Rita Ora and Rudimental will take to the stage in Malta as headliners at the Mediterranean island’s free annual music festival.
The two acts are among a host of famous chart stars set to perform on June 26, helping to mark the Isle of MTV Malta festival’s seventh birthday.
More than 50,000 people are attracted to the island by the festival every year, and the event has become well-established on the summer music calendar.
The Il Fosos Square in Fioriana will host the festival, which has boasted many big names in the past. Stars who have previously appeared at the event include David Guetta and will.i.am.
Along with Viacom International Media Networks, the Malta Tourism Authority has revealed the headliners, while more acts are yet to be announced.
Rita Ora opened the MTV EMA in Frankfurt in November, and will now bring her R&B-pop-funk mash-up to the stage in Malta.
Meanwhile, Rudimental emerged in 2012 with their breakthrough single Feel The Love, then released their follow-up track Not Giving In. The English drum and bass quartet have recently begun their second international tour.
The Minister for Tourism, Hon. Karmenu Vella said: “The free open-air concert as well as the Malta Music Week has become one of the most established events of the summer music calendar attracting fans from all around Europe and beyond. The Isle of MTV Malta promises to be a spectacular concert and a great music event.”
Copyright © Press Association 2013
Four-fifths of families will go abroad on holiday this year, an online trade magazine has claimed.
In a Travel Weekly-commissioned survey of 500 people, 82% said they are either very likely or quite likely to have an overseas holiday, which may mean travelling from one of the UK’s major airports such as Stansted or Heathrow.
The respondents had all been overseas in the last five years.
The most likely groups to go abroad are those aged 18-34 and over 55, and the least likely are those aged 35-54, the survey by Explore Research suggests.
Unsurprisingly, the cost of travelling is the deciding factor for the majority (55%), while two-fifths (42%) say the destination is the biggest consideration. One in three are guided by the weather of a particular place and a quarter prioritise good accommodation, the survey suggests.
In terms of age, the type and quality of digs drives the decision for most over-55s, while cost, family-friendly facilities and safety of children most concerned the under-35s.
Around one in five holiday with family or friends (18%) and the same proportion holiday with one or two children, while around one in six go away with extended family (16%).
Explore Research’s Katie Brown said: “More than one-third of people will book with larger groups, either with friends or other families or extended family.
“This presents operators with the challenge of providing family-friendly and child-safe facilities, with quality accommodation to keep the older family members happy.”
Copyright © Press Association 2013
Ask most people to picture a skiing holiday, and chances are that China isn’t a country that springs immediately to mind.
However, diplomats from around the globe descended on Beijing last week for the launch ceremony of the 2012 Silk Road Ski Festival.
The festival is held annually in Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the north west of China.
Skiers and snowboarders who fancy a change from France, Italy, Austria or Switzerland can fly out to China from Heathrow Airport – which is actually 10% owned by the Asian nation.
The Silk Road Ski Festival is the biggest winter tourism festival in western China, promoting ski tourism to the autonomous region while showcasing its diverse ethnic culture.
The Beijing soiree was held to celebrate the tenth anniversary of both the Silk Road Ski Festival and the Friendship Association of Ambassadors and Madams to Experience Chinese Culture, which aims to promote Chinese culture globally.
The opening ceremony was attended by approximately 200 diplomats from 81 nations, who mixed with officials from the Chinese Foreign Affairs and Culture ministries, as well as representatives of the State Council’s Information Office and the National Tourism Bureau.
The event was hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, the Urumqi Municipal Government and the Tourism Bureau of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.
Nine iconic Egyptian hotels visited by the likes of Sir Winston Churchill and Princess Diana are to undergo a £31.3 million refurbishment next year.
All nine are owned by the Egyptian government, which has vowed never to sell them off and instead launched plans to renovate them under the ‘Historic Hotels of Egypt’ banner.
The hotels have been selected for their architectural or historical significance, or because famous guests have slept within their walls.
From 2013, visitors will be able to fly out from Heathrow or Gatwick and stay in beautiful hotels like the Cairo Marriott Hotel, Mena House Oberoi and Nile Ritz Carlton Cairo, which recall Egypt’s heyday
The nine historic hotels of Egypt are owned by the Egyptian General Company for Tourism and Hotels (EGOTH), a subsidiary of the state-owned Holding Company for Tourism, Hotels and Cinema (HOTAC).
The Egyptian government intends to closely manage the historic assets so that the hotels can compete with Egypt’s growing private hotel sector.
EGOTH chairman Essam Abdel Hady said: “This is an important time for the Egyptian hotel industry.” He added: “These historic buildings have now been protected by the government and will never be sold to outside investors. “As part of this commitment, these properties will continue to undergo total renovation to bring them back to their former glory whilst conserving their original features.
World tourists will make more than one billion trips this year for the first time ever, research suggests.
According to a World Travel Market (WTM) survey, UK airports including Luton and Stansted will be particularly busy as Brits are set to make a significant contribution to the overall total by going on an increased number of trips during 2012.
Of the 1,000 UK adults who were polled, 52% revealed they had taken more than one holiday this year. This was proportion was significantly higher compared with 24% in 2010 and 41% in 2011.
In 2012, a total of 13% of UK travellers took three holidays while 34% took two holidays, compared with 10% and 28% respectively last year.
Meanwhile, a fortunate 5% went on four or more holidays in 2012, in comparison to 4% in 2011.
The survey findings also showed that 49% support the idea of baby-free planes, while 76% think charging overweight people to sit in larger seats on aircraft is a good idea.
In addition, 88% said they are against any plan to charge air passengers for hand luggage and 60% think the Olympics will have a positive impact on London tourism.
However, only 50% believe the Games will benefit UK tourism as a whole.
Copyright Press Association 2012
Africa is proving an increasingly popular destination with international travellers keen to sample the natural delights that the continent has to offer.
It’s a great place to fly to, with UK airports linked to the major cities and a transfer available to the best hotels and wildlife parks, where the wonders of nature can be seen close up.
A recent conference in Tanzania heard that 50 million tourists now visit Africa every year, with many heading to the continent to enjoy its “unparalleled wildlife and natural scenery”.
The conference concluded that nature is “one of Africa’s greatest assets” and that promoting tourism is one of the most effective ways to preserve the continent’s national parks and protected areas, while creating jobs at the same time.
People flying to Africa from the UK in order to get a glimpse of some of the world’s most loved animals in their own habitat have been reassured by those attending the conference that the money they spend is helping people in the local economy and their visits are providing “an incentive for conservation”, making tourism “a powerful engine for sustainable development”.
Ministers and conservation officials attending the event signed a declaration to this effect and underlined the importance of good governance in managing park tourism. They also pledged to share experience in wildlife park tourism in a bid to encourage more visitors to fly to the continent.
Copyright © Press Association 2012
New York has topped a poll of favourite long-haul holiday destinations in new research conducted by Hayes & Jarvis, the tour operator. After a large campaign by Thai Airways the popularity of Thailand rose and it registered second on the list.
The rest of the list featured the Maldives in third, Las Vegas in fourth, Mexico in fifth and sixth was Mauritius. The top ten was completed by Dubai, Florida, St Lucia with Antigua in tenth. Japan, Cambodia and Vietnam were also shown to be in a vibrant state. Many of these destinations can be reached from Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick and Luton airports. Buses connect all these airports to each other and provide a link to and from central London.
Elsewhere, a study by Post Office Travel Money put Sri Lanka top, for the third year in a row, as the best long-haul destination as regards value-for-money.
The survey was conducted by calculating the cost of the 12 most typical tourist items in 32 locations. This registered only £43.85 in Sri Lanka with Vietnam second with £52.37 and Bali in third at £53.48.
The dearest place to visit was South Korea at £166.92. Mexico, at £60.48, was the most economical on the American continent while Washington DC was the best value financially in the US at £75.52. Gambia with £61.14 was the best value in Africa.
New research has suggested the number of tourists worldwide is set to pass one billion for the first time this year.
Figures from the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) show a record total of 467 million tourists travelled overseas between January and June this year, but experts say figures for the peak period of July to August have yet to be revealed. Consequently, UNWTO officials predict the total for the year as a whole will exceed one billion and John Kester from the organisation has backed that viewpoint by indicating the first half of a year only usually contributes 45% of the overall total.
“You don’t have an even spread throughout the year. In a normal year, the first six months account for a total volume of 45% of the year,” he said.
Tourism statistics have increased in every region of the world so far in 2012, with Asia boasting the strongest growth after an 8% rise on last year’s figures.
There was also 4% more visitors to Europe in the first half of this year too, suggesting more and more people are arranging airport transfers ahead of jetting off.
Experts say such rises suggest the total of 982 million international tourists in 2011 will be surpassed this year.
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Unseasonable wet summer weather and the lure of the Olympic Games have triggered a boom in September holiday bookings, according to a survey.
Foreign exchange company Travelex claims that around 5.7 million Britons are expected to take trips abroad at some point this month, with autumn looming large.
Almost half (45%) said they did not take their summer holiday during the busy school holiday period this year, while around a quarter revealed that they were taking a later break because they had been gripped by Olympic fever.
Nearly a quarter (23%) confirmed this would the first time they had ever taken a summer holiday in September, with destinations in Spain, Egypt and Turkey proving extremely popular.
Elvin Eldic from Travelex said: “It’s clear that this is a great time of year to be heading away to catch some last-minute summer sun following one of the wettest summers on record.”
Mandy Round, general manager of low-fare airline easyJet, said: “The Olympics created a party atmosphere that lifted the spirits of the nation.
“As soon as the last race had been run and the Olympic torch extinguished, our holiday’s website saw an uplift in bookings in September – not just to beach destinations such as Majorca, Egypt and the Costa del Sol but also to city break destinations.”
Copyright Press Association 2012
Tourists visiting Egypt can once again travel on Nile cruises from the capital Cairo to Luxor.
Cruises along the famous stretch of water were halted for 18 years because of security concerns, but they have now resumed since the weekend.
A special ceremony was held in Luxor – the mecca of Egyptian tourism – to mark the occasion after the arrival of a vessel from Cairo.
“The restoration of security is the key to the recovery of tourism in Egypt,” said tourism minister Mohamed Hisham Abbas Zazou.
He added: “Security on all cruises is being carried out in collaboration with the ministry of the interior.”
The 2010 tourism season in Egypt generated $13 billion for the economy, and the ministry hopes to match this goal in the coming years.
Tourist numbers, including those travelling from London aiports, fell sharply after an uprising in 2011, seriously damaging the country’s economy. But President Mohamed Morsi said on August 3 that he was committed to ensuring the safety of tourists.
Nile cruises were stopped between Cairo and Luxor in 1994 because of the risk of militant attacks. However, they remained in operation between Luxor and Aswan, the two main tourist hot spots in Upper Egypt.
Copyright Press Association 2012
