Colors: Yellow Color
Colors: Yellow Color

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.

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.

Tourism Minister Tracey Crouch said: “This record-breaking start to the year once more underlines the strength of our tourism industry. Our fantastic welcome and world-class attractions are continuing to attract huge numbers of visitors from across the globe, which is great news for the whole country.”

VisitBritain Director Patricia Yates said: ”These figures show that 2017 is off to a cracking start for inbound tourism, one of our most valuable export industries. Britain is offering great value for overseas visitors and we can see the success of our promotions in international markets. We must continue to build on our message of welcome and value in our high spending markets such as China, the US and the valuable European market.”

Growth at the start of the year was led from our long-haul markets including North America with 400,000 visits, up 2% compared to the same period last year as well as from other parts of the world up 15% to 790,000 visits.

There were 3.6 million visits from the EU in January and February, up 5% on the previous year.

Strong growth was also seen in holiday visits in January and February, up 15% on the same period in 2016 with 1.6 million visits.

VisitBritain’s forecast predicts that growth is set to continue in 2017 with 38.8 million visits and with spending reaching £23.9 billion.

Latest flight booking data shows that flight bookings to the UK for April to September 2017 are up 21% compared to the same period last year.

2016 was a record-breaker for inbound tourism to the UK with 37.3 million visits, up 3.4% on 2015, with visitors spending £22.2 billion, matching 2015’s record spend.

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.”

The U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism has launched "Centennial PLUS", an enhanced summer and fall travel promotion to coincide with the destination's 100th anniversary as a U.S. territory.
The new, expanded package, which can be booked through participating tour operators, offers $400 in VI Spending Credits as well as the fourth night free for a minimum four-night stay. The credits can be easily redeemed across the Territory at restaurants, retail stores, attractions and activities.
"Centennial PLUS", which builds on the success of the popular $300 consumer incentive, must be booked through participating tour operator partners through June 1, 2017 for travel between June 1 and October 31, 2017.
"Given the success of our Centennial promotion, we wanted to sweeten our offer so travelers can get an authentic taste of our islands during this historic year in our Territory," Commissioner of Tourism Beverly Nicholson-Doty noted, explaining that the package also provides an added incentive for visitors to travel during the traditionally slower seasons.
The promotion, which began as a small consumer-based initiative and then expanded to tour operators, has generated strong international coverage for the destination, which commemorated its Centennial on March 31.
The Territory-wide commemoration features events and activities, ranging from parades, concerts and lectures to cultural exhibits and food festivals throughout 2017.
To receive the $400 in spending credits and the fourth night free, a minimum four-night stay at participating hotels is required.

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.”

Puerto Rico will host the 2018 edition of Caribbean Travel Marketplace, the Caribbean's largest marketing event, at the Puerto Rico Convention Center from January 30 to February 1, 2018.
Produced by the Caribbean Hotel and Tourism Association (CHTA), in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, and the Puerto Rico Hotel and Tourism Association, next year's event will feature two days of business meetings that match hotels and destinations with online travel agents, tour operators and Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) planners through a busy program of thousands of pre-scheduled appointments.
"We are honored to host the most important Caribbean tourism event of the year as we evolve our position as a regional leader in the meetings and conventions business," said Omar Marrero, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Convention Center District Authority.
"CHTA's strategy to bring more MICE planners to next year's Marketplace is very well aligned with our objective to continue to grow this crucial category," said Marrero, who is also the Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Ports Authority and the Puerto Rico Public-Private Partnerships Authority.
"Puerto Rico takes great pride in announcing that this prestigious travel event will be returning to our island," said José Izquierdo, Executive Director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC). He said that PRTC looks forward to working with CHTA officials, its members and all on-island partners to welcome delegates to 'La Isla del Encanto' (Island of Enchantment)."
"This is an excellent opportunity to partner on the ground with our regional affiliate," said Miguel Vega, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Association. He noted that CHTA plays a key role in driving business to the destination and the region by developing and maintaining strong ties with global buyers interested in the Caribbean. "Caribbean Travel Marketplace is a marquee event that provides an excellent opportunity for stakeholders here to network with some of the world's leading travel professionals and, more importantly, share what we offer on our islands to the world."
In a joint statement, CHTA's President Karolin Troubetzkoy and CEO Frank Comito said: "We look forward to returning to Puerto Rico and partnering with both the public and private sectors in such an incredibly welcoming destination." The CHTA officials, whose organization represents the interests of national hotel and tourism associations, noted they anticipate working with local partners, including the team at Meet Puerto Rico and destination management companies, to attract global meeting planners as well as buyers who specialize in niche markets such as spas and wellness.
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