Australians are enthusiastically embracing the Internet as a means of planning and booking their holidays, according to a survey of over a thousand Australians by leading research company, AC Nielsen.

With increasing accessibility to competitively priced travel offers and last-minute deals over the Internet, 42 per cent of Australians said they were happy to seek information and make their own holiday arrangements online, without assistance from travel agents.

While 45 per cent said they preferred to use a mix of Internet research and travel agents' assistance, only eight per cent said they relied solely on their travel agent to make their travel arrangements and bookings.

"There is an opportunity for travel agents to capitalise on this DIY Internet trend by positioning their own websites as the channel of choice for information and bookings," said Vittles.

"It's critical that travel agents structure themselves around customers and convince their clients that they are best placed to support their holiday research as well as unearth the best deals."

The survey also confirmed that Aussie travellers are signalling the demise of the traditional four-week annual holiday in favour of several short breaks throughout the year.

For more than a third (37 per cent) of Australians, short breaks are becoming the more likely holiday option, while only 34 per cent said they were likely to take one or two longer breaks during the year.

"Whereas in the past the traditional Australian holiday consisted of the family all taking an annual trip to one destination, usually over the summer Christmas period, in recent years we've definitely seen a shift in people's holidaying habits," said Paul Vittles, director of public enterprise for AC Nielsen.

"Today the traditional Aussie holiday is just as likely to involve a couple of long weekends away combined with a few one or two-week holidays throughout the year."