Corfu Among Costliest Holiday Bargain Destinations for UK Travelers, Says Report

Source: @Municipality of Corfu

Despite having marked a decline in the overall cost of holidays compared to a year before, the Greek island of Corfu is charging more for basic holiday staples including water, coffee, sunscreen, dinner for two and wine, the 13th annual Post Office Holiday Money Report found in its presentation of the best 2019 holiday destinations for bargain hunters in the UK.

According to the Post Office Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer, Corfu, known as Kerkyra in Greek, is second to last among 12 destinations as the most expensive holiday option for UK travelers based on the prices of eight basic tourist goods, including meals and drinks.

Source: Post Office Worldwide Costs Barometer 2019

Prices have fallen in almost half of the 42 global destinations surveyed, including six of 12 in Europe.

More specifically, basic holiday spending on Corfu comes to 96.06 UK pounds, with the most expensive of the 12 destinations being Sorrento in Italy, at 119.03 pounds.

The cheapest destinations according to the report (in order) are: Sunny Beach in Bulgaria (36.03 UK pounds); followed by Marmaris, Turkey (45.23 UK pounds); Algarve in Portugal (50.11 UK pounds); Spain’s Costa del Sol (54.12 UK pounds), Prague in the Czech Republic (56.88 UK pounds); Paphos, Cyprus (65.17 UK pounds); Sliema in Malta (71.41 UK pounds); Porec, Croatia (80.38 UK pounds); Hungary’s Budapest (82.72 UK pounds); and Nice in France (91.86 UK pounds).

Corfu, Greece

“Short travel times will always give European destinations an inbuilt advantage and, despite speculation that rising prices would put UK holidaymakers off traveling to the continent, strong currency sales for the euro, Turkish lira, Bulgarian lev and Croatian kuna over the past year underline the fact that Europe remains the destination of choice for most people,” said Post Office Travel Money expert Andrew Brown.

According to the annual report, Bulgaria, Turkey and Algarve are rated best value among 42 destinations, with Cape Town being the cheapest long haul option. The report’s analysts go on to note that overseas holiday bookings appear to be on the rise for 2019 and the the strength of UK pound combined with prices at resorts are set to play a determining role among Britons seeking out their next vacation destination.

“It is good news that prices are down in many destinations this year, but it is still very important to be aware of the huge variation in costs we found across the 42 countries surveyed,” said Brown adding that holidaymakers are advised to “draw up a destination shortlist and do their homework by comparing the prices for meals, drinks and other tourist items before booking”.

Globally, the Post Office has included Bali on its 2019 value holiday list, as well as Turkey, Bratislava, Porto, Croatia, Iceland, Abu Dhabi, Delhi, and Mahé in Seychelles.