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The leading provider of foreign currency in the United Kingdom recently named Australia, Costa Rica, Iceland, Vietnam and Peru as being among the top vacation hotspots for 2016 in terms of exchange leverage.

The strength of the British pound sterling looks set to play a pivotal role in holiday destination choice according to the Holiday Money Report 2016 from Post Office Travel Money. The 10th annual report reveals that three-quarters of the Post Office 40 bestselling currencies are weaker against sterling than a year ago and holidaymakers (tourists) will benefit from the marked impact this is having on prices in many of the world’s most popular resorts.

Research for the Worldwide Holiday Costs Barometer published in the report reveals that the cost of eight tourist staples, including meals and drinks, has fallen in 23 of the 44 key worldwide destinations surveyed. The power of the pound is the main reason for this, although local price cuts are a contributory factor in 13 destinations.

Costa Rica is not typically known as an affordable tourism destination; however, the current relative strength of sterling makes it an attractive destination at this time. Andrew Brown of Post Office Travel Money explained:

“If sterling continues to hold its value, UK holidaymakers will have plenty of choice in the coming year. The Costa Rican colon was the Post Office’s fastest growing currency of 2015 with sales up 46 per cent while demand for the Icelandic krone has mushroomed by 276 per cent in the past five years – taking it into the top 20 bestsellers for the first time. New flights to Costa Rica and Iceland are expected to help boost demand still further in 2016.”

As previously reported by The Costa Rica Star, 2016 is significant for British travelers to our country thanks to Thomson and British Airways inaugurating flights this year.

About the Post Office

The Post Office (Post Office Limited) has an unrivaled national network of over 11,500 branches across the UK, more than all the high street banks combined, and sits at the heart of communities in Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and England. The Post Office has made a commitment to maintaining its network of branches at its current size and reach. It provides around 170 different products and services spanning financial services including savings, insurance, loans, mortgages and credit cards; Government services; telephony; foreign currency; travel insurance and mail services.

The Post Office serves over 17 million customers a week and a third of small businesses. Some 99.7% of the total population live within three miles of a post office and over 97% live with one mile of a post office. For many rural communities, the post office is the only retail outlet. Post Offices branches remain highly valued and trusted, and are the focal point of many communities. For more information, visit http://www.postoffice.co.uk.