The Salary Calculator

Like a lot of people, I’m keeping my eye on foreign exchange rates at the moment. Those people lucky enough to go on holiday abroad this year have been worrying about the weak pound ever since they booked the ferry! Fortunately, the pound has been getting stronger over the last few months and while it’s nowhere near the levels it was this time last year, it’s a significant improvement on 6 months ago, when it was pretty much £1 = €1.

It’s improved against the dollar, too – from $1.38 a few months ago to $1.65. Although most of us will be comparing this with the $2.00 rate that was stable for some time in 2008, it’s worth remembering that that was unusually high, and $1.70 or $1.80 is more like the standard value. Compared to this, $1.65 is not too bad.

While a strong pound is good news for holidaymakers, the British tourist industry often suffers as fewer people visit our shores, and those that do come spend less while they are here. Hopefully this summer will see an improvement on previous years as visitors from the US, the Eurozone and even Japan are all still getting a good deal on their pounds, and more natives stay at home to beat the exchange rate!

Although some people in the industry are negative, believing that economic uncertainty and unemployment will mean fewer people will be taking advantage of the tourist industry, the fact that the pound is still lower than it was last summer should pull visitors in from abroad and hopefully give the industry a shot in the arm.

Exchange rates can be monitored here.