Author: Shawon Hannan
Dubai, in the UAE, is proving a major draw for British tourists as a travel destination. The number of tourists travelling to Dubai has increased in 2012 from 2011, bucking the trend for the general decline in outbound travel. The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has announced an 11 percent increase in guest numbers from the UK, during the second quarter of 2012, compared to the same period last year. A DTCM report suggests that in the 2012 second quarter, hotel and apartment bookings in Dubai have increased to 170,452, from 154,180 for the same period in…
VisitEngland, the official travel promotional agency for England, has released new guidance for online destination sites aimed at improving information for travellers with reduced mobility and other access needs, to coincide with the commencement of the 2012 London Paralympic Games. As well as helping websites offer a warm welcome to the participants in, and visitors to, the Paralympic Games, the new ‘Winning More Visitors’ resource is designed to assist websites provide access information for visitors to the country that have access needs. Previously, a survey conducted by the agency reported that around 83 percent of people with access needs had searched for access information…
ScotRail, the railway network in Scotland, is offering two extra trains to Glasgow, from Ayrshire and Renfrewshire in Scotland, during the morning peak period. The trains will provide around five hundred additional seats. The railway is also offering an additional four services from Glasgow For the evening period, with same number of extra seats. The company is expecting the new additions to increase its passenger traffic by 500,000 additional passengers in a year, or a 12 percent increase on the current traffic. Jerry Farquharson, the director of business planning at ScotRail, said, ‘The new timetable is carefully designed to encourage…
Business travel problems may affect employee productivity, according to a recent report published by Concur, a company that provides on-demand Employee Spend Management services. The report suggests that for employees who travel extensively on business, problems related to that travel often leave them with a negative outlook regarding their job, which results in a negative impact on productivity. The inability to quickly and easily book accommodation and flights due to change of travel plans, especially during busy periods, is a major point of contention for business travellers. Around one in five business travellers reported that the filing of receipts and…
Barbados based car rental firm, Courtesy Rent-A-Car, has announced a new programme for adventure travel fans. The firm has announced that it is now offering a new U-Drive Adventure Holidays and Adventure Travel Tours programme. This programme offers special services to help the adventure tourist while on a visit to the Barbados. A UNESCO World heritage site, the Caribbean island offers adventure pastimes, including aerial treks, hikes, kite-surfing, world class surfing, off road safaris, submarine excursions, scuba diving and so on. The car-rental company is now promoting its ‘U-Drive Adventures’ programme, which offers guests free passes to some of the…
US-based Delta Airlines has announced that it will be offering an improved travel experience for customers at Minneapolis airport. The airline said that it was planning to enhance facilities for travellers at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, by providing electronic devices for dining services at airport restaurants. The firm has already started the deployment of more than 250 iPads in three new restaurants in the airport’s Concourse G. The iPads are deployed at each seat inside the restaurant and will allow customers to order catered and customised meals through an intuitive visual menu. The firm said that once the kitchen at…
New York-based JetBlue Airways has announced that it has expanded its ‘Go Pack’ solution for last-minute travellers. The company said that its ‘Go Pack’ solution would allow customers to find seats on a flight up to 90 minutes before departure. Packages include last seat availability, and the offer is available from September 13 to December 19, 2012 at www.jetblue.com/gopack. Go Packs are available for purchase until September 6, 2012 The company said that its expanded ‘Go Pack’ packages include 10 flights, good for the base fare for 10 round-trip tickets. Selected destinations to which the service is being offered from…
Hertz Global Holdings, a US-based car rental company offering services across the globe, will be acquiring its car rental rival, Dollar Thrifty. The acquisition is valued at around $2.3 billion and will be a consolidation of the various brands of car rental owned by both the companies, under a single entity. As part of the merger, Hertz will be selling off its budget car rental brand, Advantage, to offset likely competition controversies in the US. The merger will see a synergy of the three biggest car rental brands, Hertz, Dollar Rent A Car, and Thrifty Rental. Hertz chief executive officer,…
ScotRail, the railway network in Scotland, is expanding its Club 55 discount fares for the autumn season. The offer has been extended to be valid from September 3, 2012, to November 30, 2012, and is available for passengers who are over 55 years of age, enabling them to travel anywhere in Scotland for £19 return per person. First Class return journeys are also available on certain routes for £26 per person. Sean Duffy, the commercial director of ScotRail, said, ‘Club 55 continues to be our most popular offer, with more than 125,000 journeys made using these tickets last autumn. Now…
British air passengers find that long queues and expansive airports that are difficult to navigate around, take away the fun of flying, although many enjoy a spot of retail therapy at today’s new and modern airports. A survey of 1,000 UK consumers has reported that two thirds of passengers, or around 62 percent, shop at the Duty Free retail outlets of airports, while around one in five travellers, or 21 percent of interviewees, have bought luxury goods or clothing at these outlets. Around 60 percent of those surveyed have bought essentials, such as books, newspapers or magazines, or food and…