The global downturn sparked the rise of the so-called staycation but Britons could be better off holidaying in Bulgaria than Brighton.

Holiday hotspots in Turkey and Cyprus are also cheaper for a UK family of four than staying in Blighty, according to a new study.

British resorts and businesses impose such high prices that flying thousands of miles to a resort abroad works out cheaper, the Tesco Travel Money study concluded.

A week in the Bulgarian capital Sofia would cost a family of four £1,221, against a £2,209 to stay in Brighton.

The most-expensive destination in the 14 countries surveyed was Reykjavik in Iceland where a week-long stay would cost £3,383.

The average cost of 14 destinations was £2,076 – a 2 per cent increase on last year.

The survey also showed that car hire and accommodation had risen 6 per cent last year at the surveyed destinations.

John Howells, head of travel money at Tesco Bank, said holiday costs have been impacted by the euro exchange rate.

“With the average cost of a holiday for one week coming in at £2,076, a 2 per cent increase on last year, it is essential holidaymakers are not just looking into the cost of travel but also the expenses they are likely to incur once they are there,” he said.

“For instance, car hire and accommodation make up 71 per cent of weekly spend and have risen 6 per cent on last year.”

Meanwhile, lastminute.com has experienced a rush of people searching for travel deals after England’s early elimination from the World Cup on Sunday.

Bookings rose 25 per cent on the previous day in the hours after the final whistle was blown.

Lowcostholidays.com, meanwhile, said the number of people visiting its website rose 40 per cent compared to last week.