Best way to avoid holiday tax hikes is take breaks at home says Pitchup.com

Commenting on reports that average holiday taxes levied by UK have doubled since 2008

Domestic holidays offer lower environmental impact and fewer tax charges

A report out today from the Taxpayers Alliance* shows that the average UK holidaymaker will pay £62 per holiday in taxes, double what they paid in 2008.

Brits have been voting with their feet: between 2008 and 2013 foreign holidays reduced from 47% to 39% of holiday trips**. According to figures quoted in the report, by staying in the UK travellers could save £21 of this additional taxation per holiday, by avoiding APD and insurance premium tax.

Dan Yates from Pitchup.com hopes this increase will further fuel the public’s interest in more sustainable options here at home.  Commenting on the report he said: “Sustainable accommodation has been popular for a number of years, with Pitchup.com seeing an increase in searches for eco-friendly campsites all over Britain.

“Holidays abroad reduced 15% between 2008 and 2014***, so the environment is already benefiting from the rise in domestic tourism: Pitchup.com estimates that, compared to a holiday in the Med, travel to a typical camping or caravan site generates 95% less CO2 and takes 62% less time with 92% lower transport costs****.”

Yates continues: “These figures are particularly interesting following the much-vaunted abolition of APD for under 12-year-olds, with the government claiming that a family of four could save up to £142***** on flights.  Clearly this tax continues to shrink holiday budgets considerably for anyone flying abroad this summer.”

Pitchup.com is the leading online travel agent specialising in outdoor accommodation in the UK and Europe.

*http://www.taxpayersalliance.com/holiday_tax_2015

**http://www.visitengland.com/sites/default/files/gb_tourist_2013_v2.pdf

***http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/dcp171776_403337.pdf

****statistics from Pitchup.com research and JPMorgan ClimateCare

*****http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-30309584

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For media information:

Contact Samantha Marsh or Jardine Howlett  at White Tiger PR

samantha.marsh@whitetigerpr.com 07711 265666

jardine.howlett@whitetigerpr.com 07866 508737

About Pitchup.com

Founded in 2009 by former lastminute.com man, Dan Yates, multi-award winning Pitchup.com is a free guide to all types of outdoor accommodation in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, Portugal, Croatia, Luxembourg, Austria, Poland and Switzerland.  Pitchup.com, which currently lists over 5,800 sites, provides users with a simple platform in which they can search and book an outdoor holiday with total ease: the customer journey from landing on the homepage through to booking a holiday can be completed in as little as four pages.  The site also goes beyond traditional searches by allowing users to search for accommodation based on more than 80 criteria, such as adults only and campfires allowed, and view nearby events, Good Pub Guide pubs and VisitBritain attractions.  It’s also possible to check out water bathing water quality in the surrounding area with data provided by the European Environment Agency.  Users can also search on the offers page to find the best deals available.

In 2013 Pitchup.com became the first business of its type to launch a bookable mobile app and site, making the site easily accessible to users of mobile and tablet devices.  The mobile site now accounts for 21% of bookings.

Pitchup.com enables users to search for all types of parks and sites from the major brands right through to one-off campsites and unique outdoor accommodation options, which may not have previously had a web presence.

Awards include Best UK Travel Website of the Year at the British Travel Press Awards 2011, and most recently Best Travel / Leisure / Sports / Mobile Strategy / Campaign at the Marketing on Mobile Awards 2014.