Too much turkey can turn thoughts to trips abroad, according to a study of holiday booking patterns.

Overeating and family friction often leads to a holiday booking bonanza, Post Office Travel Money said.

Foreign exchange sales shot up after Christmas 2010, with the Post Office Travel Money predicting that aspirational destinations such as Australia and New Zealand were set to do well in this post-festive period.

Eurozone countries are likely to be the most-popular destinations, followed by the US, Australia, Egypt, new Zealand and Switzerland.

Canada, Thailand, South Africa and Dubai are also expected to be popular spots for post-Christmas bookers.

Post Office Travel Money head Sarah Munro said: “There are great deals to US cities like New York and Boston after Christmas and early in the new year, not to mention a glut of new hotel beds in Las Vegas that are keeping costs down.”