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Long-haul travel appears to be cheaper for British travelers after sterling rose against currencies in far-flung hotspots.
Holidaymakers can expect to pay less (in sterling) than a year ago in 23 of 26 destinations, according to a report from the Post, which also examined three other locations that were not surveyed in 2022.
According to the authors, East Asia offers the best value for money, with five of the top ten spots in the post office table, led by Hoi An in Vietnam. While Mombasa Beach in Kenya and Cape Town in South Africa are in second and third place, the following four places are Asian – Bali (Indonesia), Tokyo (Japan), New Delhi (India) and Phuket (Thailand).
The rankings are based on items tourists could buy locally, including coffee, beer and a three-course meal. What is noteworthy, however, is that hotel and flight costs are not taken into account.
While the pound has also appreciated against the euro, continental prices have been driven up by inflation. This was far less of a factor for long-haul destinations. In Vietnam, local shopping cart prices have fallen, the report said, helping to reduce overall costs for British visitors by 19 percent since last year.
Barbados and New York are the most expensive of the 30 destinations surveyed, although even then tourist prices have fallen in sterling terms – by more than 26 percent in Bridgetown, Barbados and 5.4 percent in New York.
Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at the Post Office, said: “After a summer in which we reported that rising holiday inflation in Europe meant holidaymakers were having to dig deeper into their pockets, our research found that local price increases were relatively small. “ Most long distance resorts. . . The positive exchange rate means winter sun tourists will feel the pinch of even more pounds in most destinations. However . . . We recommend holidaymakers consider the bigger picture and the package price before booking.”
Source : www.ft.com