Author: News Team

A recent study has explored the links between the seaside, health and happiness. Researchers concluded that being by the sea can boost well being – highlighting some truth in the lyrics of the famous song “Oh we do like to be beside the seaside”. In the 2 year study by the British Psychological Society, 2750 people were asked about their experiences of different environments including the seaside, the countryside and urban parks. Researchers noted that people found seaside environments to be the most pleasurable. Participants told researchers that being by the seaside made them feel ‘relaxed’, ‘refreshed’ and ‘invigorated’. Recently,…

Eastern Airways, a UK-based airline, has announced the launch of a new service from Southampton Airport to the European Union capital, Brussels, in Belgium. The airline is offering a daily service on the new Southampton to Brussels route, six days a week, following the recent withdrawal of services on the route by Flybe, another UK-based airline. Flybe had ceased operations on the route in February this year, although Eastern Airways had previously operated between Southampton and Brussels for two years, ceasing in 2008 when Flybe stepped in and commenced their service. Kay Ryan, the commercial director for Eastern Airways, said,…

Travellers prefer new undiscovered destinations, according to a survey conducted by Virtuoso, a US-based luxury travel network. The 2012 Virtuoso Luxe Report indicates that Italy and France remain top favourite destinations for travellers in search of luxurious vacations, while England makes it to the top five favourite destinations of affluent travellers. Virtuoso clientele have expressed a preference to discover unexplored destinations in Cuba, followed by Cambodia and Belize, marking a new trend for adventurous travelling in 2012, which was less popular in previous years. The five most popular destinations for family travel in 2012, according to the survey, are Italy,…

Great Hotels of the World, a collection of premier hotels worldwide, has added a new member, the Thon Hotel EU, in Brussels, Belgium. The new Thon Hotel EU is located centrally, in the city’s European district, and is only 15 minutes from the airport by car. It opens with 405 guestrooms with contemporary designs, and 37 spacious one to three bedroom apartments. Business travellers will be able to make use the meeting facilities of the hotel, which includes 10 multipurpose conference rooms, ideal for gala dinners, conferences, weddings and parties. Leisure travellers will find that the hotel is located near…

Ryanair, the Ireland-based low cost airline, has announced a new route from Liverpool John Lennon Airport, in Liverpool, England, to Warsaw, in Poland. The new route will be launched in October 2012, with the initial three times-weekly flights service commencing from October 28. The airline will be landing at a newly converted military base in Poland, Warsaw-Modlin Mazovia Airport, about 35km from the city. The new airport has been converted to cater for visitors to the country for the 2012 UEFA European Football Championships, hosted by Poland and Ukraine, and is scheduled to open for business on July 16, 2012.…

BAA Ltd, the owner and operator of six British airports, has announced its decision to sell Edinburgh Airport in Scotland, to Global Infrastructure Partnership, a real estate infrastructure investment fund that already has Gatwick and London City airports in its portfolio. The company is selling its 100 percent stake in the airport for £807 million, in a deal expected to close in May 2012. Edinburgh Airport has handled 9.3 million passengers in 2011, and generated gross earnings of £48.3m for the 2011 period. After the sale of the airport, the company will still retain ownership of Heathrow, Stansted, Glasgow, Aberdeen…

Eurostar International, a UK-based high-speed rail service between the UK and mainland Europe and an official supporter of the London 2012 Festival, has announced that it is hosting a one-day summer festival, Eurostar presents Traction. The festival, curateded by DJ, Gilles Peterson, will be bringing a number of European musical, dance and arts performers to Granary Square, London, on July 14, 2012, as part of the 12-week, UK-wide London 2012 Festival, celebrating the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games. Participants at the festival include French musician Sebastien Tellier, and Brandt Brauer Frick from Germany. The tickets are available for sale…

Ryanair, an Ireland-based low cost airline, has announced the launch of RyanairHotels.com, a hotel price comparison website. The new website offers a portfolio of around 300,000 hotels across Europe, in collaboration with HotelsCombined.com, an Australia-based hotel price comparison search engine. The new website claims to include hotels to suit every budget, from the lowest priced to luxurious resorts, offered with a user-friendly and interactive interface. The website also features hotel reviews covering every aspect of the hotels, from access, hotel rooms and amenities, to services offered. The website claims that the prices are the lowest for any hotel in that…

Blackpool’s new trams have been opened to the public after a £100million revamp. 16 brand new computerised trams have replaced some of the old heritage vehicles, although plenty of these continue to run for tourists to the resort. In addition to this, 6 miles of track has been replaced and a new tram depot has been built. Since the new trams opened last week, passengers have said that they love the new look vehicles. However, the launch has not been without teething problems. The first tram to carry paying passengers was derailed by sand in Fleetwood soon after the launch.…

Thomson Holidays, the UK based travel company, has launched its brand new summer 2013 programme brochure. The new brochure includes the debut of the Thomson Airways 787 Dreamliner, new and exclusive hotel offers, like the new Sensatori and Thomson Couples hotel experiences, and new cruise destinations. Thomson Airways, an airline owned by the travel company, has taken delivery of its new Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which from May 1, 2013 will fly its customers to Cancun, in Mexico and Sanford, in Florida, US, from the Manchester, London Gatwick, East Midlands and Glasgow airports in the UK. The company is also…