TRAVEL NEWS - JANUARY 2007

January 31 2007

Hotel chain targets blossoming Bulgaria

Bulgaria's status as a major player in the European tourism market has been reconfirmed with news that a major hotel chain is looking to set up base in the country.

January 31 2007

Dubai airport scoops award

Dubai International Airport has been recognised by readers of Business Traveller as the best airport in the Middle East and Africa.

January 30 2007

Holidaymakers seduced by Africa

Africa's tourism industry enjoyed a growth rate of 8.1 per cent in 2006, dwarfing the international average of 4.5 per cent.

January 30 2007

Tunisia in new tourism strategy

The Tunisian government is developing the country's tourism industry to meet the changing demands of visitors, media reports suggest.

January 30 2007

Florida set for Super Bowl boost

As excitement builds in advance of Super Bowl XLI in Florida, tourism officials are hoping the event will have a positive long-term impact.

January 29 2007

Egypt contests plans for new Wonders list

A project conceived to come up with a new list of the Seven Wonders of the World has prompted a contemptuous response from Egypt.

January 29 2007

Portugal's coastline set for bright future

Tourists in Portugal can look forward to first-rate beach holidays for years to come as a result of major funding from the government.

January 26 2007

Jade's passage to India?

Big Brother star Jade Goody is set to travel to India to try to make peace following her recent comments during Big Brother.

January 26 2007

History and holidays in Mexico

Tourists looking for a mixture of sun, sea, sand and history should look no further than Mexico, after a 2,500-year-old city was discovered in the Central American country recently.

January 25 2007

Mena's Miami sun

Miami, Florida has hit headlines this week as American Beauty star Mena Suvari was spotted sunbathing topless on the beach.

January 25 2007

Valentine's carnival in Venice

With Valentine's Day fast approaching, the romantic Italian city of Venice could be the ideal destination for lovebirds this year.

January 24 2007

Britons flock to Egypt

The popularity of Egypt as a holiday destination is increasing rapidly, the Egyptian Tourism Authority has said today.

January 24 2007

Seek adventure to maximise holiday

Thrill-seeking travellers are being advised to look for a new challenge on their next trip to make the absolute most of their time away.

January 24 2007

Tourism makes Montenegro more appealing

Property demand in Montenegro has seen a sharp increase, Dream Croatia has said.

January 23 2007

January 23 2007

Diamonds from Dubai for Valentine's Day

With Valentine's Day getting ever closer, it's again time to lavish your loved one with gifts, flowers and the finest getaway that money can buy.

January 22 2007

Rocker weds in Canary Islands

Former Iron Maiden singer Blaze Bayley has announced plans to marry his sweetheart in Gran Canaria.

January 22 2007

Spain top for online bookers

Spain has come out on top in a poll of UK internet users booking a destination abroad for their main 2007 holiday.

January 19 2007

Italy named top destination for Americans

American holidaymakers have chosen Italy as their top international travel destination for the fourth year in succession.

January 19 2007

New Kefalonia theory supports Homeric legend

The popular holiday island of Kefalonia may well have links with the island of Ithaca from Homer's Odysseus.<br/>

January 19 2007

Brits holidaying in groups

Group holidays have traditionally been associated with teenagers and hardcore partygoers but experts within the industry suggest that it is now a vacation format open to everybody.

January 18 2007

New record for Malaga airport

Malaga airport enjoyed yet another hectic year in 2006, with 13,076,252 passengers passing through in total.

January 18 2007

Turkey reaches out to new holidaymakers

A new campaign is underway to inspire undecided holidaymakers to spend a couple of weeks in Turkey this summer.

January 18 2007

Tourist discovers the real Cyprus

Cyprus is a giant of the European tourism industry and, despite a relatively subdued 2006, early estimates for 2007 suggest that it is a country on the up.

January 17 2007

Brits already snapping up summer bargains

There is nothing like the excitement of an impending holiday to lighten the mood during the dark and miserable mornings of January, as demonstrated by the booking habits of millions of Brits.

January 17 2007

Portugal 'ideal for golf fanatics'

Portugal's reputation as one of the world's very best golf destinations is hardly a secret and tourism officials claim that conditions will only improve in the years ahead.

January 16 2007

Britain's wealthiest workers heading to the beach

Some of Britain's top earners are planning to head overseas in the coming weeks as they splash out on a new home.

January 16 2007

New golf course for Tunisia

Tunisia has been dubbed a genuine "golf destination" after gaining its 13th 18-hole course.

January 16 2007

'3 Like Home' benefits holidaymakers in Italy

In a move that is set to send shockwaves through the mobile phone industry, mobile media company 3 has launched an initiative that will "put an end to the international roaming rip-off".

January 15 2007

Bulgaria attracts record number of visitors

Last year was a record year for Bulgaria with more than five million overseas tourists enjoying their holidays there.

January 15 2007

Dubai welcomes 6.3 million hotel guests

Dubai welcomed an astonishing 6.3 million tourists to its hotels and apartments in 2006, representing an increase of 228 per cent since 1996.

January 12 2007

Lake Nakuru draws tourists to Kenya

Kenya is continuing to delight visitors from around the world with its spectacular Lake Najuru National Park.

January 12 2007

Costa del Sol remains holiday hit

The Costa del Sol, traditionally one of Europe's most popular and advanced holiday hotspots, remains a strong favourite with European travellers.

January 11 2007

Relaxation on the Nile

In their book, Unforgettable Things To Do Before You Die, travel writers Steve Watkins and Clare Jones have put together a truly magical list of outstanding holiday ideas.

January 11 2007

Praise for the 'real' Tenerife

Tenerife is packed full of wondrous charms that too many Brits fail to acknowledge, according to one travel writer.

January 11 2007

Surfers congregate in Florida

A major surfing competition will come to an end in Florida today, when one talented athlete walks away with a cheque for $75,000.

January 10 2007

Lisbon prepares for major tourism summit

In May this year, Portugal will welcome some of the most important figures from the world of tourism when Lisbon hosts the seventh Global Travel & Tourism Summit.

January 10 2007

South Africa's beaches 'cleaner this year'

A Christmas clean-up of the beaches in South Africa has set the stage for another successful holiday season.

January 9 2007

Escaping the winter chill

Dark mornings, the perennial threat of catching a cold and the guarantee of windy and rainy conditions are driving millions of Brits overseas in search of sunnier conditions.

January 9 2007

Lanzarote "perfect all-year-round"

Lanzarote, which was recently highlighted as one of Jet2.com's top holiday destinations for 2007, has been dubbed "perfect all-year-round".

January 9 2007

Beyonce and Jay-Z eye Dominican Republic

Showbiz couple Beyonce and Jay-Z are reportedly thinking of buying a house in the Dominican Republic having enjoyed an extended vacation there.

January 8 2007

Florida getaway for football star

Florida has long appealed to both sun-seekers and those looking for family entertainment and now a famous face from the football season has added his name to the state's long list of fans.

January 8 2007

Beach spots top for 2007

The Christmas decorations may be barely back in their boxes but already numerous Britons will be thinking about where to go for their summer holiday.<br/>

January 5 2007

Bulgaria attracting overseas investors

Bulgaria's accession to the European Union is already driving the country's economy, as foreign investors pour huge sums of money into building projects.

January 5 2007

Kenya to delight tourists in 2007

Kenya's blossoming tourism industry is set to enjoy a bumper 2007 as visitors flock to the African nation from around the world.

January 5 2007

Dubai courts tourists with shopping festival

Shopaholics from around the world are currently revelling in self-indulgent fantasy, as they battle for bargains at the Dubai Shopping Festival.

January 4 2007

Lager louts 'biggest holiday annoyance'

The presence of lager louts around popular holiday resorts is the most annoying thing that British holidaymakers have to contend with.

January 4 2007

Lifetime of free travel for Portugal train baby

A girl born on a train travelling through Portugal has been offered free rail travel throughout her lifetime.

January 3 2007

Sandy beaches drive Monarch's success

Monarch Airlines carried a staggering 3.2 million passengers in 2006, largely as a result of demand for beach holidays in some of Europe's most popular resorts.

January 3 2007

Airline champions surfing in Lanzarote

Jet2, one of the UK's leading low-cost airlines, has cited surfing in Lanzarote as one of its top recommendations for a holiday this year.

January 3 2007

Major price cuts on Spanish holidays

Brits have been advised that they could make considerable savings this year by taking a holiday in Spain.

January 2 2007

Bulgaria prepares for summer boom

Travel experts are expecting a considerable rise in the number of tourists visiting Bulgaria this year following the country's accession to the European Union.

January 2 2007

English lessons for Algarve taxi drivers

Brits holidaying in the Algarve this summer may find they are greeted by taxi drivers with an extraordinarily good grasp of English.