Travel giant Thomas Cook have increased holiday prices by about 8%, which works out to be £140 extra on a typical family getaway.
The company has taken advantage of recent wet weather in the UK, leaving those looking for last minute bargains with fewer deals.
The increases in prices work out to be about 8%, which is roughly £35 to 450 per person, helping to boost profits following the impact of swine flu and also by cutting the number of holidays its sells, by almost a million per year since 2007.
Following the collapse of travel giant XL and competitor TUI also cutting the number of packages, Thomas Cook’s move has meant that there are about 2.5 million holiday packages for sale compared with two years ago.
Many travel operators have reported a surge in last minute bookings, with Egypt and Turkey being popular destinations for families.
Thomas Cook have 9% fewer holidays than the same time last year, allowing it to raise prices to offset some of the impact that has been caused to travel by the swine flu outbreak, with losses already at about the £12 million.
The travel company had sold around 90,000 holidays to Mexico before the swine flu outbreak, with many choosing to cancel their break or to choosing to book at the last minute to destinations closer to home.
Many hotels still have their doors closed in Mexico, with Thomas Cook anticipating annual losses of £20 due to swine flu.
In spite of the losses, Thomas Cook remain confident that profits will be around £430 million, and believe that the number of ‘staycationers’, those choosing to holiday at home due to the recession, is exaggerated.
Quotes thanks to the Mirror. For more information on this article please visit their website at www.themirror.co.uk
