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50 beaches in England to be banned for swimming in wave of EU blacklistings
DestinationsMore than 50 of England’s most treasured beaches are at risk of being blacklisted as unsafe for swimming under new European regulations. With the temperature expected to rival that in the south of France over the bank holiday, many people will be heading to Britain’s beaches to soak up some sun and cool down in [...]
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UK airlines say that scrapping hated departure tax would create 60,000 jobs
TransportAirlines have told the Chancellor they can help “drag Britain out of recession” if he abolishes Air Passenger Duty (APD) at next month’s Budget. Scrapping the controversial tax, which applies to all passengers flying from a UK airport, would deliver a 0.45pc boost to GDP within 12 months and could generate 60,000 jobs by 2020, [...]
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Romania and Bulgaria hit back at Britain’s “don’t come here” anti-tourism campaign
DestinationsRather than being paved with gold, the British government wants you to think its streets are wet from the incessant rain and the vomit of binge-drinking teens. Concerned about a possible influx of new arrivals when immigration restrictions for Bulgaria and Romania are lifted at the end of 2013, the British media is reporting that [...]
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Pride and Prejudice tourism expected to boom for 200th anniversary
DestinationsMonday marks the 200th anniversary of the publication of “Pride and Prejudice,” the Jane Austen novel that introduced feisty heroine Elizabeth Bennet, seemingly aloof Mr. Darcy and a world of manor homes and grand estates that turned England into a dream destination for readers around the globe. Balls, dances and other special events are taking [...]
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Sky-high rail prices in Britain create hardship for commuters and travelers
DestinationsTrain travel is becoming a luxury that only the wealthy can afford. This year, the 10th in a row, ticket prices have risen above inflation, and some fares have almost doubled. Complaining about the trains has been a national pastime for a very long time: to be British is to exist in a semi-permanent state [...]
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VisitEngland to launch new marketing campaigns inspiring Britons to vacation locally — again
DestinationsAt the World Travel Market in London’s ExCel yesterday, VisitEngland revealed details of the campaigns, which will cover the four themes of countryside, heritage, culture and coastal and will run in partnership with destinations across the country. The marketing activity is phase two of a three-year investment project called ‘Growing Tourism Locally’. Funded by £19.8m [...]
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Historic station breweries inspire rail ale trail in Britain
DestinationsStalybridge is the first stop on an informal rail ale trail on the slow route across the Pennines between Manchester and Leeds. These railway pubs form a heroic defence against homogeny. Nine towns on the route have dedicated ale pubs either in or near the station. No designated drivers are required for this pub crawl. [...]
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Virgin Rail gets its wish to continue running West Coast line, but only for 13 months
TransportThe London to Scotland line could see three different operators in as many years after Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said his department will negotiate a temporary management agreement with Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Rail, which is expected to last between nine and 13 months. Ministers will then award a two-year interim contract, which will be [...]
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Duchess’s Alnwick Garden brings tourism to a rural English region
DestinationsYou might not have thought that the north east of England with its many challenges would be the natural habitat of a duchess. But there you might be wrong.
The one in residence at Alnwick Castle has a wide and varied local following; not in a slavish o…
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Despite last year’s criticized campaign, VisitEngland will push staycations again this spring
DestinationsVisitEngland has confirmed plans for another television campaign aimed at encouraging more Britons to take a domestic holiday.
The £2m push, announced at the ABTA Travel Convention today, will launch next spring and follows this year’s much-maligned…
