More British tourists than ever are looking further afield to Vietnam for their holidays, according to a recent report from the British Post Office.
The Post Office's 'Fastest Growing Currencies Summer 2012' report notes that exchanges of the Vietnamese dong have grown by 68% on last year, making the dong the fastest growing currency exchanged in Post Office branches around the country.
The incredible growth in demand for the currency suggests that Britons are beginning to reject traditional holiday destinations in favour of bargain deals to the South East Asian nation.
Andrew Brown, head of the Travel Money section at the UK Post Office suggests that British vacationers are more aware than ever of attractive exchange rates and discount deals when choosing their destinations.
While Vietnam is further afield than the European destinations usually favoured by Britons, the relatively low cost of living in South East Asia makes Vietnam an attractive prospect for the budget conscious.
Furthermore, the recent introduction of non-stop flights between the UK and Vietnam have made the country easier than ever to reach. Vietnam Airlines new service from Gatwick to Hanoi, introduced in late 2011, has reduced the journey time by several hours, forgoing the need to transfer in such Asian transport hubs as Beijing or Bangkok.
New resorts in Vietnam are poised to capitalise on this renewed interest in the country. The Sun Peninsula hotel celebrated its grand opening in June 2012, while the Anantara Mui Ne began taking guests in April. A slew of international chains have also announced plans to enter Vietnam, with the Hilton Danang set to open two years from now and Quy Nhon hotel expected to open for business in 2015.
Other currencies also saw significant gains in summer 2012, with Hungarian national currency Forint up 59% and Brazilian Real up by 66% on 2011, suggesting a growing trend for holiday makers to look to unconventional destinations in the future.
