The famous Hilton Hotel chain will have their first hotel in Iceland when they take over a hotel in Reykjavik.

The Nordica Hotel in Reykjavik will be re-branded as the “Hilton Reyjavik Nordica this summer.

The agreement between the current owner of Nordica Hotel, Icelandair Hotels, and Hilton Hotels Corporation, includes an ownership exchange, but Icelandair Hotels will continue to operate Nordica Hotel.

There are approximately 500 Hilton hotels throughout the world.

City breaks in Reykjavik become more and more popular every year. As well as being an ancient city, Reykjavik is a lively and exciting capital with a colourful and friendly nightlife wth dramatic views across the bay.

Visitors to Reykjavik can fly from Glasgow, Gatwick and Heathrow Airports throughout the year.

A bathtub made of gold and valued at $1 million dollars (120 million Yen) has been stolen from a bathroom in a Tokyo luxury hotel.

The round tub is made of 18-carat gold and wieghs 176 pounds. A worker at the Kominata Hotel Mikazuki in southern Tokyo discovered that the gold bathtub was missing from a bathroom on the 10th floor of the hotel.

The golden tub was a feature of the hotel in a shared bathroom with limited access to male guests. Although guests staying at the hotel could bathe in it, for security reasons, access to the shared bathroom was restricted.

The tub was flanked by statues but not riveted to the floor, the thieves appear to have cut through a chain that was intended to secure it.

Investigators believe the robbery took place at night, sometime between 2 and 9am.

AP/AFP

British Airways is optimistic that their move to Heathrow Terminal 5 will be free from the threat of industrial action.

The move is set to take place in March next year and 6,000 ground staff have now voted in favour of the new working practices caused by the move.

British Airways has been in talks with union leaders for 18 months about the move. The ground staff (check-in and customer service personnel) are the last group of workers to vote. There have been previous votes by baggage handlers, drivers, loaders and other teams.

BA chief executive Willie Walsh said: “We have reached this milestone with the full co-operation of our unions.”

A spokesman for the T&G section of union Unite said: “The move should herald a new era for BA, but we will continue to ensure there are no compulsory job losses.”

Source: Travel Weekly

British holidaymakers spend more than people in Germany, Italy and France on their holiday bookings.

A Europe-wide survey shows that the average spend on holidays has dropped slightly in the last year, but now over fifty cent of holiday bookings are made online.
The average Briton spends €2579 per holiday, compared to €2025 spent in Germany, €2029 spent on holidays in Italy, €2006 spent on holidays by the French and only €1910 spent by the Spanish.

People from the UK also go on holiday more often than their European counterparts.

According to the survey, fifty-one per cent of holidays are booked on the internet in the UK, whereas only thirty-nine per cent of travellers based in mainland Europe book holidays online.

The survey reinforces the British public’s love of holidaying and how they not only have the highest budget for holidaying but they also travel more than their European neighbours,” explained Charles Walckenaer, managing director of Europ Assistance UK and Ireland.

“It goes without saying that the internet now plays an integral part in the process of researching and booking a holiday.”

A record two million British holidaymakers booked holidays for the Bank Holiday period.

Poor weather and predictions of gridlocked traffic prompted the millions to swap grey skies for sun and sand.

Figures on the record bank holiday bookings were compiled by ABTA.

Spain was the most popular holiday destination for the bank holiday period, popular with families especially due to the short flights, budget accommodation and great weather.

Florida is the most popular long haul destination, a good option for families making the most of the half-term break in many areas of the country.

ABTA president Justin Fleming said: “May is one of the nicest times of year to travel with cheaper prices and bearable temperatures.”

Many parts of the UK saw a return to wintry weather conditions during the bank holiday with heavy showers and strong winds in many areas.

Rocce Forte Hotels will manage a new five star hotel in Marrakech, part of a luxury golf and spa hotel complex.

The luxury hotel in Morocco will be opened in December 2009.

The luxury Marrakech hotel is called Assoufid and is owned by a consortium of French developers.

The resort will include a spa, eighteen-hole golf course and golf academy, as well as ninety rooms and eighty luxury villas for guests.

Sir Rocco Forte, chief executive of Rocco Forte Hotels told The Times: “We feel the time is right to extend our brand into luxury resorts and the signing of this contract, together with our own golf resort under construction in Southern Sicily, mark our first steps into that market.”

This is the company’s first management contract and the hotel chain is also reportedly weeks away from confirming a contract to manage a 150-room hotel development in Moscow.

Marrakech is the most visited of Morocco’s three Imperial Cities, popular throughout the year as a winter sun destination and for short city breaks.

British holidaymakers have declared that a good cup of tea is valued above other luxuries on offer in hotels.

The Ramada Hotel Travel Report 2007 investigated cultural differences by questioning 5,500 travellers from the UK, the USA, Germany and China and British holidaymakers reported that tea making facilities were the most important amenities in their hotel rooms.

Two thirds of Britons would prefer a non-smoking room. In comparison, only 26 per cent of Chinese travellers surveyed named this as a preference.

A hotel room with a bathtub is deemed a “must” for British travellers.

Hotel bars are also important to British travellers, yet gyms and exercise equipment were among the least important considerations.

For the Chinese, complimentary slippers are considered an important feature, with 80 per cent of those surveyed naming this as their number one requirement.

Whirlpools are valued more highly by German travellers than by travellers from any other nations.

The report into international travellers’ habits is part of Ramada’s Leave The Rest To Us campaign.

Selfish people who squash fellow air passengers by reclining their seats come top of the list of actions judged to be poor in-flight etiquette.

A new survey reveals that seat recliners are overwhelmingly the least popular people to be seated next to on a flight.

A new poll has asked air travellers “Which bad-mannered flier’s habits do you find most offensive?”

The results (in order of votes) are as follows:

Seat recliner: Kick back and squash - 37%
Seat kicker: Keep your feet on the floor - 28%
Tipsy flier: It’s a plane, not a pub - 9%
Space invader: Keep your elbows in - 8%
Chatter box: Won’t stop talking - 5%
Carry on champ: Excess hand luggage - 5%
Flight DJ: The louder, the better - 3%
Smelly food eater: Don’t stink up the cabin - 1%

The Cuban government has pledged $185 million to be spent on the country’s tourist resorts and facilities in a bid to encourage more people to take holidays in Cuba.

During the next three years more than 200 resorts, golf courses, marinas and other sites will be upgraded.

The Cuban Tourism Minister announced the investment at a private tourism fair which was closed to the press and the state-run Opciones newspaper later confirmed the development fund had been made available.

The vast majority of the funds will be spent on non-hotel facilities, such as golf course, yacht clubs and amusement parks.

Fifty boutique hotels and bars will be built in Cuba and money will also be spent on improving transport links around the country, particularly the highways.

Havana Airport will also get a makeover.

The number of tourists taking holidays in Cuba dropped slightly in 2006 and a similar number is forecast for this year.

A study on behalf of the Costa del Sol tourist board has revealed that four out of every ten people who take Costa del Sol holidays book them online.

Holidays on the Malaga coast booked through the internet have risen by seven per cent in the last year.

Just over fifty per cent (51.6%) of tourists that visit Spain book their holidays online. Only eight per cent of the internet bookings were made by Spanish tourists.

Of the online bookings made by foreign holidaymakers, most come from Germany (65.1%), followed the UK, accounting for 62.3% of online holiday bookings.

The Benelux countries are next, with 54.9% between Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg. Ireland is close behind at 52.4%.

40.5% of the Scandinavian tourists who visit the Costa del Sol now book their trip on the Internet.

Of the products and services booked online, transport is booked the most (at 63.5%), followed by accommodation at 19.1%, and car hire at 16.9.

The average daily spend by people taking Costa del Sol holidays is estimated at 41.1 €.

Source: Typically Spanish

The new Lonely Planet holiday guide book to the UK depicts British people as obsessed with celebrity and gorging themselves on junk food.

Among the comments in the new guide book is the observation that it is difficult to generalise about the British as they are having an identity crisis.

The Lonely Planet guide to Britain is critical of the fact that “more people vote in TV talent shows than for their country’s leaders.”

The writers of the guide also state that Britain is top of the unhealthy eating stakes, eating more junk food than the rest of Europe put together, but on a brighter note said that great food can be found in Britain.

In general, the Lonely Planet guide praised Britain’s multicultural, cosmopolitan society.

Co-ordinating author David Else said: “Although Britain’s had a reputation for being multicultural for decades, this has escalated in recent years and the impact of these different cultures has become more widespread and significant.”

The guide highlighted London, Birmingham and Swansea for the improvements they have made in recent years, but regarding Swansea said “admittedly Parisians, New Yorkers and Romans can sleep easy, but it’s now perfectly possible to stay in the city and have a good time.”

A new survey has revealed that one in ten British adults have never been on holiday abroad, despite cheap holidays being more widely available.

In contrast, the number of travellers who have visited twenty or more countries has risen. Mediterranean countries are the most visited.

One average, Britons have visited seven foreign countries. Five per cent of travellers have been to twenty countries and only one per cent have visited fifty countries. These travellers have been dubbed “mega travellers”.

The survey by insurance company AXA claims that 2.9 million British adults have never been on a foreign holiday and a further 2.3 million have only been abroad once.

The survey, whose respondents were aged 16-64, also revealed that two million British adults prefer to mix with other people from the UK and eat British food when they are on holiday.
AXA’s head of lifestyle protection and household claims Nick Kidd said: “Despite the rise of budget air travel a significant number of Britons have not travelled overseas on holiday. However, we are also witnessing the rise of a new breed of traveller, one that prefers to track down new destinations than return to old haunts.”

Owen Hargreaves, the Bayern Munich and England footballer is the new face of German tourism.

The 26-year-old, who is widely expected to move to Manchester United this summer, will feature in a new poster campaign encouraging UK tourists to book a German holiday.

The new adverts promoting German holidays will feature Hargreaves saying: “I’m a big fan of Germany - except when we’re playing them.”

The campaign is a shared project between the German National Tourist Office (GNTO), Air Berlin, Lufthansa, Deutsche Bank and the German Embassy.

Udo Grebe, director of the GNTO declared: “He’s not only one of the currently most well-known English persons of public interest in Germany but as a young man with an international background living in Munich he also adds to the contemporary image of Germany and appeals to a broad audience.”

The World Cup in 2006 was seen as a huge success for German tourism as it showcased the country’s modern hotels and facilities.

Recent reports suggested that German holidaymakers are increasingly choosing to take their holidays in their own country, apparently due to concerns about climate change.

China is set to become the third most popular worldwide tourist destination.

A survey by the United Nations World Tourism Organisation says China may overtake the USA to become one of the top three holiday destinations in the world.

Chinese newspaper, China Daily, reports that China the upcoming Olympic Games is having a huge effect on China’s standing as a tourist destination and the country is set to rank behind only Spain and France in terms of popularity.

Xu Jing, representative for Asia and the Pacific of UNWTO, said: “I am confident China will overtake the US next year.”

The Olympic Games are being held in Beijing in 2008 and Shanghai hosts the 2010 World Expo.

During 2006, China accounted for 5.8 per cent of world tourism spending.

It is predicted that will be the world’s most popular holiday destination by 2015.

Other countries experiencing a growth in popularity are Dubai, Vietnam and the Maldives, according to recent reports.

Sri Lanka, Kenya, Cuba and Thailand are among the most popular long haul destinations for British travellers.

Asthma UK has issued guidelines on to enjoy safe holidays for the millions of people whose illness is triggered by seasonal and environmental changes

Good preparation is the key to staying healthy and happy.

Many people experience asthma attacks when on holiday, brought on by physical exertion in a hot or humid climate, or high levels of pollution.

Erica Evans of Asthma UK says: ‘Always try to think ahead and make preparations for your holiday which include looking after your health. For instance, it would be helpful to take a written record of your medical condition and the proper names - not just the trade names - of any medication you are taking. Keep this with you at all times.

Checklist of precautions -

– Take out travel insurance to cover the costs of unexpected treatments while you are away. Check to ensure that your policy will cover asthma.
– Take all your asthma medicines with you as hand luggage.
– During recent tightening of security and hand baggage restrictions, the Department for Transport has advised that only essential prescription medicines for the duration of your flight (up to 100ml of liquid creams or gels and up to 100g of powder or tablets) can be taken on board.
– Make sure you take enough inhalers and tablets with you to last the holiday plus a few extra days.
– If you are travelling in Europe, make sure you have a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC).

A new daily service offering daily flights to Barcelona from Edinburgh has been launched.

The new service will commence on 1 August 2007.

Each day flights to Barcelona will leave Edinburgh at 10.30am, arriving in Barcelona at 1.55pm. The return flight will leave Barcelona at 8.10am, arriving in Edinburgh at 9.45pm

The new service is being launched by Clickair, whose spokesperson said: “We want to cover the huge existing demand in Scotland for Barcelona, the Mediterranean city combining the best in culture, architecture and leisure.”

Edinburgh Airport currently caters for the following summer holiday destinations;-
Balearics: Ibiza, Majorca, Menorca
Bulgaria: Bourjas, Varna
Canaries: Fuerteventrua, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Tenerife
Corsica: Ajaccio, Bastia, Calvi, Figari
Portugal: Algarve
Spain: Costas Almeria, Blanca, Brava, Del Sol, Dorado
Turkey: Antalya, Bodrum, Dalaman, Izmir

City break holidays can be taken from Edinburgh Airport to a wide range of cities across Europe, plus New York.