Hays Travel has extended its discount holiday scheme to 55 schools in Middlesbrough after its success in other parts of the north east.
The retailer is offering families 10% discounts off all holidays booked outside of term time. The scheme operates as an incentive for parents not to take children out of school on holiday during term time. The discount will be offered to more than 23,000 pupils in Middlesbrough, with an average saving of £182 per family.
The scheme first launched with Sunderland council in 2004 where to date 457 families have taken up the offer, saving £77,464. Since the project started there has been a 13.8% reduction in the number of missed school days due to holidays in Sunderland.
Hays, which has since extended the scheme to other areas as well as Sunderland, has pledged to continue running the scheme until August 2009. It has now renewed the schemes for schools in Sunderland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Durham, Darlington, Stockton, Gateshead and Hartlepool.
Managing director John Hays said: “The success of the scheme speaks for itself. Less children in the north east are being taken out of school for holidays as a result of the discount on offer, which is great news.”