A four-season land

IRAN, a four-season land, has 23 UNESCO World Heritage sites. These sites have long attracted tourists from across the globe. Foreign tourists #travel to #Iran to visit numerous historical and natural sites and enjoy time in a country which is home to many attractions. World Economic Forum data show Iran's ranking in tourist attraction moving higher from 114 in 2011 to 93 in 2017. That bears proof to the fact that foreign tourists have not become unwilling to travel to Iran.

As foreign currencies, including the US dollar and the euro, claimed ground against the Iranian Rial, the tourism industry in Iran entered a new phase, particularly for foreign visitors. The Rial's slide represents a unique opportunity for foreign tourists visiting Iran as their travel costs have fallen incredibly.



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Asda money report reveals UK travel trends

IN LIGHT of ongoing currency fluctuations, Asda Travel Money has examined the changes in people’s holiday habits over the past few years. Its research highlights a 68% decrease in sales of the Turkish lira and a 77% fall in sales of Egyptian pounds.

But in the past year, Asda Money has seen an 84% rise in sales of the UAE dirham, a 96% increase in sales of the Thai baht, and a 93% spike in sales of the Czech koruna, even though sterling has declined in value against these currencies.

Neil Foster head of Asda Travel Money said: ‘Our customers don’t seem to be put off by the poor exchange rates for certain countries. This suggests a shift in appetite for holiday destinations. Families do still need to consider getting the best value for money to the increasingly popular holiday hot spots, even when exchange rates aren’t at their best.’

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Fingerprints to replace currency for tourists visiting Japan

#JAPAN will soon introduce a hassle-free way of changing money with the launch of a system that will replace currency notes with fingerprints. 

The government is planning to launch the system this summer.

Foreign visitors will need to register their details, which would include fingerprints and credit card information, at airports or other public verification locations. As registered tourists, they will then be able to buy products with taxes automatically deducted from selected stores by placing a finger on a reader device.

The fingerprint system will also be used as a substitute for presenting passports when checking into hotels, which is currently a legal obligation for overseas tourists.

In its first test phase, the project will involve 300 souvenir shops, restaurants, hotels, and other establishments used by tourists.

The fingerprint experiment is part of a wider effort by the Japanese government to encourage visitors from overseas to visit the capital in the run up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Officials are hoping to launch the system throughout the country – including Tokyo – by 2020, with as many as 40 million overseas annual visitors expected by that year.

The new system will also enable the government to analyse the spending habits of foreign tourists, with anonymous data managed by a government-led consultative body. The data obtained from the project will be used to help government officials create effective tourism management policies.

But one concern among officials is that some tourists might be reluctant to provide fingerprint information voluntarily due to fears relating to privacy issues. 

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Budget Brits prefer cash to credit when travelling

DESPITE the rise of credit and debit card payments in the UK, 69% of Brits choose cash as their preferred method of payment when travelling abroad, 

The research, conducted by International Currency Exchange (ICE), showed that both income and age played a significant role in making payment choices.

While 74% of people earning less than £10,000 would prefer to pay using cash while in a foreign country, that figure dropped to 58% for people earning more than £40,000. Eighty-four percent of those aged between 18 and 24 said they prefer to use cash over card, compared to 65% of 55 to 64-year-olds.

Koko Sarkari, CEO of ICE, says: ‘It’s interesting to look into the nation’s spending habits and look into what the norm is for us Brits when we go away. Using cash seems easier when it comes down to going abroad. This could be for many reasons. One of them is that it’s easy to manage and stay on top of our spending.’

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Sharm el-Sheikh: Refund on Egyptian £s offered

POST OFFICE TRAVEL MONEY has confirmed that it will offer customers considering cancelling holidays to #Sharmel-Sheikh a full refund on the Egyptian pounds they have bought.   

Refunds will be provided at the original price paid.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said: ‘We do not want to add to the financial pain suffered by disappointed holidaymakers whose plans are wrecked by circumstances beyond their control, so we are continuing to offer a full refund on money spent purchasing Egyptian pounds in Post Office bureaux or online.’

To qualify for a refund, Post Office customers will need to take their #currency back to a branch, change it back into sterling and then send in the receipt together with their original purchase receipt as well as evidence of their holiday cancellation in the form of an invoice, tickets, or e-mail confirmation from their tour operator as proof of booking.

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Brits warned over failure to check credit and debit card fees

UK RESIDENTS made 60.1 million visits abroad last year, but research published by the DCC Forum says that 40 percent of UK consumers never or rarely check the exchange rates and fees they will be charged for using their credit or debit card abroad … despite the fact that almost 75 percent check for the best exchange rates from currency providers when purchasing foreign money. 

The findings also reveal that one in five respondents were not aware that banks and card providers levy transaction fees on overseas credit and debit card purchases. More than half of those surveyed knew and the transaction costs existed, but were unaware of the amounts involved.

This is likely to have a significant impact on the charges and rates paid by consumers travelling overseas, as the study found that UK travellers will spend at least £7.6 billion on tcredit and/or debit cards when abroad over the next twelve months.

The results additionally pointed to a generational difference in checking card rates before going abroad.

The forum commissioned the research with YouGov, coinciding with its launch as a new industry body designed to help consumers understand the payment choices when using credit or debit cards abroad. It also oversees best practice of Dynamic Currency Conversion, the service whereby credit and debit card holders abroad have the choice of having each transaction converted to their home currency at the point of payment.

Gino Ravaioli, chairman of the DCC Forum, says: ‘For UK consumers, credit and debit cards are an important means of buying goods and services abroad, and are one of many payment choices available. That said, our study has revealed that many consumers are not checking card rates before leaving home, which is likely to negatively impact their ability to make the right decision on card transactions.

‘Just as holidaymakers shop around for the best foreign currency exchange rates, they need to ensure they check credit and debit card fees in advance too. For those who remain unaware of the currency options on a card machine or ATM abroad, the forum wants to improve understanding surrounding the choice to make a transaction in sterling via DCC or in the local currency. Where both options are subject to similar levels of exchange rates and fees, DCC offers consumers the familiarity of paying in pounds, and the ability to keep track of spending by clearly showing the amount of money leaving their bank account at the point of purchase.’

www.dccforum.com

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Surge in demand for long-haul currencies

THE surge in the value of sterling this year has fueled demand from travellers for #currency for long-haul destinations, notably New Zealand, Australia, and Japan, according to Post Office #TravelMoney. 

The New Zealand dollar saw year-on-year sales growth of 56% in the June to August quarter, just at a time when the currency had weakened by more than 20% against the pound. The same applied to the Australian dollar, which also weakened by a similar amount in recent months, with sales up by 39%.

The weak Japanese yen resulted in a 52% increase in summer sales of the currency, coinciding with a 34% year-on-year rise in visitors reported by the country’s tourist office in July.

The Costa Rican colon tops the list of the Post Office fastest-growing currencies for 2015 to date with sales growth of 46% year-on-year ahead of Thomson launching Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights to the country this winter.

Currency sales rose by almost a third for the Indonesian rupiah, suggesting a buoyant time ahead for its most popular resort, Bali. Dubai has gained further ground against Middle East competitor Egypt, and sales of its currency, the UAE dirham, have strengthened by 22%.

Closer to home, city break destinations such as the Czech Republic and Hungary also appear to have attracted more visitors.

Turkey suffered another disappointing summer. The lira has now fallen to its lowest rate against sterling in over a decade, which means UK tourists visiting Turkey can expect to get more than 30% more local currency for their pounds than a year ago.

Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money, said: ‘The surge in sales we have seen for the Australian and New Zealand dollars is a clear indication holidaymakers are becoming increasingly astute and doing their homework to see when exchange rates are in their favour. These may not be the cheapest places to visit, but they are among the world’s most aspirational destinations and the power of the pound provides a great incentive to make this the year to visit.

‘Over the past five years, sterling has strengthened by almost 50% against the Japanese yen, and the extra cash in tourists’ pockets means that Japan should no longer be regarded only as a luxury destination. Better still, our latest barometer research reveals that local prices in Tokyo are down 25%.

‘The Russian ruble has collapsed in value this year and is currently worth around 70% less than last September, so Moscow and St. Petersburg could also prove popular with adventurous holidaymakers.’

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Travelling Brits losing £££s on foreign currency spreads

UK RESIDENTS lose more than £1.24 billion every year to currency spreads when travelling abroad, according to research by Centtrip.

Centtrip’s analysis reveals that travellers are hit by an average 3.5% spread on foreign currencies including the euro and the US and Australian dollars. On the average spend for a trip – £591 – this translates as a hit of £20.70 when converting sterling into the local currency.

Centtrip’s analysis of the destinations that benefit most from UK travel reveals that UK residents spend more than £16.3 billion each year travelling to their top five destinations, with more than £6 billion being spent in Spain alone. This equates to more than £190 million in lost sterling due to differences between the market exchange rate and the sell rate of a typical travel money company. This is followed by the US, where UK residents lose more than £109.1 million to currency spreads each year, and France, with £109 million.

Brian Jamieson, co-founder and managing director of Centtrip, said: ‘The recent fall in the euro has hugely aided UK travellers when going abroad, especially when considering that 12 of the 20 most-visited countries for Britons are within the eurozone. However, our research reveals the huge losses made by travellers to currency spreads, which can amount to a significant sum over the course of the year.

‘People travelling further afield – where the average spend on a trip is typically higher – or those who make frequent trips abroad are hit even harder by currency spreads. It is therefore imperative that regular travellers, whether for business or pleasure, ensure they protect themselves from currency spreads by paying close attention to currency fluctuations and choose a currency provider who ensures they get the best rates available.’

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Cash cover upgrade for travellers to Greece

HOLIDAY EXTRAS and underwriters Allianz and White Horse are providing a complimentary insurance upgrade for customers travelling to #Greece, which almost doubles the cover for cash. The increased cover is in response to advice from the UK government’s Foreign Office that travellers might not be able to rely on ATMs or banks in Greece and might therefore need to travel with more cash than usual. 

The company’s current Premium, Essential Superior and Essential Plus policy holders travelling to Greece and all new policyholders leaving before September 1 will automatically benefit from increased cover for cash, from £300 to £500 per person; £250 to £400 per person; or from £200 to £350 respectively.

Holiday Extras is offering FairFX #currency cards free of charge. These can be pre-loaded with money in the UK and can be used as a back-up to carrying large amounts of cash.  

In the wake of the Greek government’s debt default, the Foreign Office advised holidaymakers going to Greece take enough cash to cover their entire stay.

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Picture Credit: "Greek flag-Santorini" by Domenico Salvagnin - http://www.flickr.com/photos/dominiqs/230214871/. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons - https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Greek_flag-Santorini.png#/media/File:Greek_flag-Santorini.png

Be ready for Greek cash crisis, British tourists warned

PLANS to assist British people on holiday in #Greece are being made as the country moved closer to bankruptcy and exit from the #eurozone, the Daily Mail reports.

Tourists have been advised to take enough euro notes to cover emergencies in case Greek banks close cash machines. The Foreign Office advises them to take ‘enough money to cover emergencies and any unexpected delays’, and to avoid relying solely on credit cards or ATMs.

It came as Greece’s prime minister Alexis Tsipras refused to implement further austerity measures needed to unlock emergency funds to avoid a debt default.

British government sources said ‘contingency planning’ was under way involving ministers from across Whitehall departments. Experts believe the threat of a Greek default could lead to a run on the banks, which could result in cash machines being left without money or being turned off. There are also fears the situation could spark civil unrest.

UK officials have held talks with tour operators, who would have responsibility for getting stranded British tourists home. A source said they are also making sure they have the resources in place to provide consular assistance to British nationals who might get into difficulties.

See also previous blog posts on this matter
http://goholidayworldwide.blogspot.co.uk/2015/05/take-cash-greece-bound-travellers-told.html

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How travel cards can save £££s

BRITISH holidaymakers are cashing in on the huge swings in the value of the euro to reduce the cost of their holiday spending by up to 11%. Operators of prepaid travel money cards are reporting a surge in sales of travel money cards in 2015, with tourists loading up with euros when exchange rates are most favourable, often many months ahead of travelling.

Over the last six months rates, have swung from a low of €1.247 to the pound to a high of €1.416. This means that a family buying €1,000 to cover holiday expenses would save more than £95 by picking the best week to buy. 

During the first few months of 2015, when rates have been particularly favourable, operators such as the International Currency Exchange have reported a 91% year-on-year increase in cards issued versus the same time last year, with customers loading euros on to prepaid travel cards.


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To tip, or not to tip? And how much?

GOBANKINGRATES has published a guide – for US travellers – to tipping in 25 of the most popular vacation destinations, from Australia to the United Kingdom.

The #tipping guide lists the services for which tips are expected, the percentage tip that's appropriate, and offers advice on how to deal with awkward tipping situations in each country. For example, in Austrian restaurants, a service charge is included in the bill, but customers are expected to round up (with a simple danke sufficing to mean keep the change). In many parts of China, it's illegal to tip taxi drivers; in fact, no one tips for most services, except tour guides.

‘It's not until you leave the US that you realize how strange American tipping etiquette is,’ said Casey Bond, GOBankingRates' editor in chief. ‘In fact, in many countries across Europe and Asia, a service charge are either already factored into the price or automatically included in the bill. On the other hand, in some countries in Asia, it's customary not to tip at all. It's important to read up on how much to tip in the country you're visiting, or risk overspending, offending someone or embarrassing yourself."

Highlights from the tipping etiquette guide:

Brazil: Restaurants often write a 10% service charge on the bill, but don't require that you pay it.

France: According to French law, all bills in restaurants carry a 15% service charge — not paid to the waiter, but the proprietor, who factors it into staff wages. As such, tipping in France is less of a custom.

Greece: Some restaurants don't allow staff to keep their tips — it's best to ask beforehand.

Iceland: Service fees will be already included in almost everything you buy, so tipping isn't expected.

India: Tourists are expected to tip almost all service workers except taxi drivers.

Ireland: There's not a huge tipping culture, but a good rule of thumb is 10%.

Italy: Tipping is fairly transparent, as service charges are often displayed on menus - and you may be charged for the tablecloth or silverware, too.

Japan: Tipping isn't mandatory, and in many cases tips will be returned.

Spain: It’s more a matter of manners than necessity: It's considered polite to leave at least something, whether it's small change or rounding to the nearest euro.

www.gobankingrates.com/personal-finance/much-tip-traveling-25-countries
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