The latest tourism industry reports out of the UK suggest that there could be an all-inclusive price war brewing. It would appear that, as expected in the wake of what hoteliers were told at the World Travel Market in London and the ITB fair in Berlin, hotel rates have been cut. Some attractive offers have floated onto the market as the start of high season nears.
While a weekend break is always appealing, a week at an all-inclusive resort, especially for a family, is apparently more affordable than ever, with package prices down 13% on last summer, according to comparison site TravelSupermarket.
The company looked at three months of searches for seven-night holidays departing between 1 May and 30 September in order to find the best ones. It found resorts in Majorca such as Magalluf and Cala d'Or offer great value for money, even cheaper than Greece which, with the help of the airlines and tour operators, is making a major play to reestablish itself as a top holiday destination.
Its minister for tourism, Elena Kountoura, said yesterday that the country expects to attract an additional two million tourists this year. However, Turkey is cheaper than Majorca and one reason is that the government is helping to subsidise flight seats by as much as 70 per cent this summer.
Bulgaria is going to take some beating though. In Sunny Beach, guests can stay in a four-star all-inclusive resort from just £229 per person, according to the report.