Increased fines for term-time holidays are deemed ineffective by travel agents, with substantial cost savings driving parents’ decisions.
- Fines rising from £60 to £80 and from £120 to £160 for late payments are not deterring parents from booking holidays during school terms.
- Agents report that the price difference between term-time and holiday-time travel significantly outweighs the fines imposed for unauthorised absences.
- Parents are increasingly opting to take children out of school for part of the week to reduce educational disruption while still saving money.
- The trend of term-time travel persists due to financial necessity and the prioritisation of family time post-Covid.
The government’s move to increase fines for unauthorised school absences, rising to £80 if paid within 21 days and to £160 if paid within 28 days, has been criticised by travel agents as ineffective. According to these agents, parents are unlikely to be deterred by the financial penalties when the potential savings of hundreds of pounds on holidays during term-time are considered. The financial comparison between the cost of fines and the savings from cheaper travel options is compelling for many parents, making the threat of fines inconsequential.
A survey by Go.Compare highlighted that summer holidays typically cost an average of £276 more per person compared to term-time travel. This significant price gap is influencing parents’ decisions, with a substantial number willing to risk fines to afford family vacations. Notably, 38% of surveyed individuals expressed their willingness to consider removing their children from school to cut expenses, demonstrating a persistent trend despite the proposed penalty increase.
Travel industry professionals, such as Miles Morgan and Fred Olsen Travel director Paul Hardwick, have expressed scepticism about the impact of increased fines. Morgan emphasised that parents would calculate expenses and opt for the cheaper solution, indicating that raising fines will not alter their decision-making process. Hardwick echoed this sentiment, noting that families often choose to remove children from school for shorter periods to alleviate the impact on education and still benefit from cost savings. He observed that clients frequently adjust holiday timings to minimise disruption while still taking advantage of financial benefits.
The trend of increasing unauthorised absences post-Covid has been attributed to a renewed emphasis on family time, as stated by the Advantage Travel Partnership. The necessity of affordable travel for some families underscores the limited impact of fines, with travel priorities evidently overriding concerns about penalties. This sentiment was further supported by Vim Vithaldas of The Travel Network Group, who suggested that only a significant narrowing of the price gap between term-time and holiday-time travel might affect parental choices.
For many parents, travelling during term-time is not merely a monetary consideration but a necessity. Greenstar Travel owner Martyn Fisher highlighted an important factor — fines would need to surpass holiday savings to effectively deter parents from term-time travel. Furthermore, the inconsistency in fines application across schools further reduces its deterrent effect, leaving the efficacy of increased penalties in question.
Ultimately, financial considerations and family priorities overshadow the deterrent effect of increased fines for term-time holidays.
