Holiday & Travel

Quark Expeditions®, the world leader in polar expedition travel, is celebrating the recent release of its 2017/18 Antarctic expedition schedule with the launch of its Virtual Reality Antarctic Experience and Antarctic VR app. From 1991's first-ever tourism transit of the Northeast Passage, to the first branded Antarctic VR voyage, Quark continues to blaze new trails in polar adventure travel.

Last week, MTV in partnership with the Malta Tourism Authority returned to the island to celebrate the 10th anniversary of Isle of MTV Malta. Valletta’s Il-Fosos Square was once again ignited by knockout performances from Wiz Khalifa, Jess Glynne and Clean Bandit, in addition to a killer closing set from Electro-House heavyweight Steve Aoki. Kicking off the party was local band Airport Impressions who had the tens of thousands of fans moving to their unique blend of Rock and House music.

The Tenerife Tourism Corporation has today announced the launch of its #bigwarmhug campaign to communicate to all British residents that the people of Tenerife are on their side no matter what happens with regards to the United Kingdom's status in the EU. Reaching out to both consumers and the travel trade, the campaign will be primarily promoted via social media channels and will see the local people of Tenerife offering a “big warm hug” to British tourists already on the island, as well as encouraging British residents to engage in the good feeling campaign.

It may be strange to be thinking about Festive Ski just now, particularly before the summer has really got going, and the impact of Brexit has become a bit clearer.   But these two issues are good reasons to have something exciting to really look forward to. Powder Byrne has already experienced a high level of bookings for this period, so for families to be sure they get the best choice of hotels and rooms within, it is recommended to get Festive Skiing holidays booked well in advance to avoid disappointment.  

Described as “nature's greatest experiment” by Sir David Attenborough, the Galápagos Islands offer a once-in-a-lifetime travel experience. To celebrate the launch of their brand new Galápagos Odyssey, adventure cruising specialists Aurora Expeditions share their favourite things to do and see in one of the world's wildest archipelagos. Take a geology lesson – hike up Española Island's four-million-year-old volcano, hop on 100-year-old cactus-dotted lava fields on Bartolomé Island or take the 600-metre walkway up to the hills for stunning view of the sea-cooled hot lava formation Pinnacle Rock.

Demand is growing for a new breed of eco-cabin holiday across the UK. Holiday makers are increasingly seeking high quality, sustainable short break accommodation and are favouring providers that genuinely give back to society. Recent findings from Booking.com show that 52% claim that they are likely to favour a destination that can offer a reduced impact on the environment. Forest Holidays has 571 cabins in nine stunning locations across Britain.

Love is in the air as the Dutch Caribbean island of Aruba stages its third annual festival celebrating that emotion in all its forms. Now expanded and moved to a new, larger venue, The Love Festival will be staged on July 29-31, offering entertainment across three days instead of two as in previous years. Organisers says this is a festival where it is all about love – love for each other, love for the universe and love of dance music.

The leader of one of the world’s leading resort companies will outline a vision for Caribbean tourism as he sets the tone for the region’s most important tourism gatherings, the State of the Industry Conference (SOTIC). The chief executive officer of Sandals Resorts International, Adam Stewart, will deliver the keynote address at the 14-16 September event in Barbados, chairman of the Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO), Barbados’ minister of tourism and international transport Richard Sealy announced.

The new home of luxury travel in Martinique, French Coco, opened July 1, 2016, beginning a new era of upscale hospitality in The Isle of Flowers. Expressly designed to blend elegance and comfort with nature and the colorful Creole spirit of Tartane, the small fishing village where the hotel is located, French Coco debuts with a four-star rating and membership in the prestigious Small Luxury Hotels Of The World.

Exclusive five-star Phuket hideaway Paresa is embracing the spirit of one of the Asia's most exciting and colourful events, with a package combining the island's annual Vegetarian Festival with a gourmet Vegetarian tasting menu and classes in Thai vegetarian street cooking. Paresa will also offer a guided tour of the festival in Phuket's 'Old Town' and a visit to a colourful local market accompanied by Paresa's chef to select ingredients for the cookery masterclass.

The wilds of Sri Lanka's deep South are not for the faint-hearted. With its rough patchwork of terrain and the animals that roam the depths of its many national parks, it makes for a thrilling getaway that caters to every kind of traveller. In keeping with its trend of innovation in tourism, Jetwing now provides a luxurious collection of tents situated within the bounds of the renowned Jetwing Yala that acts as a perfect base to explore this captivating region.

POP, the new low-cost, long-haul airline, is aiming to be the only current operator of non-stop flights between the UK and two of India’s key secondary cities - Amritsar (Punjab) and Ahmedabad (Gujarat). The Punjabi and Gujarati communities in both the UK and India have a long history of maintaining strong family connections, and weddings in particular are occasions when special efforts are made by families to come together. By offering low-cost, non-stop flights between the UK and Indian-based branches of these families, POP will be making it much easier for guests to attend such occasions in whichever country they are held.

To most, Wellawaya is a central town that is passed through en route to other popular traveler destinations along the East Coast or in the deep South. Jetwing Kaduruketha, one of the family's newest hotels and their first agro-tourism property, is looking to change that. Located 208 km away from Colombo and 30 km from Ella, Wellawaya is rife with natural wonders and a rich history with its landscape dotted by religious and cultural landmarks.

Expanding Chinese carrier Tianjin Airlines is celebrating its first flight from the UK to China which departed from Gatwick on Saturday 25 June 2016. Tianjin Airlines' first ever UK route flies from London Gatwick to Chongqing and Tianjin in China. The new service will operate every Wednesday and Saturday on an Airbus A330-200 aircraft with 18 business class and 242 economy class seats. The total flight time will be 11.5 hours to Chongqing and 17 hours to Tianjin.

Located in the heart of the South Pacific between New Zealand and Hawaii, Samoa is the first country on earth to see the rising sun. With an average temperature of 27 degrees, turquoise blue waters, coral reefs, palms, lush rainforests, fertile grounds as well as beaches straight out of a picture book, Samoa is a discoverers paradise which seduces visitors to a longtime stay.  For example, the author of “Treasure Island” could not wait for the next streamer to arrive but ended up staying for the rest of his life and is buried there, too.

In Shakespeare's 400th anniversary year, what better location to enjoy Hamlet than against the dramatic backdrop of Kronborg Castle in Helsingor (also known as Elsinore) in Denmark, which is where this most popular of Shakespeare's plays was set.  This year, from 1st – 21st August, the castle, which is now a UNESCO heritage site, is hosting its famous Shakespeare Festival with some of the world's leading theatre companies staging a number of Shakespearean productions.