News Archive: travel and tourism: 2010

17, 2010 March:

Baby-boomers spark tourism boom

From Japan to Germany, senior citizens make up a lucrative and fast-growing opportunity in the tourism industry, with deep pockets, disposable income and free time. But just don't mention their age.

How to make your holiday £££'s go further this summer

As the pound continues to weaken and the prospect of a hung parliament strengthens, the Great British workforce looks anxiously towards the well earned summer holiday.

15, 2010 March:

Bulgarian ‘optimistic' over tourism

Bulgaria's Deputy Minister of Economy, Energy and Tourism, Ivo Marinov, traveled to Germany Friday to present Bulgaria as a year-round tourist destination at the International Travel Trade Show, ITB.

10, 2010 March:

Malaysia targets India increase

The Malaysian Tourism Ministry has again upped its target for tourist arrivals from India, hoping to pull in 650,000 visitors to Malaysia this year.

Croatia expects 'last-minute tourism' in 2010

Croatian Minister of Tourism Damir Bajs has said that 2010 will likely be the year of "last-minute" tourism.

05, 2010 March:

150 reasons to buy in Nice

The city of Nice is celebrating 150 years of 'Frenchness' by putting on 150 special events over the summer.

26, 2010 February:

Visitors flock to free attractions

Never have the free attractions in London been so well attended - the recession has meant that people are increasingly searching for more affordable ways to entertain themselves and their families - and Britain's leading attractions have welcomed more than 10 per cent more visitors since 2008...

Travel uncertainty across Europe

Holidaymakers are facing more travel uncertainty today as a wave of industrial action sweeps across Europe...

New medical equipment takes flight

Passengers who fall seriously ill during flights will have a better chance of receiving the treatment they need after new state-of-the-art equipment was introduced...

Dream Dom.Rep trips ruined

Hundreds of travellers, whose dream trips to the Dominican Republic were turned into 'holidays from hell' are suing tour giant First Choice...

25, 2010 February:

Czech mate: Have teddy, will travel

Suddenly a teddy bear's picnic in the back garden seems awfully tame when faced with the prospect of a brand new travel agency for teddy bears and cuddly toys that has launched in the Czech Republic - so will anyone really fork out their hard earned cash to send ted on his travels?...

Video cameras in cockpits?

US officials want to install video cameras in cockpits and monitor "black box" voice recorders to try to eliminate pilot distractions and banter which have been blamed for several accidents, including a deadly crash in New York...

Travellers warned of car hire shortages

Holidaymakers have been warned about a possible shortage of rental cars in Europe during the upcoming Easter and summer holiday seasons...

Carriers cash in on World Cup

South Africa's World Cup will be played over dizzying distances, but high airfares could complicate fans' travels across a country three times larger than Germany...

Indian Pacific train turns 40

The world's only trans-continental passenger train service has celebrated its 40th anniversary...

Virgin Blue uses Blackberry to lure clients

After building its brand on the wallets of leisure travellers, Virgin Blue is now changing its trajectory to lure business travellers with its new mobile phone travel application...

Pontins: Eden of the East?

Residents in the Norfolk villages of Hemsby and Newport are backing the construction of an Eden Project-style holiday centre - on the site of a former Pontins holiday park...

23, 2010 February:

Holiday happiness levels

It's no secret that a holiday is good for one's health and happiness, but according to a new study, the effects can last for as long as two months after the event - so taking greater numbers of short breaks rather than the traditional long summer holiday may turn us all into shiny happy people...

Travel industry failing to cater for disabled

Britain's leading travel companies are failing to serve the needs of disabled travellers, new research has found...

Air fares cut to Peru

The Peruvian government has announced a plan to cut air fares and hotel rates for travellers in a bid to boost tourism even though the country's biggest lure, Machu Picchu, is still closed to visitors...

Making tracks to Vientiane

The Eastern & Oriental Express will make its first foray into Laos next week. The train, an offshoot of the Venice Simplon Orient-Express, will leave Bangkok on Tuesday for the three-day journey...

22, 2010 February:

Diving for victory in NSW

Next month, New South Wales will have its very first artificial dive site when the warship HMAS Adelaide is sunk off the Central Coast near Terrigal - and the area is expecting a flood of tourists and divers keen to check out the new underwater ‘museum...'

Cruising on a Sunday afternoon

Size isn't everything, at least when it comes to cruising. That's the view of Yachts of Seabourn, whose Seabourn Odyssey was dwarfed by the Queen Victoria at Melbourne's Station Pier this morning...

Himalayan high road

The Great Himalaya Trail is the longest and highest alpine walking track in the world. It traverses more than 4500 kilometres from Namche Barwa in Tibet to Nanga Parbat in Pakistan, winding its way through mountains and remote communities...

Practical pleasures in the Med

Cruising is usually associated with the pursuit of pleasure, not knowledge, but a new British company is unashamedly pursuing the academically-minded. Launching in May, Voyages to Antiquity plans a series of historical cruises around the Mediterranean...

19, 2010 February:

Branson angry at BA proposals

Sir Richard Branson has reacted angrily to a new plan that will allow British Airways and American Airlines to join forces...

Bournemouth: so last season?

A Bournemouth hotelier has caused a row after accusing the seaside town of being ‘too stuffy'...

Celebs boost holiday bookings

A television advertising campaign featuring former Liverpool footballer Jamie Redknapp and his wife and rebounding consumer confidence have given a boost to summer bookings at Thomas Cook...

18, 2010 February:

Millions flock to shroud of Turin

Some two million people are expected to view the Shroud of Turin, the purported burial cloth of Jesus Christ, when it goes on public display for the first time in 10 years shortly, officials say...

Lufthansa to strike

Pilots at Germany's Lufthansa worried about their jobs voted yesterday to stage their biggest strike since 2001, adding to turbulence in a European industry already under pressure from all sides...

On-board goodbyes for cruise ships

Once upon a time, in a more relaxed era of travel, it was the pre-cursor to a voyage. Cruise passengers embarking on a long crossing could expect to be joined briefly on board by friends and family and enjoy a lingering goodbye before the ship set sail...

Camping out at 2010 World Cup

World Cup 2010: Johannesburg campsite will offer cheap accommodation to supporters..

Brazil Carnival: winners

Brazil's Carnival revelry drew to a close yesterday with the anxiously awaited award for the best parade in Rio de Janeiro going to a show featuring skiers dressed like Batman and a pregnant drum queen..

17, 2010 February:

Whistler changes face of skiing

The famous ski resort of Whistler in Canada's breathtaking attraction - the Peak2Peak lift - is the world's longest continuous, unsupported lift system and highest lift of its kind and is transporting tourists between Blackcomb and Whistler mountains during the winter Olympics...

Are we neglecting our homelands?

We Brits are generally a fairly well travelled lot - but is all this foreign gallivanting coming at the expense of seeing our own country - a new poll has revealed that British children are just as likely to have visited Paris as London...

Machu Picchu to reopen in April

The famed Incan citadel Machu Picchu is expected to reopen in April after being shut last month when torrential rains cut off most access to the ancient site, the Peruvian government said yesterday...

Tourists flock to remains of the day

By dawn on Monday at least 2,000 people were queuing outside Padua's Basilica di Sant'Antonio for the first display of the saint's remains since 1981. The remains have been resting in the Basilica's San Giacomo Chapel during restoration work on the Cappella Dell'Arca and were being transferred back to this part of the Basilica...

16, 2010 February:

Going to the chapel...

Who doesn't love a bit of good old fashioned romance, especially when coupled with a holiday in the sun - the tourism industry has certainly done well out of love's young dream - whilst once it was all about the foreign honeymoon, nowadays couples are more than happy to travel for the actual wedding...

Legal action for dodgy tummies

A number of Britons are planning legal action against Thomson Holidays after falling ill at a hotel in Tenerife...

Emirates commits to luxury long-haul

While an announcement is expected from Qantas soon that it will reduce the number of first-class seats on some routes, Emirates confirmed last week its commitment to premium passengers...

South-East Asia guide

Worth a look is southeastasia.org, a joint tourism marketing effort of the 10 Asean countries: Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam...

Out and about in Sydney

The Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras is one of the biggest events on the Sydney calendar and, to ensure Melbourne's gay community doesn't miss out on the fun, Virgin Blue is operating a Mardi Gras-themed flight from Melbourne to Sydney on February 25...

Smoother waters for Cambodia

Cambodia and Vietnam have agreed to free up cross-border navigation on Mekong waterways. "This will help all vessels - including river cruise ships - by allowing better access to ports in the Mekong Delta, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap and many more sites that attract tourists," says the chief executive of the Mekong River Commission, Jeremy Bird...

15, 2010 February:

Crown gets extreme makeover

It's a right royal success story - the Crown Towers on Melbourne's Southbank is one of Australia's hottest addresses and the most expensive hotel to stay in - and that's before it gets a massive overhaul of its high-rolling casino complex...

What a weekend for Singapore

Singapore opened the first of two casino resorts Sunday, part of a multi-billion US dollar bet to transform itself into a hot tourist destination and reduce the economy's reliance on manufacturing...

Ski safely this season

With the Winter Olympics taking place this month many will be inspired to take to the slopes, but beware of day three! According to the British Chiropractic Association (BCA), skiers are most likely to injure themselves at 4pm on the third day of a skiing holiday...

‘Best job Ben' sells Qld to Japan

Queensland tourism ambassador Ben Southall has arrived in Japan, armed with his iPhone, on a promotional visit aimed at tech-savvy Japanese travellers...

12, 2010 February:

The language of love

Part of the fun of going on a foreign holiday is experiencing the different traditions and customs of that country - and each country speaks a different language of love, so if you are on the hunt for a holiday romance this year, check out a brand new guide to flirting around the globe...

Get gaming in Shakespeare Country

Maybe the prospect of Valentine's Day has sent the nation's gaming fans a little gooey, or perhaps it's the chance to interact with some of literature's most popular characters that they like so much...