Sri Lanka has been voted the best value long haul destination for British holidaymakers, according to research by the UK government's national Post Office. The annual survey, which compares holiday costs in various exotic travel destinations, said Sri Lanka is, "the best for long haul value" - beating popular hotspots such as Mexico, Malaysia and Thailand.

And in a double boost for the country, one of the UK's biggest tour operators Hayes and Jarvis revealed that its latest research showed Sri Lanka is among the best value destinations for a package holiday.

The Post Office's yearly 'Long Haul Holiday Report' calculated the cost of 10 essential holiday purchases which cost just £46.85 (8,302 LKR) in Sri Lanka compared with £155.48 (27,552 LKR) in Sydney, Australia. The survey revealed that previous winning destinations, such as Thailand and South Africa, had seen significant rises in the price of food, drinks and supermarket goods which made Sri Lanka by far the most financially attractive and cost effective country for long haul holidays.

Sean Tipton from the UK's Association of British Travel Agents said: "Long haul travel from the UK can initially look unattractive with air fares costing more than travelling to Europe but many long haul destinations are cheaper than the Mediterranean, with even a weak pound going a very long way."

Sri Lanka has witnessed a sharp rise in visitors following the end of hostilities between government forces and Tamil terrorists in the north and east of the island. Nearly 400,000 foreign tourists visited in the first eight months of 2010, an increase of 47 per cent on the previous year.