Travel
Sri Lanka most cost effective tourist destination for Britons says report
Head east for long-haul value
Britons in search of winter sun will find their money stretching farthest in Sri Lanka and south-east Asia, new research has shown.
Sri Lanka is the most cost-effective long-haul destination for Britons, according to the Post Office Photo: ALAMY
The Post Office’s annual “Long Haul Report”, which compares the cost of restaurant meals, drinks and other common holiday purchases in 32 popular destinations, found that Sri Lanka offered the best value, followed by Vietnam and Bali.
The “shopping basket” of 12 items was found to cost less than £44 when bought in Sri Lanka; in Vietnam it cost around £52; and in Bali the items came to just over £53.
Mexico, Gambia, Thailand and Egypt were also found to offer good value, finishing 4th, 5th, 6th and 7th, respectively, in the poll.
The most expensive destination to feature was South Korea, where the same 12 items were found to cost nearly £167. The next most expensive were Australia, New Zealand, China and Canada.
| Country | Total cost of 12 items* |
|---|---|
| Sri Lanka (south-west) | £43.85 |
| Vietnam (Hoi An) | £52.37 |
| Indonesia (Bali) | £53.48 |
| Mexico (Cancun) | £60.48 |
| Gambia (Kololi) | £61.14 |
| Thailand (Phuket) | £70.69 |
| Egypt (Sharm el Sheikh) | £71.05 |
| South Africa (Cape Town) | £71.73 |
| USA (Washington) | £75.52 |
| USA (Orlando) | £76.54 |
| Kenya (Mombasa) | £77.05 |
| USA (New York) | £88.09 |
| Malaysia (Penang) | £90.63 |
| Dominican Republic (Punta Cana) | £93.22 |
| USA (San Francisco) | £94.11 |
| Costa Rica (Guanacaste) | £95.17 |
| Barbados (St James) | £98.12 |
| USA (Los Angeles) | £98.12 |
| USA (Miami) | £100.24 |
| Antigua (Jolly Beach) | £104.76 |
| St Lucia (Rodney Bay) | £105.21 |
| Brazil (Rio de Janeiro) | £107.13 |
| Jamaica (various) | £113.41 |
| Argentina (Buenos Aires) | £115.16 |
| Singapore (central) | £117.15 |
| Mauritius (Grand Baie) | £118.88 |
| Dubai (Jumeirah) | £123.49 |
| Canada (Calgary) | £123.68 |
| China (Beijing) | £131.00 |
| New Zealand (Auckland) | £144.32 |
| Australia (Darwin) | £157.79 |
| South Korea (Seoul) | £166.92 |
*Items are a cup of coffee, bottle of beer, can of cola, glass of wine, an alcohol cocktail, a chocolate bar, a bottle of water, sun cream, a paperback book, a postcard and stamp, insect repellent, and a three-course meal.
To read the report in full, see postoffice.co.uk/longhaul2012
Courtesy The Telegraph.co.uk