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Egypt Holidays > Travel News > Where the holiday pound still goes a long way
Where the holiday pound still goes a long way | | 30th September 2008 |
Britons can find good value in long-haul destinations this winter, while prices in Turkey and Egypt are on the rise.
British travellers will find their pounds stretch furthest in Malaysia and Thailand, according to new research into prices in popular winter sun destinations.
A Post Office survey into the relative costs of 10 important holiday items – which include a bottle of mineral water, sun cream, insect repellent and an evening meal at a local restaurant – found that Thailand and Malaysia are among the cheapest destinations for Britons, with prices around a quarter of those in Barbados.
Malaysia and Thailand are also considerably cheaper than mid-haul destinations, such as Turkey and Egypt, where prices have risen by 21 per cent and 24 per cent respectively since April. This is partly due to the falling value of sterling and to the rising prices in local shops and restaurants keen to exploit the new-found popularity of these destinations.
Using figures supplied by local tourist authorities, the 10 items (see below) cost £33.83 in Thailand and £37.98 in Malaysia, rising to £48 in both South Africa and Kenya, £65 in Egypt, Turkey, the US, Tenerife and Mauritius and just under £75 in Jamaica and Cyprus.
The relatively low prices in Thailand, Malaysia and South Africa are likely to be counterbalanced by higher fuel surcharges on long-haul flights. A family of four is likely to pay nearly £900 in surcharges for a long-haul holiday (involving flights of more than nine hours), compared with just over £600 for a mid-haul break, to a country such as Kenya.
The most expensive country surveyed was Barbados, where the 10 items cost £126.89 – but this was largely because a three-course evening meal with wine costs on average £104.05 for two.
A spokesman for the Post Office blamed the high cost of eating out on the majority of restaurant meals being taken in hotel complexes.
Last week Telegraph Travel reported that bookings of long-haul holidays are up on last year, with Britons determined to find good weather abroad after another disappointing summer at home. |
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