Fastjet expands flights overseas with new Johannesburg route October 14, 2013 FASTJET, the budget African airline backed by EasyJet founder Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, yesterday announced long-awaited plans to charter its first international flight service. The London-listed company will start offering flights from Tanzania to South Africa, nearly a year after the company first got off the ground with internal flights in Tanzania to top tourist spots [...]
Cameron puts European rights law on notice September 29, 2013 DAVID Cameron yesterday indicated that he is ready to pledge to abolish the Human Rights Act in the Conservatives’ manifesto for the 2015 general election. The Prime Minister said he would do “whatever that takes” to ensure Britain can deport foreign criminals that the government believes pose a threat to national security, including replacing the [...]
Elephant trekking, luxury and great Thai food September 29, 2013 This luxury beach resort was devastated by the 2005 tsunami. Now it’s back and better than ever THE PERFECT way to end an unforgettable afternoon spent trekking through the jungle trails of Khao Sok National Park in Phuket, Thailand is to give a leathery, old elephant a sunset bath. With Bauthong (lotus flower) repeatedly submerging [...]
Chinese to splash cash in London September 26, 2013 LONDON’S high-end retailers are expecting a boom in spending by Chinese customers next week, as tourists flock to the capital during Golden Week – the country’s annual October holiday. Last year, luxury stores saw an increase of 31 per cent in Chinese spending during the holiday, while during Chinese New Year in February sales rose [...]
Fly away to the fantastical mountains of St Lucia September 26, 2013 There’s a lot of local charm beyond the idyllic beaches, azure waters and postcard sunsets, says Oliver Pickup WHAT connects Superman, Amy Winehouse, Oprah Winfrey, Blackbeard and Napoléon Bonaparte? No, it’s not my ultimate dinner party guest list – although that would be some karaoke line up. The link is that they have all been [...]
Fly away to the fantastical mountains of St Lucia September 22, 2013 There’s a lot of local charm beyond the idyllic beaches, azure waters and postcard sunsets, says Oliver Pickup WHAT connects Superman, Amy Winehouse, Oprah Winfrey, Blackbeard and Napoléon Bonaparte? No, it’s not my ultimate dinner party guest list – although that would be some karaoke line up. The link is that they have all been [...]
Britons hit by £2bn tax bill for holiday season August 27, 2013 Taking a break has cost British holiday goers £2bn in tax last year, according to research by the TaxPayers' Alliance (TPA). That's a £500m increase on the same estimate in 2008. The TPA's research found that a family of six travelling to Spain would see an average tax bill of £187, while a trip to [...]
Booming tourism trade boosts Greece surplus August 19, 2013 GREECE’S booming summer tourism revenue has given a welcome boost to the cash-strapped country’s finances. Tourism, which is the country’s biggest foreign currency driver, rose 21 per cent year-on-year to €1.59bn (£1.36bn) for June, the first month of the summer holiday season. Surging visitor numbers also helped widen Greece’s current account surplus to €663m, from [...]
UK government concerned by Spanish threats over Gibraltar August 4, 2013 THE UK government has revealed its concern over remarks made by Spain’s foreign minister over Gibraltar, the disputed British territory on the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula. Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said Spain will step up controls on Gibraltar following a dispute over fishing rights. In an e-mailed statement, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in [...]
Letters to the Editor – 05/08 – Planning laws, tourist bonds, best of Twitter August 4, 2013 Planning Laws [Re: How hidden taxes and levies are pushing up UK house prices, Thursday] Alex Prince, in his letter to the editor last Thursday, implies that opposition to building developments arises exclusively from a local desire to retain green spaces. But another key reason for nimbyism is that an adjacent development will often reduce [...]