Holiday & Travel

All those who love and live in Northumberland are being urged to put their vote where their heart is to help Northumberland in this year's British Travel Awards 2015. This year, Northumberland is the only county in the North East to be nominated in the category for Best UK Holiday County/Destination. Against other nominees Pembrokeshire, Devon and six-time winner Cornwall, it is hoped the whole North East region will get behind the twice-nominated county to bring home the Gold. 

New figures published by the TUC indicate that 156,854 people in the West Midlands are missing out on their minimum legal entitlement to paid holidays. The TUC’s analysis of unpublished figures from the 2014 Labour Force Survey (LFS) shows that 1,669,000 employees across the UK are losing out on their holiday rights, an average of 6.4 per cent.

If you want the literal northern experience, North Yukon is about as far as you can go. The stark beauty of the region is protected within five wilderness parks and largely encompasses the range of the Porcupine barren-ground caribou herd. In spring, thousands of caribou and migratory birds return to have their young, and by fall the land is ablaze with crimson, orange and gold.

2.1 million British holidaymakers were set to head overseas for summer holidays last weekend (24-27 July), which for the majority of schools in England and Wales marks the start of the six week break estimates ABTA – The Travel Association. The Mediterranean dominates the market for families and temperatures this weekend range from the low to high thirties with uninterrupted sunshine.

Tenerife has boosted its position as one of the best locations on the planet for stargazing, with the introduction of eight new telescopes at the world-famous Teide Observatory. Introduced last month, the new telescopes will appeal to “astro-tourists” and scientists looking to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

In 2016, the Hurtigruten fleet will be joined by a new addition - one of the most flexible expedition ships in the world. She will embark on thrilling exploration voyages, but before she begins her journey, she needs a name. Come up with something suitable and you and a friend could be joining her as the special guest of the Captain, on the voyage of a lifetime along the Norwegian coast.

A new and exciting time will be introduced at one of the world's most romantic places to stay, Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek, when Analjit Singh of Leeu Collection and his family take this boutique hotel situated in the Cape Winelands, South Africa, over as new owners from Susan Huxter and her family on September 1 2015.

In September and October 2015, expedition teams from adventure travel company Secret Compass will set out to cross the southern Sinai desert in minimalistic, Bedouin style. To mark the expedition's pending departure, Secret Compass investigates previous expeditions into this 60,000km2 peninsula, an area that has long been of interest to scholars, scientists and explorers alike.

Over the course of 2014 Brazil welcomed 6,429,852 international tourists, boosted primarily by hosting the World Cup. For the first time, the country exceeded the 6 million mark for foreign entries, with the number of visitors representing a 10.6% increase against 2013 figures. Argentina continues to be the top country for Brazil-bound tourists, with 1,743,930 Argentinians visiting in 2014, followed by the United States (656,801) and Chile (336,650).

Five of Jumeirah’s hotels and resorts across Europe have recently been awarded the internationally -renowned Green Globe certification, acknowledging the group’s continued commitment to sustainability.  The group’s properties in London, Frankfurt and Mallorca have all been awarded this accolade and Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel and Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living are the only hotels in London to have received this accreditation to date.

Liguria in north-west Italy, otherwise known as the 'Italian Riviera', has the most Blue Flag beaches of any region in Italy for the sixth year in a row. The crescent shaped region between the French Riviera and Tuscany is dotted with stunning sandy beaches with 23 being awarded the prestigious Blue Flag designation, three more than last year.

Qatar Airways will be adding six extra flights per week between Doha and Manila starting from October 26, 2015, following an expanded Air Service Agreement signed between the State of Qatar and the Republic of Philippines. Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “The increase in flight frequencies on the Doha–Manila route serves to further strengthen commercial and trade links between our two countries and we are delighted to be able to provide our Philippines-based passengers with greater connectivity options when they choose to fly with Qatar Airways."

The Secretary of State for Transport Rt Hon Patrick McLoughlin MP has welcomed the first passengers on a flight from China in the first of an extended series of flights, which, if developed into a daily service, could deliver an additional £81 million to the UK economy each year, including £62 million per year for the West Midlands.

Norwegian Air to serve the French Caribbean islands of Guadeloupe.  In total, seven weekly non-stop flights from East Coast cities New York, Boston and Baltimore/Washington D.C. will start on December 3rd 2015. Under the "Open Skies Treaty” between the U.S and the E.U., European airline Norwegian will connect the French Caribbean Guadeloupe Islands to three major East coast gateways. 

The first Green Globe certified hotel in the Bretagne region, France, La Grée des Landes Eco-Hotel Spa Yves Rocher aims to protect the environment and to answer all expectations of green travelers. The hotel reduces its ecological and climate footprint, gathers its staff around ecological projects and maintains strong relations with public institutions.

Qatar Airways launched its second new destination of the year, touching down in the Spice Island of Zanzibar yesterday. Zanzibar is the airline’s third route in Tanzania, following Dar-es-Salaam and Kilimanjaro. Qatar Airways will initially operate five weekly flights to Zanzibar via Kilimanjaro, and commencing 1st October 2015, the airline will offer an additional two weekly flights making it a daily operation.