Package holidays: are more families going on holiday in 2023 - and can I still find a good deal?

With the school summer holidays just a few weeks away, many families are preparing to go away on a package summer vacation to a hot European country. Recent reporting from TravelSupermarket revealed the average price of a week with everything included in Majorca, Spain, has risen by 21%. Prices in Tenerife have risen more than 22%, and Crete in Greece is 25% more expensive than last year.

Despite the rise in prices, many people are still saving up for a quick escape to the beach, with a host of package holidays still available for summer 2023. So where can you book, and what is available? Here is what you need to know. 

Package holidays 2023

There are a whole host of third party websites that make it easy for anyone to do a quick search for getaways, such as First Choice, Expedia and Secret Escapes.

However, sometimes cheaper deals are found last minute through flight providers themselves, such as TUI and Jet2.

It is also worth noting that sites such as Wowcher can offer discounts, and being part of a specific sector, such as the NHS, also can give some perks. For example, NHS workers get 10% off TUI holidays. 

For a holiday this summer, a TUI spokesman said: “Whilst we’ve seen incredible demand for this summer we do have holidays available for those families who are still deciding on their plans this summer. There is more availability from mid to end August and spots like Turkey, Tunisia and Bulgaria all offer great value and have more capacity for late bookings than destinations like Greece and Spain."

TUI flies from 21 regional airports across the UK, and has "thousands of fantastic self-catering beach holidays for under £499 based on 7, 10, 11 and 14-night stays."

Discounts can be found on the site, and are being offered for different destinations, as well as options for kid-friendly places. They added: "We also still have thousands of free kids' places available this summer and customers can use our free kid's finder tool on our website. Our holiday prices always include transfers and luggage allowance."

A spokesperson for Jet2holidays said their capacity has increased due to demand, but that customers should try and book in advance for the best selection of packages. 

The company shared a list to NationalWorld of a few holidays which are still on offer:  

Jet2holidays – Balearics, Ibiza, San Antonio Bay, 3-star Azuline Hotel Bergantin, 7 nights half-board departing from Manchester on 19th August. Price: £1,019 per person based on 2 adults and 1 child (aged 4) sharing, including a 22kg baggage allowance and return transfers. 

Jet2holidays – Portugal, Algarve, Alvor, 4+ star Tivoli Alvor Algarve Resort and Slide and Splash Waterpark, 7 nights all-inclusive departing from Birmingham on 24th August. Price: £1,429 per person based on 2 adults and 1 child (aged 4) sharing, including a 22kg baggage allowance and return transfers.

Jet2holidays – Greece, Crete Chania Area, Maleme, 4-star Creta Princess by Atlantica, 7 nights all-inclusive, departing from London Stansted on 4th August. Price: £1,069 per person based on 2 adults and 1 child (aged 4) sharing, including a 22kg baggage allowance and return transfers. 

Has demand for holidays increased? 

After the lockdowns due to the pandemic, many people in the UK decided to take trips abroad. According to the Office of National Statistics, UK residents made 71 million visits abroad in 2022, and spent £58.5 billion on visits abroad. In 2021, UK residents made 19.1 million visits abroad and spent £15.5 billion on visits abroad - this was still a 13% increase on 2020. 

The most cited reason was reverted to meeting friends and families who lived aboard. For parents with young children, whose travel time may be limited to the school holidays, timings for this may be limited to the summer holidays.