Ben Birchall/PA

The 'staycation' has boomed in recent years as more of us opt to vacation in the UK rather than abroad to keep costs down.

Yet it can be more expensive to holiday on home soil according to research from Thomas Cook, which claims that a British family will find it £264 cheaper to holiday in Majorca than Devon.

But is this really the case?

In a bid to boost package travel to the continent, the travel giant says a one week family holiday in Devon will cost as much as £2,300, according to a report in the Daily Mail. By contrast it claims a similar all-inclusive holiday in Majorca, including the cost of travel, food and drink, comes in at a lower £2,036.

Thomas Cook also highlights the better weather abroad, arguing the average for Devon in the summer is an unpredictable 13˚C versus a balmy 28˚C on the Spanish island of Majorca.

The comparisons have been met with scepticism from the British tourism industry, which is questioning the validity of the costings drawn up by Thomas Cook.

Inflated figure
The breakdown of the £2,300 price for a Devon holiday includes £535 for return rail travel for four from Leeds in August. In fact it would be much less to drive or book a cheaper advance rail ticket.

The figure also includes £840 for meals, when many people would be able to eat far more cheaply. The UK holiday total is also inflated by a figure of £77 for child-minding or babysitting services, which many families would do without.

The total also includes prices for theme park and water park entry when many families would be happy to spend much of their time on the beach.

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Disagreement
Visit England said its own research has found it is perfectly possible for a family of four to take a holiday in Devon for as little as £500 all-inclusive.

A spokesperson told the newspaper: "Savvy budgeting works both ways and one could equally argue that with savvy budgeting on a staycation a better deal can be had,' said a spokesman.

"It is also much easier to stick to a budget using your own currency, and easier to over-spend while on holiday overseas."

However, the chief executive of Thomas Cook Mainstream, Ian Ailles, said: "Based on our research it's clear that overseas all inclusive and self-catering holidays are still the cheaper option for families looking to get away during the summer months.

"UK holiday costs are the highest in Europe and the idea that a holiday in this country will be cheaper may prove to be a false economy."

Are you holidaying at home or abroad this year?
At home - planning to enjoy the best of Britain.372 (36.5%)
Abroad - if I can afford it!646 (63.5%)