High gas prices push Turkey to fifth place in tourism
Posted by meb at June 13th, 2008
Turkey has ranked fifth among 19 European countries and the US in terms of the cost of rental cars for UK holidaymakers in a new report by the UK Post Office’s travel services department.
The US came first, followed by Spain, Portugal and Netherlands.
Turkey is one of Europe’s cheapest destinations for UK tourists. It rated as the cheapest in car rental fees on the continent. High fuel costs, however, made it generally more expensive than the Eurozone trio of Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands.
In its’ “Motoring on the Continent” report, the UK Post Office revealed that Switzerland is now the only major motoring holiday destination where unleaded fuel costs less than 1 pound per liter. However, the report places Spain as the best value in Europe for both diesel fuel and motoring in a rental car. At 1 pound per liter, it is also cheapest in the Eurozone for unleaded petrol. Prices are around 30 percent lower than in either Belgium or the Netherlands, which are popular motoring holiday choices for UK tourists.
The cost of unleaded petrol rose substantially in all of the countries surveyed over the past 12 months. Increases ranged from 20 percent in Italy and the UK to 32 percent in France. But although these figures make the much-debated rise in UK petrol prices look comparatively modest, the falling value of the pound masks the true position in Europe.
Florida is the most popular US summer destination for UK tourists, with its competitive three-day rental rates and low fuel costs. The cost of motoring puts Florida way ahead of its continental rivals — 40 percent cheaper than the lowest-priced European country for unleaded and 36 percent less for diesel fuel. Spain proved to be the cheapest in Europe, with petrol prices half of those in Greece, the most expensive country surveyed.
source: Today’s Zaman
