Here For The History - Package Holiday: Why do Brits go to Benidorm?

Download Package Holiday: Why do Brits go to Benidorm?

For decades Brits have enjoyed package holidays in sunnier climes of Spain, in resort towns like Benidorm. But why is that? Where did the package holiday itself come from? Was it one person who invented it?

Alice Loxton and Ben Henderson unpack the stories which have all contributed to the success of the package holiday.

We’ll start our journey off in Victorian Britain, with a layover to visit a North London entrepreneur, before reaching our final destination of Franco-era Spain.

Subscribe to the podcast on BBC Sounds and on Here For The History’s YouTube channel.

Key Sources:

Thomas Cook: The Holiday-maker by Jill Hamilton
A World Away: The British Package Holiday Boom, 1950-1974 by Michael John Law
The New Elizabethans: Vladimir Raitz
Witness History: The beginning of Benidorm

Published on Thursday, 23rd July 2026.

Available Podcasts from Here For The History

Subscribe to Here For The History

We are not the BBC, we only list available podcasts. To find out more about the programme including episodes available on BBC iPlayer, go to the Here For The History webpage.