Online travel agent Directline Holidays reports package holiday bookings are up for summer 2013 following a surge of last minute bookings as holidaymakers snap up reduced price holidays, many with discounts of up to 50%, caused by Britain’s heat wave.

All-inclusive packages have seen the biggest increase over the last few weeks with bookings now up 11% compared to summer 2012. The recent surge has also seen overall passenger figures for summer 2013 surpass those of summer 2012, with the peak summer season just beginning.

Recent figures released by ABTA showed that package holiday bookings are up across the industry as a whole with almost half (48%) of those who booked an overseas holiday in 2012 booking a package holiday compared to 47% in 2011 and just 37% in 2010.

Maria Whiteman, CEO of Directline Holidays, says: “Package holidays are a popular choice with our customers who want to be able to budget for their holiday without being hit by hidden charges. All-inclusive holidays in particular offer great value for money, especially for families who don’t want to spend a fortune on dining out overseas.  The recent price reductions caused by the heat wave means that there are currently some exceptional deals available online with huge reductions on packages departing within the next few weeks, so for those who haven’t yet booked their summer holiday, now is the time to do so.”