SL becomes an expensive tourist destination-report

28 September 2013 01:20 pm - 8 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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The sun-kissed Indonesian island of Bali has toppled Sri Lanka from the top spot as the ‘best value’ long-haul travel option in a new list of popular holiday destinations.

The latest Post Office Travel Money Long Haul Report - which gauges the countries that offer the most in return for tourists' holiday cash - shows Sri Lanka slipping to fifth place behind South Africa, Vietnam and Thailand.

This decline is put down to a 45 per cent price rise in costs at Sri Lankan resorts.

Resort costs have fallen in half of long haul destinations - in most cases because of the improving performance of the pound.

The Post Office report found that prices in Bali for 2013 fell by one per cent to give the Indonesian island a clear lead over second placed South Africa, while resort prices in Sri Lanka had risen for the second year running.

It calculated the cost of ten tourist staples in the capital Colombo - including itsems such as suncream, insect repellant and a three-course meal for two with wine - to come to a total of £54.45.

Although the average price of a cup of coffee, at 26 pence, was the cheapest across the board, Sri Lanka displayed the biggest cost rise in any of the destinations surveyed, with prices for all ten commodities 24 per cent higher than in Bali (£43.91), the outright winner.

Vietnam and Thailand took third and fourth place.

Vietnam remains competitively-priced (£53.04 for the ten staples) and has proved a success story in 2013 as sales of its currency, the dong, have grown 106 per cent compared to this time last year.

Following a summer when long haul destinations took nine of the top ten Fastest Growing Currencies places (in the Post Office's survey on which currencies are enjoying a boom in demand with travellers), it seems that getting some winter sun is not too far out of reach for UK travellers.

While sterling remains weak in Europe, it has strengthened against many long-haul currencies.

Theme park favourite Orlando emerged as the best value of five USA destinations.

This made it the only US entry into the Long Haul Report top ten. It proved to be a third cheaper than Miami, which in turn was more expensive than New York, San Francisco and Washington D.C.

Destinations Down Under were again most expensive in the survey.

The ten tourist items cost £121.35 in New Zealand (Auckland) and £124.69 in Australia (Darwin), although the Australian dollar’s fall against sterling means prices are 10 per cent lower than last year.

Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money said, "After a summer when sterling bought less holiday cash for trips to Europe, winter sun tourists can look forward to seeing their pounds stretch further in many of the most popular long haul destinations."(Daily Mail)

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Comments - 8

Ara Saturday, 28 September 2013 01:39 PM

The real question is, when we were at the top, did it really contribute attracting tourists to the Island?
what I've heard is that, its the word of mouth that keeps getting travelers to the country...

Spitfire Saturday, 28 September 2013 02:39 PM

Forget about tourists, it a very expensive place for the natives as well!

shitake mushrooms Saturday, 28 September 2013 02:39 PM

This is what happens when the government mandates that tourist hotels raise their prices for rooms. And Mt Lavinia beach?? Local people can hardly afford the prices charged in most of the restaurants and bars.

Banda Saturday, 28 September 2013 02:59 PM

Nothing new, we locals (Sri Lankans) are feeling the same cost hikes

Super Star Sunday, 29 September 2013 07:44 AM

Who did this survey and how did they do? A family only needs £33 (Rs 7000) a month to live

MagodisThuma Sunday, 29 September 2013 10:10 AM

Only MaaluPaan & KoththuRoti tourists come here...I have seen them waiting for ChuunPaan Man !

Upul Gunawardena Sunday, 29 September 2013 02:39 PM

I don't see anything wrong doing that. They try to spend within their means.

willows Monday, 30 September 2013 10:56 AM

on my way to Kandy on last Sunday I saw two foreign girls at Mawanella CTB stand each had half loaf pf bread in sillly silly bag and they were eating the bread without anything just tearing? 1st time in my life saw a tourist behaving like this???

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SL becomes an expensive tourist destination-report

Comments - 8

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