Trips lasting from two to five days accounted for a third of holidays abroad from the UK, according to Pragma Consulting, double compared to 20 years ago.
The group attributed the increase in part to the growth in online booking, with 80% of people booking online in 2018.
The company said that the share of holidays lasting for two weeks had dropped from a fifth of trips, to less than a tenth of trips.
Pragma said that, helping to fuel this increase was the rise of low-cost carriers, expanding flight schedules, greater flexibility amongst travel companies regarding payment and transparent booking systems and price comparison websites.
Over half of those taking short breaks overseas took city breaks and Europe remained the most popular holiday destination for UK travellers, with 61% planning a trip to Europe in the next 12 months. Beach breaks were the second most popular holiday, with 40% of holidaymakers taking a beach holiday in the last year.
Other popular short breaks include adventure breaks, such as countryside breaks, skiing and glamping trips. There were also an increasing number of holidays focused upon self-care and wellbeing, including spa and fitness retreats and health and nutrition breaks
Sophie Pisano, analyst, Pragma Consulting, said: “Travellers opting for more frequent, shorter holidays throughout the year present a significant area of opportunity for travel agents, airlines and hotel providers. However, in order to be successful, they must have a targeted offer, coupled with a high level of convenience and transparency, to ensure a seamless customer journey.”