Willie Walsh, Chief Executive of British Airways said: “I’m proud to announce our new partnership with Comic Relief, which will expand and develop British Airways’ role in helping some of the world’s most vulnerable people.”

Lenny Henry, Trustee of Comic Relief (and Comedian) said, “We are delighted to have British Airways on board as our new partner and hope to have lots of fun raising heaps of cash! Together we hope to bring lasting change to the lives of some of the poorest and most vulnerable people here in the UK and across the world.”

British Airways are committed in helping people and communities in need, BA gave over £5million to charitable causes in 2009 and support over 100 community conservation projects across the world.

They recently sent aid and a search and rescue team to Haiti to help those rescued from the earthquake.

British Airways fly to destinations worldwide from many major airports.

The plan is to build the largest LEGOLAND in the world which will be situated approximately 30 minutes away from Disney World.

Celebrating its tenth birthday last year, LEGOLAND already have an established presence in the US in California. Voted as the best theme park for children by Amusement Today, it is the fastest growing theme park attraction, with visitor numbers growing annually.

In a press statement from Merlin Entertainments, Chief Executive Nick Varney said, “LEGOLAND California has already proven how much US families lobe the unique LEGOLAND concept. Now we are bringing that fun and experience to a much wider audience.”

LEGOLAND Florida is predicted to open in early 2011.

The Stratosphere Hotel and Casino will host one of the most high profile attractions – the Skyjump. Opening in April, the Skyjump is a ‘controlled freefall’ which the rider will experience air speeds around 40 miles per hour and the will plummet around 855 ft.

The Stratosphere already hosts thrill seeker rides such as, Big Shot, X-Scream and Insanity at the top of its tower.

Ceasers Palace will open the Garden of Gods in March, which will include an 18 ft waterfall and five multi-layered pools.

At the Imperial Palace a Quesadilla Mexican restaurant is set to open in the next few months.

Las Vegas is also known as sin city and is home to more than 18 of the largest hotels in the world!

The Armani brand is known for fashion clothing, cafes, home accessory boutiques and spas and has opted to choose the former Burj Dubai, now the Burj Khalifa to host its venture into hospitality.

There are also plans for hotels in popular city break destinations include, London, Milan, New York, Tokyo and Shanghai reveals The Independent online.

“The first Armani Resort is due to open in Marrakech, while ‘Residency Villas’ are under construction in Marassi (Egypt). Overall, Armani ‘plans to open at least ten hotels and resorts within the next ten years,’ according to a statement.”

Armani are following in the footsteps of designer brands such as, Missoni, Versace and Christian Lacriox.

Jon Pearce of www.holidays-direct.co.uk said, “UK holidaymakers need to ensure they have appropriate travel insurance to cover any lost or stolen goods when travelling to foreign countries. We have compiled a list of essential tips and advice to help holidaymakers travelling abroad this year.”

Holidays-Direct recommends the following easy to follow tips and advice before leaving for a holiday abroad;

• Give travel information about your holiday to close friends of family and take a copy of; Passport, Airline tickets, Accommodation details, Travel insurance policy documents
• Take copies of your passport with you in-case you need to send it to the British Embassy
• Make sure travel insurance is in date and includes any activities you may partake in as well as covering stolen items.

Jon continued, “Check the validity of passport and any visa’s to ensure they are well in date of the time you travel. Be wise and think about your possessions when you’re taking pictures and enjoying a coffee in a café, before you get distracted, know where your possessions are and keep tight hold of them!”

Don’t risk holidays being ruined by not having the correct insurance. Holidays-Direct supply industry news on their website, www.holidaynews-direct.co.uk/, thus giving an insight into culture and customs of popular holiday destinations for UK holidaymakers to view.

Kevin Sheehan, Chief Executive of NCL said, “By bringing the ship to Europe during her second season, we are combining the excitement of Norwegian Epic with a very popular European itinerary.”

Docking in Barcelona, the liner will visit Spanish and Italian resorts in 2011, including;
• Florence
• Palma Majorca
• Rome
• Naples

Mr Sheehan continued, “With her world class entertainment, wide range of accommodation, incredible amenities and plethora of dining options, Norwegian Epic will offer the best cruise experience for a wide4 range of travellers looking to enjoy Europe in a whole new way.”

The findings also revealed the risk of neck injury is much lower.

In total 12 separate studies were carried out over an 18 year period from Europe, Canada, USA and Japan. Information was provided from ski patrols, medical centres, insurance and self reporting injuries.

The outcome of those wearing helmets: 9,829 injuries, 36,735 not injured.

It is now compulsory for children to wear helmets on the slopes in Austria.

The amount of people wearing helmets is continually on the rise in ski resorts in Europe and ski destinations in USA and Canada.

Further information about this report can be viewed here: Canadian Medical Association Journal.

Over 70 new flight services will be launched by the low budget carrier in the next six months, which will include: Cagliari to Stansted, and Manchester to Helsinki.

easyJet will also be increasing their presence at Robin Hood Airport – Doncaster, by introducing routes for city break travellers to:
• Barcelona
• Amsterdam
• Palma
• Prague
And popular Portuguese holiday destination, Faro.

Andy Harrison, Chief Executive of easyJet believes the budget airliner offer the cheapest air fares to destinations from the most convenient airports.

Andy continued, “Despite the challenging economic conditions, we will grow 10% and will carry 50m passengers this year on over 500 routes. The 70 new routes we will launch in the coming months will reinforce our position as Europe’s number one air transport network.”

easyJet are a popular choice for city break travellers.

The London hub monitored annual growth by recording the number of travellers flying to the UK, Channel Islands and Europe, December’s increasing passenger numbers for the third consecutive month has shown important growth.

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer of Gatwick Airport, said: “I am pleased to end the year with a third consecutive month of growth in passenger numbers, which demonstrates that Gatwick Airport is recovering well from the economic downturn.”

Mr Wingate continued to comment on how Gatwick will be strong competition for rival airports and is aiming to become the choice of airport for airlines and passengers in 2010 and beyond.

In March, an additional flight will commence from the 27th of the month at Newark Liberty Airport, making it the fourth daily connection from the US to the UK and at the end of October this is set to increase again, to a total of 5 daily flights.

Continental Airlines currently fly to New York and Houston-Texas, and will have a total of seven daily flights from Heathrow to the US. From 1st June, business class will include flat bed seats.

Jeff Smisek, Chief Executive Officer of Continental Airlines said, “All our New York-London customers will benefit from more flight options, while those travelling to London in BusinessFirst - whether from New York or Houston - will be assured of a flat bed seat whenever they choose to fly with us.”

The increased flight options will give New York city break travellers better choice as well as the opportunity to travel in luxury in business class.

It is estimated to have cost over £160 million to make and features a minimum of four roller-coasters; Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, Flight of the Hippogriff and Dragon Challenge.

The Universal theme park will offer guests;
• A tour of Hogwarts
• The opportunity to drink some butter beer, Fire Whiskey and pumpkin juice
• A trip to Ollivander’s wand shop
• A visit around Hogsmeade village

Brad Globe, President of Warner Bros. Consumer Products said, “Harry Potter continues to spark the imaginations of fans of all ages and we really have seen the anticipation continue to build for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.”

JK Rowling, creater of Harry Potter commented on the creation of the theme park, “The plans I’ve seen look incredibly exciting, and I don’t think fans of the books or films will be disappointed.”

In comparison to January 2009, the Post Office has found, a 15 per cent increase in the Egyptian pound, UAR dirham and the US dollar.

With winter holidays to Egypt and city breaks to Dubai on the increase, sales for the Egyptian pound has increased by 45 per cent and the UAE dirham has increase by 205 per cent.

The Post Office said, “The weaker Egyptian pound, combined with low package prices and costs for tourist staples, should also make Egypt a popular choice in 2010.”

The pound sterling has increased in the following popular holiday destinations in the Caribbean, Jamaica and Barbados - will surely benefit from UK holidaymakers making the most of their travel money.

In the mid to late 90s there were around 5 music venues, now there are over 20, just in Oslo. City break music lovers flock to the popular city break destination to enjoy local performances as well as the great atmosphere.

Popular music festivals in Oslo include;
- Bare Jazz
- Blå
- Funhouse
- Café Mono
- Kampen Bistro
- Oslo Opera House
- Parkteatret
- Råkk & Rålls
- The Villa
- Intersection of Youngsgate/Torggata.

Find a city break in Oslo and experience a Norwegian music festival.
Source: The Guardian Online

With the credit crunch making value-for-money an even high priority for families this year, Spain holidays are topping most wish-lists.

The reliable weather is an added incentive for holidaymakers and the choice of flights from local airports across the UK makes Spain an easy destination for families to visit.

A recent study by the Post Office revealed that Spain is currently the cheapest country within the Eurozone.

Holidaymakers are advised that Spain holidays can be even better value for money if they are taken away from peak season, when savings of as much as 70% can be made.

The new flights from Glasgow Airport will start on 28th February under the new name ‘Aer Lingus Regional’.

Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, told the BBC: “Ireland is one of Scotland’s biggest overseas tourism markets, generating millions of pounds for the Scottish economy, and a crucial trading centre for many Scottish exporters.

“The Aer Arann/Aer Lingus partnership will allow even greater opportunity for business and leisure travel between Scotland and Ireland, with increased frequency on the important Glasgow to Dublin route particularly good news.”

Living expenses in the USA are relatively low compared to Britain, once accommodation is taken out of the picture. For example, food and drink in central Manhattan is much cheaper than it is in London’s West End.

Here are some tips…

• Fly mid-week – most trans-Atlantic flights are cheaper mid-week. For even cheaper flights, be prepared to fly at unsociable times (arriving in the middle of the night, for example).
• Check if your local airport has flights to America, this could cut down on extra expenses, such as staying in a hotel in London the night before flying out.
• Many of the major American cities have city passes that offer discounts on attractions. These can be booked online before travelling and are much better value than the deals being offered by ticket sellers outside the attractions.
• Shoppers – Macy’s have the Macy’s Welcome International Savings Card which is valid at all stores across America – offering 10% discounts.

The Spanish Steps will be the central location for this regular Roman festival and a programme of concerts to be held across Rome will be announced by the local tourist board.

Spring flowers will adorn the Piazza di Spagna, going up the Spanish Steps to the church of Trinita Dei Monti at the top.

More information can be gained from the Rome Tourist Board
Via Parigi 11
Rome
00185
Italy

Tel +39 (0)6 4889 9253.
Email info@aptroma.com

Website www.romaturismo.it

The Top 5 are all in France, listed here

1. Brittany: Plage Conguel
Blond sand surrounded by Rocky points facing the Atlantic. At high tide, the beach becomes a series of family-sized coves. Recommended for beachcombers and sand castle builders
2. Pyrenees: Lac de Mondély
This peaceful beach around a small lake is best accessed by flying to Carassonne. Recommended for families and nature lovers.
3. Languedoc: Collioure
One of the most popular beaches for French holidaymakers, it’s best avoided during the French holidays in August. The resort is said to have cured Matisse of his artist’s block. Recommended for “highbrow holidaymakers”
4. Provence: Piemanson beach, Camargue
This beach is currently open to free camping, creating an open, lively atmosphere. Recommended for free spirits
5. Provence: Notre Dame, Ile de Porquerolles
Separated from the famous resorts of the French Riviera by a ferry ride, this hidden gem is a great place to enjoy the Côte d’Azur. Recommended for dreamers and romantics.

For the full top 20 European beaches, visit The Times website

The introduction of ‘beds’ in economy class will certainly be a novelty and is currently being seen as a big improvement in economy travel comfort in nearly 20 years.

The design of lie flat beds has been developed by Air New Zealand’s in-house specialists, which will be introduced in the new Boeing 777-300 planes.

Labelled as the ‘Skycouch’, it will be formed from 3 economy seats to create a lie flat space, even including pillows!

The Guardian reports, “The first routes to offer travellers the Skycouch will be between Auckland and Los Angeles from December 2010 and Auckland and London from April 2011. All other services will feature the seats by around 2012.”

3ft of snow has fallen on the Pyranees over the last week and the Alps have had around a foot of snow across the mountain range.

The upper slopes on the French resort of Chamonix have had the most snowfall over the last week with approximately four meters, Flaine has had about 9ft and La Clusaz just under 9ft.

The European Ski Season’s most popular resorts include, Bovorets, Poiana Brasov, Saas Fee, Chamonix, Val d’Isere and Sierra Nevada.

Multi-trip annual travel insurance policies also rose in 2009 for those travelling to far flung destinations such as Thailand and Mexico.

There was also an increased amount of winter sports cover taken with travel insurance in 2009, thus showing activity holiday interest for winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding.

Age Concern Insurance Services commented, “Over-65s are as likely to be travelling the world as younger generations as they search for ways to bring excitement to retirement.

“And as the population ages, we predict a travel boom which will see even more mature people exploring far-flung destinations.”

The survey looked at 14 ski resorts across Europe and North America with the outcome being, Eastern Europe offers excellent value for money for families and beginner and intermediate skiers.

Poiana Brasov was found to be the best value ski resort in Romania. On piste and off piste, there is plenty to do in Poiana Brasov with a wide range of bars and restaurants for après ski activities.

The second best value ski resort in Eastern Europe was Borovets in Bulgaria according to the survey by the post office. Similarly to Romania, Borovets offers family friendly après ski activities that are inexpensive.

Eastern European ski resorts are becoming more popular as they are; family friendly, inexpensive and have great ski offers as well as après ski activities to suit everyone.

Holidaymakers searching for worldwide luxury holidays are looking to holiday for a minimum of 10 days, to make the break truly relaxing and ensuring plenty of time for sun bathing as well as exploring.  All inclusive deals within the travel sectors are proving a popular choice for British holidaymakers.

Jon Pearce of Holidays-Direct explains, “City breaks to Rome or Venice, even Prague have in recent years been really popular in relation to Valentine’s Day, but because of the snow and freezing temperatures many couples are booking romantic holidays to far flung destinations like the Indian Ocean or Thailand, which are relatively cheap to buy meals and drinks.

“The Caribbean is popular this time of year for those who enjoy all inclusive holidays to Antigua or St Lucia for example.  Our customer service team has taken more bookings over Valentine’s Day this year for long haul destinations than in previous years.”

Package holidays to Thailand prove to be great value for money as food and drinks are relatively cheap in comparison with European holiday hotspots.  Whilst city breaks to Europe may not be as popular now, Easter and summer school holidays show positive growth.

Holidays-Direct and http://www.CityBreaks-Direct.co.uk offer last minute package holidays and short city breaks to destinations worldwide.  For more information visit: http://www.holidays-direct.co.uk.

Winter activity holidays such as skiing and snowboarding are enjoyed by children and adults alike and finding a skiing holiday in Europe to suit both parties can be quite a challenge.

Online travel agency, Ski-Direct.co.uk specialise in providing information on family ski resorts in Europe, as well as accommodation. Finding a resort which will suit all the needs of the family is highly important.

Jon Pearce of Ski-direct says, “We strive to find the best resorts for families in ski destinations in Europe, from our experience we understand what the needs of the family are and have a great selection of resorts to suit all types of skiing ability plus the family après ski experience.”

Online travel agency Ski-Direct has a great selection of popular ski resorts for families for the February half term:

• Andorra - Arinsal
• Bulgaria – Borovets and Pamporovo
• Switzerland -  Murren, Saas-Fee and Wengen
• Austria – Ellmau, Lech, Mayrhofen and Neiderau
• France – Avoriaz, Flaine, La Plagne, Les Arcs, Risoul and Valmorel
• Italy - Bardonecchia, Cervinia and La Thuile

Jon continues, “Bulgaria is great for beginners and early intermediates which suits a family heading off on a first ski trip.  For more experienced family skiers, Bardonecchia in Italy is a beautiful ski resort suited for Intermediate skiers which is not overly expensive.”

Early booking skiing holiday discounts for 2010/11 season are available from http://www.ski-direct.co.uk/.

• Argentina – a positive outcome from financial collapse made Argentina become affordable in the early ‘noughties’ for many holidaymakers wanting an alternative to Miami and Rio.

• Croatia – budget friendly Croatia has drawn tourists in with its beautiful coastlines, beaches and charm as well as rustic demeanour. A popular tourist destination for many UK holidaymakers.

• Colombia – a destination in the Caribbean which has long beautiful beaches and natural parks and mountains, offering tourist’s adventure.

• Poland – city breaks to Krakow and Warsaw have become a UK holidaymaker’s favourite. Cheap city break accommodation and beer has helped increase popularity as well as budget airline increases to the most popular short break destinations.

It is also known as ‘Jueves Lardero’ (fat Thursday), where many locals indulge and treat themselves to many luxuries to celebrate.

Locals and city breakers will be able to sample snacks at the city’s stalls and join in the events which attract over 30 thousand people.

The Barcelona carnival reaches its peak on the Saturday with the ‘Gran Rua de Carnaval’ parade which includes floats and carriages, marching groups plus much more proceeding through Barcelona streets, where onlookers shower Spanish partakers with confetti.

An increase in traffic from the previous year was up 9.2 percent making it the world’s fastest growing airport. Other airports to record an increase of international passengers were Istanbul, Kuala Lumpur and Cairo.

Traffic is expected to increase in 2010 with expected growth of 13.6 percent, estimating annual passenger number to the hub of 46 million.

Paul Griffiths, Chief Executive of Airports Council International said, “Dubai’s location, which puts it just four hours’ flying time from one third of the world’s population.

“An open skies policy that welcomes competition, top notch infrastructure and compelling tourist attractions. All add up to make Dubai a very attractive hub for an ever increasing number of travellers.”

Aruba is famous for its hot climate and crystalline shores, a luxurious and relaxing Caribbean holiday destination and is a popular stop off for many cruise liners; no wonder over 10,000 UK holidaymakers visited the island.

The Aruba Tourism Authority based in the UK is commencing a strong marketing campaign aiming to increase visitor numbers for 2010. Dutch airliner KLM are starting up a service between Amsterdam and Aruba in the wake of the increase in holidaymakers.

Joanna Walding, UK Director of the agency said, “With more flights available and two major advertising campaigns going on, we are confident that the upward trend can be maintained for 2010.”

The following guidance gives travellers some information on; flight cancellations, cost of extra hotels, compensation and flight delays.

Flight cancellation
Full refunds will be given on flights which are cancelled within 7 days of departure, according to regulations from the EU. However the traveller can make an agreement for an alternative flight, if transfers are the only way to get to the destination the airline must reimburse the traveller of this extra cost.

Cost of extra hotels or car rentals
Travellers are not permitted to claim for the cost of extra hotel nights or car rental extras under regulations set by the EU. The Times Online specifies, “You are not entitled, under EU regulations, to reimbursement of any other components of your trip such as hotel and transfer costs, says the AUC.” If the traveller booked a package holiday (ATOL protected) the travel agency will take responsibility to rebook or make alternative arrangements.

Compensation
Travellers are not entitled to claim compensation if the circumstances are beyond the control of the airline, this also includes adverse weather conditions.

Flight delays
Depending upon the length of the delay and flight, passengers may or may not receive any assistance with costs. Refreshments and meals should be given to passengers along with 2 free phone calls plus an overnight hotel (where appropriate). The regulations are not all that clear cut in this area according to the Times.

Reassuring customers is vital in peak booking periods says Holidays-Direct who believe holidaymakers peace of mind is an important factor to consider as the new year begins, especially as the economic downturn has proved such a struggle for over 20 companies in the travel industry during 2009.

Jon Pearce explains how it affected customers of Holidays-Direct, “During recent times we’ve had about 2000 of our passengers affected, including XL and Globespan airline failures, Eurostar fire and weather stoppages, and also Easyjet pulling all flights out of East Midlands.”

Jon continues, “Our customers have always received a suitable alternative holiday or a full refund immediately when they are affected by such an incident. Independent travellers normally have to foot the bill for the rest of their holiday in the unlikely event of an airline failure or other problem.”

Package holidays and package tours are covered by ATOL and ABTA; Holidays-Direct believe loyalty towards customers is now paramount in the build up to a stronger 2010 for the travel industry.  The online travel agency is known widely for great customer service listening to customer needs and helping holidaymakers anyway they can. 

Holidays-Direct and partner sites, Ski-Direct, CityBreaks-Direct and Cruises-Direct packages are protected by ATOL and bonded by ABTA, for further information visit http://holidays-direct.co.uk.