weather and the foot-and-mouth crisis would have made no difference to our plans.

"Things are market-led and you cannot buck the market. The UK is great for some things but not the weather."

Kathleen Hunt cancelled a trip to the Lake District

Kathleen Hunt, from Bedfordshire, had planned to go to the Lake District, but a combination of factors, including the weather and the foot-and-mouth crisis, caused her to change her plans.

She was setting off on Thursday for a week in Portugal.

"I was desperate for some sun," she said, "so I decided Portugal was a better bet than the Lakes."

Geoffrey Parnell, 68, and his wife, Sylvia, from Essex, were on their way to Croatia.

Mr Parnell said: "We do not normally go away at Easter, in fact we usually go to our daughter's in Suffolk.

The Parnells chose Croatia for their break

"But we used to go to Croatia years ago and we liked it so we decided to go again.

"We go away mainly because of the weather but quite honestly I think the government is frightening people away from this country. It's like when you tell people not to panic buy and that's exactly what they go out and do."

Anthony Zaremba, 23, was returning to his native America, having just spent three months in the UK visiting family.

He said the foot-and-mouth crisis had prevented him from doing certain things during his stay, such as playing golf, but it had not put him off coming back.

He said: "I don't know what the perception of the disease is back home but I am curious about what our customs people say when I get back."

Ruth Kupka, Ian Campbell and their son Oscar

Ruth Kupka, Ian Campbell and their six-year-old son, Oscar, flew into Gatwick from Germany on Thursday to spend a week on the South Coast.

Ms Kupka said: "There is a lot of publicity about foot-and-mouth in Germany but it didn't affect our decision to come here.

"I would have been worried for my son but I know the disease only affects animals so it didn't concern me.

"It will be very interesting when we go back though because as we left Germany we were given information about the disease warning us to be careful."