Final answer:
It is financially prudent for the student to pre-pay the vacation package now to take advantage of the current stronger dollar value before it depreciates, which would make the trip costlier in the future.
Step-by-step explanation:
If the value of the US dollar is expected to depreciate in the near future, this means that every dollar will convert into fewer British pounds when you are in England. Therefore, if you choose to pre-pay your vacation now, you will lock in the current exchange rate, and this will likely be to your benefit because you will use a stronger dollar compared to what it's projected to be in the future. Conversely, if you decide to pay later, you may end up paying more because it will take more dollars to meet the amount required in pounds due to the dollar's depreciation.
Taking into consideration the provided information that a weaker dollar benefits foreign tourists to the United States because they get more value for their currency, the reverse is true for US tourists going abroad. A weaker dollar will make foreign expenses more costly. As exemplified, a hotel bill in England will take more dollars to settle if the dollar weakens. Hence, the economical choice in this scenario would be to pre-pay for the vacation package immediately rather than paying upon arrival in England.