The downturn in the economy is forcing many UK parents to consider the option of taking their children on holiday during the school term, and thereby take advantage of lower holiday rates.
A survey conducted by Mintel, a market research company, has suggested that around half of those British parents polled are seriously considering taking their children out of school for a term time break in order to enjoy a cheaper holiday, even though the government has registered its disapproval of parents that do so.
The slowdown in the UK economy is forcing six out of ten families to cut back on family holidays as the rising cost of living cuts into household budgets.
Tom Rees, the senior travel and tourism analyst at Mintel, said, ‘The balance of opinion clearly indicates that the majority of parents are prepared to take children out of school. This suggests opportunities for companies to directly market non-peak family holidays, pushing the fact that going in term time will be cheaper. This is especially the case as cost concerns are clearly strong in the current economic climate.
Any company doing so, risks the wrath of the government, which (the government) is clearly determined to reduce instances of children being taken out of school for holidays.’
Previously, the UK government has said that it was considering implementing a tougher system of fines for parents who regularly take their children on vacation during term-time. If the new rules are implemented, parents may face penalties of up to £120, which is double the current fine of £50 to £60.
