Holiday & Travel

Malta is already firmly on the map as a must-visit destination for its beautiful beaches, delicious cuisine and abundance of history and culture. With improvements to inter-island transport, new hotels on the horizon and exciting festivals such as the Isle of MTV and Malta Jazz Festival, the island looks set to become even bigger and better than before.

Campbell Gray property Phoenicia Malta has reopened following an extensive €15 million refurbishment, confirming its status as one of the most luxurious and sought after hotels on the island. Located in Floriana, just outside the capital of Valletta, all 136 bedrooms and the Grand Ballroom have been upgraded, in addition to a new outdoor infinity pool and re-designed grounds and terraces across the hotel. August 2017 will see the unveiling of the new Café Phoenicia, featuring a beautiful outdoor terrace overlooking the Bastian Walls, Renzo Piano’s City Gate and the Triton’s Fountain, whist the health club and spa will open in late 2017.

As one of the quietest destinations in Europe, Scotland is the perfect place to enjoy some peace and calm. In fact, the recent Scotland Visitor Survey, commissioned by VisitScotland, revealed that almost a quarter of visitors' holiday in Scotland to 'get away from it all.'

A growing interest in our physical and mental health has led to increased interest in wellbeing tourism as holidaymakers embrace the chance to take a break from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

So, whether it's a desire to de-stress or a craving for calm, Scotland's stunning vistas, wild open mountains and hushed hideaways make it the ideal location to unwind in a warm, welcoming atmosphere.

Five-star visitor attraction Dynamic Earth will take visitors on a journey through the cosmos this Bank Holiday, with an immersive theatre experience.

From 29 April – 1 May, visitors can learn all about British astronaut Tim Peake's Principia mission to the International Space Station in the Cosmos Planetarium – a state of the art, fully digital 360° pop up dome.

Once inside the dome, visitors will fly up to the International Space Station on a Soyuz rocket to dock with the station, then explore some of the modules to learn how Tim, and the other astronauts, live and work in space – all from the comfort of their seat. Educational and fun, the film also includes launch footage of the Principia mission.

Britain's first astronaut, and national treasure, Tim Peake, visited the attraction last autumn as part of a UK-wide tour, to meet with fans and answer questions on his time in space.

Eilidh Massie, marketing manager at Dynamic Earth, commented: “After the excitement of Tim's visit last year, we're really pleased to be able to bring him back to Dynamic Earth, albeit in digital form! His work inspires so many of our visitors and we think this amazing 360 film will get even more youngsters interested in space.”

Tickets to the film are free with entry to Dynamic Earth and can be booked on the day. Other space themed activities at Dynamic Earth over the Bank Holiday weekend include colouring and craft activities and a fun space hunt through the galleries. Plus, young visitors can take a little bit of the action home with them, with a free space poster.

On top of the space activities, regular Dynamic Earth features include Scotland's only permanent 4D cinema, a real iceberg, a bone-shaking earthquake and the Deep Time Machine which takes visitors billions of years back in time.

Gone are the days when a significant birthday or wedding anniversary was marked with a gold watch or a diamond ring. Today the entire family can look forward to celebrating together on their dream holiday.  With a special occasion to celebrate, there's no better way than taking a once in a life time holiday with family and friends.

Since 2015, Turquoise Holidays has seen a 400% increase in holidays booked with the sole purpose of celebrating an anniversary or special occasion. It is no coincidence that their luxury family holiday sales have also gone through the roof, as children, grandparents, extended family members  and even close friends are now invariably included in the multi-generational trip to mark a silver or gold wedding anniversary, a 40th or 50th birthday, the last family holiday or retirement.

Catherine Blanks, long established senior travel specialist with Turquoise, is heading up the new Special Occasions & Anniversaries Division which features on the tour operator's website, along with a suggestion of handpicked hotels and tours that will roll out the red carpet and lay on the wow factor to suit any modern day family celebration.

With many years of experience in arranging luxury holidays for Turquoise clients, no one is more skilled than Catherine at putting on a celebration holiday. She says: “I love creating bespoke and original itineraries to inspire and wow our clients. It's the little details and the attention we put into every holiday which makes us so unique, and my little black book is full of the world's very best hotel managers, concierge desks, wildlife guides and yacht captains. The unusual and different are my forte.  After all who doesn't love a wonderful surprise - especially when it involves a holiday surrounded by their nearest and dearest.”

Visit Cornwall is now officially calling summer early! On May 1st, Visit Cornwall and its members are launching 'Cornish Summer Time' (CST) which starts six weeks earlier than 'official' British Summer Time. A spectacular campaign that celebrates everything amazing about the naturally early summer lifestyle in Cornwall is set to roll out across the UK with amazing accommodation and entertainment offers for those who want to beat the crowds to the UK's multi-times favourite UK holiday destination.

In Cornwall, summer has always (un)officially kicked off on May 1st. For centuries, the Cornish have been celebrating the arrival of summer in Cornwall with the world famous May Day Oby Oss Festival that takes place annually in Padstow on May 1st.  The summer heralding continues on May 8th as Helston is decked out with bluebells, gorse and laurel leaves as part of Helston Flora Day to celebrate the end of winter and mark the arrival of the new vitality and fertility with the trees and flowers bursting into life.

The warmer micro-climate means locals and visitors hit the coast path, gardens and especially the beach, jumping in the swell and stretching their bare legs long before the rest of the country. Cornwall enjoys an extended summer period which enables locals and visitors alike to take full advantage of an unrivalled outdoor living lifestyle from May 1st to  October 1st if not longer.

With this in mind, on May 1st 2017 and alongside its members, Visit Cornwall has created a super colourful set of deals for visitors and tourists to set their calendars and get down to the UK's favourite destination for the ultimate short break or holiday. Visitors can fast-track their summer and indulge in exciting outdoor activities such as stand up paddle boarding, kayaking, outdoor culture experiences, surfing, wild swimming, fishing, foraging, alfresco dining as well as the perennial delights of walking along the coast and visiting the great range of heritage properties, villages and towns.

Chief Executive of Visit Cornwall, Malcolm Bell says, “With the exciting new proclamation of CST, we are simply maximising what is already instinctively there, and spreading the word to Cornwall and fans of outdoor summer living across the nation. We're really excited about the launch of Cornish Summer Time this year and are delighted that our members have jumped on board to provide compelling offers to drive the campaign.”

Malcolm continues, “May and June tend to be quieter months in Cornwall, yet they are some, if not the best months of the year to be in the UK's number one holiday region. Epic panoramic coast and beach views, sunrises and candy coloured sunsets make for an Instagrammer's paradise and we are encouraging social media users to get involved and share their images using the hashtag #CST.”

Official figures show a record-breaking start to the year for inbound tourism to Britain. Today’s figures show that a new record has been set for inbound visits to the UK in the first two months of the year with 5.2 million visits, up 6% on the same period last year. Overseas visitors spent a record £2.7 billion in January and February, up 11% on the previous year.

Qatar Airways has become the first airline in the world to achieve compliance with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Resolution 753 at its hub in Hamad International Airport (HIA).

The resolution requires the airline to track every piece of baggage from the start of the journey all the way through to its finish. The certification has been achieved thanks to the airline’s Baggage Management System (“HAQIBA”) developed in-house, as well as its seamless real time integration with the Qatar Airways website and mobile app.

Qatar Airways offers real time updates on checked baggage through the “Track My Bags” feature on its website and mobile app, providing passengers with a truly hassle-free baggage experience. The mobile app provides real time notification to passengers with relevant updates on the bag, as well as the ability to retrieve the details on need basis using “My Trips”.

The information includes various stages of the baggage handling process such as check-in, transfer, arrival, as well as reference to bag tags and baggage belt. This information guides passengers during the journey and provides insight into any instance of delayed or lost baggage. The HAQIBA system enables Qatar Airways’ staff to proactively manage the delayed bags to provide an optimized handling process.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “Our careful attention to our passengers’ baggage, from the beginning of their journey all the way through to its finish, is yet another indication of the importance we place on customer experience. We have proactively taken steps to align our baggage management systems with IATA’s requirements. As a result, we are delighted that the association has declared Qatar Airways the first airline worldwide to become certified for end-to-end tracking for our hub at Hamad International Airport.”

New research from leading escorted tour operator Intrepid Travel highlights a trend towards gastronomy and authentic culinary experiences becoming the most important part of a holiday for Brits. Intrepid Travel has unveiled that a staggering 71% of Brits believe it is important to eat local dishes while on holiday and almost 40% spend up to five hours researching where to eat whilst on holiday. Almost 50% of those surveyed regard eating local dishes as 'important' and more than half believe guided group tours provide more authentic experiences. As Brits continue to place food at the top of their holiday agenda, Intrepid is adding to its dynamic range of Real Foodie Adventures with new tours in South Korea, Southern Italy, Portugal and Galicia, with the first departures from April.

The new tours offer authentic, mouth-watering experiences by pairing the classic grassroots Intrepid Travel style with a special food focus, uncovering the world's most exciting food cultures, whether its sharing a traditional meal with Buddhist monks in South Korea or sampling organic mozzarella di bufala direct from the source in Italy. An increasing number of Brits are recognising that these small group tours using knowledgeable local guides allow for culinary experiences that wouldn't be possible if travelling alone. The Intrepid survey results underline this as it emerges that 61% of Brits have joined guided group tours because it gives them access to places they wouldn't see on their own and more than a quarter (27%) have joined a group tour as they wanted an authentic experience. Interestingly it is millennials who are putting the most value on eating local dishes on holiday and experiencing culinary culture, contrary to recent reports that it is this generation who are to blame for food wastage. 45% of respondents who said they were 'likely' to book a holiday around food were in the 25-34 year old category, followed closely by the 16-24 year old category at 39%. To further highlight this trend, 40% of those who said they dedicate time to researching where they eat on holiday are in the 16-24 year old category, seconded by the 25-34 year old category.

2016 results on expenditure from major outbound markets reflect increasing demand for international tourism across the world, as reported in the latest UNWTO World Tourism Barometer. With a 12% increase in spending, China continued to lead international outbound tourism, followed by the United States, Germany, the United Kingdom and France as top five spenders.

“The latest data on outbound tourism spending are very encouraging. Despite the many challenges of recent years, results of spending on travel abroad are consistent with the 4% growth to 1.2 billion international tourist arrivals reported earlier this year for 2016. People continue to have a strong appetite for travel and this benefits many countries all around the world, translating into economic growth, job creation and opportunities for development” said UNWTO Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai.

Chinese tourists spent 12% more on tourism abroad in 2016

2016 was another strong year for outbound tourism from China, the world’s leading outbound market. International tourism expenditure grew by US$ 11 billion to US$ 261 billion, an increase by 12% (in local currency). The number of outbound travellers rose 6% to 135 million in 2016. This growth consolidates China’s position as number one source market in the world since 2012, following a trend of double-digit growth in tourism expenditure every year since 2004.

The growth in outbound travel from China benefited many destinations in Asia and the Pacific, most notably Japan, the Republic of Korea and Thailand, but also long-haul destinations such as the United States and several in Europe.

Aside from China, three other Asian outbound markets among the first ten showed very positive results. The Republic of Korea (US$ 27 billion) and Australia (US$ 27 billion) both spent 8% more in 2016 and Hong Kong (China) entered the top 10 following 5% growth in expenditure (US$ 24 billion).

The PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2018 is a three-day niche event with both conference and travel mart components, bringing together public and private sector tourism professionals involved in adventure travel and responsible tourism. Key elements of this annual event are environmental protection and social sustainability with special focus on empowerment of local communities. This is the first Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) event to be held in the UAE and the only event to be staged in West Asia in the last 14 years.

The PATA Adventure Travel and Responsible Tourism Conference and Mart 2018 will take place in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE). Al Ain is one of the world’s oldest permanently inhabited settlements and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“This is a fantastic opportunity for PATA members and for the adventure travel sector at large. Al Ain is a truly fascinating destination with a wealth of culture, heritage and opportunities for adventure travel,” said PATA CEO Dr. Mario Hardy. “Connectivity is easy via the award-winning Abu Dhabi International Airport. Al Ain, together with the surrounding landscape, has so much to offer travellers of all ages. This event provides an exceptional platform for travel trade professionals to learn much more about this compelling city and region.”

Commenting on the selection of Al Ain to host the event, HE Saif Saeed Ghobash, Director General of Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority, the government body responsible for the promotion of the emirate said: “Abu Dhabi has experienced significant growth in guest arrivals from countries within the PATA region in recent years, especially from India and China, and since joining the association we have been working with PATA members to place greater emphasis on seeding growth in visitor arrivals from these priority source markets.

Australia's new hotel brand, TRIBE Hotel Group (TRIBE), is focused on giving guests everything they need and nothing they don't, in a space that is intelligent and sophisticated with high-end design.

Instead of being something to everyone, TRIBE has been created for tech savvy design lovers and urban explorers, who are meticulous when it comes to where they stay and prudent about what they pay. The result is a hotel that is as stylish as it smart.

Its first location, TRIBE Perth is a nine-storey 126 room hotel in West Perth - next to Kings Park - that will launch on Tuesday, 16 May 2017, with interiors by award-winning architect and interior designer Travis Walton; architecture by Idle Architecture Studio; and brand campaigns shot by Nicole Bentley.

TRIBE Perth has highly functional rooms and shared spaces that are luxurious and contemporary, with cutting edge technology, entertainment and office facilities as standard. Gone are out-dated and unwanted services, inefficient check-in and checkouts, overpriced mini bars and restaurants and room service.

Its luxurious and contemporary living areas – styled by Walton in collaboration with celebrated art director Marsha Golemac – are part collaborative workspace, part social club featuring break out spaces, lounges, an outdoor courtyard and TRIBE Foods. Design details include: lighting by Tom Dixon, Moroso feature chairs, Jean-Paul Gaultier cushions, Febrik upholstered sofas, and an impressively curated collection of work by Australian contemporary artists.

Walton has cleverly crafted the rooms to complement the unique and innovative living areas, all complete with free Wi-Fi, signature queen beds with a custom designed bed base to allow for 'out of the way storage', floor-to-ceiling windows and blackout blinds, and amenities including Nespresso pods and T2. Bathrooms feature rain showers and Kevin Murphy shower products.

2017 has been declared the International Year of Sustainable Tourism for Development by the General Assembly of the United Nations. NAUSICAA, (the French National Sea Experience Centre) is fully supporting the initiative and has made it a key subject in a number of presentations, talks and special events in 2017. Each month, NAUSICAA will focus on a different aspect of the topic and invites visitors to learn more about sustainable tourism through its agenda, events and press trips.

Based in Boulogne-sur-Mer on the Opal Coast, Hauts de France, NAUSICAA is uniquely focused on the exploration of the marine environment. With giant aquariums and using the latest technology, NAUSICAA creates an entertaining, educational and scientific setting for discovery.

Here's what's coming up:

April - Marine mammals. Along the coastline of the Hauts de France region you can see more than 20 species of marine mammals including seals, dolphins and even humpback whales. In April NAUSICAA will put citizen sciences in the spotlight to encourage observation and living in harmony.

 6-23 April: 26th Festival of Sea Imagery. A rare chance to see some of the world's most stunning underwater images, admire the wealth of the ocean and gain insight into the importance of preserving it.

15 April: Grand Easter egg hunt. Gather at Le Noirda beach in the charming fishermen's village of Audresselles and help collect conservation data by searching for “mermaids' purses” in a ray egg hunt.

May: NAUSICAA will highlight sustainable tourism and eco-responsible holidays on the Opal Coast. With coastal nature reserves, a regional country park, a marine park, Cap Gris Nez and Cap Blanc - two areas of environmental interest, plus the Somme Bay, this is a region of exceptional natural beauty.

8 June: World Oceans Day. NAUSICAA, is a founding member of establishing this crucial awareness day, and will in particular highlight the level of plastic pollution in the oceans through a range of events, workshops and meetings.

July-August: The Tropics. An exhibition aiming to present ways in which everyone can make a contribution to sustainable tourism.

Throughout the year sustainability will be a permanent showcase in the tropical Mangrove area of the museum. The areas will also welcome new animals such as land hermit crabs, Atlantic mudskippers and Kaho stick insects.

Lodge Hill Bluebells, at Yoxall, Staffordshire, opens in April and will offer bluebell walking trails through 20 acres of mature woodland, a pop-up café, lawn games and plenty of space for families to enjoy time together. It's the latest business to sign up to The National Forest's 'forestlife' campaign.

'Forestlife' is an expression of all the good things to do and see throughout the 200 square miles of the Forest, and what better evocation of woodlands in springtime than a beautiful bluebell wood with its heady scent and carpet of blue?

Dave Garner, of Lodge Hill Bluebells, said: “My wife and I are really excited and proud to be opening up this piece of ancient woodland that was once part of the Needwood forest. We've worked very hard to create a place where the public can enjoy the stunning beauty of rural East Staffordshire, our carpets of bluebells and a slice of delicious cake. Working with The National Forest and the 'forestlife' campaign has further inspired our journey to deliver an amazing day out in the woods for everyone.”

Richard Drakeley, Tourism Development Manager for the National Forest Company, said: “'Forestlife' is a way of capturing the personality of the Forest, this special woodland place. It's about connecting with the landscape and with each other, to discover great places to walk and enjoy different activities. We're encouraging businesses who share this ethos to sign up with us and be part of our 'forestlife' campaign, marketing the Forest as a destination for people locally and nationally to enjoy. Lodge Hill Bluebells is a perfect example of this and we're delighted to welcome them on board.”

Dave and his wife Charlotte have further plans for this attractive corner of The National Forest. In addition to the bluebell woods that provide a wonderful celebration of spring, the couple have created Field & Forest Weddings. This unique wedding venue provides couples with a beautiful natural setting to design their day around a woodland wedding ceremony and Tipi or vintage-style marquee reception.