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School holiday price hikes: parents hate them, but if you’re looking for a cheap and romantic couples getaway, or your kids are all grown up, booking a trip during term time can bring big savings. In fact, in a study undertaken by The Independent last year, it was found that savvy travellers can secure a trip for up to 320 percent less by travelling during school time, leaving more cash for souvenirs, day trips, or a cheeky second cocktail with your poolside lunch. It almost sounds too good to be true!

Parents' Petition

Angry parents started a petition last year to try to force airlines, hotels, and cruise lines to maintain stable rates throughout the year. However, despite securing more than 170,000 signatures, the Government has stated that ‘in a competitive market it is for business to decide the market worth of their products and to price accordingly’. For those of us looking for the best holiday deals, this is certainly a sign that nothing will change anytime soon. The question is: where’s best to go?

Out Of Season?

Believe it or not, there are many destinations that are actually much better during the beginning and end of the year than they are during the summer months. Take the beautiful Norwegian Fjords, for example. During the dark winter months, you have a great chance to view the spectacular Northern Lights - one of nature’s most breathtaking phenomena. And in the spring, just as the snow on the mountains in beginning to melt, the waterfalls will be at their very best.

If you’re looking for a great holiday deal, now’s the time to get searching. With the kids heading back to school at the beginning of September, and with university terms beginning just a few weeks after, this is a great time to take a well-earned trip that won’t break the bank. Missed your window of opportunity? Don’t worry! After the October half term, you’ll notice prices begin to slump once more, ready for the big price hikes over the Christmas and New Year period. So what are you waiting for?

Have you ever wondered how all your friends can afford to be taking luxurious holidays abroad, while you’re struggling to pay for a week in a caravan in Talacre? Well, believe it or not, you may find that a foreign holiday can actually work out cheaper than a ‘staycation’ - yes, really! The most important thing to remember is that advertised prices are meaningless. These rates are ‘standard’, and are usually marked up, especially if you’re booking through a travel agent. If you book independently, and do a little online research, you could find an incredible deal you can’t refuse.

Ultimately, what it all comes down to is the fact that different websites, and different online travel agents, can each offer different rates depending on the latest availability information and any promotions that they are currently running. By researching your trip online, you could save more money than you would by opting for standard, set rates offered directly by hotels and airlines. In fact, travel experts suggests that you could save £20 for every hour of research you do for an £800 holiday, or nearly £25 per hour for holidays costing £2500 or more. It really does pay to research the best travel deals online, and digital directories like Yazoomer.com are some of the best places to get cracking.

There was a great example in the Telegraph recently, which showed that travel agent First Choice were offering a package holiday to Ibiza for £3855. A package holiday to the same hotel, at the same time of year, for the same number of people through Thomson cost just £3388. The reason? Some travel agents will include added extras - that are sometimes not needed or not wanted - as standard, bumping the price up. It also comes down to how an agent chooses to market the holiday. Advertising as ‘luxury’ means travellers automatically expect to pay more, even if the hotel is merely average. This is why it’s so important to do your own research, keep track of rates, and book online when the price is right. That’s the best way to get the best travel deals online. 

Alpha Travel is a Yazoomer community Premium advertiser. Check out details of their online travel deals here

Our love affair with international travel isn’t something that’s developed overnight. In fact, we’ve been swapping our drizzly British beaches for sunnier and more exotic locations since the 1600s! The ‘Grand Tour’, as it was known, has often been referred to as the 17th century equivalent of today’s gap year, and we’ve been jet-setting ever since Queen Elizabeth became the first monarch to fly, way back in 1953. Our tastes, however, are continuously changing. So what’s hot in travel right now?

Travel Trends

The UK tends to see ebbs and flows in terms of travel. Back in the 1700s when the benefits of spas first became common knowledge, spa towns like Bath were overrun with holidaymakers. Later, when Royal Mail ships began transporting passengers to the Iberian coast and P&O began routes to Portugal, more and more Brits started heading abroad for their annual getaways. The same thing happens today. Although holidays abroad dropped by 15 percent in 2009, international travel is now once again on the rise, with more than half of Brits heading to sunnier shores last year, compared to just one quarter who chose to holiday a little closer to home. ‘Staycations’ are out, it seems.

Old Favourites & Newcomers

Reports suggest that a whopping 25 percent of us are heading to Spain for the great weather, even better food, and, of course, short flights from London and regional airports. France and the United States are also firm favourites, but are they about to be overtaken by some dark horses? Eastern Europe, Africa, and China are being cited as the ‘ones to watch’, with destinations such as Namibia, Zambia, Montenegro, and Beijing popular among those looking to experience a truly different culture. So where will your holiday take you? Why not consider some new and exciting destinations? 

As we move into the second half of the year, we though it was a good time to review some of the trends in retail digital marketing during 2015.

Paid For Social Media.

While social media has been with us for many years now, 2015 has seen the rise of paid for social media, where retailers pay big players such as Facebook and Instagram to help them with digital marketing. It can be very time consuming to build a following online. Paying large social media websites means you have access to a large number of people in an instant. And even if you are successful in building your own following, it can be difficult to know that your followers are from your target demographic. Companies such as Facebook are highly skilled in targeting you content to the people you want to see it.

Mobile Optimisation

If your website isn’t optimised for mobile browsing you could be losing a lot of potential customers who cannot use their phones to engage with your site. It was announced earlier this year by Google that an update to their algorithm would directly affect the rankings of websites which are not optimised for Google search. Which mean that not having a site that smart phone friendly could impact not just your sales but your page ranking too.

Retailers become Publishers

It is the job of Google to place fresh and relevant content in front of users, which means the best way to get Google to notice your site is to publish regular content and material on your site. Not just filler content stuffed full of keywords - but interesting and useful blogs and articles. Increasing numbers of retailers are now publishing their own material such as this online. Not only does this help with their Google page rank, the content also helps draw in new customers and to foster a buzz around the brand by stimulating engagement and comment. 

Yazoomer.com is a leading online directory offering global promotion for small to medium sized businesses looking to strengthen their online presence. Sign up to Yazoomer today and take advantage of our introductory offer - get 3 months advertising for just £1. Our worldwide customers will be charged the same amount in their local currency, with no extra fees.

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