As holiday periods approach, new research from TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, reveals more than half (53 per cent) of British parents are spending less on family holidays this year compared to 2010, and almost half (46 per cent) admit they have broken the rules and taken their child on holiday during term time to save money.

The TripAdvisor Family Holiday Survey, carried out on 2,000 parents across the UK, reveals that government spending cuts are significantly impacting family holiday spend this year.

“These findings will come as no surprise to all those parents who are seriously considering sacrificing the family holiday altogether this year.

For many families, breaking the rules and taking their child out of school to avoid peak holiday costs is regarded as the only way they can afford a family holiday this year,” commented Emma O’Boyle, Trip-Advisor spokesperson.

Half of British families slash holiday budgets in this year.

With government cuts taking hold, job security under threat and taxes on the rise, the Trip-Advisor Family Holiday Survey found:

More than half (53 per cent) of British parents will spend less on family travel in 2011 than they did in 2010. 44 per cent of British parents claim the government spending cuts will directly impact their travel plans in 2011.

Since 2004, schools and courts have had powers to issue penalty notices of up to £2,500 to parents who take their children on holiday during term-time.

The subject of children on planes has been hotly debated recently with calls from certain quarters for adults-only flights. According to the TripAdvisor Family Survey, a quarter (24 per cent) of parents who have flown with children under the age of three claim to have experienced negative reactions from fellow passengers.