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Virgin to start selling single-parent family holidays

Virgin Holidays is to start offering holidays specifically tailored for single-parent families.

The holidays, which could save some families up to £1,000, will be available at 10 of the company’s Caribbean resorts.

Managing director of Virgin Holidays, Joe Thompson, told Sky News: “This lack of flexibility historically in the travel industry was something that was causing frustration and we are really pleased that we have been able to sit down with our partner resorts and work pretty quickly to get something together in terms of a collection of holidays in the Caribbean.

“We are starting with a relatively small group of properties but we are really excited about where it could lead.”

Most family holidays are based on prices with two adults sharing a room and many of the free child places and other deals only applicable with two full paying adults.

Rosie Ferguson, chief executive of single-parent charity Gingerbread, said: “Single parents feel they face a lot of discrimination both in terms of the price and the fact that things are often out of reach and also the stigma associated with going on holiday on your own.

“One in four families are headed by a single parent and companies are currently missing out on reaching those potential customers as well as those families missing out on holidays and other services. So by offering the right price point which is welcoming to single parent families, we can really change the value of single parents in society.”

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