UK Tourism 2024: Greece named top destination in the world with best value for money

Greece was named the top value-for-money destination for British tourists, who visited 28 overseas destinations, according to the latest (for the 18th year) Post Office Travel Money Spending Report, published on 8 June.

The Post Office Travel Money poll was conducted among a sample of over 2,000 consumers.

Greece came top with a score of 94% ahead of Spain (93%) and Portugal (92%).

Thailand received the highest score out of 14 Brits' far-flung destinations with a value-for-money score of 89%. Mexico came second with 87%.

Only two-thirds (67%) of British visitors to the US said the country was good value, with Dubai ranked lowest at 51%.

The main findings of the research are:

The number of UK holidaymakers abroad is increasing year on year. Three in five Britons – and two-thirds (68 percent) of families – will travel abroad this year, with overseas holidays seen as Britain's top spending priority after paying for food, energy, and essentials at home.
Their travel expenses on their last trip reached record levels. Over the past decade, the gap between set budgets and spending has widened to its highest level ever.
Almost four in five (78%) on their last trip abroad set a budget of an average of £334.47 per person, less than on previous holidays. However, only a third of holidaymakers stuck to this budget, with the remaining 67% going over their budget by £154.62 – 46% more than planned, ultimately up 7% on previous holidays. And levels of family overspending have almost doubled since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
When asked what types of spending were responsible for their overspending, more than half (57 percent) of holidaymakers said meals out in restaurants and 32 percent cited food and drink bought from a local shop or supermarket.
More than a third (36 percent) attributed their overspending to the cost of drinks and 44 percent said they overspent on attractions and excursions. This echoes the finding of a previous Post Office Travel Money survey in which 84 percent of holidaymakers expressed concern about the cost of meals, drinks and other tourist items in resorts and cities abroad.
All-inclusive holiday packages are traditionally seen as a good way for the British traveler to cut costs. That's why almost half of families (47%) are planning this type of vacation this year. But the cost they pay extra for food and drink at their all-inclusive resort has more than quadrupled over the past decade because fewer items are now included in the all-inclusive package.
The proportion paying for local brands of alcohol and soft drinks – once a cornerstone of the promise of free drinks given by all-inclusive resorts – has risen to more than eight times its 2014 level, when just 6% of tourists paid for those. Additionally, more than three-quarters of travelers and 81% of families head to local resorts for meals and drinks.
Laura Plunkett, head of Travel Money at the Post Office, said the opinions of holidaymakers who have visited a destination are really useful and are likely to be a more reliable source of information about value for money than those from people who haven't. they have direct knowledge of the destination.

"Most of the 28 destinations included in the best value poll scored higher among repeat visitors than among those who had to rely on what they had read or heard about the country," he said.

He added: “Evidence provided by holidaymakers who have traveled abroad in recent years makes it clear that most people set budgets that are insufficient and end up spending far more.

Given the growing concerns about resort costs, we urge vacationers to think about the total cost of their last vacation and set a budget based on that experience. This will be the most practical way for them to avoid extra charges for paying with a debit or credit card or withdrawing cash from an ATM."

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations, Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons License: CC-BY-SA Copyright: Bogdan Giuşcă