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INSTEAD of spending loads on heading to the French Riviera, Brits could venture to a dupe for a fraction of the cost.

The French Riviera is known for its glamour but often comes with eye-watering prices.

Though, heading to Hammamet on the ‘Tunisian Riviera’ is just 35 per cent of the cost of a holiday to the French Riviera.

And bookings have also increased by 50 per cent following Brits ditching holidays to Turkey and Egypt following the Iran crisis.

With First Choice, Brits could pay just £516 for a week’s all-inclusive holiday to Hammamet, whereas the same holiday in St Tropez would be likely to set you back almost three times that – £1,500.

Hammamet – which is also affectionately known as the Tunisian St Tropez – is often associated with artists and actors as well as a vibrant beach-club culture.

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Visitors can head to the Yasmine district, where they will find a palm-lined promenade, waterfront cafés and Tunisia’s largest marina with many superyachts.

Beach lovers can enjoy the long stretch of golden sand, with water sports and the Carthage Land theme park.

A spokesperson for First Choice said: “[The theme park] offers kids and adult-sized rollercoasters, large-scale water slides, museum-style educational exhibits and a 5D cinema.”

Tickets cost between £6 and £8 for the day.

Or for something more active, have a go at the quad bike tours, which take you on and around the hills surrounding Hammamet.

Local recommendations from the First Choice team also include heading to Bel Canto restaurant, which is Italian-Mediterranean.

Inside, the interiors are modern, and the restaurant serves a vast array of dishes including pizza and seafood, with prices ranging from around £5 to £15 per dish.

Another option is Yuman which serves a more European range of dishes and is open from breakfast to dinner.

The cafe also has great views of the beach and the city walls.

Breakfast ranges between £4 and £8, dinner ranges between £10 and £18 and cocktails don’t cost more than £9.

If you are looking for a bar, then head to the Beer Garden Brasserie in Yasmine.

The beach-view bar is open until 4am on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and there are always live music events and karaoke nights.

Compared to the French Riviera, Hammamet has more all-inclusive accommodation, with daily costs working out at around £73.

But on the French Riviera you will have to fork out cash for meals out.

For example, a mid-range dinner is likely to set you back up to £80 per person. Local beers cost between £4.50 and £7 and a glass of rosé can even be as much as £20.

And if you wanted to soak up the sunshine, even this will set you back as much as £130 in the peak season.

As a result, a daily spend is over £200 more for the French Riviera compared to Hammamet.

If you want to travel to Hammamet you could book seven-nights all-inclusive at the Sentido Marillia Resort & Spa with flights from Newcastle Airport on May 11 (hand luggage only) for £516 per person.

The resort sits right by the beach and features 10 bars and restaurants including a wood-fired pizzeria.

Inside the hotel, families will find 352 rooms, including family options, twin rooms, and suites.

The hotel even has its own nightclub, and a cocktail party once a week, although there is also a kids’ club too, which is open until midnight.

Outside, there are two pools, including one that is Olympic-sized, and there is also an additional kids’ pool.

Kevin Nelson, Managing Director for First Choice, said: “Brits are tired of saving destinations for ‘someday’.

“They want experiences that feel bucket-list-worthy but actually fit into their budgets and availability.

“Hammamet is a great example of a budget friendly luxury swap, all the French‑Riviera perks, without the French‑Riviera price tag.”

Flights to Hammamet cost from £83 return in April, with the flight taking just over three hours.

For more inspiration on holiday dupes, here are five holiday destination dupes to swap for overcrowded tourist spots.

Plus, here’s where The Sun’s travel experts are holidaying this year and how we found the best deals from Ibiza dupes to UK parks.

AS A RESULT of the Iran crisis, Brits have been looking for different destinations to travel to, with demand rising for some countries.

The conflict in the Middle East has had a ripple effect throughout the travel sector, with Brits being forced to cancel their holidays as the Foreign Office has issued ‘do not travel’ warnings to some destinations.

And now, Brits looking at booking a holiday are choosing destinations closer to home in Europe.

Last week, On The Beach confirmed that they had experienced a drop in demand for popular holiday destinations including Greece, Turkey, Cyprus and Egypt, as a result of growing tensions in the Middle East.

This is despite the Government having no warning against travel to any of the popular holiday regions in these countries.

But on the other hand, TUI has seen increased interest in Greece, as well as Portugal and Spain, as customers look to “familiar destinations”.

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Neil Swanson, a director at TUI, said: “While we are seeing some cancellations in the affected areas, these are currently outweighed by customers choosing to amend their plans instead,” reports The Guardian.

Hays Travel on the other hand, has seen interest grow for trips to Italy, Malta and Croatia.

And Surrey-based holiday operator Kuoni has seen interest in longer haul destinations such as the Caribbean grow although this also comes with a jump in price as well.

Mark Duguid from Kuoni said: “What we’ve seen is huge increases in flight prices, because the seats remaining are limited – we are talking about seats going up by £1,000 a person for an economy seat, which then prices the holiday out of the market for many customers.”

Pure One Travel founder, Wesley Baker, said: “Travellers are still eager to explore the world, but geopolitical events inevitably influence where people choose to go.

“We are seeing customers pivot towards destinations they perceive as easier and more straightforward to reach.”

The tour operator added that interest has increased for destinations such as Spain, Portugal, Italy and Greece.

Baker added: “Many travellers are simply redirecting their plans rather than cancelling them.

“Europe remains extremely popular, while long-haul destinations in Latin America are also attracting interest from travellers looking for something more adventurous.”

According to Expedia, popular European destinations for this spring based on search data include Paris in France; Amsterdam in the Netherlands; Rome in Italy and Majorca and Tenerife in Spain.

Ljubljana in Slovenia has seen a 90 per cent increase in search as well, and Valencia in Spain has seen a 65 per cent increase.

The Sun’s Head of Travel Lisa Minot explained: “There’s no doubt the current crisis in the Middle East is going to have a seismic impact on our holiday habits.

“Reports of travellers stranded in the UAE and across the globe will certainly prompt those looking to travel long haul to look at alternative ways to fly – with direct flights to places like Thailand, the Maldives and Japan sure to be very popular.

“Closer to home, the situation will sadly likely impact destinations like Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus and possibly even Greece.

“And with soaring fuel costs, tour operators will be looking to price alternative destinations competitively.

“But there are other options – our traditional resorts in places like Spain and Portugal are good, safe bets.

“Comparison giant TravelSupermarket has crunched the numbers for this summer and declared Spain’s Costa Calida one of the best-value destinations for this summer.

“Dubbed the ‘warm coast’, this region stretching along the south eastern region of Murcia is one of Spain’s most underrated coastlines with 150miles of beaches, crystal clear waters and the unique Mar Menor lagoon, Europe’s largest saltwater lake.

“Also worth exploring are the likes of Montenegro, Albania and even North Macedonia for cheaper hotel and restaurant costs as well as traditional favourite Bulgaria.”

For more inspiration on where to go on holiday, here are 10 European getaways in the Easter holidays for under £200 per person.

Plus, cheeky 48-hour holidays to Europe’s best cities, beach towns and islands this summer from £167.