NEWS FROM BUYAGIFT.COM

British Families Feel The Squeeze Of Summer Holidays

The Summer Holiday Costs Parents £9.5 Billion*, Says Buyagift.com Study

AS children break up for the school summer holidays tomorrow (Thursday), new research released by Buyagift.com shows Britain's parents spend a staggering £9.5 billion on entertaining their kids during the six-week break.

A study by the leading online gifting and experience website found most parents spend £1,232 on keeping their children entertained during the summer holiday.

Research by Buyagift.com of 1,000 parents found that by the time kids go back to school the average family will have spent; £472 on childcare, £388 on day trips in the UK and £372 on food and drink.

The survey found more parents than ever are shunning expensive, stressful family holidays in favour of UK day trips, with over a third of British parents deciding not to go on holiday at all this year.

Half of parents say they are put off by the cost, with research showing they spend £853 on entertaining the kids on a one week holiday - more than double the amount spent across the six-week break on one-day trips and activities. Almost one in five (17%) parents say the stress of going away puts them off while the same number say it's too difficult booking time off work, or co-ordinating work schedules with their other half.

The overwhelming majority of parents (89%) say they find day trips to the coast or theme parks the least stressful summer holiday family activity – more enjoyable than going abroad or staying at home cooped up with the kids. Almost one third of parents (29%) say holidays abroad too stressful while almost a quarter (24%) say staying at home all day drives them round the bend.

More than half of parents (53%) acknowledge they prefer day trips because they are cheaper, one in 10 (13%) say they are less stressful and almost a quarter of mums and dads (23%) think days out mean kids get to experience a wider variety of activities.

Dan Moutain, Buyagift.com CEO, said: "The summer holidays are an exciting time for children, but it's no surprise that they can instill an element of dread in parents as kids demand to be kept entertained throughout the course of the six weeks.  As well as being more cost-effective, activities and day trips provide more value and variety than the annual summer holiday and can be worked around parents' work schedules for minimal disruption.  At Buyagift.com we have a range of days out available from as little as £6.30, meaning there's something for everyone - no matter their budget - to enjoy throughout the long summer break."

For more information on gifts available on Buyagift.com please contact buyagift@frankpr.it 

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*£9.5 billion figure is based upon £1,232 (average spend of families over the six week holiday) x 7.7 million (number of families with dependent children based on the 2012 figures from Office for National Statistics)