ABTA

Package holidays have become the go-to option for many Brits, but the first package holiday in 1841 was worlds away from a sizzling trip to Spain – and passengers only travelled 11 miles from home

As the festive decorations are packed away and Brits brace themselves for a dreary, rain-soaked January, many will be planning their summer getaways. When it comes to chasing the sun, Brits have long loved the ease of a package holiday.

ABTA data reveals that 62% of people who ventured abroad last year opted for a package holiday, bundling together flights and accommodation with extras from coach travel to car hire and dining packages.

The surge in package holidays has gone hand in hand with the rising popularity of overseas destinations. So, you might assume that first package breaks involved jetting off to sunny Costa Blanca or the chic south of France.

However, the origins of the package holiday are far more modest, and there’s one man to thank next time you’re basking in an all-inclusive in Alicante or lounging in Lanzarote, reports the Express.

Thomas Cook and the birth of the package holiday

The first package holiday in 1841 was a rather tame event. A Baptist preacher named Thomas Cook chartered a train and organised a trip for his fellow temperance movement members, advocates of abstaining from alcohol.

For a mere shilling, passengers could journey the 11-miles from Leicester to a temperance rally in Loughborough, complete with a cup of tea and a ham sandwich to enjoy on the train.

It may have been a modest start, but spurred on by the sale of 485 tickets, Thomas established Thomas Cook & Son, which became a household name in package holidays for many years. The entrepreneur recognised that railway companies offered discounts for bulk bookings or charters, and the public appreciated the ease of booking a package with everything organised for them.

Following his whirlwind journey to Leicester, Thomas Cook expanded his offerings with further trips across the Midlands, before branching out to London for the Great Exhibition. In 1855, he ventured overseas, leading tour groups to Belgium, Germany, and France, and in 1863, he introduced the first tour of Switzerland.

Opening up the world

Given the popularity of his European excursions, Thomas Cook presented his most ambitious itinerary yet in 1872. For 200 guineas, roughly equivalent to £25,000 today, travellers could embark on a 222-day tour encompassing the USA, Japan, China, India, and Egypt.

Around this time, Thomas also pioneered the use of circular notes, later known as traveller’s cheques, making it easier for holidaymakers to spend money abroad.

By 1888, Thomas Cook & Sons had established a global presence with offices worldwide, including three in Australia and one in New Zealand. By 1890, they were selling tickets to over three million travellers annually.

Previously, travel was a luxury only the wealthy could afford, but many of Cook’s new clientele were from the burgeoning middle classes. France, Germany, and Switzerland were popular destinations, and packages often included cultural excursions to museums, theatre and opera visits, in addition to outdoor pursuits like mountain climbing.

Fast forward to 1949, when the first modern package holiday, as we know it today, was introduced. Vladimir Raitz, a Moscow-born businessman who had relocated to London, was holidaying in Corsica when a business associate challenged him to attract more Brits to the island.

Vladimir calculated that for £35 per person (equivalent to around £1,100 in today’s money), he could charter a plane and offer British holidaymakers two weeks of sun-soaked bliss on the French island.

Despite facing some hurdles, Vladimir’s offer of a flight, tent accommodation, and twice-daily meals with meat proved irresistible to those still grappling with post-war austerity. The first charter flights took off in May 1949.

Vladimir went on to found Horizon Holidays, the first in a long line of package holiday companies promising sun-drenched getaways.

By 1950, the post-war holiday surge saw a million Brits venturing abroad, and in 1957, the now-obsolete British European Airways capitalised on this trend by offering flights to Valencia, situated approximately two hours north of Alicante. To market this fresh destination, the nickname Costa Blanca was created, encompassing the towns and cities along the 120-mile coastline.

During this period, a quaint fishing village named Benidorm was witnessing a decline in its fishing industry and needed a new income source. The local council, seizing an opportunity, began approving new developments.

In 1956, the General Plan was initiated, which moulded the destination that Brits adore today. While the area had been a tourist hotspot for some time, this plan incorporated more high-rise buildings and large public spaces, completely changing the skyline of the Spanish city.

1950 also marked the debut of the first resort to offer a version of the modern all-inclusive. Club Med launched a resort in Alcúdia, Majorca, where holidaymakers could have all their meals included in the price.

Tourists, primarily from Belgium and France, stayed in tents or beach huts and meals were a communal event, yet it laid the groundwork for a popular style of holiday that persists to this day.

Golden age

In the 1960s, a mix of factors like improved flight accessibility, increased wages and more paid holidays led to Brits swapping their local getaways for foreign adventures. Many embarked on their first overseas journeys, basking in the sun-soaked climes of Spain, Greece, and Italy, immersing themselves in diverse cultures and sampling exotic cuisines.

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Fast forward to today, and not much has changed with package holidays. A week or two under the sun remains the summer highlight for many Brits.

While new destinations have emerged, early favourites like Costa Blanca and Majorca continue to draw crowds. And even though the internet has opened up a world of travel opportunities, the continuing popularity of package holidays shows that sometimes all you need for a great holiday is a bit of sunshine and a comfy sunlounger.

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A leading staycation operator has highlighted a big rise in people opting to use Christmas Day to make their holiday booking

There was a time when Christmas Day was all about opening the presents, over doing it on the festive feast, then sleeping it off in the front of the telly.

But times changes, and it seems a growing number of people are using the time off to plan ahead. And one emerging trend identified by holiday park operator Haven has been a big rise in the number of advanced bookings it has taken on December 25.

Historically, Christmas Day was quiet for the firm and other holiday companies ahead of a normal rush just after the new year. But Haven says that in recent years bookings have increased steadily, with a 46% leap on Christmas Day last year. While it did not provide exact numbers, bosses said it equated to hundreds of bookings on the day. Given the success last year, Haven says it is now anticipating a record breaking Christmas Day again.

Others will leave it 24 hours, but Boxing Day has also become ever more popular for families thinking of their holidays to come. Haven says Boxing Day bookings last year were up 28%, and it expects to take thousands of bookings over the two peak festive days this year.

Simon Palethorpe, the company’s chief executive, said: “Once the presents are unwrapped, carols sung and turkey stripped, more families are using their time together to book their Easter and summer holidays. Not only is selecting your family holiday on Christmas Day less likely to lead to a row than a board game – booking early with Haven can result in a great deal and big savings compared to those who book later.”

The coming weeks are when many people turn their attention to next summer’s getaway, with the dark months of winter encouraging many to dream of sunshine breaks to come. Experts certainly say that booking early can mean big savings, with operators traditionally launching early bird deals amid a marketing blitz around this time of year.

A peak of bookings is expected on January 3, or what is dubbed ‘Sunshine Saturday’ given the spike in business. Research released by trade body ABTA ahead of 2025’s big day revealed that 68% of people were planning to go abroad this year, and 45% were looking to explore a new country for their holiday.

Trade experts at consumer group Which? has this advice: “Don’t feel pressured into booking in a hurry. Time-limited deals aren’t always everything they promise so take the time to consider your options, and shop around to make sure you’re getting the right holiday for you, at the right price.

“Holiday booking scams are common at this time of year so if something looks too good to be true, always think twice. There are lots of dodgy ‘deals’ on social media, and fake listings can even make their way onto booking sites. Always avoid listings requesting payments by bank transfer, and consider doing a reverse image search on villas or rentals to check the images haven’t been lifted from elsewhere.”