Children are taking their first overseas holiday at a much younger age than their parents did, according to a poll.

While parents were at an average age of 13 when they first ventured abroad, their children’s average age for an initial overseas trip is as young as three, the survey by travel agent www.sunshine.co.uk found.

A total of 54 per cent of mothers and fathers said Spain was their first destination while 62 per cent said Spain had also been the first foreign country to which they had taken their children.

The poll was based on responses from 1,811 parents who had taken their children abroad on holiday at some point.

Around a third of parents pointed to “better deals” available as the reason for children travelling overseas at a younger age.

Sunshine.co.uk co-founder Chris Brown said: “I think we expected the average age for first holidays to have fallen slightly, but 10 years is a very significant drop.

“I think holidays have become a more vital part of people’s lives now and many people aren’t willing to miss the opportunity to go abroad, whether they’ve started a family or not.”