Author: Shawon Hannan

The devastation unleashed by Hurricane Sandy is expected to reduce tourist inflows to Jamaica. Analysts believe that the hurricane’s effects on the Northeast United States could have a devastating effect on Jamaica’s tourism industry, because the Northeast is Jamaica’s largest source market and a disruption of amenities in that part of the world would automatically have an impact on the fortunes of Jamaica. Forty percent of the business that is generated by the country’s tourism stakeholders comes from areas that include Boston, New York, Washington and Philadelphia, and all of these areas have been affected by the hurricane. Business analysts…

Norwegian Air Shuttle, a Norway-based airline company, will be establishing a new base at the London Gatwick airport in the UK. The airline is planning to base three of its aircraft at Gatwick airport, and will be offering 14 new routes from the airport to European destinations including Nice, Marseille, Rome, Barcelona, Faro, Split and Dubrovnik. The base will be operational in 2013. The airline is also planning to expand its existing services from London Gatwick to Oslo from three flights to four flights per day, and to Stockholm from three flights to five daily services. Stewart Wingate, the chief…

Jet2.com, a UK-based low-cost airline that operates out of Leeds Bradford Airport, is expanding its operational base at Glasgow Airport in Scotland. The airline, which has recently announced the addition of a new aircraft, its fourth to be based out of the airport, has also announced two new routes from Glasgow for its summer schedule in 2013. Recently, the company announced three new routes from Glasgow airport, to Menorca (Spain), Murcia (Spain) and Pula (Croatia), for airfares commencing from £41 per person. Steve Heapy, the head of Jet2holidays, the holiday arm of the airline, said, ‘Glasgow is an important base…

As Hurricane sandy batters the East Coast of the US, and New York plunges into flood and darkness due to the heavy rains and power outages, the British Consulate-General In New York will remain closed on Tuesday. Although the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO), a government agency responsible for the interests of UK citizens overseas, has not issued any travel restrictions for UK citizens visiting any parts of the US, a statement issued by the agency reads, ‘Post-tropical cyclone Sandy has caused significant flood and wind damage across a large area along the east coast of the US. Effects…

British Airways, a UK based airline, is offering a new direct route from London Gatwick airport in the UK to Las Vegas in the US. The airline has commenced its direct service to Las Vegas, using a three-cabin Boeing 777 aircraft with a Club World cabin and fully flat beds. Silla Maizey, the airline managing director for Gatwick, said, ‘Las Vegas is incredibly popular with British Airways customers and we’re delighted to be able to start flying there from Gatwick. It’s the perfect route for our holiday makers, thanks to the sun and fun there is to be had there.’…

Winter sports fans that are planning a ski vacation this winter should be asking themselves if they are fit enough to ski, as a recent travel survey has reported that almost a third of the people who take to the slopes for the first time are physically not up to the rigours of skiing. The research has suggested that by not preparing themselves physically prior to hitting the ski slopes, first time adventure sports enthusiasts are risking a range of injuries on their initial ski outing. The recent study conducted by the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA), a UK-based…

Virgin Trains, a UK-based train company, has announced extra seats on trains travelling to Glasgow, in Scotland, with the addition of new services. The company proposes to add around 1,750 seats daily to its existing schedule of trains, with the addition of two extra services to Glasgow, on the West Coast Main Line. The new schedule, once implemented, will operate a train every hour to Glasgow, from London. The route will also include Carlisle and Penrith North Lakes stations. Karen Hattie, the general manager for Virgin Trains in Scotland and Cumbria, said, ‘Overall passenger numbers have more than doubled on…

Monarch Airlines, a UK-based airline company, is offering increased baggage allowance for passengers on scheduled flights. The leisure air carrier will be offering the capacity from November 1, 2012, when it will be providing new gauges at airports to assist passengers in checking the specified size of hand baggage. Passengers may carry up to two pieces, weighing up to a total of 10kg, which can be a cabin bag and a handbag, or a cabin bag and a laptop bag. One of the bags must be kept in the overhead locker, and the other must be stowed away below the…

DoubleTree by Hilton brand has opened its newest London hotel property, DoubleTree by Hilton London – Marble Arch, close to Marble Arch station. The hotel, which was recently officially opened by Ufi Ibrahim, the chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, is located in the heart of London, offering easy access to shopping and the city’s other attractions and business districts. Rob Palleschi, the global head of the DoubleTree by Hilton brand of Hilton Hotels and Resorts, said, ‘DoubleTree by Hilton is delighted to welcome this historic and beautifully renovated property to our exciting portfolio of U.K. hotels. With the…

An old British fort in Canada, officially known as Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, is offering an opportunity for visitors to experience a haunted fort in the dark. Tourists have the opportunity of interacting with spirits at the fort when the main gate of the Citadel is opened by a lone guard, who dramatically and stern-faced, welcomes guests into the fort at dusk. The fort is separated from modern Halifax by a drawbridge that isolates the estate, providing the perfect setting for the break. The fort is offering ghost tours on Friday and Saturday nights until October 27, and year-round…