European markets dip as quantitative easing begins March 9, 2015 European markets fell in early trading as the European Central Bank finally launched its €60bn-a-month (£43bn) quantitative easing programme. The FTSE 100 fell 0.59 per cent, while Germany's Dax dropped 0.39 per cent and France's Cac fell 0.61 per cent, as investors showed their caution over the programme, which is designed to lift Europe out [...]
Greeks could call election if deal breaks promises March 9, 2015 EUROZONE officials will meet today as Greece rushes to hammer out a deal that will allow it to avoid defaulting on its debt. But Greece’s finance minister warned a referendum or even an election could be called if the deal contradicted his Syriza party’s election promises. “There could be problems. But, as my Prime Minister [...]
Gordon Castle: Let us whisky you away to Scotland March 8, 2015 It was here atop the snow-spattered hills of Speyside in the Scottish Highlands that King Macbeth was said to have met his violent end. According to legend, it was the future King Malcolm III who stabbed him in 1057 (he died several weeks later). Life in the valleys rising up either side of the river [...]
Andaz Toranomon Hills arrives in Japan: A surefire contender for the best hotel in Tokyo February 15, 2015 Andaz’s signature blend of luxury and locality is immediately evident as you step into the lobby of its latest opening in Tokyo. More than 50 storeys up (the hotel fills the top seven floors of the second highest building in the city), Hokkaido walnut wood and rice paper panels remind guests that while they may [...]
Falling foul of local Japanese culture: Raw fish and faux pas in the land of the rising sun February 8, 2015 It’s customary in travel articles about Japan to talk about how weird it is, and it is weird. This got me thinking: what do the Japanese find weird when they come to the UK? I asked my tour guide as she led me through the bamboo gardens of Kodaiji temple on the outskirts of Kyoto. [...]
Nippon’s sublime amber nectar: Why is Japanese whisky gaining so many global plaudits? February 1, 2015 Kampai!’ says my effusive barman, as I lift the highball glass to my lips. I’m in a narrow, low-lit, eight-seater bar called Hanare, just a few minutes’ walk from Gion-Shijo station, in the heart of Kyoto’s entertainment district, and about to try my first taste of Japanese whisky. It’s an apposite time to do so, [...]
Rouble rout stops Russian tourists spending in the UK January 18, 2015 Russia's economic quagmire is affecting the spending habits of Russians tourists in the UK, with total spending plunging 28 per cent last year according to research by tax experts Global Blue. Amid global sanctions over the Crisis in Ukraine, and a glut in the supply of oil leading to tumbling prices, thing went from bad [...]
Autumn Statement 2014: Treasury rules out cut to tourism VAT November 25, 2014 The Treasury has ruled out a cut to tourism VAT in the Autumn Statement next week, despite a campaign to slash the rate paid by tourist attractions and hotels around the UK. The Cut Tourism VAT campaign, backed by Merlin Entertainments, the British Hospitality Association and a number of MPs from all parties, has called [...]
European Court of Justice rules states can refuse welfare to immigrants but how many “benefits tourists” are there really? November 11, 2014 The European Court of Justice has ruled member states are free to exclude EU citizens from other nations who move to their country for the sole purpose of claiming benefits. The news was music to the ears of those in Downing Street, who have been seeking to crack down on so-called benefits tourism. So long [...]
The immigration debate has been poisoned – and the facts wilfully ignored November 5, 2014 This weekend, people across Europe will commemorate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. They will celebrate the end of communism in Europe, the liberation of millions from totalitarianism, and the opening up of a continent to free movement between nations. In Britain, however, the politics of migration has become grubbier. Everybody [...]