The Co-Ops stats suggest that the seemingly on going depreciation of sterling versus the Euro is now taking its toll on destinations within the EU.  Whilst the cost of holidays in Egypt have fallen sharply over the same period.  As according to online travel brand Last Minute the cost of a break in the Red Sea resort has tumbled by nearly 20% since this time last year.  Whilst the cost of visiting islands such as Lanzarote and Tenerife has increased by around 15%.

All inclusives tend to offer a great deal for the punter – but very little if anything for local businesses. The bulk of the money is spent on booking the holiday in the country of origin – so the major tour operators are happy. But this does little to spread money around here. As these guests have no need to venture beyond the pool bar and hotel dining room.

Times are hard for ancillary businesses such as bars and restaurants. The number of non-Spanish tourists has dropped by nearly 200,000 arrivals so far this year. And when you factor in the fact that each tourist on average spends €36.53 per day it doesn’t take a degree in maths to calculate that millions of Euros have been sucked out of the local economy. All inclusives are doing little to help this situation – but local tourist authorities are highly unlikely to rock the boat by putting pressure on tour operators to cut back on this type of deal.