travel
Don’t be grounded by the worldwide financial crisis
The worldwide financial crisis is a story that just keeps getting gloomier as Europe, America and a swathe of other countries and regions struggle with banking fiascos, soaring national debts and plummeting currencies. For holidaymakers, the crisis is...
Italian tour operator seeks protection
Italian tour operator Valtur said this month it was seeking protection from creditors following a slump in tourism in Italy this summer as well as political upheaval in north Africa where it operates. Valtur said in a statement that its restructuring...
Africa’s first A380 Emirates service
Johannesburg welcomed its first scheduled Emirates A380 service recently, as flight EK761 from Dubai arrived at OR Tambo International Airport. Johannesburg, the economic powerhouse of South Africa, is the first destination for the double-decker in...
New mobile platform for online travel resource
International online travel resource, My Destination, has launched its mobile platform, bringing the site’s travel advice, local deals and insider tips from its global network of travel experts directly to people’s mobile devices. Be it a romantic...
Go north for fun, south for culture in UK
Newcastle has been voted the UK’s friendliest city by the British in a survey of 14 city break destinations. North-west cities Liverpool and Manchester came second and fifth respectively in the list of the UK’s most hospitable places in the study by...
‘You can never have seen enough’
Name: Sarah Agius Age: 23 Occupation: TV presenter and brand manager My best holiday ever… It has to be the trip to Dubai and Thailand. It was partially a business trip when I was working on a travel programme, but naturally I wasn’t just working and I...
Antidote to modern life’s ills
Mongolia’s nomadic lifestyle is endangered by a changing ecosystem, the introduction of ownership structures and a booming mining industry. Beatrice Jeschek learns how community-based tourism is trying to help. Every hard line on her face tells a tale...
Holiday prices are set to rise
Britain’s biggest holiday firm warned that the price of a summer holiday will rise next year as it bears the brunt of higher fuel and accommodation costs. Thomson and First Choice owner TUI Travel said it will pass a five per cent increase in the cost...
Lufthansa Group posts 8 per cent rise in passengers
The Lufthansa Group’s airlines boosted the number of passengers they carried by 8.1 per cent in the first nine months of the year. This means that 80.7 million passengers chose to fly with Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, BMI or Germanwings, said a...
Reward scheme for greener journeys
People will be rewarded with offers and discounts for journeys they make in London on foot or by bike under a new incentive scheme. Recyclebank and Transport for London’s (TfL) programme aims to get more people walking and cycling in the capital to...
Flying in Africa is still pricey despite busier skies
It has never been easier to fly to Ouagadougou, Juba or Maputo, but Africa’s increasingly busy skies are still among the most expensive in the world. Budget carriers are cropping up in the bigger countries, with South African taxi operators last month...
Rio’s open-armed Christ celebrates its 80 years
Arms wide open above Rio de Janeiro, the statue of Christ the Redeemer is marking its 80th anniversary as the fifth largest of Jesus in the world and a symbol of the 2016 Olympic city. Hundreds of worshippers celeb-rated the anniversary, along with a...
Canada has best reputation in the world, study reveals
Canada has the best reputation in the world, says a study measuring public perceptions of 50 countries around the world. The Reputation Institute study measures the trust, esteem, admiration and good feelings the public holds towards 50 countries, as...
Keiki paradise and Waikiki waves
I am crouched inside a model of the stomach. I slid in here down the oesophagus, landing on some gigantic cushions in the shape of various food stuffs. My son, having hurled himself around the stomach walls for a while, is now hurtling towards the...
Unique voyage in a sea of junk
Fancy a holiday in a sea of junk? Environmentalists in the US are offering “eco-adventurers” the chance to do just that. From May 1 next year, the Sea Dragon will sail for two months through sections of the North Pacific Ocean swirling with debris from...
Għarb named European destination of excellence
Għarb was among 21 tourist destinations across Europe that were awarded the title of ‘2011 European Destination of Excellence in Tourism and Regeneration of Physical Sites’ at a gala awards ceremony in Brussels on September 27. Għarb is a quiet village...
Japan offers 10,000 free trips to foreigners
Japan will offer 10,000 foreigners free airfares to visit the country next year, in an attempt to boost the tourism industry which has been hit by the ongoing nuclear disaster, a report said last week. The Japan Tourism Agency plans to ask would-be...
Flying in Africa still pricey
It has never been easier to fly to Ouagadougou, Juba or Maputo but Africa’s increasingly busy skies are still among the most expensive in the world. Budget carriers are cropping up in the bigger countries, with South African taxi operators last month...
Belleair Holidays wins third Star Award
Travel specialist Belleair Holidays has won a Travel Bul- letin Star Award for the third consecutive year. The awards were held at the Landmark Hotel in London and Belleair Holidays’ award for Best Specialist Operator (Western Mediterranean) was...
‘Once you pop, you can’t stop’
Name: Clinton PaulAge: 28Occupation: Singer/songwriter My best holiday ever… Travelling is one of my favourite hobbies. Each holiday I have been on was special and I still remember every bit of each one. But my best holiday ever has to be Venice. The...
Holidaymakers face over £100 in ATM charges – survey
A recent Skyscanner survey found that using credit and debit cards is the most popular method of using currency abroad, with one in three travellers now relying on this option. Skyscanner reviewed both credit and debit cards for the top UK banks and...
New security area opens at Gatwick
Passengers have been promised a speedier passage through a major UK airport following the opening of a new £45 million security area. Opened by Transport Minister Theresa Villiers, the new facility at the south terminal at Gatwick airport in West...
China’s richest village opens skyscraper hotel
One of China’s tallest buildings has opened for business in the nation’s “wealthiest village” of Huaxi, a symbol of the country’s breakneck economic growth. The Longxi International Hotel is 328 metres high and cost €341 million to build, an official...
Classic cuisine with extravagant touch
Lufthansa is treating Business Class passengers to a new and exciting menu variations from Michelin star-awarded chef Mario Kotaska on flights in Europe. Mr Kotaska is noted for his unusual menu combinations. He refines traditional homestyle dishes...
Japan offers 10,000 free trips to foreigners to boost tourism
Japan will offer 10,000 foreigners free airfares to visit the country next year, in an attempt to boost the tourism industry which has been hit by the ongoing nuclear disaster, according to a report. The Japan Tourism Agency plans to ask would-be...
Tourism in Jordan hit hard by Arab Spring
Pro-democracy revolts across the Arab world are taking their toll on tourism in cash-strapped Jordan, where revenues from the key source of hard currency earnings have dropped by 16 per cent this year. Tourism generated $3 billion last year, with 4.8...
BAA airports handle more passengers
BAA’s six UK airports handled an increased number of passengers last month, it was announced yesterday. Heathrow had its busiest-ever September, with numbers rising 1.4 per cent compared with the same month last year. In all, the six airports handled...
