Start saving...the holiday next year will cost you more
Set up the hammock, get the barbecue warmed up – and then go on safari (with a little help from virtual reality)
THE cost of a package holiday could jump by 9 per cent next year, according to analysis of two of the country’s biggest tour operators.
Big travel firms are already marking up prices for summer 2018 as major currency contracts which have protected them and their customers from the worst rises begin to expire, according to research stockbroker Bernstein prepared for investors.
Travel operators use ‘hedging’ contracts as insurance to protect them for as much as 18 months after currency shocks. But once the contracts expire, prices rise in line with currency inflation unless they can cut costs in other ways such as using cheaper hotels.
The protection is likely to unwind altogether on holidays booked for this winter and next summer.
Bernstein leisure analyst Richard Clarke, whose firm has collected information from Thomson Holidays owner Tui and Thomas Cook websites, said operators have already begun to increase prices. That has led to an average increase this summer of 8 per cent, he said. But he added worse pain for holidaymakers was yet to come.
‘Everyone has been focused on this summer, thinking that is where the big impact will be. But at the moment operators are looking OK and bookings are flat. But consumers will definitely have to pay more this time next year,’ said Clarke.
Meanwhile, a clampdown on companies charging for payments by credit or debit cards could lead to higher holiday prices as travel companies pass the charge on, experts warn. From January next year, the second EU Payment Services Directive known as PSD2 comes into force. It will ban surcharges on credit and debit card payments for most transactions, including for flight and holiday bookings in-store and online.
The UK Cards Association’s latest card expenditure statistics for the year to April 2017 showed consumer credit card spend with travel agents totalled £7.5billion. Consultants at RSM estimate the cost to the travel industry for lost charges could be up to £150million.
TUI and Thomas Cook declined to say how much prices would rise.
THE summer holidays have begun in earnest, along with never-ending traffic jams, cattle-class flights, tatty hotels and bad food. Here, The Mail on Sunday looks at the holiday alternative – a fabulous low-cost home break which does not even involve stepping out of the front door.
RELAX – WITH A GARDEN HAMMOCK
THE British summer may be brief but when the sun is out there is no better place to relax than out in the back garden.
A deck chair used to be the way to lap up the rays but these days people are turning to hammocks. Not having palms tree to hitch the hanging bed on to is no longer an excuse. Hammocks cost from £30 to more than £300 and come in a wide range of colours and sizes. You can also get bars fitted to keep the hammock open like a bed if you do not want it to cocoon you.
Single or double props can be bought from about £150 to tie the ends to if you do not have a sufficiently robust tree in the garden.
Even the weather need not be a deterrent as there are plenty of fabrics that allow your hammock to stay outside come rain or shine. Scott Woodhead, owner of Simply Hammocks, says: ‘Those who buy a hammock rarely regret it and if a neighbour sees you lying on one in the garden they often want one too.’
He says the gentle swaying nature and curves aid relaxation, encouraging users to lie back and enjoy a good read with a drink.
Given the space hammocks take up in a showroom, most are sold over the internet. Traders include Simply Hammocks, The Hammock Store, Wayfair and Hen & Hammock.
You can even make one yourself. Websites such as wikiHow and Ray Mears Bushcraft offer both inspiration and guidance. All you need to do is buy the strong fabric and rope.
For those uncomfortable with the idea of struggling into and out of a hammock, you might instead prefer to build a garden bench. You can buy a bench and table for less than £50 from Wickes. It also offers guidance on how to construct it.
FEAST ON AN EXOTIC BARBECUE
FABULOUS foreign food in a farflung destination may seem appealing, but you can enjoy an equally mouth-watering experience in the garden by cooking on a barbecue.
With a barbecue you avoid the big restaurant bills that often mar your holiday and your credit card statement when you return.
Toby Shea is president of the British BBQ Society. He says a budget of less than £100 will get you barbecue fit. The real skill, he says, is how you do the cooking.
Toby, a father of five from Shalford in Surrey, explains: ‘The secret is not to get worked up but to relax and go with the flow – ideally with a drink in your hand. You must enjoy the experience. There is nothing wrong with burgers and hot dogs but with a little imagination you can make some fabulous exotic dishes as good as any in the world.’
The 42-year-old adds: ‘The big mistake people make is putting meat on flames. They end up with a black and burnt outside but with the meat inside still raw.’
Toby says you should wait until the charcoal has turned white – and the flames have died down – before putting on any meat. A £20 investment in a digital thermometer will assist in ensuring any food is properly cooked before being served up.
He suggests barbecue enthusiasts should try cooking beef brisket, pork shoulders and prawns, while experimenting with homemade salads and sauces. The British BBQ Society offers menu tips and advice – with real time help on its Facebook forum.
A £5 disposable barbecue is a false economy as these can heat up too quickly. Toby believes you should buy a barbecue that includes a lid so that food can be cooked as if in an oven. The Weber Smokey Joe can be bought from just £60 while a ceramic barbecue costs from £200 at discount trader Costco.
Simon Dyer, 54, from Tickenham in Somerset, is a former winner of TV show BBQ Champ. He says you can make a great barbecue yourself from junk. All that is required is a 45-gallon metal barrel and a washing machine drum which acts as a fire basket. He shows how to make a barbecue as well as providing cooking tips – including Argentinian outdoor ‘asado’ techniques – on a series of YouTube video clips. Those bitten by the barbecue bug can invest the price of a holiday abroad with equipment such as a Primo Ceramic Grill or Big Green Egg.These are ceramic charcoal cookers and cost about £1,000 each. Toby Shea says: ‘You may prefer to use a gas cooker but if you go down this route buy something with two hobs to give you better control over your cooking.’
GET AWAY INTO A VIRTUAL REALITY
THANKS to computer-generated virtual reality software it is now pos-
sible to share in overseas adventures while sitting at home.
Wearing a high-tech headset, a user is able to feel part of a threedimensional movie clip – and when they turn their head enjoy a 360degree view. A headset costs anything from £5 to more than £100. Videos are downloaded on to a smart phone for free and then clipped to the futuristic goggles. You can do almost anything and be anywhere in the world – walk with penguins in the Antarctic, go on a safari in Africa or relax on an isolated beach in the Caribbean.
Harry Engels is head of marketing at London-based virtual reality production firm Visualise, which makes interactive videos for travel companies such as Thomas Cook.
He says: ‘Technology is catching up with imagination. You can now feel you are on holiday while still being at home. Some experts believe this technology could overtake TV in the next decade.’
The main players in this fledgling market are Samsung, Facebook and Google – though Apple is expected to join the race by the end of the year.
A Samsung Gear VR headset will cost £120 while a Google Cardboard headset costs £6. Facebook offers an Oculus Rift mask with a built-in console targeted at computer game fans for £480. When it comes to having a virtual reality vacation, most users only take a fantasy break for perhaps ten minutes – as wearing a headset longer can become uncomfortable. Energetic experiences such as going on a rollercoaster can make some users nauseous. Another future viewing option is ‘augmented reality’. This could add imaginary extras to what you might usually be looking at in a garden – perhaps a countryside view or swimming pool.
Another London-based virtual reality firm Mesmerise enables stay-at-home holidaymakers to enjoy exciting activities such as skiing, sailing and driving a supercar without getting up from the sofa. It is also possible to get virtual reality firms to build scenes and storylines that you would like to enjoy on a staycation.
But this might cost at least £10,000 – far more than taking a real luxury holiday.