Brits ‘spend £200 in-resort in all-inclusives’
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
All-inclusive holidays may end up more expensive for consumers than previously thought, with ‘big differences’ between the offering in Europe and long-haul, a new report has said.
According to the Post Office All Inclusive Holiday Report, more than three-quarters of UK holidaymakers on an all-inclusive holiday end up paying for extras you would think are included, mainly on alcoholic drinks, wine, bottled water, internet access and a la carte meals.
While 88% of holidaymakers expect all meals to be included, one in six paid out for an a la carte meal, collectively adding up to £76.8 million. Around £22.7m can be spent on internet, with the Post Office estimating holidaymakers will spend another £200 in resort despite the ‘all-inclusive’ nametag. Spa treatments and excursions can also add onto the price of a trip, although the extra spend often results in customers using cards or ATMs to access cash. Holidaymakers are thought to pay for more extras while in Europe than on long-haul holidays, lowering satisfaction levels and quality ratings.
While the report did not compare the prices compared to a non all-inclusive holiday, Andrew Brown, head of Travel Money at the Post Office said it was important that resorts matched customer expectation, particularly as more than a third of overseas package holidays are now all-inclusive.
“Quality is an issue for many people. When we asked for comments about all-inclusive experiences – particularly food, the quality ratings were much higher for long-haul resorts than for European ones. Double the number of people who had stayed in European hotels said that they got bored so they left the hotel to eat and drink at least once during their stay, which is good news for the local bars and restaurants whose businesses may be impacted by the growth in all-inclusive holidays,” he explained.
“Since most people pay for extras, the important thing is to carry enough foreign currency to cover items that are excluded from all-inclusive packages as this will save paying bank transfer charges on card transactions,” Brown added.