Welcome To Teletext Holidays
Welcome to Teletext Holidays, the home of affordable holidays since the 1990s! We’ve been trusted by millions for decades, offering unbeatable travel deals since the days when TV screens were still pixelated and the internet was a distant dream.
Fast forward to today, and we’ve moved from the pixelated world of TV to the modern, online digital world – but don’t worry, we are still call to book! Under new leadership, we’re here to make sure you get the best rates and the personal touch that only a call to book travel agent an offer. That’s right, call us to get a better deal than our faceless, online-only competitors.
We may be looking fresher now, but we still remember the good old days when booking a holiday meant a quick call and a lot less scrolling. Let's make your next holiday affordable, reliable, and filled with memories that even pixelated TV couldn’t capture!
Why Book with Teletext Holidays?
Looking for your next escape? Book with Teletext Holidays and enjoy call-to-book deals that you won’t find online, full financial protection, and many more fantastic benefits.
Access to Exclusive Offers – Only Available When You Call
At Teletext Holidays, we offer exclusive deals that online competitors simply can’t access. These offline-only offers are not displayed online due to restrictions, so calling us is the only way to unlock these hidden deals which are off limits to online competitors.
Why Call to Book?
Exclusive Airfares: We have special airfares that aren't available on other booking sites and can’t be displayed on our website, meaning you could miss out on cheaper prices than you can see online if you don’t call.
Unique Hotel Deals: We negotiate special rates directly with our partners that we can share with you when you call.
Package Deals You Won't Find Online: We can mix and match offers to create a personalised getaway at the best price possible.
By calling us, you’re ensuring you get the best value with offers that online-only booking sites can’t provide. Let us help you find the perfect holiday deal that’s just for you!
A Trusted Heritage Brand
The Teletext brand has been part of the UK’s daily life for over 50 years – from pixelated TV screens to crystal-clear digital deals, we know exactly what you want from your holiday. Whether it’s a sunny beach break in Europe or a long haul adventure, we’ve got you covered.
We’ve sent millions of Brits on holiday over the years, so trust our expertise–after all, we’ve been doing this since before Wi-Fi was a thing!
Experienced Management Team
Our new management team is made up of some of the most experienced leaders from the world of travel.
This expertise is further enhanced by a few familiar faces from the old team, all working together to ensure your holiday is smooth sailing.
Full Financial Protection
Our triple lock mechanism will make sure your funds are protected at all times.
We keep your money safe in a separate trust account, which we can’t touch until you’re back from your holiday – meaning your holiday funds are totally secure.
We only sell ATOL-protected holidays sourced from reputable tour operators, so you can book with confidence.
As a proud member of the Travel Trust Association (TTA), we’re committed to keeping your peace of mind intact throughout your booking experience.
Real Person Interaction
Nothing beats speaking to a real human who knows your destination inside out. Let us save you the headache of scrolling through endless options – we’ve done the legwork for you!
We’re open 7 days a week, with 24/7 support for in-resort emergencies. So, whether you’re booking or already on your holiday, we’re just a phone call away.
The Story of Teletext: 50 Years of History
Most people have heard of Teletext, but how did the brand get to where it is today?
Let us look at how Teletext has over the past 50 years transitioned from being mere pixels on televisions to selling paradise holidays online to millions of people.
The Information Age: 1974-1992
It may seem prehistoric to younger generations, but Teletext was created in the 1970s as a modern way to get information onto our TV screens. There was no such thing as Google in 1974 kids!
In those days, nightly news bulletins on the TV, radio and daily newspapers were the only way to get news – there was no rolling news service to keep everyone up to date on breaking stories or incoming bad weather.
It was therefore decided that having a teletext information service – literally information provided in text form that could be accessed and read via a TV set - could help millions gain access to information quicker and easier.
In September 1974, a Teletext service was finally launched in the UK after several years of development. Known as Ceefax on BBC1 and Oracle on ITV, new TV sets were designed to be able to host this modern technology.
To begin with, as most existing TV sets could not support the services, take-up was slow. In response, the UK government declared November 1981 as National Teletext Month, in a bid to encourage as many people as possible to upgrade their TVs.
By 1985, over two million people had a TV set that could access the services, and usage continued to grow throughout the decade.
Then, a major change came into force on 1st January 1993 which would catapult the brand into the homes of everyone throughout the nation.
To most people of a certain vintage, the Teletext they remember is the Teletext that was relaunched at midnight on 1st January 1993.
A new company, Teletext Ltd, had taken over from Oracle on ITV and Channel 4 in 1992 and brought with it an updated, modern design that most of us still remember and love.
Along with Ceefax on BBC, Teletext became a firm fixture in the homes of millions as the go-to service for news, weather, lottery results, up-to-the-minute football scores and increasingly, holidays, which involved a very modern (at the time) way of booking:
Pages were dedicated to holidays, offering flights and hotel packages.
Users navigated listings with their TV remote, accessing information on destinations, dates, and packages, with on-screen booking instructions.
Listings were frequently updated with the latest availability, prices and special deals.
Instructions appeared on-screen for booking, usually involving phone calls.
However, technology does not stand still and despite the digitalisation of the service in the year 2000, the emergence of something called the Internet (it will never catch on!) meant the need for a Teletext service on our TVs dwindled year after year.
So, with a heavy heart, in late 2009 Teletext on ITV, Channel 4 and Channel 5 ended. Ceefax continued in vain for a few more years, but on 23rd October 2012, Ceefax services on BBC were finally switched off for good too.
And so, this marks the end of the Teletext story.
Or does it?
Of course not!
With the internet came an opportunity to capitalise on the one thing that Teletext had become most famous and loved for – call-to-book holidays!
The Move Online: 2012 -2020
Teletext has been selling holidays for many years. As mentioned above, it resembled an early version of an online price comparison site that could be navigated via your remote. Holiday companies would list their holidays on the service, and customers would call the number and book the holiday with the company of their choice.
With the TV service now discontinued, in late 2010 Teletext moved its holidays section online to a new website and ran it as a separate business, following the same call-to-book model as before.
The site – www.teletextholidays.co.uk - listed thousands of holidays from well-known and less-well-known tour operators that people could call up and book through. Over time, Teletext began to collaborate with fewer partners to ensure that only the best holidays from the best companies were sold.
From 2013 onwards, Teletext Holidays established itself as one of the top online holiday companies in the UK and Ireland, sending hundreds of thousands of people on holiday every year to destinations such as Majorca, Turkey, and the Canaries. Known as the place for last-minute all-inclusive beach holidays, awards soon began to pile up from both the industry and the public. These included:
2017: Nominated at the British Travel Awards for Best Online/Call Centre Travel Agency & Best National Travel Retailer.
2018: Winner of the prestigious Best Online Travel Agency at the British Travel Awards.
2019: Winner of Best Online Travel Agency for the second year running and winner of Best All Inclusive Holiday Company at the British Travel Awards. Winner of Best Use of TV category at The Travel Marketing Awards.
Pre-pandemic, Teletext Holidays had grown to be considered one of the leading online travel agents in the country and had expanded its destination list to long haul favourites such as Dubai and Thailand alongside its traditional fly-and-flop European favourites.
However, a major challenge was on the horizon, a challenge that would mark another chapter for the brand.
Challenges of the Pandemic: 2020-2023
Like most companies in the travel industry, the global pandemic caused unprecedented hardships for the Teletext brand. With flights suspended and holiday sales halted it was clear that this was no ordinary period of turbulence. Beach towels had been packed away and passports left to expire.
Holidays were put on ice rather than being enjoyed under blue skies. Many companies soon realised that once the warning light came on to buckle up and stay at home, it would be impossible to escape the devastating impact of the pandemic.
There was lockdown after lockdown and when the restart button was pushed, the head-spinning ‘traffic light’ system of green ‘safe’ and red ‘not safe’ destinations caused even more confusion for travellers and travel companies.
Teletext Holidays faced challenges when its supplier, Truly Travel, went into liquidation in 2021, leaving us without holidays to sell. However, we kept the spirit alive with fun games like Bamboozle and destination updates, all while working behind the scenes to find a new supplier. Despite our efforts, Teletext entered liquidation in September 2023.
But the story doesn’t end there – far from it! Teletext Holidays assets were acquired by a passionate team with a long history in the travel industry, marking an exciting new chapter for the brand. Once again known as the place that Brits go to for extraordinary holidays booked by real people who are only ever a call away, Teletext Holidays is back, better than ever.
Put your trust in Teletext Holidays for your next break and let’s make memories together over the next 50 years and beyond.
