Author: News Team
Ryanair, an Ireland-based low cost airline, has announced an increase in its first quarter revenues for the period ended June 30, 2012. The airline has reported that new bases in Billund, Budapest, Manchester, Palma, Paphos and Wroclaw are reporting high load factors, at very low fares. The new bases, as well as the ones about to open, are ready to provide the airline with new opportunities to grow across Europe. The fiscal first quarter revenues have increased by 11 percent to €1,284m, while traffic increased by 6 percent and average fares increased by 4 percent, from the first quarter last…
Thomas Cook Group Plc, a UK-based travel company that has recently been in the news as it battles against financial difficulties, has completed the sale of its stake in Hoteles Y Clubs De Vacaciones (HCV). The company owned a 51 percent stake in HCV, which has been sold to a consortium led by Iberostar Hoteles y Apartamentos SL, for €72.2 million in cash. Iberostar is a Spain-based hotel company, which owns around 100 properties located in 15 countries across Europe, the Caribbean and South America. The HCV portfolio consists of five hotels and a golf club in Spain, and the…
Dalmahoy, A Marriott Hotel & Country Club, a Marriott international brand property located in Edinburgh, Scotland, has announced the completion of a renovation project, and the opening of a new restaurant. The £1 million refurbishment has involved the launch of a new Marriott concept at the hotel, the re-branding of its restaurant as Zest, and the upgrading of the James Braid Bar. The project has also involved modifications to the hotel’s leisure club, as well as spa and fitness areas, renovations to the Golf Pro Shop and upgrades at the gymnasium, tennis courts and dance studio. The refurbished spa now…
The global financial crisis has meant that many travellers on a restricted budget have been seeking out cheaper forms of accommodation, with hostels being among the most popular. Recent research conducted by Hostelworld.com, a hostel booking website, in collaboration with Lonely Planet, a travel content providing company, has shown that around 94 percent of respondents are keen to consider hostel accommodation in 2012 due to budget considerations. The study, which questioned over 5,000 people in 141 countries, found that around 90 percent were unwilling to pay more than £64 per night for accommodation, while around 54 percent of those studied…
Holiday buyers are being told to beware of scams that are coming to light as buyer trust in the travel industry is on a high. A poll carried out by online directory, 192.com, which asked who shoppers trusted when making a transaction, has apparently revealed that travel agents are viewed as a safe pair of hands in financial dealings. 1,500 UK residents were questioned for the survey, and 39 percent of them said that they were comfortable with making payments to travel agents. This compared very favourably with car dealers who polled 11 percent, and estate agents who polled 15…
The number of British travellers being admitted to hospital, being arrested, or being the victim of crime in foreign countries is on the increase according to the British Behaviour Abroad survey, released by the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. The survey revealed that 10 Britons a day are admitted to foreign hospitals, with a total of 3,739 being treated last year. Majorca alone has seen an increase of 132 percent in hospitalised Brits over the past two years. Figures revealed that common causes of hospitalisation include heart attacks, balcony accidents, and car related accidents. A high percentage of these accidents…
Delhi Duty Free has announced that it has launched a car-giveaway campaign. The company has launched its first car promotion, ‘Where’s your Mini?’ Travellers who shop at the Delhi Duty Free malls between July and September this year stand a chance of winning a new Mini Cooper, manufactured by Mini, a subsidiary of BMW. Visitors need to spend at least $50 to be eligible for the prize. For each $50 purchase, customers will receive a coupon that could entitle them to win the car. If they use a Visa debit or credit card for the purchase, they will receive two…
Autogrill, a provider of food & beverage and retail services for travellers, has announced that it will launch operations in Dubai and Istanbul through its HMSHost International division. The company is to offer its range of fine dining at Istanbul and Dubai airports. Once the operations are launched, HMSHost International will have 13 points of sale at Istanbul airport in Turkey. The move is expected to generate overall revenue of more than €100m in the 2012 to 2022 period. The company will also open four points of sale at Dubai airport in the United Arab Emirates. That operation is expected…
The Japanese city of Kyoto is to offer business travellers free Wi-Fi access. Business visitors will be able to access the Internet using free Wi-Fi services available throughout the city. The scheme, considered to be the largest municipal scheme in Japan, is being launched to satisfy the needs of business customers who use smart phones and tablet computers. The service is expected to be a boon to business travellers who visit the city to attend conferences and meetings, as it will allow visitors to have seamless Internet connectivity in the city and will do away with the need for them…
London Gatwick Airport, in the UK, is gearing up for a busy flying season for summer, with around six million passengers scheduled to transit through airport during this period. While most flights for the 2012 London Olympics Games are landing at Heathrow Airport, Gatwick Airport is expected to handle round 10 percent arrivals for the world’s biggest sporting event. With schools in Britain closing for the summer break from July 20, 2012, until September 3, 2012, the airports will also handling a large number of British travellers flying out of the country for a vacation abroad with family and friends,…