Report names cheapest resorts for summer

UK HOLIDAYMAKERS are likely to find #resorts more expensive this summer compared to last year as sterling has fallen from its seven-year high, but the Post Office claims the pound will still stretch further in many destinations than it did five years ago. 

Sunny Beach in Bulgaria is the cheapest holiday destination in #Europe for the third year running, according to Post Office Travel Money's annual Holiday Costs Barometer.

Despite a 9.3% year-on-year rise in prices, a basket of essential items still costs only £41.55, it said. Next come the Algarve, Cyprus, and the Costa del Sol, where the same goods cost £52.65.

‘However, with packages to Spain selling like hot cakes after falling demand for Turkey,’ says the report, ‘there has been speculation that prices may rise.  If that happens, savvy travellers could head north for the sandy shores of Asturias, where package and resort prices are low.’

In sixth place Costa Blanca, prices have fallen 6% year-on-year, it said, bringing the cost of a basket of essential items down to £62.29. In Greece, the lowest prices are in Crete, Zante, and Kefalonia. In British favourite Corfu, prices are up by more than 14%.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said: ‘The pound may be worth less in Europe than a year ago, but our research suggests UK tourists who choose destinations carefully could find resort prices lower than expected. However, sterling could be affected – positively or negatively – by the EU referendum vote.

‘For those still at the planning stage, it will be wise to compare prices for tourist staples in resorts you are considering before booking.  This could make all the difference to how far the holiday budget will stretch.’

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Germans tee off on the Costa del Sol

COSTA DEL SOL is a destination that has caught the fancy of German golf tourists. The number of Germans heading to the area has gone up by 10%, according to the president of the region’s tourism council, Mr Elias Bendodo. 

‘The #CostadelSol offers unique conditions for playing #golf and has all the necessary resources for the fans of this sport who are looking for a place where they can play during the coldest months,’ he said. ‘The PGA of Germany will be our best ally in promoting our courses.’

Lufthansa is introducing two additional weekly flights between Germany and Malaga.

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Spain, Portugal firm favourites

A1 TRAVEL reports that British holidaymakers are turning back to their traditional favourites, and are deciding to stay close to home. All of the #destinations in its list of top five resort regions are in Western Europe. Spanish holiday areas claim four places on the list, with Portugal getting one. 

#Majorca claimed the number one spot. In second place is the Costa Blanca, which includes destinations such as Benidorm. Third on the list is Tenerife, the Algarve, Portugal, is fourth, and the Costa del Sol is fifth.

Many in the industry believe that unrest in popular holiday destinations such as Tunisia, Egypt, and Turkey is the main reason behind the trend.

www.a1travel.com
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Spain top value for half-term holidays

BRITISH holidaymakers will get the most value for their money in #Spain this half term, even though sterling is not quite as strong against the euro as it was during the summer, says Post Office Travel Money. 

Its #Half-Term Holiday Costs Barometer found Spain’s Costa del Sol to be the cheapest of 12 destinations surveyed, and 38 percent cheaper than Marmaris in Turkey, the highest-priced European resort in the survey of prices for everyday tourist essentials.

Although the Turkish lira has slumped in value against the 29 percent since last October, local prices have risen by more than that amount. This leaves UK tourists having to pay out an extra 9.1 percent on tourist staples compared with half term last year.

The eight typical tourist items surveyed – a family evening meal with drinks, coffee, beer, Coca-Cola, glass of wine, mineral water, suncream and insect repellent – add up to £68.86 in Marmaris compared with £42.49 in the Costa del Sol.

The Spanish resort was among ten of 12 destinations surveyed where the pound – currently worth 7.6 percent more against the euro than a year ago – has made the barometer basket 3.5 per cent cheaper for families. This year’s basket of essentials is also over eight per cent cheaper than it was five years ago, thanks entirely to lower restaurant prices.

Prices are also down marginally in runner-up Portugal.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money, said: ‘Price is bound to be a big consideration for families, so it is good to report a drop in the cost of tourist staples in ten of the destinations that attract holidaymakers at this time of the year. Spain is the bargain choice, but Tenerife, Cyprus, and Mombasa look great value with the promise of higher temperatures and more sun.’

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Spanish resort steps up fines for reserving beach spots with towels

HOLIDAYMAKERS who reserve their sunbathing spot by putting towels on the sand are reportedly being fined by a Spanish resort.

Torrox on the #CostadelSol has a new beach police patrol that will confiscate property left on the #beach.

Owners can reclaim their items only by paying a fee of €30 (£21), the BBC has reported.

"We don't want to start naming the country whose tourists are most guilty of this beach land-grabbing, but I think we can all guess who they are," said a local council spokesman. It is infuriating to arrive at the beach and find all the space taken by towels and umbrellas, but hardly any people.

"Our new policy seems to having the desired effect, and as a result there is less wasted space on the beach and more room for everyone.’

Ferrara beach in Torrox is being targeted because it is narrower than most other beaches in the area.

The Diario Sur newspaper reports that just over half of the people who have had items removed have collected them within the fortnight they are kept before being destroyed.

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Sterling's strength cuts prices for holidaying Brits

PRICES for British holidaymakers have fallen across Europe this summer, thanks largely to the strength of sterling, now at an eight-year high. 

Turkey and Bulgaria rather than eurozone resorts are offering the best value for travellers looking to cut their holiday spending. Post Office Travel Money barometer research reveals that a family meal with drinks costs under £29 in Sunny Beach, Bulgaria – down 11.5% on last summer.

Marmaris, Turkey, offers the best value for families with a selection of ten items, including pedalo rides, buckets and spades, water park visits and ice creams – being the cheapest of 14 European destinations surveyed at under £68. This compared with more than £135 in Nice.

The value available to UK holidaymakers in Turkey has been boosted by the pound being worth nearly 20% more than last summer and over 22% stronger than in January this year.  Families can expect to receive around £83 extra in Turkish lira on a foreign exchange transaction of £500 at the Post Office.

Sliema in Malta (£74.16) was the cheapest of 12 eurozone destinations surveyed, while the Post Office found that beach barometer items in Ibiza (£81.12) cost almost 8% less than in the Costa del Sol (£87.92), the lowest-priced of five Spanish destinations.

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