A travel expert is advocating to shorten school summer holidays to alleviate pressure on families and travel systems. Julia Lo Bue-Said, CEO of the Advantage Travel Partnership, argues that the six-week holiday schedule is outdated and causes congestion and price hikes as families travel simultaneously. She highlights increasingly hot European summers as a challenge for holidaymakers, suggesting a redistribution of two weeks from summer break to October and February to reduce peak season strain.
Recent data shows that travel appetite remains strong among Britons, with 142 million passengers passing through UK airports in early 2026, despite rising costs and travel delays. Bue-Said emphasizes the benefits of such changes for children’s wellbeing and families, though parents in England face fines for taking children out of school during term. The government mandates fines for children missing a certain number of sessions for unauthorized reasons.
