United Arab Emirates proves popular among Brits over Easter

Flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and other destinations in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) will have been popular among British travellers over Easter, with demand for the country's currency increasing significantly ahead of the holiday period.

Sainsbury's Travel Money revealed that its exchange bureaux across the UK reported a 122 per cent increase in orders for the UAE dirham in the seven days before Easter compared to a normal week at that time of year.

Thailand also attracted strong interest from British travellers, with a 107 per cent increase in demand for the baht during the pre-Easter period.

There was an 86 per cent rise in the volume of Canadian dollars traded, while euro orders climbed by 84 per cent, despite the unfavourable exchange rate.

Scott Gorman, head of Sainsbury's Travel Money, said: "The week before Easter is usually a busy week for people getting their foreign currency, but the difference in demand for more exotic currencies is marked.

"Clearly there were some great last-minute deals to be had in the UAE, judging by the increase in demand for dirham."

The figures showed a fall in orders for the dollar currencies of both Australia and New Zealand in the run-up to Easter.

Posted by Andrew, 16 April 2010 13:21

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• Dubai
• Abu Dhabi