Package deals, with their offer of sun, sea and all you can eat buffets were beloved by bargain loving Brits in the 1970s and ‘80s. Now they’re back with a bang for 2026, with more holidaymakers than ever choosing package breaks.
We’re all going on a package holiday! Tourists at the beach of Torremolinos, 1979 (Image: ullstein bild via Getty Images)
Package holidays are back! And truly en vogue. Sean Tipton, of the Association of British Travel Agents, says: “Packages are cool again, especially among younger travellers, There’s a big difference between the package holidays of the past and today, though. There’s a lot more flexibility in terms of length of stay and destination. You can get a package to trek through the Andes now if you want. That cheap and cheerful reputation is just a snobby attitude. If you adopt it then you’re missing out.”
Latest ABTA figures covering late 2024 to early 2025 found 62% of those travelling abroad chose a package deal, with 18-24-year-olds making up key markets. Despite the cost of living crisis, more people went on holiday during the last 12 months than in the previous year – a trend that’s expected to continue, with package deals front and centre, according to ABTA research.
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Sean explains: “Package deals are about value for money, security and convenience. “You get so much more protection if you book a package. Your contract is with the tour operator, so if something goes wrong, it’s their responsibility to sort it out. I think when the internet came along people thought, ‘oh, we can do it ourselves, book separate flights and hotels and it will be cheaper.’ But that wasn’t necessarily true.”
“Then when things went wrong and they didn’t have the security of a package deal – for instance when Covid struck and people couldn’t get their money back, people paused for thought.” Nostalgia also plays a part, with Brightsun Travel, founded in the 1980s, saying more travellers yearn for holidays from a bygone era.
In a survey of 2,000 people, 20% missed postcards and film cameras, as well as physical guidebooks. Booking online was also highlighted as a negative. Mala Schneider, Head of Global Marketing at Brightsun Travel, says: “We’re surrounded by connected technology, so it’s hard to believe there was a time when you had to wait weeks for your holiday photos to be developed, or take a phrase book with you to be understood.
“There was a lot of fun to be had, though, living adventures and experiences in the moment, without worrying about missing something or capturing the day to digital perfection.” Martin Oliver, 75, a retired marine engineer and author, originally from Coventry, waxes lyrical about his 1970 package holiday with a group of mate.
He says: “We flew out of Birmingham Airport to Palma, Majorca. Flying was more comfortable back then – no security checks, more legroom, and fewer delays. But there was also a lingering smell of cigarettes, as smoking was allowed for passengers seated towards the rear of the plane. It is hard to believe now.”
And they landed in a different world. He says: “It was the first time in our lives we’d ordered a bottle of wine with a meal in a restaurant.” They also tried garlic and enjoyed siestas. Martin, who wrote a book about growing up in the 1960s called Happy Jack, says they “‘didn’t know what to do” with the olive oil on the table.
He’d only ever used it “warm for earache.” He adds: “One of the lads mentioned an item next to his toilet with a sprinkler in it for washing his feet and swimming trunks. Of course it was a bidet!”
Spain is still the top selling package destination, although Morocco and Egypt offer good value. Jo Rhodes, Senior Researcher at Which? Travel says: “Candyfloss, crazy golf and holiday camps were for decades the standard ingredients of our summer holidays. “Affordable package deals to destinations such as Majorca were on offer from the 1950s. But we were still more likely to spend a fortnight in Britain. Brits made just 4.5m trips abroad in 1950.”
Those figures had virtually doubled by 1970 – although just one in three of us had been overseas. But the travel market was growing. The basic cost of a flight was expensive, but the cost of the rest of the holiday was affordable.
Historically, Mediterranean spots like Greece and Spain were the most popular for one or two week package deals, although the more adventurous headed to Rhodes and Corfu, as well as the as-yet-undeveloped Algarve. Jo says: “Booking a package is still the best way to protect your next holiday abroad. The ATOL scheme ensures you won’t be left out of pocket, or worse, stranded if your holiday company goes bust.”
Travel agent Richard Slater, 57, who runs Henbury Travel based in Macclesfield, says business has increased five fold in recent years. He says: “I’d say 95% of those holidays are package deals. I think we’ve come full circle. Lots of people were going online to book their holiday – now they come to us. We’re like a human search engine and they value our expertise.”
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