Author: Shawon Hannan
A British beach has narrowly been voted on to the list of the top ten beaches in the world, achieving 10th position. Rhossili Bay, a three-mile long beach on the Gower Peninsular in Wales, UK, achieved tenth spot on the list, which was compiled from the reviews and ratings of international tourists on the website of on-line travel community, TripAdvisor. The Welsh beach is a panoramic expanse of sand and dunes that has long been popular with beach sport fans and sightseers. In a statement, David Phillips, leader of the City and County of Swansea, said, ‘We are delighted, but…
According to research carried out by ABTA, the Association of British Travel Agents, the average air traveller’s wish list is topped by a desire for shorter queues. When asked what improvements they would like to see at airports, faster check-in and security checks were the two items that headed the list for the majority of respondents. In fact, more than half of those questioned, 52 percent, sited a speedier check-in, with faster security checks close behind at 48 percent. Conversely, the quality of food and shopping outlets and the availability of wi-fi were all deemed to be of less importance,…
The Association of British Travel Agents, ABTA, has asked authorities in the Balearic Islands to reconsider the imposition of a tax on rental cars that is due to be implemented from April this year. The Spanish-owned Balearic Islands, the largest and most visited of which are Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera, are intending to impose the tax as an ecological measure, but ABTA is concerned that the added cost to a week’s car rental will be bad for tourism to the archipelago. The tax is set to vary between €3 and €7.5 per day, to be levied depending on the…
The Brecon Beacons National Park in south Wales, UK, has had the title, International Dark Sky Reserve, bestowed upon it. Thanks to its lack of light pollution and its resultant suitability for showcasing the wonders of the night sky, the Welsh national park joins its neighbour from across the Bristol Channel, Exmoor National Park, in proudly bearing the accolade. There are only 5 sites around the world that have gained the status, and the three outside of the UK are Aoraki Mackenzie in New Zealand, Namibia Rand Nature Reserve in the southern African state of Namibia, and Mont Megantic in…
The bad weather that affected large areas of the UK in January is thought to have had a major influence on hotel results for the month. Hotel room occupancy saw a predictable fall as snowy conditions impacted on travel, although room rates across the UK saw an increase, according to PKF Hotel Consultancy Services, a division of PKF, a global network of accountancy firms. London hotel room rates rose by 0.2 percent to average £112.49 during January, while occupancy in the capital saw a decline of 4.2 percent to 67.8 percent, compared to 72 percent for the same month a…
The state of Florida in the US has put a controversial driving licence law on hold. The law, which was passed with little publicity last year, stated that all foreign drivers should carry an international driving permit. Although the law was brought in to ensure that all drivers in Florida carried a version of their licence that was printed in English, its wording meant that holders of British and Canadian licences were also legally obligated to purchase a permit at a cost of just over £16. The law caused an outcry, not only from British and Canadian drivers arriving in…
Every holidaymaker’s nightmare is falling ill whilst away from home – regardless of whether you’re visiting a coastal region of the UK or an exotic paradise in a foreign land. Of course, international travel often carries the biggest risks as there are various diseases, illnesses and infections unheard of at home which are prevalent in other parts of the world. You should therefore always consider visiting a travel health specialist before and after you leave, to ensure you are in a fit condition to travel. Preventative measures Prevention is the best course of action so rather than leaving things to…
Taking a lead from budget airline experts Ryanair and easyjet, UK-based carrier, British Airways, is to offer passengers on certain flights the option of paying less for a ticket by not checking baggage into the airplane’s hold. BA is to trial the new service on five routes to European destinations from Gatwick. The short-haul flights will be those to Amsterdam, Dubrovnik, Jersey, Tunis and Turin, routes that the airline says are flown by a large percentage of passengers that are only making short visits and who therefore have less need to take a large amount of baggage. If the initial…
Owing to erosion caused by months of almost continuous wet weather, the South West Coast Path Association is asking for donations from walkers to help it fund repairs. The path runs around England’s southwest tip between Minehead in Somerset and Poole in Dorset, including all of Devon and Cornwall’s coastline, making it the longest of the UK’s National Trails and one of the most popular with walkers and tourists. However, continuous heavy rain has caused landslips and erosion that has led to the closure of several sections of the path for safety reasons. A statement on the South West Coast…
The practice of UK-based ski tour operators showing their clients around slopes at French resorts has been banned. It has been custom and practice for a number of years for UK tour operators at European ski resorts to provide their clients with a complimentary tour of the slopes as part of a familiarisation service that also includes the local restaurants and bars. However, despite the fact that no ski instruction is included on such tours and the most advanced slopes are avoided, the French authorities have now ruled that the practice compromises safety. A court in Albertville ruled on Monday…