Package holiday bookings on the increase

Package holiday bookings on the increase

The number of package holidays booked in the last 12 months has risen significantly, according to new research by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The Travel Trends Report highlighted that the number of Brits going abroad on holiday are once again growing in popularity, since the slump during the financial crisis.

The amount of holidays booked by British families increased by 3.7% to 38.5 million in 2014, while package holidays also increased from 15.3 million to 15.9 million.

The revival of the package holiday

In 2002, 50% of the 20.6 million people going abroad booked a package holiday, and although the number of holidays booked has since increased, the number of package trips had declined. In fact, at the height of the financial crisis in 2008, package holidays only made up 39.3% of all holidays taken.

However, 2014 revealed a change in trends where package holidays made up 41.2% of all holidays booked – an increase on the 41.1% during 2013.

A spokesperson from the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) said the largest booking trend 2014 and 2015 has seen is “the resurgence of the package holiday”.

Miles Morgan, owner of Miles Morgan Travel, agreed with ABTA that the combination of convenience and reliability was the main reason behind the revival of the package holiday.

Morgan added that package holidays are not only attractive to budgeting families but also “the more affluent, discerning customer” due to the reassurance that everything is in one place “which counts for a lot”.

A spokesman from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the latest figures from the ONS reflected their own data, highlighting that the number of package holidays have increased year-on-year over the past three years.

If you’re thinking of booking a package holiday trip away this year, it’s important to ensure you have budget travel insurance booked in advance.

Date Created: 28/05/2015