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Anywhere desire Britain go on its holidays? - BBC Information

BBC Information

Anywhere determination Britain go on its holidays? - BBC Information BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Where will Britain go on its holidays? The first fortnight of January is a key period for the travel industry as many of us battle our winter blues by booking our summer hols.But this year's process will be complicated not just by the credit crunch but also by the pound plunging in value against the euro. The cost of living in traditional holiday destinations like Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, Cyprus, Greece is rising for those who buy their euros with pounds.So to which far-flung coasts will British holidaymakers take their buckets and spades in these straitened times? TURKEY, EGYPT AND NORTH AFRICA Turkey is the hot tip in the travel industry for 2009. ABTA, the Travel Association, found visitor numbers had risen 32% in the past 12 months. This trend is predicted to continue in 2009, and Turkey will be sure to take trade from Greece, its nearest Eurozone rival for the British tourist pound.The other big near eastern winner is likely to be Egypt, which saw British visitor numbers rise 38% in 2008. Morocco and Tunisia are also expecting to make hay from the strong euro.Of course there are pitfalls for the British tourists flooding to these locations. The Foreign Office warns travellers to acquaint themselves with local laws and customs before arriving. Issues such as toplessness on beaches can be dealt with very differently.Return to top EASTERN EUROPE Conventional beach holidays aren't the first thing that comes to mind when one thinks of a place like Poland. As even natives have learnt to their cost, going topless is frowned uponAnd yet there are resorts on the country's Baltic coast which will be receiving a dusting of British tourists for the first time this year. It may not be as hot as Santorini or Malaga but it still boasts the classic mix of sun, sand and sea. And with British visitors probably having had some contact with Polish people in recent years, there will be some recognition of the culture and language at least.Again, Britons must be aware of the cultural differences. In October, two Polish women were prosecuted for indecent exposure for sunbathing topless in Szczecin. Poland remains both Catholic and conservative and the kind of alcohol-fuelled boisterousness that characterises many British visits to the Mediterranean will be frowned on. The Norwegian krone is not dramatically higher against the pound either, despite recent strong gains, notes Simon Calder, travel editor for the Independent newspaper. Where it once was dramatically more expensive than most of the rest of northern Europe, now it is much closer to the same cost of living. Return to top ICELAND Some British savers may feel a certain degree of antipathy towards Iceland and vice versa. The Gibraltar pound is pegged to Sterling at a 1:1 rate.Or for those who want somewhere a bit closer to home but still with nicer weather than the British mainland, the Isle of Man might appeal. The climate's good enough to grow palm trees a la Cornwall. BE PATRIOTIC One place where your pound should get as much as usual is Britain. The travel industry is putting out the message that it is slashing capacity later in the year, and therefore the best deals are around now, but there are some who don't think that's the whole story."I'm doing what a lot of people are doing. Not booking anything, waiting and seeing what happens. They want something to look forward to," says Calder. Bookmark with: Delicious Digg reddit Facebook StumbleUpon What are these? E-mail this to a friend Printable version Print SponsorBBC.adverts.write("storyprintsponsorship");BBC.adverts.show("storyprintsponsorship"); BBC.adverts.write("mpu");BBC.adverts.show("mpu"); IN TODAY'S MAGAZINE MoobsWhy are we suddenly obsessed with 'man boobs'? Can you beat Exeter - 15 in University Challenge? While you will be able to view the content of this page in your current browser, you will not be able to get the full visual experience. Please consider upgrading your browser software or enabling style sheets (CSS) if you are able to do so. Сватба