Tags: Moroccan Morocco Fes, Maghreb news
Tourism from Britain is expected to increase up to 40% this year, according to travel industry experts.
Abby Alford of the Western Mail reports that the weak pound is leading the British to shun traditional European destinations for more exotic locations for their 2009 holidays.
Parts of North Africa, the Middle East and Turkey have been dubbed by the travel trade as the “Costa del Kasbah”.
Travellers are turning their backs on expensive food and accommodation in Spain, France and Greece, where the pound does not go as far as it used to, and turning to alternative resorts in Turkey and Tunisia and Morocco, said independent travel agent Sam Smith, the vice-chairman of Abta in South Wales.
He said that holiday bookings to those destinations were up this year by around 40% on 2008.
“People still want to go on holiday despite the credit crunch, but are spending their money wisely. For instance, you will get a five-star hotel in Tunisia for the price of a three-star hotel in Spain,” said Mr Smith.
At its all-time low in 2000, the euro was worth 57p on foreign currency markets – today it is worth about 96p.
A spokesman said: “With the position of the currencies unlikely to get much better, we expect people will continue to look farther afield to north Africa and Turkey, which offer much better value for money and where you can still find dinner for two for £20.”
Airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet have increased flights to Morocco and Turkey in the past 18 months, with some tour operators responding to the pressure by cutting the cost of breaks to Spain.
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