Barbados most expensive place to visit

When it comes to summer holidays, everyone is always quick to recommend the most affordable destinations to their friends, but nobody tells - or warns - others about the costliest getaways. Now, new research from Santander reveals that Barbados is the most expensive place in the world to visit.

British people visiting this summer will have to fork out an average of £109 a day in spending money – not including the cost of a hotel – according to the lender's 1|2|3 Credit Card. With a direct return flight to the Caribbean island costing an average of £3,1362 – flying out today, the start of the busiest week of the summer – a couple going away for two weeks could expect to pay around £12,9004 for their summer holiday, once accommodation is included.

Indeed, additional research by Santander has found that more than 2 million people are expected to jet off overseas during the week of 27th July, the most popular week for people to go on holiday.

Close behind as the second most expensive place is the United Arab Emirates, where British tourists can expect to pay £101 a day – on top of return flights costing an average of £617 – meaning a couple’s two-week break departing on the same date could cost them £5,400.

Since 2010, the daily costs of visiting Barbados and the UAE have risen by an average of 36.5%, up from £79 per day in Barbados and £75 per day in the UAE.

By contrast, Poland and India are two of the cheapest places to go, with UK visitors spending an average of £30 per day in both countries.

Matt Hall, Director of Banking at Santander, sas: “Flights and hotels are a major expense on their own, particularly for families travelling in the peak school holiday period, and that’s even before you get to your destination and have to pay for meals out and so on. Depending on where you're going daily costs could vary significantly, so bear this in mind when budgeting for your holiday.”

"If you're looking to spread the cost of a holiday it’s worth considering paying by credit card," he adds. "One of the main upsides to this is that your purchase, if it’s between £100 and £30,000, is protected by law should anything go wrong with your airline or hotel company, for example. This is called Section 75."