“Demand for holidays abroad is close to pre-pandemic levels, according to tour operators, travel agents and airlines who have reported a boom in bookings,” the report said.<\/p>\n
Despite the cost of living pressures affecting many countries worldwide, the report noted that Britons are prepared to forgo other lifestyle expenditures to afford a holiday abroad, and many will dip into their savings to fund the trip.<\/p>\n
The first indicator of where these holidaymakers will travel is shown in the UK post office’s sales of holiday currencies, as well as the pound’s strength against the destination countries.<\/p>\n
According to the report, stand-out destinations include New Zealand and Japan – which re-opened to overseas visitors in the second half of 2022 – and there are also clear signs that South Africa will be a popular choice.<\/p>\n
Holidaymakers have been quick to return to New Zealand. Currency sales have mushroomed by over 8,000% compared with the early months of 2022, while the pound is rising in value against the New Zealand dollar and is worth 3.6% more year-on-year.<\/p>\n
Pent-up demand for travel to Japan is also evident, as yen sales are 84% higher in January and February than in the period immediately before the 2020 Covid-19 lockdown.<\/p>\n
However, the report noted that the pound has only gained 1.9% against the Yen.<\/p>\n
Post Office currency sales for the rand also saw a notable increase, having surged 95% year-on-year, with the pound gaining 15.7% against the rand in March \u2013 a clear indication of holiday intent, said the report.<\/p>\n
World’s best-value holiday destination<\/strong><\/p>\n However, the report also noted that the costs of living and travel within the destination country are another major factor impacting UK travellers’ decision on a destination.<\/p>\n To determine the best destinations for bargain travellers, the report offered its Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer.<\/p>\n This ranked 40 destinations according to the cost of a representative basket of eight items UK tourists are likely to purchase, including:<\/p>\n Boosted by a fall in the value of the South African rand and keen pricing in restaurants and bars, Cape Town emerges as the best value in the survey<\/strong> of 40 destinations, up from fourth place a year ago.<\/p>\n The report added that at \u00a351 (R1,147) for the barometer basket, prices are down 8.4% compared to 2022.<\/p>\n Despite further falls in the value of the Turkish lira, Marmaris has dropped from the top spot to runner-up in this year’s barometer, said the report.<\/p>\n Prices have more than doubled since last year to just below \u00a358 in Marmaris due to inflationary pressures and a 5% rise in the minimum wage required in bars and restaurants.<\/p>\n In third place is Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, only 71p more expensive than Marmaris, but prices have also risen steeply by 20%. Mombasa in Kenya ranks fourth from seventh in 2022, with a basket cost of \u00a359 (R1,327) thanks to Resort costs declining by 3.4%.<\/p>\n Portugal’s Algarve is again the cheapest Eurozone destination of nine surveyed in fifth place, but prices have risen by a third to \u00a360 (R1,350).<\/p>\n Making up the rest of the top 10 are Hoi An, Vietnam (6th); Kuta, Bali (7th); Tokyo, Japan (8th); Colombo, Sri Lanka (9th); and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt (10th).<\/p>\n The infographic below shows the top 20 best- and worst-value holiday destinations and the breakdown of the basket costs for the top 10 best-value destinations, as outlined by the report.<\/p>\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/best-value-holiday-destinations.png\")
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