Author: Shawon Hannan

Expedia, an Internet-based travel website company with its head office in Bellevue, Washington USA, and operating nearly 30 localised sites in other countries including the UK, is preparing to sell package holidays. While speaking at the recent World Tourism Forum in Lucerne, Switzerland, the company’s senior vice president for global market management, Cyril Ranque, said, ‘There is a huge opportunity in offering packages to customers. We do dynamic packages, selling the old way: select a flight, select a hotel, select transfers, activities and you’re set. But there is much more potential in filtering the needs of the consumer – by…

The growing popularity of Vietnam as a destination for British travellers has been underlined by the announcement that Vietnam Airlines will be increasing its flights from Gatwick for the summer season. The expansion to the air carrier’s schedule will see an additional weekly service to Ho Chi Minh city, taking the number of weekly flights to that destination to three, while it will maintain its flights to Hanoi at the present two per week. British travellers’ burgeoning fascination with Vietnam is likely to be further strengthened over the coming months as a number of Anglo-Vietnamese events are scheduled to take…

The EU has released the details of a survey on water quality around Europe, revealing that the quality of water at some of the continent’s leading tourist destinations is falling short of the required standards. The findings raise concerns over health issues for the millions of travellers that visit the worst affected destinations each year, with 6,311 European towns and cities being cited for providing water that does not meet the EU’s environmental standards. Among them are Pisa in Italy, Ayia Napa in Cyprus and Balaton in Hungary. Even a number of Europe’s foremost capital cities and most popular destinations…

A new study suggests that UK holidaymakers will be big beneficiaries of a cost cutting war at European destinations this summer. The Post Office Holiday Costs Barometer suggests that the popular destinations of the Spanish mainland and Portugal’s Algarve have seen local prices cut by 20 percent and 15 percent respectively. The benefits to UK travellers are still apparent, despite the pound being worth almost 5 percent less than it was a year ago. When compiling its list, the Post Office study took into account the cost of 10 items that holidaymakers are likely to purchase locally. These were a…

Avis, a US-based car rental company with operations worldwide, has announced the launch of a new rental outlet at Terminal 5 of Heathrow Airport. Terminal 5 is the airport’s newest terminal, having been developed for the primary use of British Airways, and Avis is the first car rental company to provide a service from the terminal. As many as 80,000 passengers are now using the terminal each day, and Avis has been selected by British Airways and its Spain-based sister company, Iberia, to be their exclusive car hire partner at the location. Prior to Avis opening its Terminal 5 facility,…

Flybe, a low-cost regional airline based in Exeter, UK, has forecast a loss for the last financial year, despite an increase in ticket sales for the coming summer. The airline has announced that revenue from ticket sales for Flybe UK increased by 2 percent for the summer season when compared to last year. The company puts the increase down to a rise in passenger numbers and a 1 percent increase in its capacity. However, according to a company statement, revenue for the financial year ending March 2013 was likely to be around £615.3 million, similar to last year’s figure. In…

Boeing, the US-based airplane manufacturer, is poised today for the news that its troubled aircraft, the 787 Dreamliner, has been cleared to fly again. If, as rumours are suggesting, the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) makes the announcement that it is satisfied with improvements that have been made to the safety of the aircraft’s batteries, it will bring to an end the Dreamliner’s 3 months of enforced grounding. According to the Wall Street Journal, officials at the FAA approve of new technical measures to solve the aircraft’s overheating battery problem, including a protective metal container to prevent fires and dispose…

Megabus, a subsidiary of Scotland-based Stagecoach Group, a company that provides trains, trams express coaches and buses, is launching a new Sleepercoach service between London and Edinburgh, and London and Glasgow. Travellers on the new service, which will commence this summer, will be able to sleep in full-length beds during the approximate eight hour journey, and tickets will cost from as little as GBP15. The bunk beds are prepared for use by unfolding seats, and Megabus even provides travellers with a complimentary toothbrush, toothpaste, eye mask and the loan of either a blanket or a onesie all-in-one sleep suit. The…

Despite persistent wintry weather throughout the month, the UK registered a substantial increase in its tourism figures for the month of February. Figures from the International Passenger Survey have revealed that the UK benefited from a 14 percent increase in visitor numbers compared with February last year, and the increased visitor volume also contributed to a 9 percent increase in visitor spend, taking the total to over £1 billion for the first time ever in February. The figures were even more encouraging as February 2012 was a day longer than February this year, due to it having a leap day.…

The London marathon, a major tourism event for the UK’s capital city, is to be subject to an increased security presence following a suspected terrorist attack on yesterday’s Boston marathon in the USA. The London marathon is due to take place this coming Sunday, but fears that the attack on the Boston event, which killed three people and injured 130, could be the beginning of an international terror campaign, will guarantee heightened security in London. Two bombs were detonated in quick succession near to the race finishing line in Boston at 2.50pm local time yesterday. Marathon events provide a challenge…