British holidaymakers seeking long-haul winter sun can expect better value this year, with new data revealing tourist items are cheaper in two out of three popular destinations compared to last year.
A Post Office Travel Money report identifies Asia as offering the best value, with seven of the top ten most affordable locations.
Vietnam’s Hoi An stands out as the most budget-friendly for UK visitors among 30 destinations analysed. Its coastal city costs have fallen by 10.9 per cent since last autumn, driven by minor local price drops and the weakening dong currency.
South Africa’s Cape Town, where a basket of 10 tourist staples was 8 per cent higher than in Hoi An, was ranked the second cheapest destination after a 0.3 per cent year-on-year fall in costs.
The goods analysed include a cup of filter coffee in a cafe or bar, a small bottle or tube of insect repellent, and a three-course evening meal for two adults with a bottle of house wine.
Local prices in third-placed Bali, Indonesia, have risen by 10.8 per cent since last autumn, but an 11.3 per cent fall in the value of its currency – the rupiah – against the pound means costs have dropped by 0.5 per cent for visitors from the UK.
Mombasa, Kenya, was ranked fourth, with Tokyo, Japan, taking fifth place.
Laura Plunkett, head of travel money at the Post Office, said: “Although sterling has fallen from its high point earlier this year and there are concerns about possible volatility this autumn, it’s important to note that it is stronger against most currencies than a year ago.
“Furthermore, local prices are stable in most of the destinations we surveyed, with falls in over 40 per cent of them, so the prospects for winter sun holidaymakers look bright – especially in many Far Eastern and Caribbean countries where a combination of these factors means reduced prices for British travellers.”
