It is estimated that one in every four students who sat the leaving cert this year will go on a foreign sun holiday to celebrate their results.

Some 6,000 students have already booked holidays with Budget Travel and the industry expects that, over the next two months, double that number will leave for sunnier climes.

The most popular destinations this year are Playa Del Ingles in Gran Canaria, Ayia Napa in Cyprus and the Greek island of Corfu.

Students from Dublin and Cork are most likely to go away, and travel agents have booked groups from as little as two people right up to 24.

Clem Walshe, Budget Travel's head of marketing, said the number of students booking holidays to celebrate the end of their secondary education had risen significantly in recent years.

"We have seen a big increase in the number of young people booking holidays over the last few years and we have noticed that they are incredibly organised when it comes to getting the holiday they want.

"Students who are only going in to sixth year begin booking their holidays in September, nearly a year before they will be going. The teenagers that are leaving Ireland this weekend would nearly all have planned their trips last year and it gives them something to look forward to when they are studying hard for their exams."

The leaving cert holiday is usually the first time that Irish teenagers travel abroad without adult supervision but parents are taking more and more of an interest in where their children are going.

Said Walshe: "We find that in a lot of cases parents are involved in booking holidays because their child might not be 18 yet. Parents are obviously concerned about their children going away alone but we do all we can to reassure them. We try to send teenagers to resorts that suit them. We wouldn't send them to a place that is quiet and family-orientated, and we tailor-make the packages for young people."

Hundreds of students went away as soon as they completed their exams and Walshe says that they have been very well behaved.

"There have not been any major problems at all apart from the odd person having one drink too many or playing music too loud. We send our most experienced travel reps to leaving cert destinations to ensure that everything is ok.

"We have to strike the right balance and want everybody to have a good time and enjoy themselves but we are very strict about health and safety and there have to be certain rules that need to be obeyed. If anybody steps out of line, then the reps will have a chat with them and tell them what's expected. Most of the kids are no trouble, though, " said Walshe.