Author: News Team
The recent Costa Concordia disaster has raised questions about the safety of cruising and the soundness of the industry as a whole. Have cruise ships become too big? Are staff and passengers adequately informed about safety policies and procedures? The 15 million passengers who enjoy Ocean cruises every year are testament to the fact that the popularity of cruising is ever on the up, and it seems important to note that the disaster is such big news because of its seemingly impossible nature. In fact, there has been no such large scale disaster since the sinking of the Titanic in…
Along with Glastonbury and Oxygen, The Big Chill Festival today announced that it will not be running this summer and has now been added to the list of festivals which have been cancelled, to make way for the London Olympic Games. If your a die-hard festival goer and are at a loss with what to do with yourself this summer, or perhaps you are just keen to escape the Olympic hype, then a festival on the continent could prove to be the ideal solution. Europe has many fabulous options to offer, which incorporate guaranteed glorious sunshine with the most fresh…
A British charity is building a pioneering science centre that will feature six miles of walkways – hoping to attract eco-tourists to the rainforest. Tourists will be able to see spectacular views of the rainforest , and the science centre will be the research base for scientists from the Royal Botanic Gardens. The centre will also provide jobs for Brazilian tribes, according to the Sunday Times. The impressive walkway project will be located in Roraima, a remote destination northeast of Brazil. It will be created by the same designers who built the London Eye and Kew Gardens treetop walk. The…
Demand for Krakow stag weekend packages has soared in recent months as football fans from across the UK look to tie their stag weekends to the forthcoming Euro 2012 tournament, with the England and Dutch teams confirmed to be using the city as a base during the games. Managing Director of the Stag Company Rob Hill explained that whilst Krakow has always been one of the organisation’s most popular destinations, the demand in light of the summer tournament has been unprecedented. “The majority of our customers love football and even those who don’t are keen to experience the same kind…
Carnival Corporation the parent company of Costa Cruises has announced plans to review the safety procedures used on all of its 10 cruise lines, following the Concordia accident. The company which currently owns P&O Cruises, Cunard, Princess and Carnival Cruises among several others have defended its ‘excellent’ safety record. However following the Italian accident on Friday 13 have called their emergency response procedures into question. Micky Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc said: “While I have every confidence in the safety of our vessels and then professionalism of our crews, this review will evaluate all…
Voted best in the world by travellers – a budget hotel in Crete where it costs just £26 per night. Holidayers who used search site Travel Republic stated that the Aegean Sky Hotel in Crete was their favourite place to stay for the second year running. It was rated above more expensive hotels all over the world, with a score of 9.58 out of 10. The staff were said to be extremely friendly, it location central to amenities and has great facilities, such as a swimming pool. Travellers also praised the accuracy of its brochure, with all pictures showing a…
With January blues now in full swing, over a million Brits* will book their next break in the sun this month and, according to independent car hire price comparison website carhiremarket.com, it looks like most will be jetting off to Spain and Portugal come Springtime. Based on last year’s booking trends, Ibiza, Palma de Majorca and Faro were the top destinations for a sunny break, but car hire bookings for locations further afield look to be on the increase, suggesting Brits are becoming a bit more adventurous. Around £500 million will be spent this month* on holidays, but instead of…
The travel and tourism industry could do more for responsible and sustainable tourism, reveals a survey that took place at World Travel Market 2011 – the leading global event for the travel industry – by exhibitor SustainIt. As the travel and tourism industry continues to grow, there is an increased emphasis on responsible travel. During WTM 2011 Technology and Online Travel exhibitor SustainIt, the leading software and data consultancy that specializes in sustainability performance, surveyed more than 200 WTM participants. This was to understand the industry’s experiences of sustainability and responsible tourism and work out whether the industry really is…
The skies not the limit if you let your kids pick their summer holiday, destination of choice is the Moon. When asked where they would like to take a trip to, the Moon was named by the majority of children as their ideal holiday. Closely followed by Disney Land and Narnia, the fictional world from the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. The results come from a survey of British children aged three to eight by holiday website sunshine.co.uk. The survey revealed both real and make-believe places in the top ten, following Narnia was Hogsmeade, from Harry Potter, and Hogwarts…
RED-faced cruise companies are rushing to remove adverts from Youtube – after their package deals were flashed up alongside BBC images of the Costa Concordia disaster. Cruise companies faced embarrassment as the unfortunate adverts on the video sharing website popped up on videos of the Costa Concordia disaster, which left six dead and 29 people still missing. One advert, for reviews site cruisecritic.co.uk, even referenced the Costa Concordia itself, advertising reviews for trips on the giant vessel. Another, for iglucruise.com, read: “Great offers on single cabins. No single supplements” over images of the ship lying on its side. An advert…