New research claims that one in ten children have never been to a UK beach.

Budget hotel chain Travelodge has published the findings of a study of 2,000 children aged between 5-12 years old which found that more British youngsters had travelled abroad than to UK seaside resorts.

The poll also suggests that young Brits are unable to locate some of the UK's most famous coastal towns. Results claim that a quarter of young Brits have no idea where Brighton is, while 30 per cent were "mystified by the locality of Skegness".

Results also show that foreign travel has become an integral part of growing up, with 78 per cent of British children owning a passport. Travelodge claim that while 57 per cent of young Brits have travelled to Spain, just 44 per cent have been to Wales, and only 39 per cent have visited Scotland.

Paul Anstey, Travelodge operations director, said: "The real cost of these trips have resulted in youngsters not appreciating their heritage and not knowing what makes Britain so great. If this trend continues, we are in danger of the next generation of holiday makers not investing in British tourism, which is vital for the growth of the industry."

Travelodge's findings follow the news that the chain is investing £150m to build 55 new hotels at coastal locations around the UK. Travelodge are also joining forces with leading holiday companies and visitor attraction operators to offer major discounts on British seaside holidays.

"Our consumer research shows 30 per cent of holiday makers are switching from foreign to British holidays this summer due to the credit crunch, soaring air fares and the strong Euro," said Anstey. "This means there is no better time than now to show our children how much fun a British seaside holiday can be."