Spain and Turkey are looking sexier – and cheaper – than the Greek islands

"The Greek islands have retained the enchantment that inspired Homer and Byron – the 'wine-dark sea', the scent of jasmine at twilight and nights alive with shooting stars." So says the travel writer Dana Facaros in her latest book. But the late deals on the MyTravel website have a more worrying message for the Greek tourism industry: "Majorca, 7 nights, £236".

Mass tourism is a promiscuous business and this summer destinations such as Spain and Turkey are looking sexier – which for many means cheaper – than the Greek islands.

For millions of us, sun, sea and sand comprise a commodity. We are less concerned about the local language and culture than the cost of a package from our nearest airport and the price of a pint there.

We do not want to spend days waiting for baggage handlers to return to work or for National Air Traffic Services to train up a few more controllers, which helps explain why a week's holiday to Spain in the last week of August is so cheap.

Nor are we keen to die at the hands of whichever terrorists are now targeting tourists; Teesside to Turkey looks a bargain at £246 but beware Kurdish guerrillas. But if package prices fall low enough, there will always be buyers.

Dissolute tourists we may be but it is not all our fault. "Everything you need for a fantastic time, just where you want it," burbles the brochure from Thomas Cook. The teetotal founder might be horrified by all-inclusive packages that promise unlimited alcohol "for at least 12 hours every day", and holidaymakers' sense of location may become even more blurred as they struggle with even the basic geography of the route between pool and bar.

Most tourists, though, still pay as they go – and compare prices as readily as they swap holiday snaps when they come home. This summer, the euro has made comparisons much simpler; no longer need you ponder whether a hamburger or bus ride is better value at 500 drachmas, 3,000 lire or 250 pesetas. The traveller sensitive to prices can instantly pronounce on the relative cost of holiday living in Skiathos, Sorrento or Salou, even if he or she can't quite manage the name of the resort.

Turkey remains outside the single currency soany holidaymaker in Antalya or Ankara with 40 pence to their name qualifies as an instant lire millionaire. The Greeks and the Turks may continue their war of words but this summer's battle for the thrifty traveller has been won by Turkey.

To many tourists, Greece's image has been dented by reports of rapes in Falaraki, Rhodes, and docu-soap portrayals of loutish behaviour by Britons. "Fur and jewellery shops rub shoulders with bars featuring wet T-shirt contests and local supermarkets that call themselves Safeway, Asda and KwikSave," writes Dana Facaros.

In 'Maid of Athens', Byron wrote: "Though I fly to Istambol, Athens holds my heart and soul." For Greece, the problem is that today plenty of holidaymakers know the price of everything, or at least think they do, and rate low costs more highly than the scent of jasmine at twilight.