Travel news

Adrian sums up some other stories from the World Travel Market, is surprised how quick it is to go through formalities at Cardiff Airport and looks at developments in the Dominican Republic and Switzerland

VisitNorwich has launched its, by now, almost traditional Christmas campaign to attract more staying and day visits to the city.  It begins today with the Tunnel of Light.

That was what the Greek tourism minister, Elena Kountoura said when she was in London recently for World Travel Market.

Charlie Brown, Bruneland carry on baggage sizea are some of Adrian’s comments this week.

Although the show is a vehicle for destinations and hoteliers to sell themselves to tour operators and travel agents it is very useful for travel writers because it gives a clue to how much effort (or the lack of it) that destinations are employing to sell themselves.

Unlike my normal activity of tuning adverts out I wanted to see the new TUI advert that announced the second stage of their branding campaign so it was the ad rather than the programme that I watched!

The largest statue in the world, removing travel restrictions on Virgin Trains on Friday afternoons, changing Turkish visa restrictions and a new fare structure at Thomas Cook are just some of the stories that Adrian looks at this week.

More than 100 independent accommodation providers in Bath, including B&Bs, small hotels and self-catering properties have collaborated together to launch StayinBath.org.

Most of us do have reasonably punctual flights but, this year, over 175,000 have been delayed or cancelled so far in 2018, almost 26,000 more than last year, according to flight delay claims company AirHelp.

Another airline collapsed this week – Cobalt Air, there seems to be a Brexit effect around and yet another investigation shows that some website reviews are faked

The shop that every traveller who can get to London sooner or later visits and which is home to the world’s largest collection of maps, travel books and globes is relocating.

Using images – Instagram photos it suggests – it allows you to book a flight. You don’t necessarily need to know the destination or which country it is in.

Judges ruled that the airline was not liable to pay out compensation under EU261 for flights cancelled due to strike action. The CAA says that UK passengers are entitled to pay-outs of at least €250. Is the court right or is the CAA?

Destinations are pointing out what a good summer it has been for them. But a VAT increase in Ireland may deter UK tourists from visiting the Republic.

Maybe the times have changed. Maybe there is no place for Club 18-30 in today’s holiday world.

This year it will carry 4.2 million commuters and tourists and routes include Putney to Canary Wharf, Battersea Power Station to London Bridge and the London Eye to the O2 and on to Woolwich Arsenal.

New Zealand and Venice both are likely to introduce more rules which might deter tourists visiting whereas Malaysia and Dubai want to attract many more of us.

In the future, you might not want to go to Stratford but instead to San Weng, a new international heritage and cultural centre near Fuzhou City in China.

Now in its tenth year, the festival is an opportunity for visitors (and residents) to try out some of the capital’s world-class restaurants.

The three W’s, Dublin, World Tourism Day and England’s bumper holiday season attract Adrian’s attention this week.

I suspect that neither Thomas Cook nor TUI are too happy with us – their customers and potential customers.

It comes as no surprise to anyway in the travel industry that fake reviews exist. Just about Travel has mentioned in stories going back as far as 2011 that there were fake reviews and, in fairness to TripAdvisor, they have removed them once notified or when they have doubts.

Its Open House weekend in London where more than 800 buildings will open their doors to visitors. Unlike Venice and Moray which seem to want to curtail visitors!

City trips worldwide grew four times as fast as the total international holiday market over past 10 years and have overtaken “Sun & Beach” holidays in popularity.

France has no National Trust. It has no English Heritage, Cadw or Historic Scotland. What it does now have is the Loto du Patrimoine.

The opening of the V&A Dundee, APD in Wales, increasing visitor numbers from the UK to Qatar and the Barbadian Food & Rum Festival are some of the events capturing Adrian’s interest this week.

This coming weekend sees the Longleat Ski Safari where over 100 hot air balloons will ascend the skies over the Wiltshire countryside.