Travel giant Holidaybreak has bucked a week of bad news from the tour operators by reporting a healthy rise in trading on the back of a flourishing schools programme.

The tour operator reported that revenue at its UK outdoor education centres, which host school trips, increased 8 percent year-on-year.

The group, which owns 15 brands including Eurocamp and PGL, said that families shunning the traditional package holidays was to credit for the growth.

“Parents tend to prioritise things to do with a child’s education,” said Martin Davis, Holidaybreak’s chief executive.

Holidaybreak suffered lower volumes and smaller margins in its hotel breaks division, with sales down 4 per cent in the period from April 1 to August 11.

Group sales were down 1 percent for the year to date, buoyed by strong performance of the education and adventure tours divisions.

The camping division engineered careful cuts in capacity, while the adventure travel business, which includes Explore brand, maintained the same sales levels as last year.

Davis added that parents tended to pay for their children’s trips in small instalments, which helped the company’s appeal in an economy where people have become cautious of big ticket purchases.

Thomas Cook and Tui both issued profit warnings earlier in the week due to holidaymakers tightening budgets and from the fall-out from the volcanic ash cloud.