The CEO of Butlin’s has accused the Labour government of pricing families out of holiday park getaways, amid proposals to introduce the controversial Tourist Tax on overnight stays.

Hendry Pickup warned that levying an additional £2 per-person-per-night on UK breaks could effectively double the cost of a typical four-night family getaway at a Butlin’s resort.

“A couple of weeks ago, you’d be paying £49 for a family of four, so if you put £2 per person, that suddenly becomes out of reach of a bunch of people in the UK,” Pickup told The Telegraph. “It is designed to target short stays like Airbnb and does not account for the variety of business models in the visitor economy.” 

“I hear messages from the government saying they’re going to focus on the cost of living, but then they impose a holiday tax on British people travelling to other parts of the UK. That’s the bit that’s frustrating for me.” 

Pickup added the profitability of the business is already stretched by increased Employer NICs and wage rises, significantly impacting Butlin’s potential to create employment for young people, such as those aged 16 entering the workplace for the first time.

“It’s become substantially more expensive to recruit somebody at that age than it was previously.”