Egypt knocks Majorca off top half-term holiday slot
The pound falling to a six-month low of 1.0628 euros to the pound may have also contributed to the shift in destination choice for families, with Spain in particular losing out, the study shows.
Retail distribution director Trevor Davis said: “Holiday destinations like Tenerife will always be popular in October as they offer good weather with relatively short flight times.
“However, there has been a shortage of late deals this year and with the euro still high, families are looking further afield for value for money.
But he warned that the holiday industry must do more to help families wanting to travel further to find better deals.
“Our research shows that 82% of families stick to European destinations because they are worried about the complications of travelling with children and also because of family unfriendly practices like low baggage allowances that fail to account for the extra needs of family groups,” Davis said.
“We’ve made sure that families travelling with us will get a better service, extending free kids’ places and giving a 20kg luggage allowance (5kg more than the standard) on selected holidays. Our aim is to encourage parents to feel more comfortable taking children abroad and we hope the rest of the industry will follow our lead.”
The Co-operative Travel has also introduced Family Package Upgrades on selected holidays, where families can receive priority check in and boarding, with grouped seating guaranteed.
*Top 10 Family destinations for October half term with average selling price (ASP), departing in October Half Term S09 vs, S08. Prices are based on a booking of 2 adults and 1 child.
Top destination 2009 Family ASP 2009 Top destination 2008 Family ASP 2008
1 Tenerife £1,741 Majorca £1,066
2 Dalaman £1,141 Tenerife £1,517
3 Sharm El Sheikh £1,898 Dalaman £1,220
4 Majorca £1,137 Lanzarote £1,640
5 Lanzarote £1,517 Algarve £1,640
6 Larnarca £1,740 Costa Blanca £1,247
7 Costa Blanca £1,164 Paphos £1,873
8 Algarve £1,375 Larnarca £2,093
9 Costa Del Sol £1,456 Sharm El Sheikh £2,394
10 Crete £1,520 Fuerteventura £1,762
**Consumer Prices Index (CPI), Published on 13 October 2009 at 9:30 am
by Phil Davies
Phil Davies
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