By DAISY SAMPSON and PAULO SILVESTRE news@algarveresident.com
Portugal has emerged as the best family value destination in a UK Post Office survey, with the price of a meal falling by 63 per cent in comparison to 2009 according to the survey.
The Family Holiday Report has shown that the parents surveyed are sick of high mobile phone roaming charges, credit and debit card charges for using them abroad and excess baggage costs, while over-priced meals and drinks and beach items were also common bug-bears.
When it came to prices in restaurants and at the beach, Portugal came out on top as the best value destination, with the cost of hiring a pedalo for an hour being the lowest in Europe at 5.41 Pounds, nearly half that of the same service in either Majorca or France (10.81 Pounds), while the huge drop in the cost of a restaurant meal has made Portugal a firm family favourite, beating a “Rip Off” culture found in holiday destinations according to the Post Office.
The average price of a three-course meal, including wine, in a local Portuguese restaurant was found to be 15.89 Pounds for 2010, compared to 42.55 Pounds in 2009, a drop of 63 per cent in the Holiday costs Barometer 2010 by the Post Office.
HOLIDAY BASKET
Other items assessed by the Post Office included the cost of a cup of coffee in a café or bar, the price of an English tabloid newspaper and how much it cost to buy a bottle of still mineral water from a supermarket.
The total cost of all items in the holiday basket on the barometer saw items coming to a total of 38.61 Pounds for Portugal, compared to a total of 66.65 Pounds in 2009.
These statistics from the Post Office make Portugal a cheaper holiday destination than Iberian neighbour Spain, where the total costs came to 39.46 Pounds, and even better value for money than Turkey (64.14 Pounds), Croatia (62.57 Pounds) and even Bulgaria (40.70 Pounds), all traditionally assumed to be the destinations where British visitors get more for their money.
Sarah Munro of the Post Office said: “While Portugal has slashed prices to attract back visitors, France seems less affected by last year’s exodus from the Eurozone and prices there are now higher than a year ago.”
She added: “There is plenty families can do to avoid getting stung on holiday. They should check excursion and attraction prices online before they go and should also pack beach items that could break the holiday budget if bought overseas.”
MORE COMPETITIVE
The president of the region’s hotel and tourism association, AHETA, Elidérico Viegas, told the Algarve Resident: “Certainly, if the demand decreases the tourist product prices also decrease. This is a basic rule of market economy that prices are always as a result of the demand.”
He added: “Despite not knowing about this study, I think the drop in prices is excessive unless it may have coincided with some special time and a particularly favourable Pound to Euro rate. However, tourism in the region can benefit from these results as with more competitive prices, the Algarve will be able to strengthen its image as a preferred destination for British tourists and those from other countries too.”
The statistics have made headlines in the British press, where Portugal is now being described as “this season’s bargain hotspot” by the Mirror, while The Sun has proclaimed that “Portugal pounds the competition to give you the best value for money this summer”.
Do you have a view on this story? Please email Editor Inês Lopes at ines.lopes@theresidentgroup.com
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