More than 4 million Brits hit with package holiday misery in the past year, says Citizens Advice
With more than four million Brits having had a problem with a package holiday in the past 12 months, Citizens Advice is urging people to know their compensation rights.
Around 14 complaints a day are made to the charity’s Consumer Service about package holidays including issues like unexpected hotel changes, denied refunds and poor customer service.
Of the 3,500 package holiday complaints made to the Citizens Advice Consumer Service in the past year, more than two in five (42%) involved all-inclusive packages abroad.
The largest portion (33%) of complaints related to substandard services, where the quality of the holiday fell short of what was agreed - like hotels being misdescribed, bad food or unavailable facilities.
Customer service failures made up 19% of complaints - with long phone wait times, ignored complaints and admin errors made by the holiday companies, all reported.
This is having a huge impact on people as one in four (25%) people who experienced an issue with a package holiday said they had feelings of stress, anxiety or upset, while 17% had to fork out extra for daily expenses.
A third (33%) of those who experienced an issue said it was resolved, but required significant time and effort.
With ongoing concerns around flight costs and cancellations linked to fuel supply pressure, Citizens Advice is encouraging holidaymakers to check what protections are included within their package holiday booking.
“I had the stress of our holiday being ruined and then months of trying to get compensation” - Zorana’s story
Zorana, a semi-retired NHS doctor from north east England, spent £6,300 on an all-inclusive, seven-night trip to Lanzarote with her daughter, through a popular UK holiday operator.
But torrential rain on the second day meant nightmare flooding ensued, leaving hotel guests without electricity, water, food and internet. The pair received no on-site support from their operator, causing them considerable stress.
Zorana, 66, said: “We spent the morning on the beach and planned the sauna for later. But when we were eating lunch the rain started and didn’t stop. By the time we got to the spa, the hotel told us we couldn’t go in because it was flooded. Half an hour later the electricity had gone. Without electricity, everything stopped. There was no more internet and no more water because the pumps were not working.
“We all gathered in the hotel lobby, to hear what was going on. It was the weekend and reps from all the other travel companies were there, talking with people, reassuring them, giving them information. Some were already distributed to other places. We asked, ‘Where is our rep?’ And we were told he doesn’t work on weekends.
“We were very angry. Hotel staff told us our travel company was always a problem and never helped people.
“We came home after five days and I started to chase the travel company for a refund. But the customer service adviser said they can’t deal with it because compensation was offered. But their offer was not adequate.
“I mentioned the lack of support, the delay, the value of the holiday, that I had to find and pay for another hotel, and because of this it was reasonable that they should give me all my money back.
“I feel a victim twice over because I had the stress of our holiday being ruined, and then months of trying to get compensation.”
Jane Parsons, Consumer Expert at Citizens Advice, said:
“Too often, people are left stressed and disappointed when their dream holidays are spoiled because they’re not getting what they paid for. To make matters worse, they’re having to spend a lot of time and effort trying to resolve issues, sometimes with no luck.
“A record of any issues that occur and evidence should be kept - like clear details of what went wrong and when, photos and receipts.
“If something goes wrong with your holiday you might be able to get compensation from the company you booked with. You should tell them about any issues as soon as possible - if you don’t say anything until you get home you might get less compensation, or none at all.”
Jane says you’re entitled to compensation for a holiday if:
It was lower in value than the one you booked - For example you paid for a deluxe room, but got a standard room. This is called ‘loss of value’ and you can claim back the difference in value if it wasn't rectified at the time
You spent extra money due to a problem - For example the beach wasn’t across the road from your hotel as advertised, and you had to get a bus. These are ‘out-of-pocket expenses’ and you’ll need receipts. Claims must be reasonable - you’d be expected to take a bus, not a taxi, if the beach was only a few miles away
A large part of the services you booked weren’t provided - For example your holiday included a two-day excursion that was cancelled and the company's local representative didn’t organise another one
Something goes wrong that causes you distress or disappointment - For example if the pool was closed the whole trip. This is called ‘loss of enjoyment’ and there’s no guidance on how much you can claim - the amount should reflect the portion of the holiday affected
The holiday was completely ruined - This is rare, but you could ask for the full cost of the holiday back
John Herriman, Chief Executive at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute, said: “This research highlights the real impact poor practice in the travel sector can have on consumers, specifically the problems for consumers booking holidays online, particularly through social media. Too many people are left out of pocket or dealing with stress when holidays don’t meet what was promised. What should be a time to relax and unwind can turn into the opposite.
"While it’s vital consumers understand their rights, check the protections included and keep clear records if something goes wrong, businesses must meet their legal obligations and ensure they deliver the standard of service people have paid for - and resolve issues raised quickly. Strong consumer protection depends on both informed consumers and responsible traders.”
Mike Andrews, National Coordinator for the National Trading Standards eCrime Team, said: “Package holiday scams can ruin more than just your bank balance – they can destroy hard-earned breaks that families have saved for all year.
“Criminals are becoming increasingly sophisticated, using fake websites, forged documents and social media adverts to trick consumers into handing over money.
“We’re urging people to take a moment to check before they book: research the company, be wary of deals that seem too good to be true and pay by credit card where possible for the strongest protections and best chance of compensation. A few simple checks can be the difference between a genuine getaway and a costly scam.”
Citizens Advice has lots of information online about claiming compensation for a holiday and cancelling a package holiday.
If you’re still unhappy after complaining to your package holiday provider, you might be able to complain to a trade association like the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), if your provider is a member.
Call the Citizens Advice Consumer Service helpline on 0808 223 1133 if you need more support - a trained adviser can give you advice over the phone. You can also use an online form.
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Notes to editors:
National Consumer Awareness is a campaign led by Citizens Advice in collaboration with the Consumer Protection Partnership (CPP).
Citizens Advice commissioned Yonder to survey 2,018 adults in Great Britain aged 18+, between 17th-19th April, about their experiences with package holidays, including issues. Respondents were asked to exclude issues outside the operator's control, like geopolitical events or natural disasters.
More than three quarters (76%) of those surveyed had been on a package holiday before and over a third (34%) of those experienced a problem. 8% experienced a problem in the past 12 months specifically (118 people). This figure was turned into a population estimate for Great Britain, equalling 4,128,721 million Brits (more than four million). This was calculated using the 2021 UK census, based on the total number of GB adults.
Among the 34% (524 people) who experienced an issue, the most common impact reported was stress, anxiety or upset (25%) while 17% spent extra on daily expenses.
Among the 34% who experienced an issue, a third (33%) said it was resolved, but required significant time and effort.
The Citizens Advice Consumer Service received 14 complaints a day about package holidays in the past year. This calculation is worked out using the total number of complaints (3,521) in the past year (May 1st 2025 - 30th April 2026) and the service’s opening days during that time (253). 3,521 / 253 = 13.917 - rounded up to 14 complaints.
All other data in the press release, relating to internal complaints data, is from the Citizens Advice Consumer Service.
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