The worsening economic climate is prompting British holidaymakers to look beyond the traditional package holiday favourite, Spain, to the cheaper option of Turkey, new research showed this week.
The Co-operative Travel Company reported that there had been a “seismic shift” in the way Britons were booking holidays this summer. Among its clients, Turkey had overtaken Spain, the favourite package holiday destination since the Sixties.
A large part of the reason for the shift is the poor exchange rate of the pound against the euro. Analysis by Co-operative Travel showed that the average cost of a holiday to Spain, which uses the euro, was £465 – over £100 more than the average cost of a holiday to Turkey (£357), which does not.
The independent travel group’s findings were based on research into more than 200,000 holidays to its 30 most popular foreign holiday destinations.
The group found that, while bookings to Majorca were down by 13 per cent compared with the same time last year, some 30 per cent more people were booking trips to Turkey. Egypt is also benefiting from the switch away from Spain, with bookings to Sharm el Sheikh up 38 per cent over last year.
The fall in bookings to western Mediterranean destinations such as mainland Spain and the Balearics is also due to a reduction in the number of holidays on offer in the marketplace following the mergers last year between the major tour operators Thomas Cook and MyTravel, and Thomson and First Choice.
At the start of the summer 2008 booking season, Thomson’s parent company, TUI Travel UK, announced cuts of 12 per cent while Thomas Cook trimmed the former MyTravel holiday programme by as much as 23 per cent.
Co-operative Travel’s retail distribution director, Trevor Davis, said: “Bookings from people looking for cheap summer sun have traditionally ensured that Spain was the leading holiday destination. However, this year they are finding the high euro and a shortage of availability means the normal late deals are not available.
“Turkey has benefited most from this trend and we’re seeing 30 per cent growth in bookings for holidays across all parts of the country.”
Thomson and First Choice believe that economic uncertainties, coupled with the strength of the euro, will prompt more holidaymakers to take advantage of “all-inclusive” or “full-board” breaks where the total price is known in advance.
Further afield, fuel surcharges are affecting long-haul destinations, with fares to Australia for departures in October – the start of the southern hemisphere summer – up by more than 12 per cent this year, from £997 to £1,124 for an economy return from Heathrow.
Many families wanting to keep costs down are holidaying in Britain. Steve Short, managing director of the domestic tour operator Compass Holidays, said: “Rising oil prices mean families have to pay a fortune to go abroad this year. People don’t realise what beautiful and relaxing destinations we have right here in Britain. Many are easily reachable by train, so there’s no need even to spend money on petrol.”
Tom Wright, the chief executive of VisitBritain, said: “In the current economic climate, we are finding that Britons are taking another look at holidaying at home and are surprised by the range of experiences on offer.”
Top 10 Foreign Holiday Destinations
1. Turkey – Dalaman
2. Majorca
3. Crete
4. Turkey – Bodrum
5. Algarve
6. Cyprus
7. Tenerife
8. Costa Blanca
9. Sharm el Sheikh
10. Rhodes
(Source: The Co-operative Travel Company)
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk, [London], 11/07/2008
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