Well the latest report from the Post Office Travel Money reveals that while past visitors have given the highest approval ratings to Spain’s mainland resorts and islands, the island are the Canaries, not the Balearics.
This year’s best value holiday destinations abroad - recommended by the Britons who have visited them - report has discovered that Sterling’s falls against holiday currencies in the past month mean Britons looking for a bargain destination abroad will need to do their homework to ensure they get the best value. With 53 per cent of people planning trips abroad, compared with 43 per cent last year, new research by Post Office Travel Money could help. It reveals the destinations rated as offering the best value by holidaymakers who have actually visited them.
Spanish resorts take the top two places in a Post Office poll to find the destinations that past visitors thought offered good value. Spain’s Costas were given a 92 per cent rating, while the Canary Islands scored 91 per cent. Almost as many gave good value approval ratings to Greece (89 per cent) and Portugal (88 per cent).
However, Bulgaria, long regarded as a bargain destination, which regularly tops the Post Office Holiday Costs Barometer for its cheapness, did not make the best value top 10 voted for by British holidaymakers who have visited the country. With an 80 per cent good value rating, the country could only manage 12th position, six places below its more expensive Balkan rival Croatia, which was rated good value by 86 per cent of people who had holidayed there.
Mexico achieved the highest number of approval ratings given by long haul holidaymakers who had visited the country. 85 per cent rated it good value, compared with 83 per cent of those who had visited Thailand previously. However, holidaymakers travelling to destinations like Cancun and Riviera Maya will need to factor in a rise in the value of the Mexican peso. This means they will get around £70 less (-12.2 per cent) to spend when they change £500. Compared with this, sterling will buy just 3.8 per cent fewer Thai baht (-£19.83).
The destinations receiving the lowest good value ratings were Dubai (44 per cent) and Scandinavia (42 per cent). However, British visitors to Scandinavian countries will get more for their money this year because sterling is up 4.7 per cent year-on-year against the Swedish kronor (£22.42), 2.6 per cent against the Norwegian krone (+£12.59) and 1.6 per cent against the Danish kroner (+£7.88).
88 per cent also felt that Turkey offers good value – good news for 2022 visitors because Turkey is one of the few destinations where sterling will stretch further than last year2. Britons changing £500 can expect to receive over 50 per cent more in Turkish lira – the equivalent of almost £167 extra - for their pounds.
So, it is game on and it is a big world out there with lots of destinations desperate to recover from the pandemic.
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The hotels and the government are the driving champions of it. The days of cheap rooms with high guest maintenance, 3* reputation and reluctance of major players to invest are (all but) over. It's a whole new game now. Except for the moaning, of course.
Mallorca has for years tried to get the image that it's more upmarket than the rest of Spain, so maybe it's working. Hopefully the hotels won't be complaining. If it's too expensive then many will look further afield, I believe.
It seems that "quality over quantity" is working. The cheap 3* "consume as much as possible while demanding special treatment at the cheapest price" types apparently are going elsewhere. Many will find relief in that. Well, except the handful of businesses who cater to it. Unfortunately, as MDB pointed out this morning, that doesn't seem to always be the case, as Magaluf is apparently still attracting them. But it's just Magaluf. The rest of the island is enjoying a classier, more responsible and desirable type of tourist this year. May the trend continue.
Mallorca is almost full already and is on course for a record season so obviously the prices aren't putting people off.