Holidaymakers who think they’re saving money by staying in the UK could end up spending more than those who jet off abroad.
British resorts and businesses impose such high prices that it might be cheaper to fly thousands of miles to a resort abroad, a study shows.
So a week at the seaside in this country is more expensive than Bodrum, in Turkey, Greece or Cyprus, which attract millions of families looking for sunshine.
It is also cheaper to visit several East European countries, such as Slovenia, Hungary, Poland and Bulgaria, which offer beautiful cities and new experiences.
Researchers at Tesco Bank looked at typical holiday expenses for one week for a family of four in August, including accommodation, car hire, eating out and family entertainment.
While they did not include the cost of getting to the resort, the price gap is so large for many countries that it would still be cheaper to travel using a budget airline.
The figure for Brighton came out at £2,209 – £390 more than buying the equivalent items in Bodrum.
So even considering that return flights from London Gatwick to Bodrum would cost around £80 via easyJet, it’s still a bargain.
Brighton certainly has a great history and many attractions, from the Royal Pavilion and the pier to nightclubs and the Lanes.
But while it offers standard seaside fare of fish and chips and curry houses, Bodrum, on the Aegean Sea, boasts Turkish food as well as sun, sandy beaches and nightlife.
There are also several all-inclusive hotel resorts where the cost of food and drink is included in the package.
John Howells, head of travel money at Tesco Bank, said holiday costs have been impacted by the euro exchange rate.
‘With the average cost of a holiday for one week coming in at £2,076, a 2 per cent increase on last year, it is essential holidaymakers are not just looking into the cost of travel but also the expenses they are likely to incur once they are there.
‘For instance, car hire and accommodation make up 71 per cent of weekly spend and have risen 6 per cent on last year.’
Meanwhile, lastminute.com has seen a rush of people logging on to look for travel deals after England’s elimination from the World Cup on Sunday.
Bookings rose 25 per cent on the previous day in the hours after the final whistle was blown.
The firm’s head of travel, Andy Washington, said: ‘People want a way of getting over the football blues, and for many a late summer break is the thing they need.’
Lowcostholidays.com, meanwhile, said the number of people visiting its website rose 40 per cent compared to last week.
The Daily Mail