Many holidaymakers are keeping their spending in check this summer by booking all-inclusive breaks, a survey has indicated.

Britons departing from airports such as Gatwick and Luton are taking advantage of favourable exchange rates in Mexico and Turkey.

A survey by American Express revealed that sales of the Mexican peso increased 168% in the first three months of this year compared with the January-March 2010 period.

The Turkish lire is also proving popular, but currency sales for traditional holiday hotspots such as the United Arab Emirates, New Zealand and Thailand have fallen.

Unrest in Egypt had some effect on sales of the Egyptian pound, but Egypt stayed in fourth place in the currency table, which was headed by the euro, with the American dollar second and the Australian dollar third.

Terry Perrin, director at American Express global foreign exchange services, said: “Not only do Turkey and Mexico offer favourable exchange rates for the pound, they are also well-known all-inclusive destinations.

“The all-inclusive holiday trend has increased in recent years as holidaymakers, especially families, like to plan their spend ahead of time. Therefore, locations like Turkey and Mexico offer the best of both worlds for a lot of Britons.”

These were the top-selling foreign currencies in the first three months of 2011:

1. The euro

2. US dollar

3. Australian dollar

4. Egyptian pound

5. Turkish lire

6. Mexican peso

7. New Zealand dollar

8. United Arab Emirates dirham

9. Thai bhat

10. Canadian dollar

Copyright © Press Association 2011

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