Basket Village USA
The Post Office’s Nick Boden said: ‘The recent fall in sterling against European currencies means it will be crucial for families to keep tight control over resort spending this summer to avoid breaking the vacation budget.
“We also found that prices can vary significantly between resorts in the same country. In Greece, for example, barometer costs were 17% lower in Corfu than in Crete.”
The Italian region of Puglia and the Spanish island of Ibiza were the most expensive holidays on the Beach Barometer, with the basket of goods costing £186 at each location. Items studied also included lounge chairs, alcohol, and water rides.
However, Puglia and Ibiza were among the only three destinations where prices fell compared to 2019, down around 5%. Hotel prices in Mallorca also fell, down 3%.
Portugal’s Algarve and Spain’s Costa del Sol rank among the cheapest destinations in the Eurozone, at £108 and £127 respectively on the Beach Barometer.
The Post Office also found that families continued to overspend their vacation budget by nearly two-fifths. The costliest holiday habit was eating out, which was the highest cost abroad. He said children’s ‘stalking power’ was partly to blame for the overspending, with parents giving in to demands for ice cream, theme park visits and beach equipment such as buckets and shovels.
The price increases come as families face severe travel disruptions in the first unrestricted summer since the pandemic began. Major airports are on lockdown, with hundreds of flights canceled at the last minute and holidaymakers stranded abroad.
