Sharing the frustration and financial strain faced by many parents, we are a family seeing the harsh reality of exploitative pricing during the half term break. Looking forward to our family holiday in May 2025, we were disheartened to find identical accommodations having a difference of £1200 for a week, based solely on school holiday dates. A self-catering cottage priced reasonably at one week soars to a whopping 1200 pounds extra the following week—during half term.

What changes in the cottage within a week? Nothing! The cleaning remains the same, the staffing remains unchanged and there are simply no additional benefits provided for this inflated cost. So how can companies justify this extravagant uptick in price?

The practice of surging prices during school holidays unfairly punishes families, preventing them from going on holidays due to these unreasonable costs. According to the data from a recent report by the Office of Fair Trading, British families have to pay up to 8 times more for a half-term holiday (The Guardian, 2017). This rampant profiteering needs to be addressed.

We want lawmakers to regulate this unfair pricing strategy in the holiday market, so families can afford to experience the joy and rejuvenation of holidays without the strain of financial exploitation.

To add insult to injury, the government has recently unfairly increased the penalty fine price for those that take their kids on holiday during term time. They are punishing the wrong people!!! 

Please support us in leading this change for fairer pricing; sign the petition now.