Manchester Airport is cashing in thanks to a resurgence in families jetting off on 70s-style package holidays.
The Office for National Statistics has released figures showing the traditional package holiday has made a steady comeback in recent years, with families turning to all-inclusive options to save money.
Package holidays also grew by five per cent between 2010 and 2012, while independent holidays declined by five per cent.
Bosses have reported an increase in the number of people travelling from Manchester Airport on cut-price package trips
According to operator, Thomas Cook, searches on their website have hit 4.5 million since Christmas Day and are up a third compared with January 2012.
Bosses say the top summer destination from Manchester Airport is the Canary Islands – with searches up by 17 per cent on last year – followed by Turkey, Greece, the Balearic Islands, and Tunisia.
And for those wanting to escape the winter-blues in 2013, the Canary Islands have proved the most popular destination, followed by Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey and Cuba.
Thomas Cook say that research carried out shows many are taking drastic measures to save for their break abroad, with some taking on second jobs to fund their travels.
Thomson Holidays say their most popular hot-spot this summer departing from Manchester Airport is Majorca, closely followed by Dalaman in Turkey, Menorca, Tenerife and Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt.
Joanna Wild, retail director at Thomas Cook, said: “With pressure on household budgets set to remain in 2013, we’ll see Brits look to reduce their holiday spend by going all-inclusive more than ever before, taking shorter holidays and many staying in Europe to take advantage of a strong pound.”
Jeremy Ellis, marketing director at Thomson and TUI UK and Ireland said: “We’ve modernised our holidays to suit the needs of all our customers, everyone from couples to groups and families.
“We now travel to destinations all over the world from airports across the UK – including Manchester – and have listened to customer feedback to design our holidays to cater for all tastes and budgets.”
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