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It is the social media phenomenon that has taken the world by storm, and it seems the selfie we most love to snap is us kissing our partners on holiday.

With half of holidaymakers admitting they love snapping selfies while on their break, new research has discovered our favourite poses to cause holiday envy.

By far the most popular destination for a quick pictures of ourselves is the beach, with 65 per cent admitting they love nothing more than posting a sandy snap.

Pucker up: Travellers' favourite selfie to post on a holiday is a kissing shot

And while the kissing shot was the number one picture, the celebrity-honed 'duck face' - a pouting picture - was voted into second place, with 21 per cent admitting they had posted one.

Nestling our feet into the sand and taking a snap is our third favourite picture (21 per cent) while a sunset selfie is our fourth most iconic shot (16 per cent).

But we're not quite brave enough to do a Kim Kardashian and post a 'belfie' show off our behinds.

Confident: Kim Kardashian shared a revealing 'belfie' to unveil her post-baby figure

Just six per cent dare to bare for a belfie, while only five per cent opt for a Heidi Klum-style 'surfboard' stomach shot of them lying down in their bikini.

The poll, conducted by James Villas, also found the top site for posting our holiday selfies is Facebook, with 84 per cent of holidaymakers saying they use it to upload pictures while they're abroad.

And 28 per cent admitted they even post a selfie from the airport, just to let everyone know they're heading off on their travels, while a restrained 38 per cent at least wait until the first day of their trip.

Instagram and Snapchat users are even more selfie-addicted, with 45 per cent and 33 per cent respectively taking a photo at the airport.

But Twitter users appear to be more restrained, with just 14 per cent saying they post a picture from the airport.

Of course, with all this selfie-promotion, one of the most important things for modern travellers when they are away is wifi, with 27 per cent of travellers claiming it is 'extremely important' to their trip - although three-quarters said they are not prepared to pay for it.

Duck face: The polished pout is the second favourite photo holidaymakers love to post

Sand between your toes: The iconic feet on the beach shot is another favourite with holidaymakers

Facebook proves the most popular place to 'check-in' and announce to the world that Britons are enjoying the sunshine, with tourist attractions are most popular check-in location at 37 per cent.

Psychologist Dr Terri Apter explained: 'Celebrities maintain their status through images and exposure.  In taking and disseminating holiday selfies, they reveal a poignant eagerness for self promotion. 

'Just think how different these are from the high value "holiday snaps" stolen from Diana by stealthy and ruthless photographers.

'Since anyone can take a selfie, celebrities invite mimicry when they take a selfie: those who aspire to be like celebrities are able to mimic them in this respect, with ease.'

Surfboard stomach: Showing off your figure doesn't need to involve a 'belfie'

But the travel selfie is nothing new. The Beatle's George Harrison took a fish eye lens selfie in front of the Taj Mahal when he was 23, in 1966.

And there have long been running jokes about other people's boring and lengthy presentations of holiday snaps.

Now Dr Apter says it is all more instant now, with selfies combining the motives of sharing, connecting and bragging. 

She said: 'We sometimes make sense of holidays in the context of what it means about us to have been somewhere, and we feel different when we are away.

'We may want to share this different persona with people who think they know us; we want to share the excitement of the new situation; and we also may want to send a message that in this adventure we are leaving others behind.

'Selfies are not new but social media provides an opportunity to explore and contrast our identities in different ways. Identity play becomes a social enterprise.'