ABTA, representative of travel agents and tour operators have said that the current weakness of the pound is likely to affect holiday destinations in 2009, after the sterling fell more than 30% against the euro and US dollar last year.

The likes of Egypt and Turkey are reducing their living costs and are therefore likely to benefit from the collapse after they saw an increase of more than 30% of UK visitors last year. Other countries that are predicted to do well are the likes of Mexico, Dubai, Australia and Cuba.

In Europe, Spain is currently the most chosen holiday destination by tourists from the UK, with over 12 million choosing to take their holidays there every year.

France comes in second most popular among us British tourists, with around 7 million of us travelling there every year.

More than 2 million of us travel to the likes of Italy and the US; and approximately 1.3 million of us currently holiday in Turkey.

ABTA spokesperson Frances Tuke has said: ‘Last year saw an increase in visitors to Turkey by 32% and visitors to Egypt up by 38%.
‘We think those will be the two biggest winners in 2009.’

Travel editor for the Independent  newspaper, Simon Calder, has said he believes tourists who travel to Spain and similar countries who have also adopted the Euro will be looking to make economies. He said: ‘People will be indulging in austerity tourism.
‘Let’s not go out for a lovely lunch in Paris, let’s wait until the weather’s a little bit warmer and go for a picnic in the Place des Vosges’

It is the Japanese yen that the pound sterling has fared worst against in the last year however, which has appreciated by about 69%.

Tourists intending to travel to some countries that still appreciate the pound have seen it rise in some places, such as a rise of over 30% compared to the Seychelles rupee, and slightly lower than 30% against the Icelandic krona.

However, Mark Thompson of the foreign currency firm Moneycorp, has warned that tourists may not in fact benefit from the change, saying that: ‘the one thing that may trip people up slightly is that you’ll find that some of the hotels won’t always price their rooms in local currencies.
‘In Mauritius, for example, they price their rooms in euros.’

The travel industry has claimed that demand for holidays for the 16 countries that have adopted the euro are unlikely to suffer a dramatic fall.
Frances Tuke of ABTA said: ’I still believe Spain will be way up there in terms of our favourite destinations.
‘A lot of people have second homes over there for instance.’