Group holiday bookings soar as Brits battle credit crunch

Two weeks with the in-laws might sound like some people’s idea of hell but a recent survey has shown that the current credit crunch is changing the way Brits holiday this year.

Directholidaybookings.co.uk has shown that more than a third of British families are planning to spread the cost of their summer holiday by bringing along friends or extended family members.

Other credit crunching holiday trends include renting a holiday home or cottage instead of staying in a hotel to cut food expenses and pricey entertainment bills.

Andrew Gibson, managing director of directholidaybookings.co.uk said: “This year, we’ve seen a huge demand from group bookings looking for larger holiday homes to share.

“We think this is a direct result of families feeling the pinch this summer and coming up with more affordable holiday options allowing them to have a great time whilst saving a significant amount of money.”

According to research from the CBI earlier this year, Brits are cutting back on things like leisure activities, entertainment and eating out, but holidays are still a priority for the average family as the travel industry is still experiencing growth.

The holiday home rental sector has seen a recent boom due to people coming up with easy ways to cut the cost of their annual holiday, whilst still enjoying a relaxing break and change of scene.

Kate Marritt, a Student Support Manager at Manchester Medical School is married to husband Chris and they have two children, Ella (three) and Lucy (one).

Instead of taking their usual holiday abroad this year, the Marritts decided to rent a cottage in the Lake District with friends who also have two young children.

Kate said: “We would have usually stayed in holiday resorts on previous family holidays but, after a house move and the arrival of our younger daughter, like many other families we’ve been trying to cut costs wherever possible.

“We’d been on a B&B holiday to the Lake District before and fell in love with the area, so we were keen to visit again. This time, we invited some friends to join us as in a holiday cottage which could accommodate two families.

“We were concerned at first that we’d get under each other’s feet but staying with another family allowed us to have more flexibility on a family holiday then we’d ever experienced before.

“Both sets of parents shared childcare responsibilities and the cottage provided a safer, more comfortable environment for us and the children. We ate out on a few occasions but the rest of the time we shared costs by having barbeques in the garden or taking turns to cook.

“We had a fantastic holiday and have already planned our next one with another group of friends. We’re not just restricted to the UK either as we’ve already researched some fantastic properties to stay in abroad that will still be just as cost effective.”

For more information visit Directholidaybookings.co.uk.