TRAVEL BROCHURES REVEAL ROCK-BOTTOM COST OF PACKAGE HOLIDAYS IN THE 80S AS ICONIC FIRM FOLDS

Travel brochures dating back to the 1980s and 90s have been discovered, offering a captivating look into the package holidays of yesteryears.

Siesta Holidays, based in Middlesbrough, has been running coach holidays across Europe for an impressive 44 years, long before the advent of budget airlines and Airbnb revolutionised the travel sector. To mark nearly half a century of providing affordable getaways for North East residents, the company has unveiled some of its earliest brochures. In 1982, one of the most sought-after budget deals was a comprehensive 17-day trip priced at just £69 equivalent - to around £250 in today's terms.

Under-19s travelled free of charge, while a week-long break cost a mere £49, with two-week stays starting from £69. The holiday package, which covered all travel and accommodation expenses, took travellers to southern France, the Italian Riviera, and Spain. By 1989, the firm was taking holidaymakers to more distant destinations, including former Yugoslavia and Austria. Besides travelling by 'super coach', tourists could also speed through the French countryside on the newly launched SNCF 'Holiday Express'.

Do you feel like holidays are more expensive now relatively than in the 1980s? Let us know in the comments below.

The average planned spend on holidays abroad per British person in 2024 is £1,690 - down slightly from a planned spend of £2,115 in 2023. Last year, the average cost of a holiday abroad was £894, up from £877 in 2022, according to Finder. Brits spend the most abroad in Spain, with a total spend of £12.6 billion in 2023 - out of around £70 billion spent on trips abroad.

Despite the Siesta Holidays' success, it has announced that it will be shutting down next month due to financial difficulties. Director John Harrison said: "We have decided to close due to a number of factors." He added: "One of the reasons is we struggled as a result of Covid which shut us down completely for two years and meant we couldn't afford to spend on marketing. Another reason is Brexit has made it more complicated to get across the Channel which adds to the costs and time it takes to go on holiday.

"Young people were more likely to travel via low-cost airlines to mainland Europe than by bus. Another reason is that our client base has gotten older and maybe one or more of the party can't travel anymore for health reasons."

Despite the company's closure, John reminisced over the positive feedback about coach vacations to Europe. He said: "When we announced we were closing, we were inundated with past and present customers telling us how much they had enjoyed going on holiday with us. The brochures show just how vital we were in providing affordable trips to the continent for families to make life-long memories.

2024-09-04T08:19:43Z dg43tfdfdgfd