A recent study conducted by Whichbudget has provided alarming results highlighting how many European tourists regularly travel without insurance. Over 5,000 people took part in the survey from various countries throughout Europe. The results showed that only 37% of Brits always go away with travel insurance and that 44% never take out any form of cover before going away. Spain was slightly worse with only 25% always purchasing insurance, followed by an alarming result from Italian responses showing only 10% take out adequate cover. It appears that even with recent travel disasters being broadcast all over the news such as airline strikes, tour operators going bust and the volcanic ash cloud, that this is still not enough to encourage tourists to purchase travel insurance before going away. The results also showed that 11% of UK tourists only ever take out insurance when they travel outside of the EU and a worrying 8% choose to travel with their EHIC (European Health Insurance Card) alone. The CEO of WhichBudget expressed his concern over the alarming results provided by the survey and explained that it is often difficult to predict when an airline or tour operator will go under. It is therefore extremely important that tourists cover themselves for all eventualities.
Predicted increase in ’staycations’ say experts
September 5th, 2010 No comments »At a recent travel forum held at Bournemouth University, UK, leading academics and tourism experts predicted that in forthcoming years, more tourists will be choosing to spend their holidays in Europe than ever before. Professor Adam Blake explained that airline industries will be impacted in the future by further ‘green taxes’ which will subsequently have an impact of flight costs for the passenger. With this in mind, tourism experts at the forum predicted that more people will be staying either in the UK or taking shorter trips to Europe as opposed to travelling further afield on long haul flights. Other tourism experts pointed out, that with this in mind, more work would need to be carried out on public transport in the UK and less road works scheduled for bank holidays. Flo Powell, director of ACE (association of cruise experts) highlighted that the UK is experiencing a big growth in cruises to northern Europe as tourists ‘turn their back on air travel’.
Marbella. Euro-trash or Euro-cash?
August 12th, 2010 No comments »Marbella has always been a popular holiday resort that is somewhat hard to define. Many people imagine it as a more up-market Benidorm, frequented by boozy Brits looking for a cheap holiday on the Costa del Crime. However, despite its ever-growing popularity, it appears that Marbella has a much more complex story to tell. On the one hand, Marbella is known for its ‘dark-side’ where villains, drug-dealers and prostitutes form part of a corrupt and dangerous community. On the other hand, however, Marbella is home to some of the richest people in the world who come to the Spanish city to show-off, party hard and flash the cash. Who can blame them though? With 300 days of sunshine a year and some of the most beautiful beaches in the south of Spain it is obvious why the Andalucian City has a constant flow of rich European tourists every year. Designer labels, private yachts and Champagne ‘Spray Parties’ are not out of place in Marbella and help reinforce its immaculate image but those behind the scenes know that there is much more than meets the eye. Celebrities appear to find refuge in the city, claiming that they can be left in peace and are unbothered by press and Papprazzi.
Whether Marbella really is becoming the Spanish ‘ghetto’ or is as glitzy and glamorous as it would like to appear, the only way to find out is to experience it for yourself!
Morocco, growth in tourism
July 20th, 2010 No comments »The living history and unique art of Morocco provide an appealing environment for travelers.With its great imperial cities of Marrakesh and Fez or the cosmopolitan city of Casablanca, Morocco has attracted visitors for centuries, and tourism keeps on growing.
This year is also planed to be successful ; The Moroccan government confirmed signals of a record tourism season. North Africa as a whole has also seen strong growth as a destination this year. Thanks to its Atlantic and Mediterranean coast, Morocco lies on Europe’s largest tourist zone and proposes a wide range of summer and winter activities. Tourists will have the chance to experience Trekking amongst the five geographical zones that include desert, coast and plains. An other way to enjoy your holidays in Morocco is to ride a Camel straight into the Sahara, or simply walk in one of those open-air markets with colorful crafts such as carpets, pottery, jewelry, brassware and woodwork.
To discover Morocco, you can find Relais car rental stations where you need them to Rent a car in Casablanca or to Rent a car in Rabat . You can organize a trip in Marrakech and stay at Riad Marrakech Medina
London to get billions for investment in time for 2012
November 3rd, 2009 No comments »
With less than 1,000 days until the start of the 2012 Olympics in London, excitement is already growing over what will be a huge boost for the local visitor economy. To mark the occasion, Visit London has released a report outlining how visitors to the capital will benefit from £11 billion in investment over the coming years. The improvements are already starting to take shape, including the East London Line railway extension, new cycle tracks and walkways, the renovation of the Savoy Hotel and a new urban park being built in East London. In Spring 2011 the Cutty Sark will be reopened after being damaged by fire in 2007 and a new wing of the Tate Modern will be opened in time for the start of the Olympics. These are new and exciting times for such an historic and fascinating city such as London and I’m keen to see how these new developments will improve an already amazing city!
The wonders of skiing in the Pyrenees
October 28th, 2009 No comments »According to Chantal Pitin, head of leisure traffic development at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport, more and more people are experiencing skiing in Toulouse with surprising results. As a result of tourists flying into Toulouse, tourism in the area has had a welcome boost. Apparently skiing in the Pyrenees is ‘enjoyable’ and is suitable for everyone, especially as the resorts tend to be small family resorts. I have to admit that although I have been to Toulouse before, I had never thought of it as a ski resort. But I suppose the mixture of sun and snow would be a perfect combination! Although whether it rivals the ski resorts of the Alps remains to be seen…..
Greek Islands still popular with Brits
October 20th, 2009 No comments »Historically the Greek Islands have always been popular with Britons holidaying abroad, and this trend doesn’t look like changing. According to Sofia Panayiotaki, director of the UK and Ireland branch of the Greek National Tourism Organisation, beautiful landscapes, friendly people and competitive prices are drawing people back every year. Brits make up 20 percent of the Greek tourism market, with in total 60 to 70 million holidaymakers visiting Greece every year. There are also many holidaymakers from France, Italy, Germany and the US. Although Britons usually visit the Greek Islands of Crete, Rhodes and Corfu, due to the impact of the film Mamma Mia, more are now visiting the island of Skopelos where it was filmed. There are also more Britons taking city breaks in Greece than ever before. And hopefully these trends will continue! 
The perfect chance to own a piece of history!
October 14th, 2009 No comments »If you are a lover of history and art, then I’m sure you would want to snap up the chance to buy an historic piece of Paris. On December 14th several pieces will be for sale at auction including stairs from the Eiffel Tower and street lights from the Champs Elysees. These pieces will form part of the Paris Mon Amour (Paris my love) sale to celebrate 120 years of the Eiffel Tower and ‘pay homage to Paris’, according to auctioneer Christophe Lucien. Forty steps of the Eiffel Tower staircase are expected to reach between 60,000 and 80,000 euros, while an oak public phone box is estimated at 1,000 euros. There’s also the opportunity to buy old rubbish bins, street benches, 18th century tourist maps of Paris and ancient books. Basically there’s something for everyone and I would love to have some of this stuff in my house or garden!
Britain in Boston!?
September 28th, 2009 No comments »So we all know that Britain is an amazing place to visit, right? Well I read today that Virgin Atlantic and VisitBritain have been trying to reinforce this idea further by holding a special event at Boylston Plaza. To encourage more Americans to visit Britain they have erected famous British icons such as red telephone boxes and monarchs such as Henry VIII around Boylston Plaza. There was even British food on offer! I bet the ex-pats loved it! And all this effort just to encourage more people to visit Britain due to the favourable exchange rate. They even had the mandatory cheesy slogan; ‘get more Britain for your buck‘. This sounds like one publicity I would have loved to have seen!!
