Panamania SETS IN July 26, 2009 THINK of the Republic of Panama and the two words most likely to follow are “hats” and “canal”. The last thing you’d associate with this odd-shaped country at the very bottom of Central America is a Manhatten-esque skyline, sophisticated nightlife and luxury hotels and spas. But make the 14-hour journey to this isthmus and these [...]
Oh I do like to be beside the seaside (with billionaires) July 19, 2009 IT’S mid-morning, and having got a crack-of-dawn BA flight from London City Airport, I am now in a helicopter flying from Nice to Monte Carlo. Out of the window, the warm sunshine and blue sea provide a stunning backdrop to the hotels and villas carved out of the white rocks. As a helicopter virgin I [...]
Failure to take tourism seriously is a big mistake July 2, 2009 WHICH industry is worth £114bn, is responsible for 2.65m British jobs and represents 8.2 per cent of UK GDP? Perhaps surprisingly the answer is the tourism industry. So, given the clear importance of this key economic activity, it is surely worrying to consider that tourism bosses believe their business interests are not taken as seriously [...]
Holidaying through rose-tinted spectacles June 21, 2009 BEACHES are what the Caribbean does best, and you’ll struggle to top the postcard perfection of Pink Sands in the Bahamas. Gazing out across the sand, it’s as though you’re seeing the world through rose-tinted spectacles, as the swathes of powder edging Harbour Island have a fantastical salmon-tinged hue. Crushed pinky shells of microscopic marine [...]
What’s outside your window? October 13, 2005 The price of property is soaring in Thailand despite laws preventing foreigners owning land. Since the Asian tsunami struck on 26 December last year, the number of tourists visiting Thailand has fallen dramatically. About a year ago, 192 holiday flights landed at Phuket airport every week – last week that figure was only 35. Hotels [...]