The study, commissioned by Kelkoo, and conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, rated the world’s most popular beach destinations using the latest official statistics to assess the performance of 10 key travel criteria, including: climate, security, local affordability of goods and services, quality of food, the cost of flights and accommodation, tourist attractions, and the exchange rate. A YouGov survey of almost 2,300 adults was conducted to ascertain the importance British holidaymakers placed on each factor, and the scores for each destination were then weighted accordingly to determine the ‘Kelkoo Beach Index’ rankings.

With enviable weather conditions, reasonably priced flights and accommodation, as well as favourable exchange rates, Bulgaria’s Black Sea Coast emerges as the top beach destination this summer, closely followed by North Tunisia, Antalya in Turkey, and Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt. According to the index, these destinations rank highest in the affordability stakes, the number one holiday consideration for today’s travellers. This summer, almost 9 out of 10 people (87%) claim prices at destination constitute the most important criteria when picking their perfect holiday, 86% deem the cost of accommodation and flights (82%) to be key, while 81% believe security is also a determining factor [2]. Scoring lowest are Sydney, Australia (20th), Rio de Janeiro in Brazil (19th), and Hawaii (18th), due to low overall affordability scores which force them down to the bottom of the table.

Bruce Fair, Managing Director of Kelkoo UK, comments: “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.”