Holiday & Travel

Holiday bookings have surged since the government announced foreign travel rules were being simplified in England.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said the travel traffic light system was being replaced with a single red list. And fully vaccinated people will no longer need a pre-departure test before returning from non-red list areas.

As more destinations join the newly-created ‘low-risk’ list on Wednesday following today’s announcement, Travel Counsellors has released its latest booking figures, which crown Spain and Greece as the most popular destinations for both winter 2021/22 and summer 22 holidays. 

Recording its third highest trading week since March 2021 on w/c 6 September, the leading independent travel company continues to receive an influx in global new bookings.

The U.S. Virgin Islands credits its ability to survive and thrive during the worldwide COVID-19 crisis to synergistic public-private partnerships.

Joseph Boschulte, Commissioner of the USVI Department of Tourism, and Wayne Biggs, CEO of the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority, led a delegation representing the Territory at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS), which was held last month in Hollywood, Florida.

The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis is celebrating its 38th Independence Anniversary today with the theme of "Adapt, Diversify, Recreate: Independence 38." Commemorating the country's independence from the United Kingdom almost four decades ago today is set to encompass streets filled with a carnival atmosphere with music, calypso shows, and parades of dancers in colourful costumes.

Leading wellness resort Chiva-Som in Hua Hin, Thailand has joined forces with its upcoming new venture, Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, to launch a programme of complimentary live online wellness classes, with up to eight classes a month starting from September 22.

Lifestyle transformation pioneer, Chiva-Som and Zula Wellness Resort – set to open in Qatar in late 2021 – have collaborated closely to deliver holistic wellness classes focussed on supporting individual mental and physical health as the COVID-19 pandemic continues across the world.

Rosewood Hotels & Resorts® has been selected by F4 Transbay Partners (F4), a joint venture of Hines, the international real estate firm; Urban Pacific; and the Real Estate business within Goldman Sachs Asset Management, to manage Rosewood San Francisco, a new, ultra-luxury hotel set to open in 2026. 

Situated in the burgeoning Transbay District, the hotel will offer unparalleled access to the iconic landmarks, neighbourhoods and attractions that make San Francisco one of the top international destinations, including the award-winning Salesforce Park, a 5.4-acre elevated outdoor oasis featuring a 1,000-person amphitheatre, children's play area, walking trails and interactive art installations. 

Despite daunting challenges presented over the past 18 months by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Caribbean tourism and hospitality industry recorded many significant successes, and data points to an encouraging outlook ahead.

Speaking during the opening plenary session at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) held last week, Acting CEO & Director General of the Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) Vanessa Ledesma presented insights on the performance and outlook of the Caribbean tourism industry.

Autumn is the perfect time to experience Blenheim Palace's vibrant views and red-tinted golden hues – and there is so much more for visitors to enjoy in a packed programme of events. There are new exhibitions full of art, history, wildlife and of course, the recent reopening of Sir Winston Churchill's birth room.

The British Airways tail fin will be returning to Birmingham Airport to operate flights between Belfast and Birmingham.   The flights will operate twice daily, increasing to three times a day on a Thursday and Friday.

The flights will be operated using an Embraer 190 with capacity of 98 seats.  Customers can book on BA.com from today with travel between 31 October 2021 and 26 March 2022.

The U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) invited thousands to “Reconnect with Paradise” over the Labor Day weekend at JAY-Z’s “Made in America” music festival, which attracted about 100,000 patrons to Philadelphia’s historic Benjamin Franklin Parkway, widely regarded as the city’s cultural and artistic mecca.

The USVI Department of Tourism, including its Division of Festivals, kept the Territory “top of mind” among prospective mainland travelers by showcasing its musical and cultural attributes through a lively activation held in close proximity to the main stage, which featured top stars ranging from Megan Thee Stallion to Justin Bieber.

Heathrow Airport has criticised Border Force after passengers faced unacceptable queuing times. Images on social media showed packed queues at the west London airport on Friday night, with travellers complaining of waits of several hours.

A Heathrow spokesman apologised for the delays, but blamed Border Force for not providing enough staff at immigration. The Home Office, which has responsibility for Border Force, said the wait times were unacceptable.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) has called upon the UK government to finally bring an end to the travel traffic light system.

The call comes after the latest update which saw just seven countries added to the green list, with Thailand, a popular winter sun destination for holiday starved Brits, and Montenegro, added to the red list. Turkey, widely expected to be able to welcome British visitors, stayed in no-go red, seriously damaging its travel sector.

To provide guests with greater flexibility, river cruise line Emerald Cruises has opened early access bookings for its 2023 European river cruise season ahead of schedule. The announcement will be welcome news for guests, providing them with greater opportunity to book preferred itineraries, as well as access to a wider range of sailing dates and spacious suite options, before the itineraries go on general sale. 

Emerald Cruises is rewarding those planning ahead with significant early booking discounts and added-value extras. Guests booking before 30 September 2021 will save up to £1,400 per couple on cruises along popular rivers including the Rhine, Main and Danube, and the rivers of France. 

Part of The Midcounties Co-operative, Your Co-op Travel is predicting an increase in demand for last-minute sunshine getaways and autumn adventures as the choice of green list travel destinations expands and testing becomes more accessible via its offering for West Midlands-based customers and members, through a partnership with Your Co-op Pharmacy.

The Covid-19 tests are being offered to customers of the independent travel company’s 76 Your Co-op Travel and Carrick Travel high street travel agencies, including 19 in the West Midlands, from just £21. Holidaymakers who book online at cooptravel.co.uk, or via Your Co-op Travel’s call centre, will also have access to the tests at the discounted price.

Alaska Airlines is honoured to support the critical humanitarian airlift mission and the U.S. military as it coordinates the evacuation of individuals and families from Afghanistan. Alaska will operate military charter flights to provide transportation within the U. S. and stands ready to provide additional support to the Department of Defence in their mission.

The company wrote in a press release: “We are proud to support our military service members and grateful to all our employees who have served our country around the world, many of whom have reached out to offer their assistance during this time of need.

The U.S. Virgin Islands is ready to get down to business at the Caribbean Hotel & Resort Investment Summit (CHRIS) taking place at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida this week.

Leading the Territory's delegation are the U.S. Virgin Islands Department of Tourism and the U.S. Virgin Islands Economic Development Authority (USVIEDA), which are partnering to ensure that the interests of both public and private sector stakeholders are promoted and communicated to would-be investors.