Brexit confusion is creating huge holiday savings to European hotspots — here’s how to make the most of them
SUMMER getaways to European hotspots should cost less this year as resorts lure British travellers who have not booked due to Brexit confusion.
Holidaymakers are delaying, or ditching plans altogether, amid concern over travel disruption if the UK leaves the EU with no deal.
It means tour operators are discounting flights and hotels, and restaurant, bar and shop owners in resorts are doing the same.
In a further bonus, this week Sterling was the highest it has been in almost two years against the euro, with the Post Office’s exchange rate at 1.1491 euros to £1 on purchases above £500.
A mix of low resort prices and favourable exchange rates means holidaying is cheaper in two-thirds of the sunspots surveyed by Post Office Travel Money — see our graphic.
Overall, a family of four could pay a fifth less than a year ago for the same week-long holiday, based on the cost of flights and hotel package plus a typical week’s spending on drinks, meals and essentials, the report found.
The biggest price drop was Majorca, with a 22 per cent fall to £2,700 — although seven other resorts were cheaper overall.
The best value in the eurozone was the Costa del Sol, at just over £2,000 — a fall of 17.7 per cent on last year.
Outside the eurozone, it was Sunny Beach in Bulgaria that came top of the list.
Once the cost of a three-star B&B package is added to the resort prices, a week’s holiday would come to £1,912 — a drop of 9.7 per cent.
Resort costs at Sunny Beach were the cheapest anywhere, with the tourist staples coming to just £315 — around ten per cent lower than they were last year.
Nick Boden, of Post Office Travel Money, says: “The price falls could be an indication that tourist businesses in European resorts are keen to attract UK visitors and will keep costs low to do so.” But it was not all good news in the survey.
Three of the ten holidays have increased in price, with Zadar in Croatia seeing the biggest increase at 12.7 per cent. It was also the dearest resort at £3,187.
Marmaris in Turkey rose by 4.6 per cent due to a big increase in package prices, but its resort costs are second only to Sunny Beach due to Sterling’s strength against the weak Turkish lira.
Add to that the fact UK visitors will reap the benefit of £109 more in lira when changing £500 — 28 per cent more than a year ago — and Turkey remains a bargain bet for the British.
Another notable bargain is Paphos (£2,379). Holiday prices for the Cypriot resort have dropped by 10.5 per cent.
Nick Boden says: “There are significant variations between the prices that we found in resorts this year.
“So it will really pay dividends to do some holiday homework before booking to avoid busting the budget.”
Victoria Bacon, from ABTA, the trade association for tour operators and travel agents, says: “Europe remains the number one overseas destination for British holidaymakers and this research highlights the amazing value on offer in so many of our holiday favourites.
“The relative weakness of Sterling against the euro has also meant that, increasingly, customers are looking for good value in other destinations.
“ABTA members are reporting significant interest in travel to Bulgaria and Turkey.
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“With the incredible prices in resort, revealed in this Post Office report, it’s easy to see why.”
There are no guarantees for the next few months.
But the Pound has so far been steady throughout the ongoing Brexit negotiations.
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