Herald News Bureau

Panaji, May 22: If Goa’s famed sun, sea, sand and sites have drawn in millions of tourists from across the globe, the coastal paradise has just added yet another ‘S’ feather in its cap — savings.

Goa has, once again, polled the world’s best bargain holiday spot, a feat repeated for the third year in a row.

In its summer 2006 survey into the cost of living in the world’s leading holiday resorts, the Thomas Cook Cost of Holiday Living Index (TCCHLI) surveyed prices on 16 typical holiday items across 25 popular worldwide destinations.

The survey affirmed Goa’s undisputed status as the world’s cheapest package holiday destination. While a three-course meal in Goa was about £5 (approx Rs 425), it was £8 (Rs 680) in Brazil, the next cheapest destination.

According to the TCCHLI survey, the average price of 16 typical holiday items (including milk, bread, taxis, meals and papers) in Goa was £25.70 (Rs 2,184), in comparison to £26.89 (Rs 2,286) in Brazil.

Incidentally, the survey revealed that long-haul destinations such as Goa, offer greater savings in holiday spending compared with Europe, with Goa, Brazil and Tunisia all cheaper overall than even Bulgaria, Europe’s cheapest destination.

In contrast, Europe’s cheapest destinations according to the TCCHLI survey for 2006 were Bulgaria, (overall cost: £34.73), Spain (overall cost: £44.72) and Majorca (overall cost: £45.98).

“For the budget clients, the best long-haul destination is Goa. When compared to other countries, Goa’s overall pricing package is relatively lower,” explains Ernest Dias  of Sita Destination Management.