School holidays

[Owlswing]

Also, it's no use only considering UK term dates .. what about the rest of Europe, with Russia and China, India, South America and eventually Africa coming on-stream, you can't control supply and demand in a global economy by manipulating a few dates in one country.
 
I don't think it's a problem worth changing the traditional school year for, or that can be solved at least until there's no requirement to be at school in order to get an education.

Excuse me, but I cannot see what possible relevance "the rest of Europe, with Russia and China, India, South America and eventually Africa" have to British school holidays! 

[Udayana]

Well, it's not (as I see it) a problem with school holiday dates, it's an issue of competition for holidays in periods of peak demand. The peak period varies with the holiday destination and demand with the seasons of the countries supplying the  tourists.

Is there another reason for changing term dates?

[Rhiannon]

It's thought that a shorter summer break improves learning. Personally I favour the long break but I'd like a week lopped off the summer and added to the winter break when everyone has colds and flu to recuperate from.

[jeremyp]

Paris is empty in August, but who complains about it?

Some people who have to stay in Paris in August.  Apparently there was a crisis recently because in some areas, the bakers failed to coordinate their holidays and there were no boulangeries open as a result.

[jeremyp]

Should school holidays be more flexible over the summer months the cynic in me wonders if the travel industry would then designate the entire calendar months of June, July and August as being the peak period.

Prices of holidays are defined by demand.  The peak period is expensive because lots of people want to go on holiday during it.  If the summer holidays are spread out a bit, there will be less demand for holidays during what is now the peak period so prices will go down.  There will be more demand for holidays outside that period so prices will go up in what are now some of the cheaper weeks.