Author: Shawon Hannan
Travel sized toiletries that are popular with tourists because of their space saving convenience can in fact be costing them many times the price of the same products in their standard sizes. According to research that has been reported in the Daily Mail, airport shops are charging holidaymakers up to eight times the price for toiletries in miniature packs, when compared to what they would have paid for a regular sized bottle at a supermarket. Airport shops are cashing in on the popularity of miniature toiletries since the authorities introduced a 100ml limit on fluids and pastes in hand luggage…
A consortium of experts from Scotland and Sweden claims to have struck a blow against one of the biggest drawbacks to visiting sunny foreign climes, sunburn. Every year, thousands of poorly prepared holidaymakers succumb to the painful and potentially dangerous effects of soaking up too much sun, not only abroad, but also on those rare sunny intervals in the UK. Now, researchers from the University of Strathclyde, in Scotland, have teamed up with Swedish organisation, Intellego Technologies, to create a wristband that warns sunbathers when they are about to enter the danger zone. The paper wrist monitor changes colour when…
Mount Tongariro, a volcano in New Zealand, has affected the travel plans of some tourists. The volcano, which had remained dormant for close to 115 years, erupted on the North Island of New Zealand early this week. The eruption was spectacular and powerful, with ash thrown four miles into the sky causing minor disruption to air and terrestrial travel for a short period. Not only has the volcano effected the travel plans of tourists that were intending to travel through New Zealand, but the eruption has also affected local tourism, with the mountain being located in a national park. The…
Connoisseurs that are on a constant mission to satisfy their taste buds are being offered new opportunities by Perfect Places Vacation Rentals. On offer are irresistible trips to two of the best food destinations in the world, Italy and Northern California. Perfect Places Vacation Rentals said that it was offering what it calls, Food Network trips, to the two destinations. The personalised guided tours will be ready to tease the palate in October, 2012, but according to the company, places will be limited. Perfect Places Vacation Rentals is a member of the Signature Travel Network. Rick Haggart, president of the…
Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS) has announced a partnership with Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA) to offer new adventure tour-related services to those intent on injecting some excitement into their holidays. Austin-Lehman Adventures is an outward-bound tour company and Eastern Mountain Sports is a sports emporium. The association between the two companies will see ALA becoming EMS’ exclusive ‘adventure travel partner and purveyor.’ The alliance of the two companies will mean that ALA and its guests will be able to take advantage of EMS’s buying power and range of product offerings. Guests will be provided with links to easy online EMS shopping lists…
Intercontinental Hotels Group (IHG), the UK based hotel company and owner of brands that include InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn Express, Staybridge Suites, and Candlewood Suites, is contemplating the sale of its Intercontinental London Park Lane property in the UK. The company, which has recently released its interim results, will be looking for a buyer for its Park Lane property, which is one of two properties currently owned by the company in Europe. The hotel company is currently operating around 620 other hotels in Europe under lease…
Retail sales in the UK have registered slow growth in spite of the 2012 London Olympic Games. The British Retail Consortium (BRC), a trade association in the UK, has reported that the retail scene in UK has not been much affected by the influx of tourists that are visiting the country for the games. UK retail sales values were up by 0.1 percent on a like-for-like basis in July 2012, compared to July 2011, against a 0.6 percent hike a year ago. On a total basis, sales were up by 2.0 percent in July 2012, compared to a 2.5 percent…
HostelBookers, a UK-based company that offers accommodation on a budget, is offering a curated collection of boutique hostels in Europe for its customers. The curated hostels provide budget accommodation, featuring stylish lounges and rooftop areas, and additional frills, such as en-suite bathrooms, air conditioning, in-room flat screen TVs, complimentary Wi-Fi, and complimentary breakfast, for prices that commence from €9.00 per night. Currently the company is offering accommodation at select properties at discounted prices, as part of its extended summer sale, with savings of up to 40 percent on normal rates. The sale is available until August 31, 2012, with stays…
Whitbread PLC, the owner of UK-based Premier Inn brand of hotels, has announced a sustainability strategy to reduce its carbon emissions. The company, which is the owner of the Costa and Premier Inn brands, has reported reductions of around 1,579 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions in 2011, from its hotels, restaurants, and coffee shops, as stated in the company’s tenth annual Environment Report, which released on June 1, 2012. The savings are equivalent to an 11 percent reduction in carbon emissions, compared to sales revenue. Chris George, the head of energy and environment at Whitbread Hotels and Restaurants, said, ‘Our…
UK residents are travelling more for business than for leisure, according to a recent report released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), an independent producer of official statistics for the UK. The report suggests that the number of international business trips made by UK residents has increased by 5 percent in the last year, compared to those made in the previous year. UK residents made around 6.98 million overseas business trips in the year ending June 30, 2012, compared to 6.62 million business trips made in the same period, ending June 2011. Meanwhile, leisure trips have declined by 2…