By Elijah Odhiambo
Mombasa has joined Cape Town on the top five best destinations for UK tourists based on pricing.
The East African city, which was placed seventh last year, is now the fourth most popular vacation spot for Brits.
The UK Post Office Holiday Costs Barometer reports that the seaside city trails Cape Town in South Africa, Marmaris in Turkey, and Sunny Beach in Bulgaria in terms of value for money
According to the survey, the average daily expenditure in Mombasa would be €58.3 (Ksh8,500), compared to the most expensive city on the list, Reykjavik, Iceland, where it would be €198.4 (Ksh28,924).
Top 5 Best value holiday destinations in 2023
Position Destination Total cost
- Cape Town, South Africa £51.44
- Marmaris, Turkey £57.59
3 Sunny Beach, Bulgaria £58.30
4 Mombasa, Kenya £58.96
5 Algarve, Portugal £59.95
How the barometer is compiled
The researchers chose eight items as samples of purchases that UK tourists are likely to make while visiting.
The survey’s samples included a three-course meal for two people, together with a glass of wine, a cup of coffee, a bottle of local beer, a can of cola, a bottle of still water, sunblock, and insect repellent.
”40 destinations were surveyed with the help of leading holiday company Travel Republic, as well as national and local tourist boards (Marmaris Info for Marmaris). Eight items – a three-course meal for two with wine, bottle of local beer, glass of wine, can of Coca-Cola, large bottle of still water, cup of coffee, suncream and insect repellent – were selected as representative of the purchases UK tourists are likely to make and prices were cross-checked by Post Office researchers,” read the report in part.
The research is released as demand for international vacation travel is beginning to reach pre-Covid levels, with both travel agencies and airlines reporting an increase in bookings.
The survey found that Britons are willing to cut back on other lifestyle expenses to save for a trip overseas, despite the challenges brought on the rising cost of living that impact the majority of nations worldwide.
“Over a quarter of those planning trips abroad expect to be able to fund their holiday out of their existing income but a larger number, 41 percent, will need to dip into their savings,” noted the report.
Africa leads
From the report, Africa is on top of the list of places where to get best value in the world’s top holiday hotspots.
Cape Town in South Africa currently offers the best value for money, with a drop of 7.5 percent in costs. Previous leader, Marmaris in Turkey falls to second in the list
Additionally, two African countries topped in the states where sterling’s value help the Briton’s holiday money to stretch further.
”There are a handful of destinations where sterling’s value will help your holiday money to stretch further. Our top tips are South Africa, Egypt, Japan and New Zealand.”
Kenya Tourism Board data shows slightly more than a third of the 1.3 million international tourists who visited Kenya in the 11 months to November came for holidays, while the rest came for business conferences and visiting friends.
In 2021, the country saw 870,465 arrivals that brought in Ksh146.5 billion, translating to an average spend of Ksh168,300 per tourist.
