Author: News Team
In a mixed week for Ireland-based budget airline, Ryanair, it reported year-on-year growth for the month of May, but clashed publicly with a disgruntled singing star. Ryanair’s total passenger figure for May, 7.86 million, was 350,000 higher than for the same month last year, and represented a 5 percent year-on-year increase. The total passenger figure for the year to May was a record for the company at 79.8 million, a 4 percent increase on the figure for the previous year. In a statement, a spokesman for the company said, ‘Ryanair’s traffic increased by 5 percent over May 2012 and our…
An increase in visitors to Brazil last year was spearheaded by British travellers, according to recently released figures. The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism released the data, showing that 155,548 British nationals visited the South American hotspot last year, an increase of 4 percent on the previous year. The British invasion was part of a record-breaking year for visitors to Brazil, as the country welcomed a total of 5,433,354, a 4.5 percent increase on the previous year. In addition to Brazil’s dramatic and varied landscapes and tropical climate, visitors are arriving to sample the growing excitement as the country prepares to…
The UK government’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has issued a warning to British travellers to Stockholm, Sweden’s capital, regarding a recent sequence of riots. For their own safety, visitors have been advised to avoid any large gatherings, take extra care when commuting around the city and to monitor local news reports. The advice comes in the wake of consecutive nights of rioting in some parts of the city, which started last Sunday. The problem areas include Husby, Hagsatra, Ragsved amd Skogas, according to the FCO, which also reminded visitors that the emergency services number in Sweden is 112, should…
The positive impression that London gained as a result of last years successful Olympic and Paralympic games is still enduring, with the capital city’s hotels reporting increased demand. Hotels.com, a hotel booking service with online and telephone operations, has reported that compared to last year, searches on its website for London-based hotels are up by 53 percent for next week’s half-term holiday, despite the 2012 figure being positively influenced by the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations. Visitors to London are reaping a two-fold benefit of enjoying hotel facilities that were either new or renovated for last year’s events, and competitive room…
A British Airways (BA) airplane made an emergency landing at Heathrow earlier today, forcing the closure of both of the airport’s runways. The landing was carried out at 09.00 BST, and all passengers and crew were safely evacuated. BA said in a statement that flight BA762, en route from Heathrow to Oslo in Norway, had returned to Heathrow shortly after takeoff due to a technical fault. The aircraft, an Airbus A319, had 75 passengers on board and BA has promised a full investigation into the problem. Following the incident, the southern runway was reopened but there was a delay in…
It has been confirmed today that a deal has been struck between the two UK-based, low-cost airlines, Flybe and easyjet, for easyjet to purchase all of Flybe’s slots at Gatwick airport. Flybe has sold its 25 arrival and departure slots at Gatwick to easyjet for £20 million. Flybe’s shareholders will need to approve the deal prior to an expected official transfer of the slots in the summer of 2014. In a statement easyjet said, ‘The slots will transfer from summer 2014 and will allow easyJet to provide additional frequencies on popular existing routes from Gatwick, as well as add new…
Travel agents with business interests in the northwest of England have called on British Airways to rethink the cancellation of its service between Manchester and Gatwick. BA cancelled the route at the end of March, and as the national flag carrier was the only airline to offer the service, the region’s travel agents are concerned that the lack of a connection will hit their sales of packages that are dependent on a Gatwick flight. These include Caribbean destinations, as well as certain other destinations in Europe and America. Clients in the northwest that sign up for these holidays will now…
Crystal Cruises, a Japan-owned cruise ship company with its headquarters in Los Angeles, USA, is to offer two new excursions this summer on its Northern European itinerary. The company is adding outings to Belfast and Berlin to the portfolio of ‘Boutique Adventures’ that it has on offer. The tours are claimed to be unique to Crystal and to include access to exclusive venues in the two cities. The excursions will comprise a maximum of 15 guests and will take place during 5 voyages on the company’s ship, Crystal Serenity, between June and August this year. The Belfast excursion will include…
A travel agency company that until now has operated from a call centre has made its first sortie onto the high street with the opening of new premises. Jetline Travel has opened its office in Barnet, North London, and while the operation will be restricted to promoting the company’s cruise business, the venture could well be expanded upon, subject to the success of the initial branch. The opportunity to open a high street store came as a result of the company gaining suitable premises for the venture as part of new offices that it recently moved in to, according to…
The UK’s national tourism agency has released figures indicating that inbound tourism experienced a boom during 2012. The tourism increase that the UK has benefited from in recent years continued into last year, as the nation’s popularity with foreign tourists showed no sign of abating. The Olympic affect was much in evidence, with London being the main beneficiary of its staging of the games. 15.5 million visitors passed through the city in a year when it also staged the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee. This accounted for 50 percent of all visits to the UK, confirming London’s draw as a major global…