Holiday Extras follows the trend
The demise of the 7 or 14-night holiday has prompted HolidayExtras.com to introduce ‘Extra Days Parking’.
The travel add-ons company said it has seen a huge increase in customers wanting to book 16 to 24 days parking to accommodate their longer holidays abroad.
Over a 10-day testing period, HolidayExtras.com found that on average 3,500 people a day are requesting 16, 17, 18, 23, 24 days parking durations.
The figures released today are backed up by the Office for National Statistics, which has reported an increase in average stay for leisure holidays over the past five years.
Figures show from 2005 to 2009 the average length of stay has increased from 10.1 to 10.5 nights.
For long-haul holidays to locations such as Australia, the USA and the Caribbean, holiday makers are staying on average for 26 nights and for shorthaul holidays to Europe for nine nights.
Anthony Clarke-Cowell, head of product innovation and merchandising at HolidayExtras.com, said: “Most operators offer a parking stay of up to eight or 15 days and any extra days have traditionally been charged to the customer when they return from holiday.
“In recognition of this problem, HolidayExtras.com has developed a system that allows customers to buy those extra days hotel parking up front. This means no more unpleasant surprises for customers who are charged for extras days on return from holiday – not ideal when all you have on you is foreign currency.â€
By Bev Fearis
Bev
Editor in chief Bev Fearis has been a travel journalist for 25 years. She started her career at Travel Weekly, where she became deputy news editor, before joining Business Traveller as deputy editor and launching the magazine’s website. She has also written travel features, news and expert comment for the Guardian, Observer, Times, Telegraph, Boundless and other consumer titles and was named one of the top 50 UK travel journalists by the Press Gazette.
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