Which? issues ‘book early’ advice amid rising package holiday prices

Package holiday prices have risen by as much as 19% year on year, with Greece seeing the highest increases out of six mainstream destinations, according to consumer group Which?.

The consumer champion said it recommends booking early to ensure the best price for those able to plan ahead amid cost of living pressures.

Of the six countries compared – Spain, Greece, Portugal, Italy, Turkey and Cyprus – a week’s holiday in Greece cost on average 30% more than last year with an average price of £867 per person this summer.

The smallest price increases were found in Portugal, with the cost of a week’s holiday up by 7% on average to £705. 

Despite a rise in average costs, Spain still offered the cheapest deals, with a week’s package holiday costing £693pp.

Prices have gone up by a fifth or more to Spain, Turkey and Italy, while Cyprus has seen a rise of 15%, according to data sourced from Travelsupermarket parent Ice Travel Group based on clicks from November 1, 2022 to January 3, 2023 for seven-night holidays in summer 2023.

Which? also examined data on flights and hotels, to see how much those who opt to put together their own trips might expect to spend on a holiday this year. Flights have seen the most significant increases, with prices this Easter up a 51% on average compared with last year.

The cost of direct flights to 15 destinations in Spain, France, Italy, Greece and the US from six of the UK’s busiest airports was analysed using using data from air fares analyst Skytra.

It found Italy and Greece have seen the highest rises, with fares up 71% in both cases. 

The US, which has the highest average fares at £1,527 per seat, saw the smallest price increase, at just under a third (31%).

It compared average prices to Malaga, Palma, Tenerife, Paris, Lyon, Nice, Rome, Naples, Venice, Corfu, Crete, Thessaloniki, New York, Las Vegas and Orlando) from Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted. In total, Which? compared the average price of 69 direct flight routes and found 63 had seen increases compared to last year.

The Which? analysis came the day after the Office for National Statistics reported a 44% leap in flight prices in December and Skyscanner revealed a 31% surge in overseas holiday booking so far this January.

The average price of booking three and four-star hotels this Easter over last year was also compared using information suppled by Kayak. On average, it found that UK hotel rates have risen by almost a fifth, from £100 to £119, with many hotels facing not only increased energy bills, but also the need to pay higher wages amid staff shortages.

Meanwhile international hotel rates – those outside of the UK and Europe – have risen by 23% on average, from around £138 over Easter 2022, up to £170 on average for Easter this year.

European rates have seen the smallest increases, with an average rise of 10%, from £108 in 2022, to £119 this year, bringing them in line with average rates for the UK.

Which? Travel editor Rory Boland said: “Travellers are likely to experience significantly higher prices than they’re used to for a trip away this year, with huge demand for holidays combining with inflationary pressure to create a perfect storm of spiralling costs.

“Flights in particular have seen some of the steepest price rises so far, with our research finding flights to popular destinations including Greece and Italy up 71% compared to last year.”

Which? holiday price table based on Travelsupermarket.com data: