UK holiday destinations benefiting from strengthened euro

A recent report compiled for the budget hotel chain Travelodge reveals that more than half of UK holidaymakers confirm they had decided to take their breaks closer to home this summer. In addition, the report has listed Blackpool and the West Country among the top destinations.

The survey involved about 3,500 Britons, and has discovered that about 54 per cent of them have planned to take their summer holidays in the UK. Most of them said that they would prefer heading to the coast, with around 13 per cent said they would prefer visiting Blackpool.

On the other hand, fifteen per cent stated they would be going for their holidays in the south-west.

Commenting on the survey data, Guy Parsons, the managing director of Travelodge, said this was great news for the country"s domestic tourism industry. However, he stressed that Britain was not doing its best to attract foreign tourists, who are most likely to visit to take advantage of the strength of the euro against the pound.

Official statistics point out that the number of foreign tourists arrivals fell by 4.5 per cent in October 2008, when compared with the same month in 2007.

He said, "If marketed correctly the UK has the chance to position itself as the top value destination in 2009. With the strong dollar and euro, a trip to London can become an affordable luxury.

Already several tour operators have cut back on the number of holidays offered by them abroad for summer 2009 because of a fall in demand.

source: ebookers