Britons spurn famous beach resorts for cheaper ones – poll

Two of the world’s most famous beach destinations came last in a list of the top 20 sand-and-sun getaways picked by British holidaymakers, it was revealed yesterday.

Based on a series of criteria including value for money and security, Sydney in Australia was bottom in the 20-beach destination list, with Rio de Janeiro last but one.

Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast offered the best beaches for Britons in the beach index commissioned by comparison site company Kelkoo.

The beach destinations were also judged on such things as cost of flights and accommodation, attractions and exchange rates.

Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast scored 70.98 out of 100, while North Tunisia was second with 69.10 points and Antalya in Turkey third with 68.72.

Sydney scored just 17.79 points, coming bottom for crime. Rio de Janeiro scored 25.23 points and was considered the most expensive of the 20 beach destinations.

In 14th place in the table was Cornwall, with its score of 50.61 being attributed to the unpredictable British climate and relatively high costs.

Of the 20 beaches, Cornwall scored lowest for climate.

Conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research and including views from a YouGov survey of nearly 2,300 UK adults, the beach table found:

• 85 per cent of Britons state that affordability is their number one holiday clincher, followed closely by security (81 per cent ), the weather (78 per cent), and good food (77 per cent);

• Egypt’s Sharm el Sheikh has the best climate with average annual temperatures of 35°C and 13 hours of sunshine per day;

• Rio, Sydney and the Maldives are among the most expensive beach holiday destinations in the world, while Bulgaria, Tunisia and Turkey offer the best value for money;

• The Maldives is considered the safest destination with eight policemen and only 30 crimes for every 1,000 people. Sydney fares worst with 106 crimes and just 2.1 police officers per 1,000 people;

• UK travel expenditure is expected to reach £41.1 billion or £669 per person in 2010, a £1 billion rise compared to 2009.

Kelkoo UK managing director Bruce Fair said: “In the current climate, British holidaymakers seem to be more cost-conscious than ever.

“Although Bulgaria, Tunisia and Turkey may not automatically spring to mind when choosing the top beach holiday destinations, they appear to fit the bill most closely when it comes to delivering against the criteria that matter most to UK holidaymakers today – value for money and affordability.”