Author: Lee Fletcher
The UN World Tourism Organisation has suggested that Australia relax visa norms for tourists from developing nations. The organisation said that Australia could attract more tourists from emerging and developing nations, especially China and India, if it relaxes its visa norms. According to the UN World Tourism Organisation, Australia has a strict visa regime that is discouraging tourists from emerging nations. Referring to Australia’s security concerns, the UN organisation’s secretary-general, Taleb Rifai, said that tough entry conditions did not always ensure security. He said that Australia and other developed countries should ease their tough visa regimes to attract more tourists.…
Hawaiian Airlines has said that it is planning to launch a direct flight to New Zealand. The company said that it is intending to launch a new non-stop service between Auckland in New Zealand and its Honolulu hub. When the plan is implemented, the company will become the only US carrier to fly directly into New Zealand. The decision to introduce the new route came after research, which indicated that customer numbers from New Zealand had dwindled after 1999, the year when non-stop flights between the two destinations were reduced. The carrier’s CEO, Mark Dunkerley, said, ‘New Zealanders are avid…
India-based iXiGO.com, a travel search and trip-planning website, has been ranked as the most influential travel brand on social media in India. Media2win presented the company with the honour following the analysis of statistics shared by two third-party sources, Pinstorm’s India Influencers Index 2.0, and ‘Brands Going Social’. The ranking was calculated against the company’s performance in a number of categories. For example, according to Pinstorm’s India Influencer Index, iXiGO.com was ranked at number 17 among all brands in India. The Klout score on the other hand ranked the firm at number four, ahead of all e-commerce brands in the…
Large numbers of British travellers are planning summer holidays abroad this year, mostly to Spain’s sunnier destinations, according to a travel research report released by Asda Money, a UK-based financial company that provides travel currency. Despite the UK government having recently increased its Air passenger duties, much to the dismay of travellers, Spain still remains a favourite travel destination for British holidaymakers. Spain, which is within easy reach of all UK airports and is served by flights from almost all airlines operating out of Britain, is also known for its warm waters, sandy beaches and good cuisine. Recently, the Spanish…
Eurolines, a European intercity bus operator, is offering low coach fares to Europe from Great Britain, during the 2012 Olympic Games. The company is offering discounts on seats to Paris (France), Brussels (Belgium) and Amsterdam (The Netherlands), at prices commencing from GBP35 one way, or GBP66 return, on travel between July 27, and August 13, which represents around a 30 percent saving on the regular price. John Gilbert, the company managing director for Eurolines UK, said, ‘This is an exciting time for Britain but inevitably there will also be people keen to escape the summer of sport. We always offer…
A walkway that leads to the London 2012 Olympic park is to be lit, twenty-four hours a day, by a combination of spectator footfalls and state-of-the-art technology. The walkway, a temporary bridge that leads from West Ham Station to the Olympic Park, is being lit by renewable technology that has been commissioned by the Olympic Delivery Authority (ODA). The footfalls of the thousands of spectators making their way across the bridge will activate twelve energy harvesting floor tiles that have been incorporated into the walkway floor, and which are expected to generate around 72 million joules of free energy, more…
Transport for London (TfL), a UK-based government agency that is responsible for the transport system in Greater London, UK, has announced that visitors to London will now be able to access live travel information for the city from social media feeds. With around 125,000 people currently following the agency’s Twitter feeds for transportation information and advice, it will be updating its feeds regularly at its three Twitter handles, @TfLTrafficNews, @TfLTravelAlerts and @GAOTG. The social media feeds will be providing the latest information and updates on various transportation and road services affecting around 150,000 travellers that are expected to descend on…
Eurostar International, a UK-based high-speed rail service that operates between the UK and mainland Europe, and which is also an official supporter of the London 2012 Festival, has reported a slowdown in its business travel as European countries fight an economic slowdown. In the first six months of 2012, the rail company has reported only a 2 percent increase in passenger traffic, to 4.8 million, from 4.7 million reported in the same period in 2011. Commensurate with the small increment in passenger traffic, the sales revenue has also increased by 1 percent to GBP425 million in the first half of…
ScotRail, the railway network in Scotland, has announced the installation of a touch-screen machine at Aberdeen station in Scotland, for faster dispensing of tickets to rail passengers. The company has chosen Aberdeen Station as the first venue to receive its touch-screen ticket-dispensing machine, ToDler, due to it issuing around 11,000 departure tickets every month, and the fact that it is one of the busiest stations on the network. The machine is scheduled to be on trial at the station for the next six months, during which time the responses of passengers using the facility will be monitored. Sean Duffy, the…
TripAdvisor, a company that providees an online travel community for collating user-generated travel information, has announced its 2012 Travellers’ Choice Restaurants awards. The London restaurants that have achieved inclusion to the list are: 1. Le Gavroche 2. Chez Bruce 3. Barrafina, 4. La Trompette 5. The Ledbury 6. Hawksmoor Seven Dials 7. Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester 8. Goodman 9. Moro 10. Petrus The Travellers’ Choice awards for Overall Favourite Restaurants Worldwide, includes: 1. Le Bernardin, New York City 2. Restaurant Gary Danko, San Francisco 3. Le Cirque (Bellagio), Las Vegas 4. Girl & The Goat, Chicago 5. Le Gavroche,…