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The MED Invaded By Jellyfish

Holidaymakers heading for the MED will be bathing in a jellyfish soup, according to marine experts

The higher sea temperatures registered in the Mediterranean have made the water a hotbed breeding ground for jellyfish and other invading species.

New stats show the water is already five degrees above normal for the time of year, hitting 30 degrees centigrade.

The warmer water has triggered the ideal recipe for the arrival of dangerous species of marine life including the potentially deadly Portuguese man-of-war jellyfish which is usually native to the ocean around Brazil.

They have tentacles up to 30 yards long and can deliver a sting 10 times as strong as than most jellyfish.

Thousands have been spotted close to Costa del Sol beaches and scientists fear they could spread along the coast and invade the Balearic Islands like Ibiza.

Xavier Pastor, European director of ecological campaign group Oceana, warned: “It’s a case of swim at your own risk

Health experts say if you're stung, get out of the water and don't thrash around. A Portuguese man-of-war may wrap its tentacles around you if you start flailing.

Tentacles  should be removed with a towel or the corner of a credit card but don't rub the area. This will make the sting worse. Vinegar can stop the remaining stings from discharging or use salt water. Put a bag of ice wrapped in a cloth on the affected area to relieve pain and if the victim has difficulty breathing or dizziness call for medical help immediately.


   Ryanair & BA Profits 
     Nosedive - Virgin's
            Soaring!

Ryanair has announced plans to cut fares by up to 20pc, as the recession drove the low-cost airline to announce annual losses.

Ryanair said it expects to increase profits in the current financial year to at least £173m (€200m) but looks set to spark a price war.

Michael O'Leary, the airline's chief executive, said "in this recessionary environment we intend to continue to offer European consumers better value just like Aldi, Lidl, IKEA and McDonalds are doing in their respective industries."

The figures come in the wake of British Airways which announced record annual losses of £401 million

However Virgin Atlantic has soared higher than British Airways with an almost doubling of its annual pre-tax profits to £68.4 million in the year to February (2009).

Despite volatile oil prices and the worldwide economic downturn, Sir Richard Branson's airline's profits have soared from £34.8 million the previous year.


    From Love Birds To
     Jailbirds In Dubai

An adulterous couple from Britain have been jailed for two months in Dubai for having an affair.

Mum-of-two Sally Antia's husband raised the alarm in the strict muslim country and had his cheating wife arrested .

She had flown her lover over from London and they spent the night at the five-star Radisson Blu Hotel.

But officers were waiting to arrest the couple as they strolled out of the hotel after the tip-off from Antia's husband Vincent.

Antia, 44, originally from Liverpool, admitted adultery at a court in the United Arab Emirates and said she had spent six days with her lover.

Mark Hawkins, 43, had denied the charge.


 Don't Get Your Brits Out!

Bikinis in Egyptian temples and builders' bums in Goa, UK holidaymakers are being urged to 'Put your Brits Away'.

Travel magazine Wanderlust has launched a campaign pleading for Brits to dress appropriately for their holiday comes after several high publicity culture clashes including Katie Price's brush with the law for topless sunbathing in the Maldives and the arrest of several British footballers for dressing up as 'naughty nuns' in Crete.

'As a nation we are travelling outside of Europe more frequently, especially with the arrival of cheap flights to destinations such as 'Showing too much flesh not only causes offence and embarrassment in many countries, but it can also lead to physical threats against tourists. In some areas, skimpy beachwear has provoked attacks on Western women.'

For example it’s acceptable to parade up and down the beaches of Copacabana in Brazil in the tiniest of bikinis, commonly known as dental floss, however topless sunbathing is prohibited. And despite its laid-back ambiance the Caribbean is equally strict with camouflage clothing illegal in most countries.

See also Greece Bans The Great
'Unwashed'


  Airport Currency Alert

Airport bureau de change outlets have been branded the worst value for money because most  tended to charge for commission, Which? magazine found.

The study revealed travellers could find themselves paying an extra £50 for large amounts of currency 

Which? Money contacted 21 currency providers on six occasions over three months and obtained currency rates from the big four banks as well as selected debit and credit card providers as part of its eurozone currency rate experiment.

The cheapest currency provider on average for US dollars and euros was Eurochange - it charged £351 for 500 dollars and £461 for 500 euros.

The most expensive quotes were from an airport branch of Travelex, charging £40 more for 500 dollars and £47 more for 500 euros on average.

Which? Money editor Martyn Hocking said: "The fall in the value of the pound has increased the cost of hotels, travel and entertainment for UK tourists, so it's more important than ever to shop around for currency.

"Don't just presume that high street providers such as travel agents and the Post Office offer the best deals. Thinking ahead and changing your money before you travel means you'll avoid getting stung at the airport - head to a city centre bureau de change or go online for the best deals."


Greece Bans The Great
'Unwashed'

Driving without having a wash in Greece could land holidaymakers with a road ban, a study of foreign laws has revealed.

Nearly one in four British travellers  fall foul of foreign regulations while on trips abroad, a study has revealed.

As many as 26% of UK tourists hardly ever bother to check the customs and laws of their overseas destination, a survey by LateRooms.com found.

The reports found 58% were unaware that in Greece drivers can lose their licence if they are deemed to be either 'poorly dressed' or `unbathed'.

More surprising was the number of people,  20% of those polled, who were not aware that the Spanish drive on the right, and 44% were unaware that smoking is banned in German restaurants.

The survey also showed:

:: 67% did not know that a man can be arrested for wearing a skirt in Italy;

:: 12% were unaware they could receive a heavy fine for entering or bathing in a fountain in Italy;

:: 62% did not realise it is illegal to kiss on the railways in France;

Jessica Reading, of  LateRooms.com, said: ``With holidaymakers having spent so much time looking forward to a well-deserved break, it's important they do their homework when it comes to local customs and laws.

``Nobody wants to spend their valuable holiday time worrying about fines or worse still, jail.


  Smile Your Way Out Of
         Recession

Spanish tourism chiefs are hoping to smile their way out of the slump in holidaymakers visiting Spain by teaching locals to be polite.

Hotel occupancy in some Spanish resorts plummeted by 10 percent during the usually busy Easter period.

Cab drivers and hotel receptionists are very often the first people tourists meet when they arrive and they’ll be invited to "friendliness" seminars to learn the importance of smiling and taught phrases such as: "Make yourself at home," and "Have a nice day!".

There’s been  a 23.4 per cent drop in British visitors to Spain so far this year (2009) and it’s having a devastating affect on businesses which rely on tourism.

The scheme’s been launched in Lanzarote and could be rolled out to other Spanish resorts if it’s successful.


  Airport 'Kiss' Zone Sets
             the Tone

A so called "kiss and drop" charge is being introduced at one of the UK's major airports.

Luton Airport is to become the first in Britain to charge for dropping passengers off at the terminal.

Motorists, including taxi-drivers, will have to pay a pound to spend up to ten minutes in a refurbished drop-off zone.

Luton also charges £1 to use luggage trolleys and the same amount for clear plastic bags needed to take liquids through security.

The airport also withdrew its contribution towards the courtesy bus which takes passengers to the airport from the nearest station.

Passengers who choose not to pay for the new drop off zone will have to be left at one of the airport's car parks, which is a two minute bus ride from the terminal itself.


  London Airports Named
            & Shamed

London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports have been rated the worst in the UK for customer satisfaction.

Heathrow's Terminal One came bottom of the list, with a score of just 31 per cent, according to a survey by Which? Holiday magazine.

Terminals 2, 3, and 4 were next least-popular, with Gatwick's two terminals just above them.

Heathrow's new Terminal 5 finished half-way.

Blackpool Airport came top the satisfaction survey involving 9,000 people.

Which? Holiday editor Lorna Cowan said: ``It seems clear that Which? members prefer the experience of flying from smaller regional airports to using the larger ones. So it is well worth looking into the routes offered from smaller airports when planning a holiday to short-haul destinations.''

``But people still need to use Gatwick and Heathrow for long-haul trips. Our results suggest that these large airports need to work much harder to provide a better  service for their passengers.''

Signs and flight details were considered poor at Heathrow Terminals 1-4 and at Manchester's Terminal 1 and at Coventry airport in the survey which was carried out in October and November 2008.

Meanwhile UK airports are to be named, shamed and fined for shoddy service and long delays for luggage, the government’s announced.

Passenger Focus, the consumer watchdog for train and bus users, is set to expand to take on the role of championing the rights of air passengers.

It would lead to a list of the best and worst performing airports in a regular "national passenger survey" based on issues such as: luggage waiting times, confusing flight information and lengthy queues at the immigration desk,


       The Costa Con

One in ten British tourists claim they've fallen victim to scams while on holiday abroad in the past two years, it was revealed today.

Among the cons are timeshare frauds and taxis taking the long way round, a survey by travel insurer LV showed.

Brits are most likely to fall victim to conmen in Spain, with 10% of victims targeted in a Spanish resort, followed by Turkey and Paris.

Couples are twice as likely to be targeted by a scammer than other holidaymakers - accounting for 43% of victims, while independent travellers make up 18%.

LV= travel insurance spokeswoman Emma Holyer said: ``The cold days of winter will spur many of us to start planning our holidays, but with one in 10 holidaymakers falling victim to scams abroad in the past two years it's clear there is an industry worth billions based on ripping them off.''

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said travellers had to be prepared before they travelled.


   Wave Of Applications
     For US Visa Waiver

Visitors to the United States (including Brits) are now required to fill in a Visa Waiver Application ONLINE before they embark on their journey.

The new system, which began in January (2009) means all USA-bound passengers are now required by law to get travel authorisation prior to boarding the plane.

It's estimated  about 30,000 UK citizens are signing up per day according to Embassy sources.

The U.S. Government does not charge a fee for ESTA but it's
strongly recommended  that travellers apply for ESTA approval at least 72 hours before departure.


 USA's Top Tourist Traps
            Revealed

Orlando still leads the way ahead of America's other main tourist attractions, according to new figures

Walt Disney World is the USA's biggest crowd pleaser with more than 17 million visitors per year . Thanks to Disney and the appeal of the the other amusement parks nearby pulls in a total of 48 million.

The official chart is below:

10. Los Angeles - Walk of Fame.

18 million visitors flock to LA every year and one-in-ten visit the famous Hollywood Boulevard

9. Mount Rushmore

The immense sculptures of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln attract more than 2 million visitors per year.

8. Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone, with its phenomenal natural geysers is renowned as one of America’s most unspoiled and largest nature reserves visited by 3 million people every year.

7. Yosemite National Park

The site near San Francisco is the third oldest national park in the United States and draws in around 3,5 million visitors.


6. Empire State Building, N.Y.

The Big Apple’s bucking the credit crunch gloom and it seems the biggest attraction in New York is the Empire State Building. It was built in 1931 to be the tallest building in the world.

5. Grand Canyon

The work of the Colorado River produced this truly awesome spectacle which in places stretches 30 kilometres wide.

4. Golden Gate National Recreation Area

This immense attraction in San Francisco is the biggest city park complex in the world covering 300 square kilometres, larger than the city itself. It welcomes more than 14 million people a year

3. Washington D.C.

15 million people visit the capital of the United States every year and the election of Barack Obama could see those numbers increase.

The US capital has seen a decline in visitors since George Bush took office of nearly two and a half million.

2. Las Vegas

The bright lights and glitz attracts just less than 40 million gamblers and fun-lovers to this desert oasis every year.

1. Walt Disney World Resort, Orlando

Orlando's a city of about 2,6 million residents and more than 17 million visitors making Disney  the most visited theme park in the world.


        

 

  Tourists Win Huge
   Sickness Pay Out 
 

Holidaymakers scored a victory over the British tour operator Thomas Cook after falling ill at a Caribbean hotel.

More than 500 people won compensation totalling more than £2.5million two years after holiday firms continued to send clients to Bahia Principe Hotel - in Dominican Republic as more and more guests were contracting serious illnesses.

Twenty-nine needed hospital treatment and more than 200 still suffer effects. Twelve couples' honeymoons were ruined.

One plane flying returning the Gatwick was quarantined while another at the same airport had to be boarded by doctors.

The holidaymakers were represented by solicitors Irwin Mitchell. Spokesman Clive Garner saidl: 'Day after day, fleets of ambulances were ferrying people to hospital and yet still tour operators carried on flying people out there.'

Thomas Cook and MyTravel settled before the claim reached court.


  'Jaws' Attack Sparks
       Fear In Egypt 

 

There's a warning to tourists to be extra cautious swimming in the sea after a woman was bitten to death by a shark in Egypt

The tragedy happened in the Red Sea where sharks are common but attacks have been quite rare.

The woman jumped into the water for a closer look at what she thought was a big fish approaching her boat. She was bitten on the leg by the shark and is thought to have bled to death before being pulled out of the water.

Sharks are common in the area and often swim as close as 5 metres from the beach where tourists take pictures, but attacks by sharks are rare. The last person killed by a shark in Egypt was snorkelling off the coast of Sharm el-Sheikh in 2004.

The Red Sea is home to a variety of sharks, and some of them, such as the powerful and quick mako shark, are regarded as particularly dangerous for humans.


  Swine Flu Not Scaring
        Globetrotters

The Mexico swine flu outbreak has failed to infect demand for long-haul trips.

British holidaymakers haven’t been scared off by the virus, according to the travel operator TUI which has seen bookings for long-haul holidays from the UK increased by two per cent on the start of May last year.

When flights to Mexico were grounded customers switched to other Caribbean destinations such as Jamaica which is up 30 per cent and the Dominican Republic which has seen bookings surge by 19 per cent.

In the first three months of 2009, bookings fell by 17 per cent in both Britain and the prospects for the coming summer are looking equally downbeat, with sales down 9 per cent in Britain. However those customers who are going on holiday are spending more. The average selling price for a holiday bought in Britain has risen by 10 per cent.


   Cheap Sun Lotion
 Outshines The Dearest

One of the cheapest sun lotions on sale in  the UK provides better protection than some of the dearest, a study's found.

Researchers for a Which? survey claim a £3 bottle of Asda sun lotion gives a better defence than brands which cost three times as much.

Which? investigators tested 14 of the best-selling sun creams in the  factor of 15 bracket and say only five met its standards.

The study found the Asda cream offered a protection rating of 24, nine more than stated on the bottle.

Researchers have warned that sunbathers could be putting their health at risk with protective creams that fail to offer what they claim.

Rival companies such as Tesco, Marks and Spencer and Wilkinsons insist their products live up to their claims under their own independent tests.

Most products offer protection against UVB rays which  is linked to several types of skin cancer.

Some products also claim protection against UVA, which is also linked to some aggressive cancers and ageing.

 


 Flying From A - Zzz  in
     Quieter Aircraft

Aircraft travel will be quieter and cleaner in the next decade, according to the world’s leading aviation chiefs.

Engine maker Rolls-Royce plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 30%, the company’s vice president Robert Nuttall told an aviation and climate change conference in London.

The conference heard aeroplane engine technology is able to improve carbon dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and noise as a package.

Boeing’s Roger Bone spoke of the role aviation was playing in reducing emissions and noise and said: ‘"Technologies already on the drawing board show potential to reduce carbon dioxide by 30%, nitrogen oxide by 60% and noise by 15 to 20 decibels by 2020."

 

Cheap Texting Wherever
     You May Roam

Brits travelling abroad this summer will be able to text, call, and browse the internet at cheaper rates, thanks to a ruling by the EU.

The European Commission is ordering mobiles companies to  slash charges across Europe, so from from  July 1st texting back to the UK from abroad will cost no more that 9p (€0.11) as opposed to the 46p (€0.49).

The new rules also mean mobile phone operators must provide clearer information on the cost of using the internet on a mobile phone when abroad.

The rules, which will apply until summer 2012, will also see the cost of roaming phone calls fall to 38p (€43) per minute for an outgoing voice call.


 Credit Crunch Bargain
              Busters

Bulgaria has become a bolt hole for bargain hunters, according to a holiday costs' survey.

Ten typical holiday items and costs, including a meal out, set tourists back just £42.23 in Bulgaria, the survey by the British Post Office travel services found.

This is two-and-half times cheaper than in Antigua, where the items cost £108.70 , making the Caribbean island the most expensive of the 18 destinations surveyed.

Turkey and Croatia joined Bulgaria as the best places in Europe for a bargain break, while France (£78.30) was the most expensive eurozone country.

Spain, at £67.08, was the best-bargain eurozone country, closely followed by Portugal (#67.47)

The survey showed that prices have dropped in Portugal as well as in Greece and Italy, but have risen in long-haul destinations Egypt rising nearly 47%.

Post Office head of travel services Sarah Munro said: ``The eurozone has taken a bashing this year, but our survey suggests that tourist outlets in many resorts are taking dramatic steps to encourage tourists.

``Despite the weak pound, this means that UK tourists who shop carefully could find that they get more than expected for their money.''

She went on: ``Prices for eating out have shown some of the biggest rises in this year's survey. In the US meals increased by almost 49% and in Turkey they have gone up by over one third.

``By contrast the increase in Greece was just above 1%."


  The Airline's Luggage
             Lottery

The world's airlines collectively lost more than one million bags in 2007, according to a report by the UK's Air Transport Users Council (AUC),

In the same year, it's estimated 47 million pieces of baggage were mishandled and it's getting worse.

In 2006 the total was 34 million while in 2005, the figure was 30 million.

The council added that on "too many occasions" passengers were also not being fairly compensated for lost luggage

The AUC chairman, Tina Tietjen, said: "On too many occasions, passengers are not fairly compensated for lost luggage, because they do not have receipts for the items in their bag or because the airline is taking into account depreciation of the value of the items. And with delayed baggage, passengers are often out of pocket because airlines will not reimburse them fully for expenses they incurred buying essential items while they are without their bag."


   Budget Airline To Oz

A new budget airline service connecting London with Asia’s spreading a rare note of optimism amid the world-wide slump

AirAsia’s no frills service to Kuala Lumpur launched with with tickets starting from £149 and from there passengers can connect with the airline's pre-existing services to Australia.

The airline’s cutting costs by not offering food on demand and charging for meals and inflight movies

Passengers will notice Air Asia’s seat configuration is on its new planes will have one extra seat in each row, going from a 2-4-2 configuration to a 3-3-3 set-up resulting in 1.25 inches less in seat width per passenger.


     Costa del Slump

The number of Britons taking holidays in Spain has dropped to its lowest since records began 15 years ago.

There are 20.5 per cent fewer holidaymakers heading for the Costas because of the credit crunch and the weaker pound, according to the Ministry for Industry, Tourism and Commerce

In January the Costa del Sol region registered a massive 26.8 per cent drop on last year's figures.

The Canary Islands which are popular as a winter destination for Brits, slumped by 17.5 per cent, that's 47,000 fewer tourists on the same month last year.

The number of German, French, US and Italian tourists visiting Spain was also down.

Thirty-six per cent of British travellers take into account the strength of a country's currency in relation to the pound when planning a holiday, according to a survey published by M& S Money.

They say that's why destinations such as Egypt and Turkey, which lie outside the eurozone, are continuing to increase in popularity.

Sales of Turkish lira have jumped by 46 per cent compared with the same period last year, while sales of the Egyptian pound are up 20 per cent, say M& S.

With the UK now officially in recession and Brits making up more than 50% of the tourist arrivals in Cyprus the outlook isn't good.

Cyprus tourism in 2008 suffered not only from a weak sterling, but also from high airport fees as a result of the upgrade of the two airports. Paphos was completed in November 2008 and Larnaca will be completed in 2009.


  Cuba Squares Up To
    The Credit Crunch

Cuba appears to be bucking the trend of the global  credit crunch by breaking its record by tourist arrivals

The Caribbean country welcomed close to 2-and-a-quarter million visitors in 2008 , that’s a nine per cent increase over 2007. 

The record breaking performance occurred despite booking cancellations, the closure of thousands of hotel rooms and storm damage from the hurricane season. 

The figures are good news on the back of  a warning from the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean that Central America and the Caribbean will be most affected by stagnation in tourism caused by the financial crisis.

According to the organisation about 75 per cent of tourists to the English-speaking Caribbean come from developed economies that are experiencing a recession. 


 Algarve Bites Back At
     Credit Crunch  

Portugal's tourism income for 2008 hit a record high in spite of the economic crisis, the economy ministry said

The revenues of  7.5 billion euros ($9.45 billion) is an increase of 1.7 percent on  2007

Fewer Brits are visiting the country due to the recession but the number of French and Ditch visitors rose.

Meanwhile, Faro airport in Portugal which serves passengers heading for the Algarve is undergoing a major expansion

With an estimated completion date of 2013, the multi-million euro project will focus on improved safety and passenger facilities


        Malta Hotel Tax

The Maltese Government's slapped a  €0.50 per night charge for people staying in hotels and apartments.

The country's Finance Minister Tonio Fenech said the payment  tax would be used to offset the incentives being paid to low-cost airlines.

Some of the money will go towards €120 million spent on improvements to attractions at St Paul’s Bay, Qawra and Sliema, Golden Bay and Qawra.

 
     Malta 'Safe Haven'

Meanwhile, Malta is one of the safest destinations in the world, according to an American study.

After the horrific double murder in Antigua, crime abroad has become a major concern for tourists and the US report lists the world's safest destinations as Monte Carlo, New Zealand, Malta, Switzerland and Singapore.

However, even in shooting hotspots like Jamaica, it's extremely rare for holidaymakers to be targeted and travel experts are keen to point out that no where is crime-free.

Among the safest Caribbean islands are; Anguilla, Aruba, Barbados, and the British Virgin Islands.

Malta set its stall out on hooligans recently when five Croatians and an Australian were told by a court they would never be allowed back into the country.

They got their banning order after  causing trouble and clashing with the police during a football  match.


   Disney World Fans 
       Lost In Space

Disney’s shutting down its world famous Space Mountain ride in Orlando for refurbishment work through the summer (2009).

The Magic Kingdom roller coaster is getting new track to enhance the experience for thrill seekers, plus renovations to the queuing area.

The ride will be closed from April the19th after Easter but a date for reopening hasn’t been confirmed

 

 
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