APD increase makes holidays more expensive than ever

Thanks to a recent and controversial Air Passenger Duty (APD) increase holidaymakers face paying up to 55 per cent more tax on air travel, effectively making holidays more expensive than ever.

For those on tighter budgets, particularly families with young children, this could potentially price them out of the holiday market - although not if they opt for self-catering accommodation.

New research from Holiday Lettings, the leading private rental holiday home portal, has shown that a self-catering family stay in a premier tourist resort is a significantly cheaper option than hotel accommodation in the same area.

Of these new findings Kate Stinchcombe-Gillies, spokesperson for Holiday Lettings, said: “It is well documented that self-catering private rental homes offer unrivalled space and flexibility, allowing guests to holiday on their own timetable. But this new insight confirms that as well as not having the time and flexibility constraints of a hotel, holiday homes are simply much more affordable.”

Given the current economic climate and recent APD changes, affordability is a key consideration for many holidaymakers - especially for families.

Of the popular locations chosen for this comparison, Kate Stinchcombe-Gillies concluded: “Now more than ever holidaymakers are going to be looking for the best value for money holiday options. The savings achieved through holiday rentals should allow holidaymakers to overcome the newly increased flight costs and to take their annual summer holiday without having to worry about their budget.”