British holidaymakers wanting to save money by staying in the UK will end up spending more than if they were to go abroad, a study has found.
Nearly three quarters of Brits say they are staying put this summer – despite the Euro being at an eight-year high and European holidays cheaper than ever.
But shockingly, on a list of the top ten summer holiday destinations, the UK has emerged as the most expensive, costing more than twice as much as a trip to Spain.
The research discovered that over half of us, 54 per cent, consider cost to be the most important aspect of any vacation.
And second only to Greece, the UK is where Brits think their money will go the furthest.
Almost a quarter of respondents believed they would get more bang for their buck in Greece, and 19 per cent thought they’d save more money staying local.
However, a study of 1,000 UK adults, put together by www.voucherbox.co.uk/, showed that holidaymakers actually need the most money when they visit destinations in the UK and Ireland.
According to a league table of where your money will go further, the UK and Ireland came out as the priciest, with hotels, meals, drinks, transport, attractions and petrol all costing more at home than away.
A night in a hotel will set staycationers back £65.22 on average, whereas a night in a hotel in the Med, no doubt with a pool or a beach view, can cost as little as £42.50.
The typical cost of dinner in an inexpensive British restaurant will set you back £10.
It can be almost half that in Turkey, Portugal and Croatia, where a meal can cost as little as £3.12.
The Netherlands and Italy are marginally dearer at £10.65 a meal, but less expensive for coffee, alcohol and bottled water, and cheaper overall.
Beer, cigarettes and wine are all twice as dear for those of us wanting to stick to familiar shores.
And for tourists wanting to keep their kids entertained by going on daily excursions, a 1km taxi journey in the UK costs on average £1.24, compared with 72 pence in Spain, and 71 pence in Greece.
The cost of an individual attraction in London is £12 compared with £4-5 on the continent.
In total, the league table of spending shows that the average Brit can expect to spend over £116 per day staycationing in the UK, and as little as £63 venturing abroad.
The list of top ten holiday destinations includes the UK, France, Ireland, Croatia, Italy, Netherlands, Greece, Turkey, Spain and Portugal.
Interestingly, 70 per cent of holidaymakers venturing abroad said they were less likely to visit Greece given the current economic situation.
Shane Forster, UK Country Manager for Voucherbox said: ‘We have been surprised to see just how expensive it can be for those holidaying in the UK rather than venturing abroad.
‘With the amount of travel deals and cheap flights that are available online, you are very likely to be able to grab a getaway somewhere sunny and end up saving money overall.
‘Given the good value Brits can get with their pounds when buying Euros, you can start to see why staycationing is now something of a false economy.’
Ouch!
I’d like to climb her curves xxx