Euro remains top traveller currency
Wednesday, 11 February 2009 12:00 AM
Euro still on top
Despite the weakened pound, the euro and the US dollar continue to be the top currencies for UK travellers, according to the latest figures from International Currency Exchange (ICE).
As the snow falls across the UK, ICE reveals the top 20 currencies for travellers in January.
"The top four currencies remain unchanged in January, while the number of orders received on our online currency service is up 28 per cent compared to December 2008," confirmed Andrew Hamilton, head of marketing for ICE.
"New entries include the Russian rouble and Philippine peso at 18 and 19 respectively in our top 20.
"Plus, the Australian dollar continues to soar, up 23 per cent, after a 40 per cent increase last month, proving that many travellers are snatching some winter sun down under, despite the economic climate."
Other frontrunners include the Polish zloty, which is up 67 per cent, followed by the Brazilian real up 50 per cent on December.
Thailand remains firmly in the top four with an increase of 26 per cent, alongside the euro in the top spot, up 20 per cent. Singapore dollar orders, traditionally popular for business travellers, were up 77 per cent moving from 20th to 11th position in January.
In contrast, the South African rand saw a drop of 81 per cent in January, moving from fifth to ninth place. Mexican peso orders fell out of favour by 26 per cent, while the UAE dirham dropped by 48 per cent down to 20th spot.
Even the US dollar saw a minor one per cent drop, but this couldn't shake it from the number two spot.
Mr Hamilton concludes: "The euro may be strong, but our figures show that short haul destinations inside the euro-zone are still a big pull for many UK travellers.
"However, it's interesting to see currency orders for Russian roubles, Philippine pesos, Brazilian real and Singapore dollars increasing, suggesting that people are looking for better value and new experiences.
"We advise holidaymakers to shop around for the best rates before picking their holiday destination, as local, day-to-day costs mount up and could cancel out a bargain flight."
Chris O'Toole
