Butlin's boss issues price warning as seaside holiday chain axes 250 jobs

EXCLUSIVE: Butlin's boss issues price warning as seaside holiday chain axes 250 jobsThe head of famous holiday resort Butlin's raises alarm about soaring cost pressures and warns proposed "tourist tax" could kill off its cheapest breaksCommentsMoneyGraham Hiscott Business and Consumer Editor11:38, 07 Apr 2026View 5 ImagesJon Hendry Pickup, the CEO of Butlin's, at the holiday company’s Bognor Regis resort(Image: Adam Gerrard / Daily Mirror)The boss of Butlin’s has warned it faces a battle to keep a lid on prices - as he blamed a cost shock for 250 proposed job cuts.‌Jon Hendry Pickup vowed to keep to the resort chain’s “value for money” ethos, which has been at its heart since founder Billy Butlin opened his first holiday camp 90 years ago this month.‌But he admitted a surge in costs, along with the possible impact of the Middle East conflict, meant that was getting harder.‌And he warned a proposed “tourist tax” could lead to the drastic step of closing for weeks on end in term time, hitting parents with young kids who can bag a four-night breaks from just £39.Mr Hendry Pickup spoke to the Mirror as Butlin’s marks the opening its first site in Skegness in April 1936. It offered three meals a day for a week, plus entertainment, for £2.25 a head.It spawned what became a British seaside institution, with 10 seaside camp dotted around the cost at its peak.‌View 5 ImagesEvening entertainment at Butlin's in Bognor Regis in 1984(Image: Mirrorpix)The home of Redcoats winning combination of fun-peaked activities - complete with knobbly knees and glamorous granny contests - and great prices made it a hit with generations.The arrival of cheap foreign holidays took its toll, however, and after a wave of closures Bultin’s is down to three resorts: Skegness, Minehead, and Bognor Regis.‌In many ways, Butlin’s is far removed from its nostalgic past, with major investment in new accommodation and facilities.But Mr Hendry Pickup, speaking at Butlin’s Bogn...