Category: Holidays

  • Preparing for your Holiday

    The majority of people book a holiday with plenty of time remaining, some even count down each day to their booked holiday date. Too make sure your fully prepared before you leave, bestholidaylettings are offering you a quick preparation guide.

    No, this is not the ‘remember your passport’ kind of guide. Firstly, have an idea of what you want out of your holiday, think of things you’d like to do, and research online to find out how you can make it happen. There so much information out there to be found, and you don’t have to wait until your there to see what’s on offer.

    Know how much money you need to take and get the exchange rate when it’s okay. We know this is unpredictable, but whenever you feel the rate is at a good or reasonable price, take it, it’s better than regretting it later.

    Do not over-pack. Most of the time people take items on holiday that do not get used, whether its a pair of jeans, hair straighteners or a big tub of hair gel. Airlines are becoming stricter and stricter on luggage weight, and there really is no need to take the risk, so picture yourself and holiday, and think ‘am i really going to use this?’

    Take important documents, and no not just your passport. There’s travel insurance, hotel and flight information, just take everything so you have it ready when someone asks for it. Again back to the suitcase; think about whether you’re going to bring gifts back, and make sure there’s space for those items.

    Holidays booked early are beneficial, but to make sure you see the benefits, prepare early. You can even start thinking about what you want in your hand luggage.

  • European Driving Holiday

    Heading out on the open road in a different country can be a scary prospect, but it really doesn’t have to be.

    Driving holidays offer a type of freedom that you can’t gain elsewhere. Rather than being limited one particular town or country, you can drive to the areas you want. Most package holidays can include public transport to popular areas, but who says that’s where you want to go?

    Driving holidays tend to be associated with America, such as driving from one state to another, perhaps ending in Vegas. Yet Europe also offers jaw dropping scenery and a fantastic open road feel. As an example, Best Holiday Lettings recommend the route from London to Barcelona. Why? Because there is so much to see, not only do you drive through three countries, you see the lifestyle and weather change (and improve) significantly in stages.

    The half way point on this journey is the centre of France, but before you make it to half way, stop off in Paris, the route runs directly through it. Not many people can say they were on a long drive and decided to have a cheeky stop off in Paris. Though you are technically driving through three countries, Barcelona is situated extremely close to the South of France, and the journey will offer tremendous views of beaches from France to Spain.

    Why not put down the plane ticket and take the ferry over to France in your own comfortable vehicle, it could be the holiday that tops the rest.

  • Chinese Visitor Summit returns to Abu Dhabi

    Organised by Nicholas Publishing International (NPI) in partnership with the Shanghai-based i2i Group, and backed by TCA Abu Dhabi, this year’s event will bring 75 top Chinese outbound tourism bookers to the UAE capital in a bid to extend the emirate’s Chinese visitor numbers to participating destinations, attractions and hotels.

    The Chinese delegation, so that it will also comprise 10 leading Chinese media, will include CEOs, general, product, outbound and MICE managers, sports events producers from wholesale, retail, leisure, golf, adventure and FIT operators.

    A snap survey of the summit’s Chinese delegates has revealed specific MICE opportunities with bookers on the search for existing opportunities with clients from the Chinese government, industry association, education, pharmaceuticals and medical, oil and gas, retail, construction, real estate, automotive,  in addition to insurance, finance and company segments.

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  • Merlin breaks £1bn in revenue for first time

    Merlin Entertainments has reported record annual sales, with the leisure giant taking greater than £1 billion in revenue for the 1st time.

    Merlin also saw record visitor numbers, with greater than 54 million customers at its attractions.

    Its financial results for 2012 show visitor numbers were up by 16.1 per cent and the sales figure rose by 15.2 per cent.

    Operating profit at Merlin rose 16.5 per cent to £258 million.

    However, on a like-for-like basis it was up only 1 per cent to £213m.

    Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said: “Merlin made further substantial progress in 2012, beating our profit target for the 13th year in a row, because of the consistent and successful execution of our diversification and expansion strategy.

    “We have continued to feature to our world-class global portfolio of attractions, that’s balanced by geography, product and demographics.”

    Merlin operates brands consisting of LEGOLAND Parks and Resort Theme Parks, SEA LIFE, Madame Tussauds, and, within the UK, Thorpe Park and Alton Towers.

    Varney added: “The business continues to broaden its international footprint, diversifying its revenues and providing further exposure to faster growing economies in Asia Pacific and North America.”

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  • Incentives boost heightens Advantage Abu Dhabi’s appeal

    Abu Dhabi Convention Bureau has overhauled its Advantage Abu Dhabi initiative for the company meetings and incentive travel segments with the introduction of 13 structured offerings designed to augment the emirate’s appeal amongst sector-specific bookers.

    Wide-ranging incentives now include: welcome dinners at host hotels, city tours, evening functions Emirati-style, ‘Speedster Specials’ at Ferrari World Abu Dhabi, desert safaris and dune dinners, full day meetings packages, golf rounds on award-winning courses, tours of Abu Dhabi’s award-winning Falcon Hospital, tours of the emirate’s heritage heartland of Al Ain and its UNESCO inscripted sites, VIP tours of the Yas Marina Circuit; entrance to the Yas Waterworld waterpark; cultural education sessions and event logo development.

    To qualify for any of a diffusion of the motivation offerings, organisers must hold an event in Abu Dhabi that has at the least 50 paid room nights in this year or next.

    Organisers wishing to use should accomplish that via www.abudhabi-cb.ae at the least 30 days before their event begins with the offer applying only to new bookings.