LONDON, July 21, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --
TripAdvisor's TripIndex Reveals Where Your Holiday Pound Goes the Furthest
TripAdvisor®, the world's largest travel site*, today launches its inaugural TripIndex - a cost comparison of key tourist cities around the world and in the UK, tracked against the British pound.
TripAdvisor's TripIndex is based on the combined cost of one night's accommodation (four star hotel), a common food item (pizza), an alcoholic cocktail (dry martini) and a taxi journey in each destination.
Beating 49 rival cities, Bangkok is revealed as the best value international city for British travellers, with its total TripIndex cost coming in at £69. The most expensive city in the list, Paris, came in at £268 - nearly four times more expensive than Bangkok.
Belfast came out as the UK's best value city. Its total TripIndex cost came to £107, less than half the cost of the UK's most expensive city, London.
"We've developed TripIndex to help travellers accurately set holiday budget expectations," commented TripAdvisor spokesperson Emma O'Boyle. "For instance, a British traveller in Sofia can expect to spend a fraction of what a traveller to Paris would spend on the same holiday items."
Hotels & Taxis Set Destinations Apart
Affordability in the ten cheapest destinations is most evident in hotel and taxi costs:
- One night in a four-star hotel in Bangkok is just £53 - compared to over £145 for the ten most expensive destinations.
- While a five mile taxi journey costs just £2 or £3 in many of the ten cheapest destinations, the same journey costs over £20 in the likes of Zurich and Tokyo.
This TripIndex is based on the current exchange rate and applies to travel between June and August 2011 with hotel prices based on the average cost of a four star hotel found on TripAdvisor, via multiple partner booking sites.
Stretch your Pound in Europe and Beyond
Asia emerged as the most affordable continent, claiming three of the ten most affordable cities for British travellers, with Bangkok number one, followed by Beijng. Perhaps surprisingly, Dubai, destination of choice for footballers and the jet-set crowd, made it into the top 10 at tenth place.
For those looking to stay within Europe, TripIndex reveals that Sofia in Bulgaria and Budapest in Hungary both offer excellent value against the pound, coming in at fifth and sixth places respectively.
Splash the cash
At the other end of the scale, Paris, Zurich, Tokyo, London and New York comprise the five most expensive cities for British travellers according to TripIndex.
Belfast Best for Value
TripIndex unveils Belfast as the UK's best-value city break. With one night in a four-star hotel coming in at £81 and a total TripIndex cost of £107, it narrowly beats Liverpool and is less than half the cost of London.
"Cost, and in particular value for money, is one of the most important considerations for travellers. By examining the same four holiday items, including the all important hotel cost, TripIndex allows travellers to make an educated decision as to whether a destination is right for them," continued TripAdvisor's Emma O'Boyle.
TripIndex:
Best Value International Cities
Dry
City Martini
Hotel (GBP) Taxi (GBP) Pizza (GBP) (GBP) Total (GBP)
1. Bangkok GBP53.19 GBP1.54 GBP8.54 GBP6.18 GBP69.46
2. Beijing GBP60.81 GBP2.49 GBP3.73 GBP7.47 GBP74.50
3. Sharm El
Sheikh GBP64.52 GBP2.08* GBP3.60 GBP9.37 GBP79.57
4. Kuala Lumpur GBP65.64 GBP2.07 GBP6.82 GBP8.62 GBP83.15
5. Sofia GBP70.97 GBP2.40 GBP5.40 GBP5.40 GBP84.17
6. Budapest GBP72.76 GBP7.25 GBP4.05** GBP4.89 GBP88.96
7. Auckland GBP63.52 GBP14.19 GBP5.17 GBP8.36 GBP91.24
8. Marrakech GBP74.55 GBP1.56* GBP7.71 GBP7.79 GBP91.62
9. Warsaw GBP72.49 GBP6.54 GBP6.51 GBP6.54 GBP92.08
10.Dubai GBP79.71 GBP3.21 GBP6.41 GBP6.41 GBP95.75
Most Expensive International Cities
Dry
City Martini
Hotel (GBP) Taxi (GBP) Pizza (GBP) (GBP) Total (GBP)
1. Paris GBP224.83 GBP7.77 GBP13.11 GBP22.00 GBP267.71
2. Zurich GBP190.84 GBP25.90 GBP12.06** GBP6.85 GBP235.64
3. London GBP185.96 GBP20.00 GBP11.99 GBP14.00 GBP231.95
4. Tokyo GBP168.98 GBP23.42 GBP22.00 GBP16.50 GBP230.89
5. New York City GBP201.32 GBP7.76 GBP7.44 GBP11.17 GBP227.69
6. Rio de Janeiro GBP192.65 GBP4.15 GBP9.46 GBP8.67 GBP214.93
7. Moscow GBP187.78 GBP5.52 GBP7.51 GBP13.25 GBP214.06
8. Kiev GBP191.92 GBP2.72 GBP6.06 GBP5.05 GBP205.74
9. Amsterdam GBP145.45 GBP18.48 GBP18.70 GBP11.44 GBP194.06
10. Stockholm GBP157.29 GBP8.31 GBP16.24 GBP11.46 GBP193.30
UK Cities
City Dry Martini
Hotel (GBP) Taxi (GBP) Pizza (GBP) (GBP) Total (GBP)
1. Belfast GBP81.48 GBP8.06 GBP10.50 GBP6.50 GBP106.54
2. Liverpool GBP87.22 GBP9.20 GBP10.95 GBP8.25* GBP115.62
3. Cardiff GBP96.02 GBP10.14 GBP10.95 GBP5.95 GBP123.06
4. Glasgow GBP104.10 GBP9.40 GBP10.95 GBP6.95 GBP131.40
5. Manchester GBP104.04 GBP11.40 GBP10.95 GBP9.50 GBP135.89
6. Bath GBP115.85 GBP11.15 GBP10.95 GBP12.00 GBP149.95
7. Edinburgh GBP140.56 GBP11.00 GBP10.95 GBP11.50 GBP174.01
8. London GBP183.04 GBP20.00 GBP10.95 GBP14.00 GBP227.99
The full TripIndex is available at http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/InfoCenter-a_ctr.landerUK
More on TripIndex
The hotel cost - one of a traveller's biggest concerns when setting a holiday budget - is based on data from many TripAdvisor partners, including online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers, for travel between June and August 2011, providing a highly accurate index.
Notes to Editors
The international TripIndex destination list comprises key cities from each of the 50 countries which received the largest number of international tourist arrivals in 2010 (data compiled by the UNWTO - United Nations World Tourism Organisation)
TripIndex prices out the following items in each destination:
- Per night cost a four-star hotel (between June and August 2011)
- Cost of five mile taxi
- Cost of an alcoholic cocktail (dry martini)
- Cost of a meal (large cheese pizza)
Prices were collected through a variety of research methods as outlined below. Prices were taken in local currencies between May and July 2011 and converted to GBP on 14th July 2011. The 'basket' of items - one night's accommodation, a five-mile taxi journey, a large cheese pizza and a dry martini - are representative of the common items many travellers will purchase while on holiday. To achieve the highest possible level of accuracy, prices were individually researched in local currency and converted into sterling.
Hotels: Hotel prices shown specify the average cost of a four-star hotel found on TripAdvisor (via partner booking sites such as online travel agencies and direct hotel suppliers) in each destination for the summer travel period (June-August 2011). On average, 45 hotels were price-checked to identify the average cost of one night's accommodation in each city
Dry Martini: Dry Martini prices shown specify the cost of a traditional dry martini in the main/largest bar in a top-rated five-star hotel on TripAdvisor in each destination. In the one destination (Liverpool) where a five-star hotel was not listed on TripAdvisor, a top-rated four-star hotel was chosen.
Pizza: Pizza prices shown specify the cost of a large cheese pizza from a globally-recognised chain in each destination. In destinations where globally-recognised pizza chains do not operate or are uncommon, an average cost was taken from three local pizzerias.
Taxi: Taxi prices shown specify the cost of a five-mile taxi journey (8km) in each destination. In most cases, data was obtained from the local government or large taxi company operating in the area. In the approximately 30% of destinations where such information was not available, data was obtained from destination specialists. Please note taxi prices will vary according to a number of factors, including number of passengers, pick-up/drop-off points, traffic, time of day, method of booking, luggage, etc.
All prices shown are as quoted by source.
About TripAdvisor
TripAdvisor® is the world's largest travel site, enabling travelers to plan and have the perfect trip. TripAdvisor offers trusted advice from real travelers and a wide variety of travel choices and planning features (including Flights search, TripAdvisor Mobile and Instant Personalization) with seamless links to booking tools.
TripAdvisor® Media Group, operated by TripAdvisor LLC, attracts more than 50 million unique monthly visitors* across 19 popular travel brands**. TripAdvisor-branded sites make up the largest travel community in the world, with more than 40 million unique monthly visitors***, 20 million members, and over 50 million reviews and opinions. The sites operate in 30 countries worldwide****, including China under daodao.com. TripAdvisor also operates TripAdvisor for Business, a dedicated division that provides the tourism industry access to TripAdvisor's millions of monthly visitors. The division includes Business Listings, which allows hoteliers to connect directly to millions of researching travelers, and Vacation Rentals, which helps property managers and individual home owners list their properties and showcase hotel alternatives.
TripAdvisor Media Group websites have been recognized as top travel resources in 2010 by Condé Nast Traveller, Good Housekeeping, TIME magazine and Travel + Leisure.
TripAdvisor Media Group generated $486 million in revenue in 2010. TripAdvisor and the sites comprising the TripAdvisor Media Group are operating companies of Expedia, Inc. (NASDAQ: EXPE).
TripAdvisor and the TripAdvisor logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of TripAdvisor LLC in the U.S. and/or other countries. Other logos or product and company names mentioned herein may be the property of their respective owners.
©2011 TripAdvisor LLC. All rights reserved.
*Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Media Group Sites, Worldwide, May 2011
** In addition to TripAdvisor, The TripAdvisor Media Group of websites includes: http://www.airfarewatchdog.com, http://www.bookingbuddy.com, http://www.cruisecritic.com, http://www.everytrail.com, http://www.familyvacationcritic.com, http://www.flipkey.com, http://www.holidaylettings.co.uk, http://www.holidaywatchdog.com, http://www.independenttraveler.com, http://www.onetime.com, http://www.seatguru.com, http://www.sniqueaway.com, http://www.smartertravel.com, http://www.travel-library.com, http://www.travelpod.com, http://www.virtualtourist.com , http://www.whereivebeen.com and http://www.kuxun.cn
***Source: comScore Media Metrix for TripAdvisor Sites, Worldwide, May 2011
**** TripAdvisor sites operate in 30 countries worldwide: http://www.tripadvisor.com, http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk, http://www.tripadvisor.ca, http://www.tripadvisor.it, http://www.tripadvisor.es, http://www.tripadvisor.de, http://www.tripadvisor.fr, http://www.tripadvisor.jp, http://www.daodao.com, http://www.tripadvisor.in, http://www.tripadvisor.se, http://www.tripadvisor.nl, http://www.tripadvisor.com.br, http://www.tripadvisor.com.tr, http://www.tripadvisor.dk, http://www.tripadvisor.com.mx, http://www.tripadvisor.ie, http://www.tripadvisor.com.au, http://www.tripadvisor.com.sg, http://www.tripadvisor.co.kr, no.tripadvisor.com, pl.tripadvisor.com, th.tripadvisor.com, http://www.tripadvisor.ru, http://www.tripadvisor.com.gr, http://www.tripadvisor.co.id, http://www.tripadvisor.com.ar, http://www.tripadvisor.tw, http://www.tripadvisor.com.my and http://www.tripadvisor.com.eg.
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