The two-year decline in the number of international travelers visiting the United States has, according to one report, resulted in holiday prices for British travelers dropping by up to one-third. Researchers for Travelsupermarket said last week that a typical family could save up to £1,000 ($1,400) by opting for the U.S. over Spain as hoteliers drop prices.
As reported by Travel Weekly UK, the price differential has been exacerbated by demand for Spain forcing up prices in recent years due to demand switching from Turkey and northern Africa, according Travelsupermarket. The study also found that parts of the Middle East have become cheaper than Mediterranean destinations due to booming hotel room supply.
“Package holiday prices to Florida have dropped by as much as 35% year on year, following a slump in the sterling to dollar exchange rate in 2016, the Brexit referendum and a dip in worldwide visitor numbers after Trump’s inauguration,” said Travelsupermarket’s Emma Coulthurst, who added: “Brits have always been one of the US’s biggest markets and Florida, particularly Orlando, relies heavily on tourism and can’t afford for us not to go there. Hoteliers, tour operators and airlines have reduced their prices significantly in the hope of encouraging us back.”
As the table below suggests, the cost of purchases of goods and travel by British consumers in the Eurozone has increased in the past two years. Recall that “Brexit,” when the British voted to leave the European Union in June 2016, has resulted in a weakening of the British pound vs. the Euro), while the pound has regained its strength against the U.S. dollar following a post-Brexit decline.
Travelsupermarket studied the cost of a seven-day package for a family of four with school-age children during the half-term holidays at the end of May. It looked at prices to destinations in the western Mediterranean and the Canary Islands, along with Florida and the Middle East.
