Holiday News - Direct

The famous Italian city of Milan is known for fashion shows, contemporary art, culture, history, design and much more. A city break in April – the quietest month on the social calendar, is possibly the best time to soak up all the sights.
In the spring time Milan’s streets are refined, with trees in full […]

The Aviation and Environment Summit which commences today in Geneva, Switzerland, will discuss the development direction of sustainable bio-fuels on commercial flights.
The fourth summit to take place will highlight progress in technological operations and innovations. Policies and challenges in today’s climate will give the aviation industry the time to discuss agendas and […]

The Dutch government has abolished the recently introduced departure tax as part of its package to stimulate the economy, which the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has welcomed with open arms. The taxable cost varied from €11.25 and 45 Euros per passenger who departed from any Dutch airport, adding costs onto tourists holiday budgets.
Giovanni […]

The United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) says travel and tourism should be placed at the centre of the upcoming G20 Summit, as part of the plans to revive the world’s economy.
The UNWTO have communicated to the 155 countries asking them to consider supporting travel and tourism, as this will give strength to trade (import […]

However careful and aware of the dangers on the slopes, there will still be serious accidents happening each year, a lot of them due to off-piste skiing. Stay safe and enjoy your winter holidays!

The Ski Club of Great Britain launched in winter 2004 their “Respect the Mountain” campaign, raising awareness among the winter sports fanatics and the snowsports industry. In addition to explaining environmental isssues, it gives advice on how to preserve the mountains with a seven-step guide.

Good news for holidaymakers looking for short or long-haul holiday breaks - innovations launched at Hamburg Airline industry expo.

From March 31st to April 2nd at the Hambuge Messe in Germany, new products are being launched at the Aircraft Interiors Expo 2009. Innovations such as simulated product and systems, like, a birds-eye-view of what […]

As accessibility improves, more operators are combining northern Thailand with Laos.
Only the Mekong divides Thailand from Laos, and with several international border crossings opening up in the pas few years, it has become easy to combine Isaan in north-eastern Thailand with Laos. Thailand has always been a popular destination, but in the past year, interest […]

Sightseeing in the US is an amazing experience; with so many landmarks to visit it is sometimes difficult to know what you’re stood in-front of, especially if there are no identification signs nearby with information about the monument, for example.
Many international and domestic tourists in the USA don’t necessarily know what to expect when visiting […]

To make guests feel comfortable and in another effort to amp up tourism, there is now a hotline to receive and address visitors’ complaints in Muğla.
“Alo 179 Complaint Service” was established in Muğla to hear tourists’ complaints or suggestions about the city. Officials, who speak English and Russian, will operate the service 24 hours […]

According to an industry expert, the religious tourism sector, worth an estimated £10.81 billion, could play a key role in driving Middle East tourism and hospitality forwards.
The global leader in religious travel and tourism already is the Middle East, but with three billion people around the world tracing their religious roots to the region, the […]

A ship arrived at Keelung Harbor in Taiwan on Monday morning (March 16), carrying 1.600 Chinese mainland tourists, marking the first direct cruise from the mainland to the island.
A passenger liner or Royal Caribbean International, “Legends of the Seas”, travelled approximately forty hours after it left Shanghai on Saturday. Passengers received a welcoming ceremony complete […]

At the Seatrade Convention in Miami the Passenger Shipping Association has revealed the cruise numbers. In 2008 nearly 1.5 million UK passengers took a cruise holiday, 11% more than the year before.
The number of holidaymakers joining their cruise in a UK port, 577.000 passengers, had a 23% increase and the number of fly-cruise passengers, 900.000, […]

Under Government plans to relax restrictions, after the upgrade of airport X-ray machines, airline passengers will be able to carry any amount of liquid in hand luggage once more.
Limitations to 100 millilitre bottles will be over for passengers. And duty-free alcohol can be bought without the risk of it being taken away.
In laboratories in […]

Thanks to China, tourism in Hong Kong and Macau is still growing.
The Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China continued to grow in 2008, Hong Kong’s tourist arrival figures suggested. A historical record of 29.5 million travellers, 4.7% up, was recorded in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong Tourism Board considered the record as a small disappointment, […]

By a stagnation of overnights at hotels and residences 2008 was characterised. The French Riviera had one of its best years with 12.3 million overnights.
A clear sign of declining conditions in tourism arrivals was showed in the last quarter of 2008, with air arrivals down by 10% at Nice International Airport. Hotel occupancy was […]

To launch its Comic Relief fund raising campaign, DFDS Seaways has put a giant six-metre diameter red nose on the bow of its cruise ferries.
‘The biggest red nose ever’ was created by the cruise line to launch the quest to raise money for Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day.
At the International Ferry Terminal just outside Newcastle, […]

Carnival Cruises Lines is to introduce their new ship Carnival Dream, a family-friendly fleet.
The debut of the 130.000 tonne ship is on September 21 in the Mediterranean. The first series will include 12-night fly-cruises.
The US cruise line will be enabled to carry an estimated 625.000 children aboard its 22-vessel “Fun Ship” fleet, approximately half […]

A new low-cost long haul service connecting the UK to Asia has been launched by AirAsia.
The airline will have five direct flights a week from London Stansted to Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur is the international hub for the airline. From Kuala Lumpur they will fly to 64 destinations such as Phuket, Bangkok, Singapore, Ho Chi Minh […]

Kenya’s visa rates have been cut in half to make the country more appealing to visitors.
From April 1 until the end of 2010, entry visa rates are to be reduced by 50%, Hon. Najib Balala, Kenya’s Minister of Tourism has announced. The visa’s are to be cut completely for children under 16.
“Kenya has a […]