British leisure travellers have been urged to consider the financial cost of their summer holidays.

The International Currency Exchange (ICE) stated that tourists would benefit from taking exchange rates into account when choosing where they would like to visit.

This would allow people to get the best value for money on their trip, as they will be required to pay for more than just flights and accommodation.

Andrew Hamilton, head of marketing at ICE, commented: “The credit crunch means holidaymakers should make sure they are getting the most for their pounds, as all the little extras soon mount up.”

Figures from ICE illustrated how costs vary across the world, as entry into a tourist attraction in Florida can cost up to £30 per head, whereas the average entry fee in Spain is close to £8.

Meanwhile, the Edinburgh Evening News has revealed that the Costa Blanca is proving to be very popular with Scottish leisure travellers.

The newspaper cited figures from BAA Scotland which identified Alicante as a hotspot for tourists last month.

Budget-conscious Britons are spending less on luxury items to make sure they can afford a holiday, new research has revealed.

According to Kayak.co.uk, 95 per cent of people in the UK consider going on holiday more important that owning a home, being in a relationship or having a car, reports Reuters.

Therefore, people affected by the ongoing downturn in the British economy are cutting back in some areas in order to pay for a trip overseas.

Annie Wilson, business development director at the website, commented: “As a nation, we’ve always been much more likely to explore the four corners of the earth than to buy the latest flat screen TV.”

She added that if financially prudent consumers are prepared to be flexible, they could still find “the perfect trip” at a reasonable price.

Earlier this week, the Association of British Travel Agents stated that the number of bookings for this summer has been very healthy.

Spain is proving to be a popular destination among holidaymakers of all ages, new research has revealed.

According to Insurance.co.uk, the European country is the main hotspot for British families who are taking their young children abroad.

In addition, Spain was identified as one of this year’s most popular destinations with people aged over 60.

However, the website also found that young children in the UK are now very well-travelled, as most under-threes will have been abroad at least once.

By contrast, only two-thirds of those aged over 60 have ventured to another country at some point in the past.

Steve Grainger, head of Insurance.co.uk, observed: “Our research clearly shows the over-60s wish they’d seen the world.”

This comes after research by Mondial Assistance revealed that nearly one in three consumers from the UK are planning to take their summer holiday in Spain this year.

The popularity of Spain among British holidaymakers has led to a surge in the number of people passing through a UK airport.

According to new figures, more than 534,000 people travelled through East Midlands Airport during May 2008 - 10.7 per cent up on the same period of 2007.

This was said to be partially due to the two bank holidays, which saw many local people jet off to places including Alicante and Malaga.

The two Spanish cities were flagged up as two of the most popular destinations for air passengers during this period.

Penny Coates, managing director of East Midlands Airport, commented: “This is a remarkable achievement given the current industry trends.”

This is the first time that monthly passenger numbers have exceeded half a million at the transport hub.

Spain was recently named as the most popular holiday destination among European consumers by Mondial Assistance.

Many holidaymakers from the UK are choosing to take their car with them to Spain, a new study has found.

According to a survey by Vauxhall, the European country is one of the main hotspots for motoring leisure travellers.

This is because many believe that they will be able to find out more about the region they are visiting if they travel independently.

Indeed, 64 per cent said driving abroad is a good way to become acquainted with different customs and styles.

Simon Ewart, spokesperson for Vauxhall, commented: “It is great to get away and have your own freedom to come and go as you please.”

However, 12 per cent of those polled said they find it difficult to get used to driving on the other side of the road.

This comes after a study by Norwich Union revealed that the average Briton drives a Ford Fiesta and holidays in Spain each summer.

Consumers in the UK are continuing to book holidays to other countries, according to industry experts.

The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) stated that the number of bookings for this summer has been very healthy.

This is despite the fact that many are facing various financial constraints as a result of the credit crunch and rising fuel prices.

ABTA spokesperson Sean Tipton said this shows that going on holiday is now widely seen as a necessity rather than a luxury.

He commented: “It’s something that is very much part of our lives.”

Mr Tipton added that poor climate in the UK has partly fuelled this trend, as people can expect to get “consistently good weather” in the Mediterranean.

This comes after research by Mondial Assistance revealed that nearly one in three consumers from the UK are planning to take their summer holiday in Spain this year.

Most British holidaymakers do not know the language of the country they are visiting, according to a new study.

Research by LateRooms.com revealed that 81 per cent of tourists from the UK are unwilling to take a phrase book or dictionary with them when heading overseas.

More than half of those polled were found to be unable to recognise basic phrases in the language of their holiday destination, while one in three said they rely on the ability of locals to speak fluent English.

Chris Morris, managing director of LateRooms.com, commented: “A phrase book or dictionary doesn’t take up much room in a suitcase and British tourists will be surprised at how far a couple of useful phrases can go.”

He said learning the language is a good way for people to broaden their horizons, communicate with local people and soak up the culture.

This comes after a poll by LateRooms.com found that 15 per cent of British adults do not know where Spain is on a normal map.

ITV1’s Bafta-nominated sitcom Benidorm is set to return to Britain’s TV screens for a third series.

Eight episodes of the show, which stars Johnny Vegas and Steve Pemberton, have been commissioned along with an hour-long special.

Peter Fincham, director of television at ITV, said he is “delighted” that the popular series will be coming back next year.

He commented: “Benidorm has a fantastic mix of warmth, charm, and fun.”

The sitcom, which was created by Derren Little, was recently credited with inspiring a surge of interest in holidays to the region.

According to LateRooms.com, the number of bookings for trips to Benidorm doubled throughout the duration of its second series earlier this year.

Kathy Gwinnett, spokesperson for the website, praised the resort for offering a number of different attractions for holidaymakers, including affordable hotels, good beaches and a very lively atmosphere.

Much of the TV series was filmed at the Hotel Sol Pelicanos-Ocas in Benidorm, while many scenes were also recorded at places such as Morgan’s Tavern.

Spain has been named as the most popular holiday destination among Europeans by Mondial Assistance.

According to the organisation, 25.3 per cent of people flying within Europe for their summer breaks will visit the country.

Spain was found to be a particularly popular choice among British people, as 30 per cent of tourists from the UK are heading there for their holidays.

In addition, figures showed that it will attract more than one in three leisure travelers from Switzerland this summer.

However, the nation was also found to be especially popular with Spaniards, as 35.8 per cent of tourists from Spain are not planning to venture to foreign shores.

Instead, this group intends to remain within the country and enjoy attractions closer to home.

This comes after the Typically Spanish website cited official figures showing that more than 15 million people took a holiday in Spain between January and April 2008.

Holidaymakers are increasingly booking their trips to Spain on the internet, new research has found.

According to Google Spain’s travel division, 31 per cent of all holidays in the country during the year to date have been booked online.

Javier Gonzalez-Soria, head of the organisation, said this figure is expected to increase over the next few years as more people embrace the internet as a means of purchasing goods and services.

He said the growth of the web has “radically changed” the behaviour of travel consumers in the last decade.

This was largely attributed to the fact that leading tourist destinations such as Spain have taken full advantage of the opportunities this medium has to offer.

For example, the country was praised for using online advertising and making itself visible on search engines.

This comes after online travel agency Freedom Direct revealed that the strong euro has not impacted on the number of bookings for Spain.