E-Petition: Stop Holiday Companies Charging Extra In School Holidays

[6Foot2]

Link: Stop Holiday companies charging extra in school holidays - e-petitions

 

...Its time to stop the holiday companies cashing in on school holidays and let parents have some guilt free family time! Enforce action that caps the percentage increase on holiday prices in school holidays...

 

Signatures at time of creating this post: 155,818

 

E-Petition closing date/time: 7^th March 2014 at 14:40

[ozydave]

Done it

[Arthur]

This e-petition has received the following response:

 

In a competitive market it is for business to decide the market worth of their products and to price accordingly. In the holiday market there is fierce competition for custom. Prices rises in peak periods are a reflection of the international competition holiday companies face for hotel accommodation and other services in destinations which are popular with consumers from many other countries and where there are limits to capacity. These consumers also wish to holiday during these peak periods. We are advised also that holiday companies must seek to make a reasonable profit during the peak periods so that they are able to operate throughout the year when demand and therefore prices and profits are lower.

 

Another pointless e-petition!

[localzuk]

It's simple supply and demand really. Can't legislate against it, else you end up with everyone putting their prices up all year round to smooth the peaks.

[elsiegee40]

Agreed. Prices go up when it's busy. The holiday companies are charged higher prices by their suppliers: hotels, airlines, etc... most of which aren't under UK jurisdiction. Completely pointless petition

[Gatt]

It's simple supply and demand really. Can't legislate against it, else you end up with everyone putting their prices up all year round to smooth the peaks.

 

Agreed. Prices go up when it's busy. The holiday companies are charged higher prices by their suppliers: hotels, airlines, etc... most of which aren't under UK jurisdiction. Completely pointless petition

 

 

So that makes the average £1000 increase ok then does it?

[Gatt]

Sorry but we're currently trying to book a holiday - either abroad or in the *err* sunny UK and the price increase during school holidays is ridiculous!

Yeah ok so some of the foreign holidays may be due to suppliers, but its not just foreign holidays - the exact same thing happens with UK based holidays - The price of hiring a cottage in the UK can jump a good few £100 during school holidays and then go back down again the week after..

 

We're being told (in fact soon forced!) to only take our kids out of school during the holidays - and the holiday companies know this but don't offer any incentive for us to do that - all they do is cash in on it - and then give the old "Supply and Demand" excuse

 

Lowering prices may actually increase the demand even more!

[localzuk]

There are limited numbers of cottages, holiday lets out hotels. Meaning during school holidays everyone tries to book them at the same time. So, the prices go up to account for that demand. In winter, the companies who own these places don't make any money really, as they aren't needed, so they have to cover their winter costs with their summer income.

 

It's not punitive, it's not profiteering. It's simple economics of running tourist business.

 

As I said, you can't legislate against it, as you'll simply cause businesses to shut down.

 

An example, in Minehead, during school holidays, Butlins is pretty much always fully booked. Decreasing their prices will only reduce their income, And won't increase bookings. During winter, they don't get many bookings at all. So, they need those sunset bookings to concert the winter costs. Without the high summer costs, the business would simply not be worth running and would close.

Edited February 1, 2014 by localzuk

[Andrew_C]

Dream on! The Tories doing anything to counter the "supply & demand" of holiday pricing that only the prols need to worry about?