Vietnam emerges as UK tourists’ No 1 summer destination

“As  the  new  school  term  gets  underway,  marking  the  start  of  the  winter  sun season, Vietnam has emerged as the summer’s biggest long haul success story for the second consecutive year,” the Fastest Growing Currencies report for June-August states.

The annual review of summer bestsellers by the UK’s biggest foreign currency provider reveals that its Vietnamese dong sales rose 106 percent from 2012 to 2013, following a rise of 68 percent between 2011 and 2012.

This amazing growth “indicates that demand for Vietnam holidays, driven last year by the introduction of direct flights and more recently by the opening of a clutch of luxury beach resorts, shows no sign of slowing,” the report states.

Vietnam is closely followed by Australia, according to the report.

“After successive years when the Australian dollar surged against sterling, holidaymakers have benefited from a stronger pound – currently worth 12.8 percent more than 12 months ago,” it says.

“While the 98 percent dollar sales growth can, in part, be attributed to Lions rugby supporters, continuing strong demand since the tour ended suggests that UK tourists are responding to the improving value of the pound.”

Sharing the last two posts of the top ten are the Japanese yen and the Kenyan shilling, both of which rose 40 percent year-on-year.

 “Destinations further afield again proved the big winners in the drive to attract UK holidaymakers during the summer,” Andrew Brown, of Post Office Travel Money, said in a statement.

Brown advised UK holidaymakers to buy currency before leaving home or load it onto a pre-paid card instead of “wasting cash by changing money for a low exchange rate when they get to the airport.”

Post Office Travel Money said 25 currencies are available on demand at 1,600 of its branches, while over 4,000 branches offer US dollars and 10,000 offer euro over the counter.