The Brits have ranked the best and worst value destinations around the world, and it’s Greece that comes in first place, with Scandinavia coming in last overall.
The 28-person ranking comes courtesy of the Post Office Travel Money Holiday Spending Report survey, where 94 per cent of Brits say Greece is good value for money, while just 38 per cent rate Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark and Sweden) as such.
The second best value country overall is mainland Spain (93 per cent), followed by the Canary Islands (93 per cent), covering Tenerife, Fuerteventura, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. Just above Scandinavia, the second-worst destination according to surveys is Switzerland (38 percent).
The highest-rated long-haul destination is Thailand (89 percent), followed by Mexico (87 percent) and South Africa (85 percent).
The worst-ranked long-haul destination is the city of Dubai (51 percent) in the United Arab Emirates, while the second-worst in value is the United States (67 percent) and then Mauritius (68 percent) in East Africa.
Greece is the overall best value for money destination: 94 per cent of Brits say the country is good value for money. In the photo: the Acropolis of Athens.
The Spanish peninsula occupies second place in the ranking, followed by the Canary Islands (no. 3), rated as a good option by 93 percent of British tourists. In the photo – Santa Cruz, capital of Tenerife
In last place is Scandinavia (Norway, Denmark and Sweden), and only 38 percent say it is good value for money. In the photo on the left, Hamnoy in Norway. RIGHT: The lowest-ranking long-haul destination (No. 26) is the city of Dubai (51 percent).
The top five in Europe are completed by Portugal (92 percent) and Turkey (92 percent).
The list of the five European destinations with the worst value also includes France (65 percent), Italy (79 percent) and Croatia (83 percent).
The Post Office report also reveals that more than three in five Britons – and 68 per cent of families – plan to travel abroad this year, with overseas trips the top priority after paying for food, energy and basic household items.
On their last trip abroad, almost four in five (78 per cent) tourists set an average budget of £334.47 per person, but only a third of tourists stuck to it – 67 per cent went over their budget on average of £154.62. .
Families spent even more than they should have. The 73 per cent who cut their budget did so by 55 per cent, spending around £312 more than the average budget of £566.26.
The second destination with the worst value (no. 27) according to surveys is Switzerland. In the photo: the Geneva skyline and the Jet d’Eau fountain
Thailand takes the gold medal (No. 7) as a long-haul destination with the best value for money. Pictured: the large seated Buddha statue at Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, Bangkok
South Africa (no. 12) completes the list of the three long-haul destinations with the best value for money. In the photo – Cape Town
More than half (57 percent) of tourists who overspended blamed restaurant meals, while 32 percent pointed to food and drinks purchased at a local store or supermarket as the culprit.
A third (36 percent) attribute their overspending to the cost of drinks and 44 percent say they overspent on sightseeing and excursions.
A previous survey shows that 84 percent of tourists are worried about the cost of food, drinks and other tourist items in foreign resorts and cities.
Mexico (No. 9) is the second best value long-haul destination, according to the report. Pictured is the country’s Kukulcan pyramid in Chichen Itza.
Only 67 percent of voters consider the United States of America (number 24) to be good value for money. Pictured – New York City
Travelers staying at all-inclusive resorts show an increase in spending on food and drink – the Mail says in a press release that this is because fewer items are now included in the paid package.
The report says 77 percent of people and 81 percent of families spend on trips to local restaurants to eat.
Laura Plunkett, Head of travel money at the post officesaid: ‘The opinions of tourists who have visited a destination are really useful and are probably a more reliable source of information about value for money than those expressed by people who do not have direct knowledge of the country.
“The majority of the 28 destinations included in our good value for money survey scored higher among previous visitors than among those who had to rely on what they had read or heard about the country.”
