British holidaymakers wanting to save money by staycationing in the UK will end up spending more than if they were to go abroad, a study has found. In addition, holidays in London and the South East of England can work out at more than double the cost of a stay in Wales.
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. However, 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 Brits (54 per cent) consider cost to be the most important aspect of any vacation. Second only to Greece, the UK is where Brits think their money will go the furthest.
Almost a quarter of respondents believe they would get more bang for their buck in Greece, and 19 per cent thought they would save more money staying local.
However, a study of 1,000 UK adults, put together by 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.
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 details of the study can be found on the voucherbox.co.uk website.
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.
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. 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.”
But not everywhere in the UK is equal when it comes to staycationing of course. The cost of an individual attraction in London is £12 compared with £4-5 on the continent and prices are of course cheaper for days out in Wales, Scotland and the north of England.
Figures from a Promotional Codes study show a holiday in Wales costs just £94.01 for five days out for the family, while doing the same in London works out at £209.57 and in the wider South East region will cost £242.86.
Activities counted for include a visit to a theme park, a day on the beach, a trip to a stately home, a day at the museum and a trip to the zoo.