Advantage Travel Partnership, a network of independent travel agents, said its members recorded a 3% reduction in the number of holidaymakers travelling as part of a family this summer compared with 2024. \t<\/p>\n
Julia Lo Bue-Said, the organisation’s chief executive, told the PA news agency that financial pressures mean many families are booking holidays at other times of the year – when prices are lower – such as Easter or half-term weeks in May and October. \t<\/p>\n
She said: “We are seeing a decline in families taking a break in the peak summer period. \t<\/p>\n
“We’ve seen a slight dip this year, and I think part of that is cost-of-living. \t<\/p>\n
“That clearly plays into the feasibility of travelling at that time. \t<\/p>\n
“They are travelling at different times of the year. \t<\/p>\n
“Families are looking at, do they go away in the summer holidays, or actually do they now consider going away at Easter, at half-term, at different times of the year.” \t<\/p>\n
Advantage Travel Partnership said the overall number of people who went on holiday this summer was up 7%, indicating growth in trips made by couples and groups of friends. \t<\/p>\n
The Office for National Statistics’ Household Costs Index shows costs for households with children rose by 4% in the year to June, up from 2.9% a year earlier. \t<\/p>\n
Increases in costs across all households were largely attributed to rises in energy prices and water bills. \t<\/p>\n