International Currency Exchange reveals that the Euro is back in the top spot for its UK customers, despite the rate being one to one against sterling. As holidaymakers ring in the New Year, many will be thinking about taking a mid-winter break and ICE looks at the most popular currencies, revealing the top destinations for travellers in 2009.
| Top 20 selling Currencies |
% of currency volume |
| Euro |
33.5% |
| US Dollar |
26.9% |
| Australian Dollar |
12.3% |
| Thai Baht |
4.3% |
| South African Rand |
4.0% |
| Canadian Dollar |
3.7% |
| New Zealand Dollar |
2.4% |
| Swiss Francs |
1.9% |
| Czech Koruna |
1.9% |
| Mexican Peso |
1.3% |
| Brazillian Real |
1.0% |
| Chinese Yuan |
1.0% |
| Malaysia Ringgit |
0.9% |
| UAE Dirham |
0.9% |
| Barbados Dollar |
0.9% |
| Polish Zloty |
0.8% |
| Bulgarian Lev |
0.7% |
| Hong Kong Dollar |
0.6% |
| Kenyan Shilling |
0.6% |
| Singapore Dollar |
0.5% |
|
"Despite an unfavourable exchange rate, the Euro is top of our currency chart, up 39% in December 2008, compared to November" confirmed Andrew Hamilton, Head of Marketing, International Currency Exchange. "Of course, this could be because people pre-booked holidays to the Continent for December. The US Dollar comes in second, but once again, the exchange rate means holiday spending money won't go as far as it did this time last year."
The Australian Dollar is up 40% in December, making up 12.3% of total volume, which is double its usual market share. In addition, the South African Rand is up a staggering 71% on November, topped only by the Thai Baht, which is up 108%, proving the popularity of long haul destinations offering good value and winter sun. New entries in ICE's top 20 include the Malaysian Ringgit and the Kenyan Shilling, as holidaymakers look for new places to go.
"With the pound at an all time low, UK travellers need to pick their holiday destination carefully, looking for the best value" concluded Andrew Hamilton. "They should shop around for rates before deciding where to travel. And it is important to consider the local price of activities and services, rather than just looking at the cost of the flight."
"We also advise holidaymakers to buy their foreign currency before they go to ensure they get the best rates and avoid additional charges incurred by getting money from ATMs and using credit cards abroad."
