Although Turkey’s position outside the Eurozone has delivered great value for holidaymakers in recent years, could its dominance of the short-haul market in summer 2010 be threatened by the steep rise in prices in some of its biggest resorts?

That is the widespread suggestion in the travel business, following the Holiday Money Report from the Post Office which warns that visitors to Turkey could be hit by a 44 per cent hike in the price of meals, drinks and other holiday items this year.

It sounds grim news for any of the 2.4 million Britons who visited Turkey in 2009 and intend to go back.

Sarah Munro, Post Office Head of Travel Money, says: “The euro is at around the same level as it was in March 2009, but prices have dropped in many of the eurozone countries surveyed by our barometer. The eight-euro (£7.50) cup of coffee is a myth, and prices are reassuringly lower in many top resorts.

“The real story is Turkey – which is highly recommended as a value short-haul destination – whose currency, the Turkish lira, is now about eight per cent stronger than a year ago. At the same time, costs have risen steeply for basic tourist items in resorts, such as Marmaris and Bodrum.

“British tourists expecting a bargain deal may actually have to pay more than in one of the cheaper eurozone destinations, such as Spain.”

Another survey from STA Travel, says Turkey is dearer than Asia, but cheaper than other European countries.

Its analysis compared prices for a pint of beer, a meal in a local restaurant, a night in a hotel, a bus ride and a sight-seeing bus tour around the city, and it found Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia tops the list for cheapest destination, coming in at a grand total of £13.09, followed closely by Hanoi, Vietnam (£18.29).