Term-time holiday fines are not going to stop parents taking their children out of school to go on holiday claims a new report.
More than a third of parents questioned by World Travel Market – which opens in London today – said they were willing to stump up the £60 per child fine if it meant getting a cheaper deal on a holiday when their kids should be in school.
The controversial idea of getting parents to pay up hit the headlines in the summer when they were announced by education secretary Michael Gove and came into force this September.
Figures from the Nationwide Building Society show why parents are prepared to break the rules: even with fines, term-time breaks are much cheaper than school holiday rates.
A UK break to Center Parcs in Wiltshire, for example for a family of four, was £1,038 in early July, but the price rose to £1,928 when the school holidays began. Similarly, a package holiday to Spain increased by more than £1,000 in the summer holidays.
World Travel Market boss Simon Press said: “The cost of school holidays in term-times has long been a bugbear for many families who complain of rip-off prices in peak season.
“But the travel industry has to price holidays according to demand and more people want to take holidays in July and August, at Easter and at Christmas.”
There’s good news though, Press claims travel companies are lobbying the government over the controversial fines.
Peres said: “The industry does what it can to help cash-strapped families and package tour operators offer thousands of free child places for early bookers and lower fares for children.
“The trade is also lobbying over the issue, such as Travelzoo and its e-petition to Parliament, which aims to fight the ‘parent trap’ of government legislation, taxes and higher school holiday prices.”
