Music fans are being forced overseas as the cost of tickets for festivals in the UK continues to rise, a poll by Watchmywallet.co.uk shows.
The money-saving website found almost two in three festival-goers would contemplate going to an event in Europe rather than one on home soil.
Over half of Britons heading abroad for a festival are attracted by the relatively cheap cost, while one in four are influenced by the weather. More than a third of people surveyed revealed they get to fewer festivals now than they did when they were younger.
People keen to sample a different kind of atmosphere at an affordable cost could have picked up an early-bird ticket for a weekend at Poland’s Open’er Festival for only £77, with the standard price £112.
Super-early bird tickets for Soundwave in Croatia would set a music fan back just £65.
Many festival locations are easily accessible from UK airports such as Stansted, Gatwick and Luton.
“Many of the music fans we polled admitted that they now look at European festivals as a real alternative to UK events,” said Sean O’Meara, of Watch My Wallet.
“With cheap airfares and lower prices for accommodation and food in many European countries, it’s possible to enjoy a festival experience abroad with a little sightseeing thrown in, all for less than the cost of going to Reading Festival.”
Copyright © Press Association 2013
Families planning holidays to Spain and Portugal may find their money goes up to 20% further this year, according to latest figures from some of Europe’s most popular resorts.
This year’s Post Office Holiday Costs Barometer shows that prices have fallen sharply in many resorts, with prices down by up to 20% in Spain and almost 15% in the Algarve.
Portugal was the cheapest destination in Europe, thanks to cheap food and drink prices, while neighbouring Spain was in second place.
The research involved adding up the total for 10 holiday items across all destinations. In the Algarve they cost £46.34 – just 16p less than in Torremolinos on the Costa del Sol and only 80p cheaper than in Javea, on the Costa Blanca.
Prices in the Costas have fallen year on year – down 19% in the Costa del Sol and down 20% in the Costa Blanca.
A 3.4% rise in resort prices at fourth-placed Sunny Beach, Bulgaria, saw the 10 items cost £47.32, still less than a pound cheaper than then cheapest resort – Albufeira in the Algarve.
Such was the fierce competition to attract UK holidaymakers to the top four cheapest resorts, the fifth placed destination, Majorca, was almost £9 more expensive (£55.46).
Here prices have fallen 8.8% in a year, while they have gone down about 6% in Corfu, Greece (£64.45). This is equal to about a 1.7% fall in price once the Sterling to Euro exchange rate has been factored in.
Many of the resorts are easily accessible from UK airports such as Stanstead, Gatwick and Luton.
Copyright Press Association 2013
Passengers on budget carriers now comprise the majority of travellers flying out of the UK, the latest statistics show.
Data from travel technology firm Amadeus reveals that 52% of the 93 million passengers who began their trip at a UK airport in 2012 flew with low-cost airlines.
The 2012 figure represents a 4% increase over the 48% of UK-exiting travellers in 2011 who chose to fly with low-fare companies. Luton and Standsted are two major hubs for low-cost carriers.
The total number of passengers leaving from UK airlines was also up 2% on the 2011 figure.
The latest Amadeus figures also reveal that low-cost carriers handled 38% of all European flights in 2012, an increase from the 36.5% recorded in 2011.
The penetration of budget airlines in the European market is the largest market share for this sector in any region in the world.
In comparison, low-fare airlines accounted for 30.2% of the airline market share in North America, and 18.6% of the airline traffic in Asia.
When taking into account the origin of air trips, Amadeus data reveals that Asia had the largest number of air passengers, totalling 787 million in 2012. Asia was also the region to record the biggest growth, as passenger numbers were up 9% over the 2011 figure.
European passenger growth was the second fastest in 2012, up 4% to a total of 680 million. North America was third, increasing 2% to 597 million.
Latin America also saw healthy growth in air passenger numbers, rising 6% over the 2011 figure to reach 189 million in 2012.
Globally, a total of 2.48 billion people travelled on a plane in 2012, which was 5% more than the number who travelled by air in 2011.
Copyright Press Association 2013
As the cold weather lingers, around 1.7 million Britons will jet off this Easter in search of sunnier climes.
One of the coldest March months on record has prompted many people to snap up last-minute offers, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA).
Destinations such as the Canary Islands, Majorca, Tunisia, Egypt and Turkey are proving popular with getaway Brits, while Paris, Dublin, Amsterdam, Rome and New York top the city breaks chart.
France and Austria, meanwhile, are the most popular ski-destination countries.
A total of 600,000 departures are expected from Heathrow airport over the Easter period, 110,000 from Manchester, 110,000 from Stansted and 55,000 from Luton.
Gatwick is preparing itself for 214,000 departures, with Barcelona, Geneva and the southern Spanish city of Malaga listed as its top destinations.
In addition, airports across Scotland will see more than 100,000 departures up until April 2.
“After two wet summers and no end in sight to the winter, many Brits are desperate for some sunshine,” said ABTA chief executive Mark Tanzer.
“We’ve seen a surge in last minute bookings to warm destinations and ski lovers are also in for a treat with some of the best snow conditions seen for years.”
Copyright Press Association 2013
There are huge cost variations when paying for extras in rooms at four-star hotels around the world, a new survey reveals.
A packet of peanuts at a hotel in Cape Town, South Africa cost £1.20, while at a hotel in Moscow, Russia the price tag was £7.96, according to the TripAdvisor poll.
The cost of a club sandwich in a Cape Town hotel was £4.11, compared with a whopping £13.95 in Moscow and £18.67 in Zurich, Switzerland.
Such sky-high figures might provide plenty of food for thought for holidaymakers travelling to major UK airports such as Luton Airport, as they will need to ensure they have plenty of holiday money with them to cover all costs while away.
But by the same token, other travellers taking an airport transfer to Luton or London Stansted might take heart from the TripAdvisor survey – depending on where they are going – as it shows that items can be four times cheaper in one destination compared with another.
It seems plenty of loose change will be needed for travellers heading to Moscow, Paris or Stockholm, as they came out on top as the most expensive cities for hotel room extras.
But anyone on the lookout for good value holidays might be encouraged by the survey’s findings on the likes of Sharm el Sheikh in Egypt, Mumbai in India and Istanbul in Turkey, as they were among the cheapest destinations for hotel room extras.
The survey also showed a comparison of the combined cost of a bottle of water, a can of Coke, a mini bottle of vodka and dry cleaning at hotel rooms in different travel destinations.
Although fairly expensive, London nevertheless didn’t make it into the top 10 priciest, finishing in 11th position.
The combined cost of the items in Moscow was a hefty £53.05, compared with £44.17 in Paris and £43.97 in Stockholm.
Cheaper prices could be found in Cape Town (£12.61), Sharm el Sheikh (£15.27) and Mumbai (£16.27).
Copyright © Press Association 2013
Brazil’s preparations for the 2014 FIFA World Cup have taken a step forward as details of the hosting cities have been released at a press conference in London.
The global road-show, organised by the Brazilian Tourist Board (Embratur), also unveiled what British tourists visiting the country can expect during next year’s tournament when football lovers will flock to the airports.
Other successful ‘Goal to Brazil’ road-show events have been held around the world including Milan, Berlin and Paris. The road-show focuses on Curitiba, the soon-to-be-completed home stadium of the FIFA 2014 World Cup, located in Brazil’s southern state of Parana. With over 26 parks the city is known as the world leader in sustainable city planning.
Due for completion in July 2013, the FIFA 2014 World Cup stadium will have capacity for 41,000 spectators after an investment of over £78 million.
The president of the Institute for Research and Urban Planning of Curitiba, Sergio Povoa Pires, said: “Curitiba is a leader in sustainable planning and our focus has been on group transport such as bicycle systems and pedestrian routes. This will enable tourists to navigate the city smoothly, efficiently and without impacting on the local environment.
Marco Lomanto, director of products and destinations at Embratur, added: “The 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil is a unique moment in time for Brazil to reveal itself as a diverse and modern country.”
Heading to the World Cup in 2014? Get to your airport easily by using a bus service – there are a host of services running to and from hubs including Stansted London and Luton Airport.
Copyright Press Association 2013
Towns and villages across Hungary are preparing for the upcoming Easter period, with residents going all-out for the religious festival.
Holloko, a tiny village located two hours away from the capital, Budapest, is one such site where celebrations will be in full swing.
Here locals take part in a Paloc Easter Festival every spring – perfect for tourists seeking traditional Easter celebrations.
The village, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is home to 400 residents who are a Paloc ethnic minority group in Hungary.
Villagers dress up in colourful embroidered clothes and display crafted artisan products for sale during the festivities, while the streets are peppered with the sound of folk music as local musicians show off their talent.
A children’s playground, culinary demonstrations, and an art fair are also features of the Easter festival.
Tourists can wander through the village, admiring the beautiful historical houses and dwellings, mainly from the 17th and 18th century, as they go.
Classic Hungarian restaurants offer a taste of the local cuisine, while the local Paloc dialect is sure to capture the imagination.
Hungary is the perfect location for a short weekend getaway over the Easter period. There are regular flights to its buzzing capital city from key London travel hubs, including Luton Airport and London Stansted. People who book flights to Budapest can also visit Holloko on a day trip.
Copyright Press Association 2013
Travel enthusiasts could soon experience some of Egypt’s most beautiful beaches before even jumping on a plane.
Egypt’s tourism minister has announced plans to install webcams along the country’s popular beaches.
Hisham Zazou said that the technology would help to boost tourism in Egypt and show potential visitors how safe the destination is.
He said that installing cameras along the beaches of Sharm el-Sheik and Hurghada would encourage tourists to see much-loved resorts and explore the country.
Once in the country, visitors may also be tempted to travel to the iconic pyramids, Sphinx and other attractions.
The infamous Valley of the Kings and Valley of the Queens based in Luxor also attracts thousands of travel enthusiasts annually, according to the tourism minister.
Those travelling to the Ancient Egyptian capital from airports including Stansted or Luton can visit Queen Nerfertari’s tomb and the world-renowned final resting place of Tutankhamen.
The bid to attract more tourists comes after recent violent troubles and political uprisings in Cairo.
Minister Zazou added: “The uprisings were limited to one square kilometre in downtown Cairo and should not deter potential holidaymakers from established attractions that the rest of the country has to offer.”
Copyright Press Association 2013
Asia and the Pacific could be the places to head for globetrotters still mulling over where to go first as they head to Heathrow, Stansted or Gatwick on bus or coach.
For research by the United National World Travel Organisation (UNWTO) has found those regions are the world’s most “open” for tourists when it comes to having to have a visa to visit. And the organisation says that could have knock-on benefits for those regions’ economic growth.
Only a fifth of world travellers need a special visa to enter countries in Asia and the Pacific, UNWTO found, with 20% of the world’s population not requiring a visa to visit countries in Asia. A further fifth can get a visa when they arrive and another 8% are able to get one online before setting off on their travels.
Although 21% of the world’s population do not need a visa to visit destinations in Europe, a lot fewer can get one on arrival or in advance online, making it the “least open” to tourists, the research found.
Taleb Rifai, UNWTO’s secretary general, said tourists could be put off visiting some countries or regions by nations imposing strict entry requirements.
He added: “An overall restrictive visa policy means lost opportunities for economic growth and jobs, which tourism could bring to destinations.”
Copyright © Press Association 2013
Brazil certainly knows how to throw a samba-fuelled party – it is one of the reasons why we are all excited about the next World Cup and Olympic Games being in Rio.
But while those events are a little while away yet, one of the city’s most luxurious and exotic hotels is laying on a big celebration of its own.
The legendary Copacabana Palace, which has been graced by a host of famous faces such as Marilyn Monroe and Nelson Mandela, has just entered its 90th year.
To mark the occasion, work was completed late last year on renovations, which cost a total of 20 million US dollars.
If following in the footsteps of some of the world’s biggest stars wasn’t enough to inspire people to get down to their nearest airport and fly over for a stay at the Copacabana Palace, the contemporary makeover might be.
As part of the overhaul, guests can expect to enjoy redesigned rooms, restructured bathrooms and improvements to the renowned Cipriani Restaurant.
Tourists have flown in from near and far to enjoy the delights on offer at the Cipriani, but as part of the changes they will be able to sample the menu straight from the kitchen as a result of the new ‘table du chef’ option.
Londoners flying in from Stansted, Luton, Heathrow or Gatwick will also be blown away by the legendary Copacabana beach setting – it’s so good they made a song about it.
The glorious white sandy beach is something we can only dream of in this country – and it’s about as far away from the hustle and bustle of the capital’s streets as you can get.
However, sceneries to savour are not simply confined to the outdoors, after the hotel lobby’s original ceiling was discovered during the renovation work.
It has been fully restored to its original splendour to provide yet another hallmark of history in what is a massive year for the hotel.
Copyright © Press Association 2012
