Holidaymakers flock to book early in bargain summer break bonanza

A STAMPEDE for bargain holidays kicks off today as firms slash hundreds of pounds from the cost of summer breaks.

Operators are cutting up to £400 from the price of family getaways.

More than one million people each day between Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve will book their next holiday according to a study.

The six-day period will see 6.5 million people book a trip, according to a poll by travel protection body Atol.

Spain is set to be the most in-demand destination, with 28 per cent of people wanting to visit, followed by Italy (19 per cent), the United States (18 per cent) and Greece (13 per cent).

Thomas Cook kicked off the holiday sales bonanza by cutting the price on trips to Greece, Spain and the Canary Islands.

Managing director Chris Mottershead said: “Every year we see customers start to think about their next break away in the days after Christmas. This year we’ve got a variety of deals available with something for everyone, whether you’re looking to go away as a family, couple or with friends as well as offers for destinations across Europe and further afield.”

The firm has slashed £400 from holidays to Rhodes, Greece, with a family of four able to go for £2,079 – down 16 per cent. Couples after a summer getaway can also cash in with the cost of a two-person trip to Mallorca down from £865 to £665.

Virgin Holidays has shaved £300 from the cost of some holidays including getaways to the US and Barbados.

Thomson is offering discounts of more than £100 on holidays to Spain, Greece and the Balearic Islands.

Emma Coulthurst, from Travel Supermarket, said: “The holiday sale is just as much a part of the Christmas break now as bagging clothes and electrical bargains.

“We see a surge of people searching from their sofa for a deal from now until the end of January. It’s our busiest time of the year.”