Package Holidays


Pacakge Holidays
Package Holiday Offers
From £73 per person


A holiday is the time of year when you want to "recharge the batteries" and relax whilst having enjoyable time with your partner, family or friends. The perfect type of holiday which helps you to do this is a Package Holiday, but what is a package holiday, when did they begin and how do you book one? Here, we explain the definition and a brief history of a Package Holiday.

What is a Package Holiday?

A package holiday is a term which describes a holiday that includes transport and accommodation and sold at a single price by a tour organiser or tour operator. Whilst it is possible to have a package holiday staying within the UK, the majority of package holidays sold are to overseas destinations with the most common mode of transport being used is an aircraft. 
 

What Does a Package Holiday Include?

The original mass market package holiday, also known as a package tour, often included more items other than just transport and accommodation within the price such as return transfers between the destination airport and accommodation, a holiday representative (commonly known as the "Holiday Rep") for advice and assistance whilst on holiday, meals & drinks at the accommodation (depending on the board basis), however, these other items do not list as an element which makes up a package holiday. Today, items such as in resort transfers, baggage allowance, in-flight meals and pre-booked seats are all classed as optional extras which normally carry a charge for each element. The traditional "Holiday Rep" is now often replaced with an emergency contact number, although some tour operators including TUI and Jet2Holidays generally include a Rep.
 

Is a Dynamic Package Holiday the Same as a Pacakge Holiday?

A Dynamic Package holiday is a term created within the travel industry where travel agents offer a holiday by booking a flight only and an accommodation only at the same time. The term derives from the fact that the two elements have been "dynamically" put together.

Package holidays are regulated by the UK Government, with the "The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018" giving the consumer financial protection. This protection includes Dynamic Package Holidays. However, (at the time of writing) consumers who book a flight only and accommodation independently are not covered under these regulations meaning the consumer could lose their money in the event of a company failure. This enhances the benefits of booking a package holiday.
 

The History of a Package Holiday

The first package holiday (as we are accustomed too) was offered by the Horizon Holiday Group in 1950, offering package deals from Gatwick to Corsica followed by holidays to Palma two years later. Thomas Cook offered the very first package tour in July 1841, although this was only a UK holiday by train from Leicester to Loughborough, 11 miles away.

The cheap package holiday industry continued to grow through the 1950's and 1960's with resorts in Spain, Italy, and Switzerland proving popular. However, in the early 1970's the market took a down turn and in August 1974 saw the first major collapse of a package tour operator. Court Line, which traded as Clarkson and Horizon, ceased trading leaving 50,000 holidaymakers overseas after being accused of selling holidays bellow net price. As there was no Government protection for consumers in 1974, the stranded holidaymakers were brought home by Court Line's competitors. Customers with advanced bookings lost their money. Following this incident, the Government set up a Air Travel Trust and now ATOL (Air Travel Organisers Licence) in order to protect the consumer against tour operator failure.

In 1987, Airtours offered their first charter package holidays to the Caribbean which started from £299 followed by charter fly/cruises.

In 1991, we saw the demise of ILG (International Leisure Group) following the drop in demand following the start of the Iraq war. Intasun was the main brand and were the second largest tour operator at the time.

In the mid 2000's, dynamic package holidays were formed by travel agents, as travel agents fort back against the major tour operators, who were offering cheaper prices to consumers to book direct rather than through an agent plus some operators began reducing travel agent commissions.

In 2019, Thomas Cook Travel Group, the UK's oldest travel company and tour operator ceased trading leading to the biggest repatriation since the war.


Package Tour Operators, Past & Present

We have seen a fantastic range of package tour operators over the years. Here is a selection of our favourites...
 
2wentys Longwood
Abercrombie and Kent Lowcostholidays
African Safari Club Mainstreet USA
Airbreak Malta Direct
Airtours Manos
Airways Mark Warner
Anatolian Sky Med Choice
Argo Mercury
Aspire Monarch
Aspro MyTravel
Atlantic NAT
Balkan Neilson
Balkan Tourist Newmarket
BEA Next Island
Beachcomber Tours Novotours
Belleair Odyssey
Best Olympic
Bridge Travel Group Overland
British Airways Owners Abroad
Canadian Affair Panorama
Cape Verde Experience Paris Travel Service
Captivating Cuba Peltours
Caribtours PGL
Chevron Air Portland
Citalia Premier
Clarksons President
Classic Collection Preston
Club 18-30 (aka Club) Priceright
Club Med Purevalue
Collette Tours Purevalue USA
Contiki Rainbow
Cosmos Holidays Red Sea Holidays
Cosmos Tourama Redwing
Cosmos Tours Regal
Court Line Riva
Cox & Kings Riveira
Cresta Rocket Ski
Crystal Ski Saga
Cyplon Scott Dunn
Cypriana Seguro
Destination Red Sea Select
Destinology Siesta
Direct Holidays Ski Esprit
Discover Egypt Ski Independence
Dream Holidays Ski Total
Easyjet Holidays Ski Val
Ellermann Sunflight Skibound
Enterprise Holidays Skiworld
Escapades Sky Tours
Eurocamp Sol
Exodus Somak
Explore! Sovereign
Falcon Sunair
First Choice SunMed
Flying Colours Sunquest
Freestyle Sunsail
Funway Sunseeker Leisure
G Adventures Sunset Faraway
Gambian Experience Sunset
Gaytours Sunspot Tours
Getaway Suntours
Global Sunvil
Globespan Sunways
Gold Medal Sunworld
Golden Sun Superbreak Mini Holidays
Goldtrail Swiss Travel Service
Grecian The Holiday Place
Hayes and Jarvis Thomas Cook
HF Holidays Thomson
Holiday Options Time Off
Holidays4U Titan Tours
Horizon Topdeck
If Only Tops Ski
Inghams Trafalgar Tours
Inspirations Transun
Intasun Travel 2
International Leisure Group Travel 4
Intourist Travel City Direct
Intrepid Travel Club of Upminster
Italy Skybus Travelpack
James Villas Travelscene
Jersey Travel Service Travelsphere
Jet2Holidays TUI
Jetsave Unijet
Jetset USAirtours
Jetsun Villmar
Jewel In The Crown Virgin Sun
JMC Vision
Just Sunshine Wendy Wu Tours
Keycamp Wings OSL
Kuoni Wings Abroad
Laker Holidays XL
Lancaster Yugotours
Leger Zenith
Libra  
 

Which Websites Offer Cheap Package Holidays?

For customers who are looking for an overseas cheap holiday package, Cheekytrip is the perfect place to find and book as all holidays featured in our holiday search are package holidays and regulated under "The Package Travel and Linked Travel Arrangements Regulations 2018" and ATOL protected.

 


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