A holiday abroad could be cheaper than a holiday in the UK

With the recession still in full swing, and the ongoing financial crisis having seriously affected the finances of many households, it is little wonder that a holiday abroad is the last thing on the minds of many consumers.

Over the past couple of years finances have been very tight for many people, and whilst most of us do not want to give up the little time out that we get from our annual holiday most people are too worried about their finances to splash out on a costly holiday abroad.

It comes as no surprise, therefore, that many households this year have decided that in order to enjoy a holiday with loved ones without spending too much they will have a UK break rather than heading abroad. Most people think that they can save money by staying in the UK for their holidays instead of going to another country. However, a recent report has suggested that this may not be the case for many households, and that some may end up spending more on a holiday in the UK than they would if they went to certain destinations abroad.

A survey was recently undertaken by the holiday specialists Teletext Holidays, and the results showed that many Brits were under the impression that a holiday in the UK would undoubtedly be cheaper than a holiday abroad. However, officials from the firm have said that this is not necessarily the case, and that many families may find that they end up paying out more to holiday in the UK than they would have paid to go abroad for their holiday.

The holiday firm stated that at first glance a holiday in the UK may sound as though it is going to cost far less than a holiday abroad would cost, but this was because holidaymakers failed to take other factors into account. Whilst families thought that by now having to pay for flights would save them money what most were not taking into consideration was the remarkably expensive cost of living in Britain, which was bumping up the cost of the average UK holiday considerably.

The headline cost for a holiday in the UK looks very reasonable, and most people will look at the price per person for a week away and think that it sounds like a great deal and a cheap holiday. However, officials have said that because of the daily expenses that many of these holidaymakers have to shell out for whilst on holiday the final cost for the holiday in total can be much higher than they anticipated.

The research found that for a handful of essential holiday items and a meal out for two in Britain holidaymakers would be paying out over £73 per day. However, in other destinations such as Turkey the cost per day for the same items and purchases was far less. The daily spend for holidaymakers in Britain was amongst the highest in Europe, and was far more expensive than in some of the best value destinations.

Teletext also pointed out that families could head to Turkey to enjoy an all inclusive holiday for around £280 per person, and the all inclusive nature of the holiday meant that they would not be paying for any food or drink whilst there, dramatically cutting back on their daily spend. There were many other destinations that were highlighted as being good value, with officials stating that consumers could actually end up paying less to go to these destinations abroad than to stay in the UK.

Tags: uk holiday, Leisure, person, cheap holidays, Holiday Watchdog, GBP, holiday abroad, uk holidays