Fewer package holidaymakers are returning home disgruntled, new research suggests, but a disturbing 9% of customers still protest that descriptions in tour operators' brochures are inaccurate.

All but 8% of those questioned this year were happy with their breaks, compared with 87% in a similar survey two years ago and 90% felt they had received good value for money, a rise of 3%.

The research was carried out by MORI for the Association of British Travel Agents, which unveiled the results at its annual conven tion on the Greek island of Kos this week.

But if operators are gradually improving quality they clearly still have some work to do when it comes to rose tinted views of resorts or hotels. While the survey indicates greater trust in brochure copy, with 73% of holidaymakers accepting that descriptions were fair against 70% last time, 9% said felt they had been the victims of "inaccurate representation". The rest expressed no opinion one way or the other. Within the overall figure, 4%, or around 850,000 people, still "strongly disagreed" with the premise that brochures gave a fair picture, compared with 5% in 1988.

The number of people booking direct with tour operators rose, from 24% to 27%, but if the research results are to be believed, that figure suggests increasing consumer sophistication rather than scepticism about High-Street travel agents.

The proportion booking through agents fell by 2% and almost one third of those who did (32%), thought the advice they got was more trustworthy" than in 1998. And despite the recent fuss about agents who recommend the holidays of linked operators, 37% believe they provide unbiased advice.

Researchers also asked holidaymakers about the impact of tourism on the environment. Almost one fifth (18%) claimed they switched off air conditioning to save energy, 17% said they avoided having towels changed too often, 36% saved water by showering rather than taking baths and 84% avoided leaving litter. Nearly two thirds (64%) claimed they would pay £10-£25 extra for environmental, social or charity reasons.

But while just over half of the respondents said they would like to discover more about social and environmental issues in the resorts they visit, 46% said they had little or no interest.

And when consumers were asked where they would go if money were no object, Australia won hands down (see the table right). It was chosen by 22%, followed by the United States with 11%. No other destination managed to record double figures.