Parents hit with rise in cost of school travel

Parents are being hit with increased prices on school travel due to the weakened GBP according to members of ABTOT, the Association of Bonded Travel Organisers Trust.

ABTOT’s latest research has found that currency instability is increasing the cost of school travel by as much as 10%, adding extra financial concerns for parents and school travel organisers alike.

School travel providers have also expressed concerns over the future logistical challenges of travel after leaving the EU.

Following a recent ruling by the Supreme Court restricting travel during term time, the news comes as a double blow to parents who rely on school trips to send children on educational and cultural excursions overseas.

“While family holidays are increasingly expensive for parents, school-organised trips provide access to unique, cultural, sporting and educational experiences that many children can’t gain as a family or in a classroom.

The association says parents are being hit from both sides when attempting to fund trips abroad for their children, whether with schools or as families.

For organisers, the challenge is to make every penny count, avoiding unnecessary expense during a time when value has never been more important,“ said Paul Fakley, development director of ABTOT.

Derek Rosenberg, director of Ski 4 Schools said: “The decline in the value of the pound has had financial consequences and logistic difficulties will follow once we have left the EU. Many children who attend school skiing trips would not otherwise have the opportunity to be introduced to the sport as many families can’t afford for everyone to go.”

According to ABTOT members, health and safety, value for money and booking with reputable providers were the top priorities for parents booking school travel for their children.

Organisers such as Silverblue Tours are also seeing an increase in bookings to Australia, Spain, Portugal and the Caribbean as bookings to Paris, Belgium and Germany are in decline following terror attacks.

Just as with family travel, parents’ money must be legally safeguarded under Package Travel Regulations when booking with a school travel organiser. ABTOT-protected school travel members include Visions in Education, Silverblue Tours, Discover the World, London Theatre Tours, ESOC, TM Ski and Travel, Camps International and Ski 4 Schools.

Paul Fakley of ABTOT continued: “ABTOT members are screened to ensure that only leading travel organisers in their field are accepted. By looking for the ABTOT logo on an organiser’s site, parents can rest assured they’re booking with a reputable and financially sound organisation.”