Late bookers could save hundreds of pounds on European package holidays compared to those who booked in advance, according to a report.Prices have dropped significantly since the spring when fears over the war in the Middle East sent aviation fuel costs soaring, the data from Which? revealed.Holidays to 53 out of 71 European destinations are now cheaper than they were just five months ago.The consumer champion examined the cost of more than 17,000 August breaks offered by easyJet Holidays, Jet2 Holidays and Tui and compared what tourists booking in March would have paid compared to July. Anxiety over political tensions have led many holidaymakers to leave finalising their plans until later in the year, with Tui reporting ‘a noticeable shift in booking habits’. However, concerns have eased somewhat since the US and Iran agreed a peace deal last month. Oludeniz beach in Fethiye, Turkey, where average package holiday prices have fallen since MarchThe package holiday giant told Which?: ‘Many customers [are] choosing to book much closer to departure than we’ve traditionally seen, driving some extremely attractive late package prices, particularly for August.’Travellers who can be flexible on their departure date, airport or destination are likely to find the biggest savings.’The Which? report, released today, said some package holidays are now more than £200 cheaper than they were just five months ago. Those in the market for a last-minute holiday next month to Turkey’s Turquoise Coast, for example, will spend an average of £808 per person for a week-long trip in August. This is 14 per cent less than the price listed in March and for a family of four the price difference adds up to £528. Europe’s 10 cheapest late package deal destinations according to Which? Spain’s Costa Dorada has also become a cheaper option in recent months, with prices dropping from an average of £916 per person for a week in March to £832 per person if you booked in JulyThe Which? data below shows how prices have fallen in destinations in Turkey, Greece, Spain, Malta and Italy… AREA OF EUROPE AVERAGE PRICE PER PERSON PRICE DROP SINCE MARCH Dalaman regionKefalonia Costa Dorada Gran Canaria Costa Blanca Tenerife Malta Costa Brava Peloponnese Campania £808£829£832£851£859£866£869£878£903£916 14%11%9%14%6%10%6%6%16%NA <!- – ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/us/travel/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 – ->
And it’s a similar story across the wider region in Turkey with prices at popular beach resorts Fethiye and Calis also down.A week’s holiday in August in Fethiye cost £1,759 on average in March, says Which? – and was down to £1,042 in July, offering a £717 (41 per cent) reduction.In Calis, a seven-night holiday in August cost £1,371 in the spring but is, on average, around £867 now, saving those who book late £504 (37 per cent).In Greece, island idyll Kefalonia and the Peloponnese, Southern Greece’s mountainous peninsula, also serve up decent savings for late bookers. Kefalonia, known for its beautiful beaches and perfectly preserved northern harbour of Fiskardo, has some of the cheapest package holiday deals in Europe. According to a recent Which? survey, the island also hits the right note with holidaymakers, with a destination satisfaction score of 85 per cent.In the Peloponnese, the price of a package holiday is 16 per cent less than it was in March, costing an average of £903 per person now.What about Britain’s favourite place to holiday – Spain? The cheapest destination is the Costa Dorada, known as the Golden Coast, which lies just south of city break favourite Barcelona.Those who booked in the spring would have paid £916 per person versus £832 per person this month – a difference of 9 per cent. In Portugal, a one-week summer break on the Algarve costs on average £1,313 per person in March but the same package holiday would now come in at £213 less at £1,100 per person.The study considered prices in popular European holiday destinations including Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Malta, Morocco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain (including the Balearic and Canary Islands) and Turkey. Which? said the average prices were based on a seven-night holiday including flights, departing on or around August 2 and based on two people sharing a standard double or twin room, with board types ranging from room only to all inclusive. Elsewhere, the Middle East’s holiday destinations are also beginning to lure tourists back to the region.Until February this year, when Israel and America’s joint war with Iran effectively halted holidays to the Gulf region, it had had been the world’s fastest growing region for tourism. And while there’s still some uncertainty, it seems that British tourists are returning to the sun-drenched playgrounds of Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.The Foreign Office has removed advice against all but essential travel to the UAE, including Dubai and Abu Dhabi, but warns the situation remains ‘unpredictable’ and could change quickly. The same ‘safe to travel’ advice applies in the majority of Saudi Arabia, including in the capital Riyadh, as well as in Oman, Jordan, Egypt and Qatar. On the ground, tourism authorities are suggesting that it is now nearly back to normal in many of the Middle East’s most popular destinations, with luxury hotels, retail temples and big-name restaurants all taking a ‘business as usual’ approach. Unsurprisingly, there are still some significant savings to be found on holidays, with prices in the UAE down more than 25 per cent on last year according to TravelSupermarket data compiled for the BBC recently.