CRI听力:Inflation Rises in UK Travel Cost

Many families have been calling for price controls, because activities with the kids are a priority.

"I think it would help if something could be done really, absolutely. Because everyone gets stung that has children."

"It costs a lot more money during school holidays, I'd like to see it a bit more evenly spread out but lets see what happens."

"It's supply and demand, I hate it, but it's supply and demand. It'd be nice if something was done, especially for families who've got less money."

There's a petition on the UK government's website called 'Stop Holiday companies charging extra in school holidays' - it now has around 170,000 signatures.
Campaigner Paul Cookson wrote in a post on Facebook that he is "sick to death" of being overcharged by travel companies.

Since then, he's set up an online group, which now has more than 16,000 members, campaigning to stop holiday companies from raising prices during school breaks.

"I think we expect the prices are going to increase during these peak times, because some companies have to put on more entertainment, more food and drink that might not be consumed. So you can appreciate you're going to pay an inflation, but it's too how much, when you're taking three, four, five times the amount from the week before it just doesn't work."

According to one parent who posted on Cookson's Facebook group, a four-day stay at a British holiday park was priced at ￡599 ($994 USD) in June, but the same holiday was ￡1,299 ($2,156 USD) during the July school summer holiday period.

Sean Tipton from the Association of British Travel Agents said the reason is merely basic economics that school holidays fall at times of the year when demand is already very high.

Now, British lawmakers are discussing a range of ideas to lessen the damage on parent's pockets - one idea being to stagger school holidays across the country.

That's welcomed by campaigners who hope to curb the growing cost of basking in the sun.

For CRI, I'm Qizhi.