Holiday & Travel

The Caribbean may be missing an important opportunity by not fully tapping into the growing volunteer tourism or "voluntourism" market, according to veteran community development expert and nonprofit advisor Kwayera Archer-Cunningham. With more than 25 years of experience as a nonprofit leader, Archer-Cunningham, who travels frequently between her Jamaica and New York offices, said many tourists are traveling to the region with a desire to have a positive impact and make a difference in addition to having fun.

The St. Kitts Tourism Authority has announced that United Airlines is launching inaugural non-stop service from its New York hub at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to St. Kitts.   Commencing December 19, 2015, the flights will operate weekly on Saturdays through April 30, 2016. United will utilize a 737-800 aircraft with capacity ranging from 154 to 166 seats for these flights.  These flights will complement existing non-stop airlift into St. Kitts from North America, providing more convenient options for travelers to get to St. Kitts during the peak winter travel season.

High-street health and beauty retailer Superdrug is sponsoring a unique hotel accommodation concept in Ibiza where single Britons can stay entirely for free. But there’s just one catch: guests will have to check-in to a room that is covered entirely in pictures of sexually transmitted diseases and warnings to practise safe sex.

The prestigious Nayara hotel chain and Toro Verde Adventure Park came together for a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the construction of the new luxury Nayara Toro Verde Hotel in Orocovis. The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) welcomed the Nayara flag to Puerto Rico, specifically to Toro Verde Adventure Park in the central mountain range region. The Nayara  hotel chain, which is no longer exclusive to Costa Rica with its expansion to Puerto Rico, has ample brand recognition and holds a high reputation in the international tourism industry community.

Qatar Duty Free (QDF), in conjunction with L’Oréal Luxe, has created an exclusive pop-up experience for passengers travelling through Hamad International Airport (HIA) this summer. Lancôme, Giorgio Armani, Yves Saint Laurent, Ralph Lauren, and Viktor & Rolf will showcase their oriental and occidental style fragrances housed within different areas of the East Meets West installation, which is situated in the main atrium of Hamad International Airport (HIA).

All those who love and live in Northumberland are being urged to put their vote where their heart is to help Northumberland in this year's British Travel Awards 2015. This year, Northumberland is the only county in the North East to be nominated in the category for Best UK Holiday County/Destination. Against other nominees Pembrokeshire, Devon and six-time winner Cornwall, it is hoped the whole North East region will get behind the twice-nominated county to bring home the Gold. 

New figures published by the TUC indicate that 156,854 people in the West Midlands are missing out on their minimum legal entitlement to paid holidays. The TUC’s analysis of unpublished figures from the 2014 Labour Force Survey (LFS) shows that 1,669,000 employees across the UK are losing out on their holiday rights, an average of 6.4 per cent.

If you want the literal northern experience, North Yukon is about as far as you can go. The stark beauty of the region is protected within five wilderness parks and largely encompasses the range of the Porcupine barren-ground caribou herd. In spring, thousands of caribou and migratory birds return to have their young, and by fall the land is ablaze with crimson, orange and gold.

2.1 million British holidaymakers were set to head overseas for summer holidays last weekend (24-27 July), which for the majority of schools in England and Wales marks the start of the six week break estimates ABTA – The Travel Association. The Mediterranean dominates the market for families and temperatures this weekend range from the low to high thirties with uninterrupted sunshine.

Tenerife has boosted its position as one of the best locations on the planet for stargazing, with the introduction of eight new telescopes at the world-famous Teide Observatory. Introduced last month, the new telescopes will appeal to “astro-tourists” and scientists looking to unravel the mysteries of the universe.

In 2016, the Hurtigruten fleet will be joined by a new addition - one of the most flexible expedition ships in the world. She will embark on thrilling exploration voyages, but before she begins her journey, she needs a name. Come up with something suitable and you and a friend could be joining her as the special guest of the Captain, on the voyage of a lifetime along the Norwegian coast.

A new and exciting time will be introduced at one of the world's most romantic places to stay, Le Quartier Français in Franschhoek, when Analjit Singh of Leeu Collection and his family take this boutique hotel situated in the Cape Winelands, South Africa, over as new owners from Susan Huxter and her family on September 1 2015.

In September and October 2015, expedition teams from adventure travel company Secret Compass will set out to cross the southern Sinai desert in minimalistic, Bedouin style. To mark the expedition's pending departure, Secret Compass investigates previous expeditions into this 60,000km2 peninsula, an area that has long been of interest to scholars, scientists and explorers alike.

Over the course of 2014 Brazil welcomed 6,429,852 international tourists, boosted primarily by hosting the World Cup. For the first time, the country exceeded the 6 million mark for foreign entries, with the number of visitors representing a 10.6% increase against 2013 figures. Argentina continues to be the top country for Brazil-bound tourists, with 1,743,930 Argentinians visiting in 2014, followed by the United States (656,801) and Chile (336,650).

Five of Jumeirah’s hotels and resorts across Europe have recently been awarded the internationally -renowned Green Globe certification, acknowledging the group’s continued commitment to sustainability.  The group’s properties in London, Frankfurt and Mallorca have all been awarded this accolade and Jumeirah Carlton Tower, Jumeirah Lowndes Hotel and Grosvenor House Apartments by Jumeirah Living are the only hotels in London to have received this accreditation to date.

Liguria in north-west Italy, otherwise known as the 'Italian Riviera', has the most Blue Flag beaches of any region in Italy for the sixth year in a row. The crescent shaped region between the French Riviera and Tuscany is dotted with stunning sandy beaches with 23 being awarded the prestigious Blue Flag designation, three more than last year.