Summer holidays on a hi-de-high

We reveal more secrets of the scientific world with the help of lecturers at UCO’s degree partners at Huddersfield University. Professor Colin Bamford — head of the Department of Logistics, and Associate Dean of the School of Applied Sciences, writes about... your summer hols!

Let’s be honest . . . the past year has been terrible for many families.

We have seen rising food prices, staggering increases in power charges and more recently, serious job losses.

These have been mainly in what manufacturing firms that are left, and in high street retailers such as Woolworths, Principles and Adams.

More misery seems inevitable. In a few weeks time, schools and colleges will be finishing for the summer break. Many families will be wondering, if they have not already decided, whether to go on holiday this year.

Despite the gloom and doom, it would seem that many have decided to try to forget it all and not forsake the family holiday.

There is compelling evidence that, this year, more than half of us have decided to stay in the UK for our summer holidays.

Holiday camps are back in favour and our traditional seaside resorts are expecting a resurgence as parents opt to take their children to places they visited long before the days of cheap air travel.

Nostalgia, as well as cost, are the main reasons for these trends.

A recent survey by Late Rooms.com came up with a list of places we would like to return to. Over half of the survey’s respondents said that top of their list was Torquay.

Cream teas, deck chairs and (presumably) posh fish and chips were some of the attractions of the Fawlty Towers resort.

Other highly placed “must re-visit” resorts included St Ives, Bournemouth, Weymouth and the north Norfolk coast. The only northern resort in the Top 10 was Scarborough; one in five respondents said they would like to go back. So what about cost?

The bottom line is that the cost of hotel accommodation in most of our resorts is expensive.

My own internet survey has shown that for the first week of the school holidays, July 18 onwards, a holiday in Blackpool for a family of four can cost up to £1,200 half board at a four star hotel.

Guest house accommodation is much less, but typically £400 - £600 in a family room with breakfast. With food, drinks, ice creams and amusements, even the latter is likely to cost around £1,000 for one week’s pleasure . . . or seven days of misery if it rains!

This summer, surprisingly, is seeing the return of the package holiday.

Europe is swamped with cheap flights and reasonably priced hotel accommodation. Thomas Cook, our second largest tour operator, has recently said that sales of its all-inclusive summer packages are 50 per cent up on last year.

Tui, owner of Thomson and First Choice, has reported an increase in sales. Many companies are now looking to increase their capacity.

The best sellers are the all-inclusive deals (as seen on ITV’s “Benidorm” series). Typically, near the Levante beach in Benidorm, a one week stay at a hotel with an outdoor pool, an indoor pool, free drinks and entertainment will cost not much more than a stay at a decent hotel in Blackpool. And the weather will be guaranteed.

A word of warning though. Spain is no longer the cheap destination it used to be.

Over the past year, the pound has depreciated at least 10 per cent against the Euro. This means things we buy in Spain will seem more expensive irrespective of inflation. Outside the Euro area, Turkey, Bulgaria, Croatia and Romania remain relatively cheap. Within the Euro area, Italy and parts of France now seem particularly expensive.

So where does this leave us? Probably in a good position since the market this summer will be very competitive.

Customers can hope to get a good deal whether it be at home or abroad as hoteliers and tour operators strive to sell all of their capacity.

There are, though, likely to be few bargains for last minute holidays in the school holidays, unless you are not too bothered about where you go.

So, with no end to the recession in sight, go for it . . . even if it has to be a back street guest house in Blackpool!