A new book, The Package Holiday 1968 - 1985, published by Hoxton Mini Press (available from Amazon), taps into 1970s Brits’ love of sun, sea and teensy weensy Speedos.
In 1960s Britain, jetting ‘abroad’ was a pursuit associated with sophisticated socialites like Aristotle and Jacqueline Onassis, characters such as James Bond and working-class superstars the Beatles. It was only the late 1950s that British European Airways set up its ‘package holiday’ deals to Spain, incorporating short flights, hotel, all-day board, and lashings of family-friendly fun, with Valencia being the first destination. The deals were a hit, and the White Coast region got a canny rebrand as ‘Costa Blanca’ soon after.
