Best Holiday Lettings

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  • VisitBritain India Mission lands in Delhi

    Representatives from the likes of Wimbledon, Westfield UK and Historic Royal Palaces are in India this week, encouraged by the emergence of the rustic as a first-rate player when it comes to visits to friends and household across Britain.

    They are there as portion of VisitBritain India Mission 2013.

    The national tourism agency is hosting its annual trade extravaganza in Mumbai and New Delhi, and is derived after Prime Minster David Cameron’s visit to the rustic.

    The Mission provides UK suppliers with the chance to fulfill over 200 agents from across India, promoting British holiday destinations, tour packages and attractions from around the UK, highlighting the price-for-money deals, family attractions and unique experiences available to Indian visitors inside the lead as much as their popular summer break. 

    Latest figures for India suggest that 2012 witnessed a record numbers of ‘visits to friends and relatives’ in addition to general ‘holiday’ trips.

    With the primary three quarters of 2012 showing a 10 and 6 per cent rise respectively. Britain has always been a first-rate beneficiary of outbound travel from this market with worthwhile performing quarter being April-June 2012 (the most important holiday season for Indians) where 145,000 visits happened.

    This represents a 10 year high, with expectations that 2013 will continue this growth.

    In 2011, 355,000 Indian residents visited Britain spending £318 million, almost 100 per cent more visits than in 2000, with a considerable collection of bookings made through trade.

    By 2020 Britain’s ambition is to draw a different 150,000 visits and this growth will deliver an ambitious 40 per cent increase, equating to 500,000 trips.

    Keith Beecham, overseas network director, VisitBritain said: “The acclaim for visits to relatives and members of the family played a big part in tailoring the content for our 2013 India mission.

    “We may also help foster relations with key trade who may help us achieve our ambitious targets for visitors from the region.

    “We’re putting family friendly British businesses in front of decision makers, generating growth from a high spending region.

    “Our research also means that potential visitors desire to see greater than just London and the Indian Trade mission will look to coach the industry, ensuring they know all there’s to grasp about Britain.”

    British High Commissioner, James Bevan KCMG said, “The links between the British and Indian tourist industries, so enthusiastically promoted by VisitBritain, make an important contribution to the special partnership between the united kingdom and India that high Minister Cameron described on his recent visit.

    “For many folks, tourism is front door to every other’s countryside, culture and character. 

    “The UK offers a feast of opportunity for Indian travellers, be it as a family holiday, as a weekend stopover after a work trip, or a surprise getaway with all of the luxuries of the high life. 

    “Our friends from India will enjoy a warm welcome, a gamble to work out things both familiar and unexpected, or simple indulgence in creature comforts in a house faraway from home.”

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  • News: Fattal Hotels takes over Queen Moat Houses portfolio

    Israeli hotel company, Fattal Hotels, including a consortium of international investors has signed a binding agreement to accumulate all the share capital of the Queens Moat Houses.

    Queens Moat Houses maintains a portfolio of hotels that presently contains 20 hotels, 15 of them Holiday Inns, four Best Western Hotels and one Queens Hotel.

    The properties can be found in Berlin, Munich, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Cologne, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Wolfsburg, Hanover, Baden-Baden, Aachen, Mönchengladbach and Karlsruhe.

    The portfolio comprises approximately 3,600 rooms, 28 bars and 29 restaurants in addition to 154 conference rooms with a complete area of 9,675 square meters.

    “The investment is according to our expansion plans – the hotels complement our existing Leonardo chain of hotels perfectly.

    “We still wish to keep growing and are negotiating further projects in major cities in Europe,” explained David Fattal, chief executive of Fattal Hotels/Leonardo Hotels.

    With this new portfolio, Fattal Hotel Group grows to 85 hotels with over 16,000 rooms.

    Some 54 hotels and eight,449 rooms can be found in Europe (Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Hungary and Germany) and 31 hotels with 7,600 rooms can be found in Israel.

    Following the QMH Germany portfolio acquisition, Fattal Hotels might be managing 45 hotels in 20 cities in Germany.

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  • News: Manchester Airports Group completes Stansted takeover

    Manchester Airports Group has finalised the £1.5 billion takeover of Stansted Airport inside the south-east of britain from Heathrow Airport Holdings.

    The sees Australian investor Industry Funds Management take a 35.5 per cent stake inside the enlarged group.

    Charlie Cornish, chief executive of MAG, said: “We aim to aid Stansted fulfil its potential within the London market and produce more option to its passengers within the years ahead.

    “Today represents the achievement of a tremendous strategic ambition for M.A.G and we glance forward to working alongside staff, partners and stakeholders in ensuring the gang’s success.”

    MAG will now start integrating Stansted into the group, which also includes Manchester, East Midlands and Bournemouth Airports.

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  • Overseas visitors spend £4.5 billion a year in Britain’s shops

    With this year’s London Fashion Week yet again receiving international acclaim, research released today by VisitBritain shows that Britain can also be among the world’s most sought-after destinations with regards to international shoppers.

    Findings by the national tourism agency estimate that 18 million foreign visitors spent a till busting £4.5 billion in Britain’s shops(1), meaning 25 per cent of all expenditure by overseas visitors is at the UK’s high streets and within the country’s impressive range of shops.

    The VisitBritain survey reveals that almost all of the shopping spend was on clothes, with an estimated £2.3 billion generated by fashion-conscious foreign tourists. Many visitors also bought souvenirs, gifts and household goods, accounting for around £1.6 billion.

    Further analysis of the research found that a ‘shopping’ tourist spends more – a median of £680 per trip – than an ‘ordinary’ overseas tourist who typically spends £580.

    The survey also shows London’s world-class shops, stores and markets are an important attraction for foreign visitors. Around 81 per cent of holiday visitors to London went shopping. The regional benefits also are clear, with between two thirds and 3 quarters of holiday visitors shopping around the UK.

    Of the 18 million visitors, the French are our most prolific shoppers with over two million trips, followed closely by 1.63 million Germans, 1.63 million Americans, 1.3 million Irish and 1.1 million Spanish. The Dutch, Australians, Italians, Belgians and Swedes complete the highest ten. Of those, it’s the Australians who’ve the very best propensity to head shopping (over three quarters of all Australian visitors).(2)

    Looking further on the findings, the emerging BRIC markets also rank highly relating to propensity to buy, with Brazilians (73%), Russians (68%) and Chinese (65%) all having a far better than average appetite for shopping. Indians are about average, with 58 per cent inclined to head shopping.

    Breaking down shopping visitors by spend tells a good more interesting story, with tourists from the Gulf States (£442 per head), Nigeria (£432) and China (£405) leading the best way. Russians were just out of the head three, spending £362 on average. Brazilians came lower down the table at just £273 a trip – a somewhat surprising finding when contemplating their high propensity to buy.(3)

    It may come as no surprise however that almost 70 per cent of female visitors made sure they included a place of retail therapy during a visit to the united kingdom. Male shopping figures were also quite high at 50 per cent.

    VisitBritain also looked into how recent holiday visitors rated Britain for expense and worth for money. Results revealed that shopping in Britain was rated above France and kind of like Italy when it comes to value.(4) Those from long haul markets were especially positive in regards to the value for money of shopping in London in comparison to Paris.

    Additional analysis of respondents from 19 countries found ‘Shopping in Harrods’ was chosen as a top activity by almost one in five respondents (19%) when asked to choose their top three ‘only in Britain’ dream holiday activities. This was a more popular choice than visiting Harry Potter locations and taking within the theatre.

    Sandie Dawe, Chief Executive at VisitBritain said: “Shopping in Britain is seen around the globe as a good and inviting experience, and one of many things VisitBritain promotes to encourage visitors. It’s not only purchasing designer goods at Harrods, or rubbing shoulders with the wealthy and famous on Chelsea’s King’s Road that lures visitors to the united kingdom – a big number also make the trip to find bargains, whether it’s finding the smartest deals on designer goods at Bicester Village and the McArthurGlen Stores, or hitting the high street in Edinburgh or Manchester.

    “Our shopping experience is world class, with advantageous, desirable British brands enticing international visitors always of the year and providing real value for money against our competitors.”

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  • Swissôtel Goa, India opens

    With the outlet of a resort hotel within the popular Indian coastal state of Goa, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts will complement its global portfolio with yet another deluxe hotel. First guests are anticipated to be welcomed within the first quarter 2013.

    The Swissôtel Goa is found inside the town of Calangute that is one of the vital popular tourist destinations in North Goa, only 16 kms from the capital city Panaji and within an hour’s drive from Goa’s international airport. The 135 guestrooms and suites are designed and proportioned among eight three level buildings, that are set within a tropical garden featuring idyllic lily ponds and a courtyard pool area. Rooms vary in size between 31 m2 and 72 m2, dependent on category, and have modern design elements. An all-day dining restaurant, pool bar, cafe, fitness centre, adult and children’s pools, children’s club, in addition to conference and banquet facilities will delight even one of the most discerning guests. The hotel also will have an exclusive beach club for its guests on Calangute beach. Designed by Malaysian Architects Chong Chee Ching and Greg Dall, the weather within the lobby and within the resort are accented by numerous works by the Indian artist Krishna Mehta are distributed inside the resort which present modern and vibrant design highlights. The key night-life happenings and restaurants of North Goa are just a number of minutes’ walk from Swissôtel Goa.

    Goa is a former Portuguese administrated region and is India’s smallest state with a population of roughly 1.5 million. This year-round vacation destination with its famous cuisine and Portuguese influence provides inspiration with its endless beaches that have delighted tourists from all over for decades. Goa is a one hour flight far from Mumbai and Bangalore and two hours from Delhi. “With the Swissôtel Goa, we’re complementing our growing Indian hotel portfolio with a pretty holiday resort. With the already-opened Swissôtel Kolkata and the 3 Swissôtels under development in Mumbai, Noida and Bangalore, our portfolio at the Indian Subcontinent is growing continuously,” says Meinhard Huck, President of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts. “We are pleased to cooperate during this project with Convention Hotels India Pvt. Ltd. and sit up for welcoming our first guests at Swissôtel Goa.”

    ”We are delighted to get this hotel underway because it marks the start of a protracted and shut relationship that we want to share with Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts,” said Priyakant Amin, Director of CHI – Convention Hotels India Pvt. Ltd. “We selected Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts to control this prestigious property because of its reputation for delivering a up to date luxury hospitality experience. We continue to develop our hospitality portfolio to create best-in-class properties with right partners by our side.”