|
Lead Story
Edinburgh Festivals
With Edinburgh gearing up
for its summer festival season, the
principal Edinburgh festivals (the Edinburgh
Book, International and Film Festivals and
the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the
Edinburgh Mela Intercultural Festival) have
joined forces with VisitScotland and
Edinburgh and Lothians Tourist Board to
offer the travel and tourism media the
services of a dedicated Festivals' Press
Officer.
Kate Seymour, an experienced PR consultant,
will be on hand throughout the run-up to and
during the festivals as a source of advice,
information and support for travel writers,
journalists and broadcasting crews.
A press pack for the travel media will be
available on request.
Contact Kate Seymour at
kate.seymour@eltb.org or 0131 473 3640.
See America’s National
Parks
See America’s National
Parks, a partnership between the Travel
Industry Association of America (TIA), the
National Park Service and the National Park
Foundation, is designed to capitalize on the
20 percent of UK travelers to the U.S. who
visit national parks.
The See America’s
National Parks programme features a new web
site
www.seeamerica.org that profiles each of
the 388 national park service sites in the
U.S. The site includes itineraries, links to
local tourist areas, national park related
travel deals for UK visitors and a one of a
kind online pressroom for the media.
The See America’s
National Parks promotion coincides with what
is seen as the US travel industry’s long
awaited turnaround from a 31 percent decline
in overseas visitors that started with
September 11 and has been adversely effected
by the outbreak of the war in Iraq and the
worldwide SARS scare.
Contact Mike Pina at
Mpina@tia.org.
Opportunities
Insight Guide: Mediterranean Cruises
Insight Guide: Mediterranean Cruises, a
brand new title to inspire and assist anyone
taking a cruise across the blue waters of
the Mediterranean Sea. Insight Guides'
latest addition is the only cruising guide
on the market to contain detailed
region-by-region coverage of more than 200
Mediterranean ports of call. Contact
Charlotte Scott at
charlotte.scott@trimediauk.com
Insight Guide : Eating In London
Insight Guide's new Eating In London has
over 400 entries to help the Capital’s
diners to decide what to eat and where with
expert and revealing reviews. Everything
from the high-class gastronomic experience
in the West End or pie and mash in the East
End. Contact Charlotte Scott at
charlotte.scott@trimediauk.com
For the complete list of the Insight Guides
range contact Charlotte Scott at
charlotte.scott@trimediauk.com or 020
7471 6802.
Review copies
Footprint Handbooks (www.footprintbooks.com)
provides the CIoJ Travel Writers’ review
copies of its best selling guides. Footprint
publishes detailed, full colour, guides
which provide a wealth of information to
journalists planning, visiting and writing
on destinations worldwide.
CIoJ Travel Writers’ can
request review copies of a Footprint
handbook although this support should be
reflected, where appropriate, in any copy
produced.
To request a particular
guide email
ashley@williamjack.co.uk.
Travel photography Awards 2004
This summer sees the return of the Princess
Cruises Escapes Travel Photography Awards -
the biggest professional and amateur travel
photography competition in the UK. Contact
Clare Brice at
clare.brice@porternovelli.co.uk or 020
7853 2261.
Industry news
US visas
JOURNALISTS visiting the
USA will be pleased to hear that the US
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) bureau
in the Department of Homeland Security has
given its border agents discretionary
authority to admit foreign media
representatives with visas other than the
"I" visa required for working journalists.
But pressmen who benefit from the new rule
once
will be required to have the proper visa for
subsequent trips to the US. Source :
usinfo.state.gov
Caribbean Now
Caribbean Now is a
bi-monthly newsletter highlighting the what
the Caribbean offers travellers. Contact
Lalla Dutt at
ldutt@bgb.co.uk.
The Guild of Travel Management Companies
The Guild of Business Travel Agents is to
change its name to the Guild of Travel
Management Companies (GTMC) in 2005.The move
reflects the changing role of the travel
management company, from one of booking and
issuing tickets, trading on commission, and
acting as a distributor for a major airline,
to one which requires a complete alignment
with the corporate customer in order to
optimise the entire business travel budget.
Contact Vanessa Aves at
Vanessa.aves@brightergroup.com or 020
7603 2168.
New
online service for families
A new online travel
service (www.takethefamily.com)
is the first service to offer advice,
destinations and booking for family holidays
in one place. Contact Andy Cook at
andy.cook@takethefamily.com or 07815
100478.
The English Music Festival
The English Music
Festival (www.englishmusicfestival.org.uk),
a five-day festival to celebrate Britain’s
musical tradition, is to take place in and
around the mediaeval abbey at
Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxfordshire, in
October 2005. Organisers hope that this will
become an annual event. Em Marshall at
em.marshall@btinternet.com or 07808
473889.
Blueprint for
accommodation quality standards
Agreement on common
standards for grading in England, Scotland
and Wales for hotels, B&Bs and other types
of accommodation has been announced by the
three tourist boards, the RAC and the AA.
The agreement means that customers will be
sure of the same standards of quality from
each of the five accrediting organisations.
Contact Heledd Llewelyn at
heledd.llewelyn@tourism.wales.gov.uk or
029 20475 326
London Hotel
Development Monitor
London will have up to 19,000 new hotel
rooms coming on stream by 2008,
according to Visit London’s new
London Hotel Development Monitor.
The
Monitor, which provides an overview of
proposed and confirmed hotel developments
across London, shows that 11,500 rooms are
set to open in the capital over the next
four years. A further 7,786 rooms are likely
to be constructed, subject to confirmed
completion dates if the Olympic bid is
successful. Contact
Emma Coulthurst at
ecoulthurst@visitlondon.com or 020 7 234
5843.
Cyprus
The Turkish Republic of
Northern Cyprus (TRNC) have decided to allow
all nationals of the EU countries (including
Greek Cypriots) to cross the UN-manned
demarcation line from the south of the
island to the north by showing only identity
cards. The move will undoubtedly help the
breakaway state's economy, especially its
tourism sector and assist in its
determination for Cyprus to become a single
state. Source :
http://www.trncgov.com
St.
Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport
The St.
Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport
will expand its runway to 10,000 feet,
enabling transcontinental flights to service
the area, which is the largest tourism
destination on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
The St. Petersburg/Clearwater area is the
leading destination on Florida's Gulf coast,
drawing more than 4.8 million overnight
visitors annually. The area is best known
for 35 miles of spectacular beaches, three
of which are rated among the best in the
United States, and record-breaking
sunshine. Contact Wit Tuttell at
wit@FloridasBeach.com
Travel Writers’
conference in Bratislava
The CIoJ Travel Writers'
and the Central European Countries Tourist
Association (CECTA) are planning a major
conference for travel writers in Bratislava
in the Spring of 2005.
Although based in the
Slovak capital, the conference will focus on
all of the six countries represented by
CECTA.
It will give travel
writers and broadcasters attending the
Bratislava conference, the chance to visit
and write features about Austria, the Czech
Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland and the
Slovak Republic.
We will be promoting the
conference with a series of six major London
based networking presentations during the
autumn and winter..
Each of these will be
hosted by a CECTA country and provide
excellent networking opportunities for
travel journalists, photojournalists and
broadcasters.
The first of these is set
to be held in September at the Czech Embassy
in London.
For more information now
contact Ashley Gibbins at
Ashley@williamjack.co.uk.
New Radisson SAS at
London Stansted
From August 2004,
travellers and local businesses can take
advantage of the 500-room Radisson SAS
Hotel, London Stansted Airport, for
stopovers, meetings and entertaining.
Contact Jules Ugo at
jules.ugo@brightergroup.com or 020 7603
2168
Necker Island
Necker Island, Richard
Branson's private 74-acre island located in
the Caribbean's British Virgin Islands, aims
to cater for every whim or fantasy.
Everything is possible on this island
hideaway. New to 2004 is the beautiful
Necker Island spa offering treatments as
relaxing as the surroundings with calming
panoramic views. Contact Natasha Seth at
natasha@halpern.co.uk or 0207 349 2491
Storyboard
Missouri's Katy
Trail State Park
Missouri's Katy Trail
State Park offers an opportunity to explore
Missouri's natural beauty and rich history.
The long-distance hiking and biking trail
runs 200 miles along the Missouri River.
Contact Melanie Jones at
melanie@celletpr.co.uk 0207 491 1112.
Mexico
Guadalajara City in
Jalisco, Mexico, is hosting the
International Mariachi and Charreria
Horsemanship Festival from 2-12 September
2004. Approximately two million people will
descend on Guadalajara for the 10-day
festival that celebrates the traditional
music and dress that is synonymous with
Mexican culture. Contact Nick Mouton at
nick_mouton@uk.bm.com or 020 7300 6269.
Caribbean Cruises head for Belfast
Thirteen cruise ships are due to visit
Belfast in Northern Ireland this summer with
Royal Caribbean and Celebrity Cruises coming
to the city for the first time. Contact
Sheelagh Uprichard at
sheelaghu@gcasgroup.com or 028 9055
7777.
Vancouver
Tourism Vancover have unveiled a packages of
travel opportunities from the Westin Grand's
culinary adventure package and the Fairmont
Hotel Vancouver's "Ship Tease" package for
pre- and post-Alaska cruise passengers to
the Wedgewood Hotel's theatre package.
What's new for July also includes events
from Canada Day celebrations on Granville
Island to Pride Week festivities. Contact
Kate Colley Lo at
kcolley@tourismvancouver.com
St. Augustine, Florida
The Casa de la Paz
Bayfront B&B (www.casadelapaz.com)
in St Augustine, Florida has been voted the
most romantic B&B in the country in the
first annual Best of
BedandBreakfast.com Awards, from among
27,000 B&B’s worldwide. More than 16,000
votes were received during the six-month
voting process with Casa de la Paz Bayfront
B&B as Most Romantic. Contact Leigh Cort at
leighc@aug.com.
Norway
Norwegian Coastal Voyage
has launched a programme of land-based
holidays to the resort of Voss, a lakeside
town just one hour from Bergen. Contact
Catherine Foster
catherine.foster@invanor.no
Highland Games in
Aberdeen and Grampian
Highland Games throughout
Aberdeen and Grampian until September. With
the friendly atmosphere, a full programme of
competitive entertainment from dancing to
caber tossing, the colourful precision of
the massed pipe bands, and all the fun of a
country fair, a day at the Games is the
ideal way for family and friends to
experience the idyllic surroundings of
market towns and villages. Contact Caroline
Keith at
caroline@thekeithconsultancy.co.uk or
01463 811000.
Solo holidays
Solo’s Holidays, the tour
operator for single people has launched its
new 2004/5 brochure. Among the highlights
are diving in Sharm El Sheikh, desert
safaris in Morocco, Christmas in the
Caribbean, Wild West USA, skiing in Lake
Louise and Costa Rica Explorer. Contact Anna
Addison at
anna.addison@recognitionpr.co.uk
Sandcastle
competition
Great Yarmouth's
Central Beach hosts the UK's biggest ever
public sandcastle championship
on Saturday 24 July.
Teletext Holidays is
holding the national sand building
competition to find the country’s ‘Masters
of Sand’. The competition is open to all UK
residents, regardless of ability and
entrants can build anything from a
traditional sandcastle to a bird or a plane.
Contact Endre Johansen at
endre@bbpr.com.
Paris on two feet and two
wheels
For a different approach
to Paris you can explore the city by
bicycle, roller-blade or 2CV. With 197 km
of cycling paths and the banks of the Seine
reserved to two-wheelers, roller bladers and
walkers between May and October, the summer
months are the time to get on your bike.
Paris Rando Velo organises a free cycling
tour of Paris every Friday night and on the
third Sunday of each month. Contact Ann Noon
at
ann.noon@franceguide.com.
Big Bus encourages children to walk in
London
With child obesity on the
increase in the UK, The Big Bus Company has
three free walking tours of London on
offer. The guided tours are included in the
price of a Big Bus Company ticket and will
spur even the most reluctant, lethargic
child into action as they are invited to
learn about London on foot. Contact Carly
Smith at
csmith@bgb.co.uk or 020 7233 2300.
Namibia
The Olive Grove is the latest luxury bed and
breakfast in Windhoek – Namibia’s capital
and the Ntwala Lodge opens in the Caprivi
region in Autumn 2004.
The arrival of these properties highlights a
significant boom in the luxury accommodation
sector
in Namibia, ranging from opulent safari
camps to upscale guest houses. Contact Carly
Smith at
csmith@bgb.co.uk or 020 7233 2300.
Singapore Airlines
Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers
travelling to Australia and New Zealand can
enjoy a night's free accommodation in
Singapore, plus entry to top tourist sites,
free airport transfers and much more. The
offer is available on bookings between 1
July and 30 November 2004 and must be taken
by 30 March 2005. Contact Louise Briggs at
louise@keenepa.co.uk.
Kent
the Garden of England
As well as being the Garden of England, Kent
is also becoming the place to go for a
gourmet break. The county has the largest
number of farmers’ markets of any English
county and now has a fourth Michelin-starred
restaurant to add to the ‘must do’ list of
any committed foodie visiting the county.
Contact Virginia Webb at
vwebb@bgb.co.uk or 020 7233 2300.
New
tours to Japan for food lovers
The huge rise in popularity of Japanese food
in the UK has led to two gourmet Japan tours
being launched. Intrepid's Japanese Gourmet
Traveler trip allows participants to travel
in style to see the sights of Japan and have
a gastronomic feast along the way. Contact
Kylie Clark at
kylie@jnto.co.uk or 020 7734 6870
Sightseeing tours of Ljubljana by boat
Boat trips along the
Ljubljanica River through Ljubljana is
providing an increasingly popular way of
seeing e Slovenia’s capital city. Contact
Jona Šenk at
jona.senk@slovenia-tourism.si.
New Shangri-La Hotel in
Australia
Shangri-La Hotels and
Resorts, Asia Pacific's leading luxury hotel
group, will open its second hotel in
Australia in August 2004 when the former
Radisson Plaza Hotel at the Pier is
reflagged the Shangri-La Hotel, the Marina,
Cairns. The hotel is currently undergoing a
more than A$25 million renovation. Contact
Karen Luard at
karen.luard@shangri-la.com
Cheaper fares on Scottish Highland lines
ScotRail is ‘opening up’
the picturesque West and North Highland
Lines to
day trippers this summer by introducing a
new range of day out return fares
– with savings of up to 32% on last summer.
These routes are considered some of the most
scenic railway journeys in the world.
Contact Carol Harris at
carol.harris@scotrail.co.uk.
Sydney rock
and reef
Travelbag has a two week holiday taking in
the top attractions of Sydney, Uluru (Ayers
Rock) and The Great Barrier Reef, with tours
included. Valid for departures between 15
August - 30 November. Contact Paul Rousseau
atprousseau@bgb.co.uk or 020 7233 2300.
Le
Meridien Fisherman's Cove , Seychelles
The famous Le Méridien
Fisherman's Cove hotel at the tip of Beau
Vallon beach on the island of Mahé in the
Seychelles has re-opened following a $12
million refurbishment. Contact Julia Clark
at
julia.clark@lemeridien.com or 020 7301
2000
Sunsail cruises back into Cuba
Sunsail, the provider of yacht charter and
watersports beach club holidays, is starting
up bareboat and skippered charters next
winter from its base at Trinidad in Cuba.
Contact Chris Clode at
chris.clodepr@ntlworld.com
Colorado
Colorado's wine industry
is growing fast with many new additions
expected for the remainder of 2004. The
Colorado Wine Industry Development Board has
issued its 2004 Colorado Wine Country
brochure, updated to include 10 new
wineries. Contact Rachele Grieve at
rachele@celletpr.co.uk.
Readers vote Slovenia
Readers of the
Observer and visitors to Guardian
Unlimited have chose Slovenia as their
most popular European destination. Contact
Jona Šenk at
jona.senk@slovenia-tourism.si.
New ferry service to Skye
Ferry company 6° West has
started a new sailing between the west coast
mainland of Scotland and the Isle of Skye.
The Gairloch, Wester Ross to Portree sailing
will give visitors the chance to take in
some spectacular scenery. The trip passes
landmarks that would take much longer to get
round by road. Breathtaking views of the
magnificent Torridon Mountains and Cuillin
Hills as well as the Kilt Rock waterfall -
the UK’s highest - and the imposing Old Man
of Storr rock formations. Conatct Caroline
Keith at
caroline@thekeithconsultancy.co.uk or
01463 811 000.
Sunsail opens sea school and charter in
South Africa
Sunsail, the yacht charter and watersports
beach club holidays company, has opened a
new base in South Africa offering both yacht
charter and sailing tuition. Contact Chris
Clode at
chris.clodepr@ntlworld.com or 01243
431343
New Le Meridien
in Singapore
Luxury global hotel group Le Méridien Hotels
& Resorts has opened Le Méridien Changi
Village, its second hotel in Singapore. The
380-bedroom hotel has completed a $45m
renovation to transform the property into a
minimalist, modern hotel providing an
alternative location away from the hustle
and bustle of the city centre. Contact
Julia Clark at
julia.clark@lemeridien.com or 020 7301
2000
Events
Marriott St
Pierre to host world final
The Marriott St Pierre Hotel & Country
Club's Old Course will host the inaugural
2004 world final of the International Pairs
in August. The International Pairs is the
largest golf event of its kind in the world,
involving tens of thousands of club golfers
- and the world finals will see national
champions from all competing countries
gather together to fight it out for the
privilege of being named International Pairs
world champions. Contact Heledd Llewelyn at
heledd.llewelyn@tourism.wales.gov.uk or
029 20475 326
Leeds Castle hot air
balloon festival
The Leeds Castle Hot Air
Balloon & Vintage Car Festival takes place
on September 11 and 12. Up to thirty
brightly coloured hot air balloons,
including the castle's own vibrant hot air
balloon, will take to the skies, weather
permitting, above the historic Kent
attraction.
Hannah Davies at
hannah.davies@ehapr.com or 01622 674177
Trafalgar 200
The Royal Navy has
announced plans to commemorate the 200th
anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar
(www.trafalgar200.com). Events will take
place in Portsmouth during the summer and in
London during October 2005.These start with
a Fleet Review of vessels from 30 countries
at Spithead in the Solent on Tuesday 18 June
2005.The International Festival of the Sea
takes place in Portsmouth from 30 June to 3
July 2005.Public celebrations also take
place in Trafalgar Square on Sunday 23
October 2005.Contact Commander Pam Healey at
pressoffice@trafalgar200.com or 02392
720 063.
Rocktoberfest
Rocktoberfest (25 to 26 September) is a free
outdoor 50s and 60s rock ’n’ roll music
festival in downtown Palm Springs, where
stores, shops and restaurants remain open
and vendors line Palm Canyon. Many of the
performers are Rock ’n’ Roll Hall of Famers,
lending an air of nostalgia to the show.
Fabian, the Drifters, Shirelles, Little
Anthony and the Imperials, and many other
legends have appeared here. There is also a
classic car show, a free street fair and
“VillageFest” on Thursday night. Contact:
Linda Fort at
lfort@palm-springs.org
Miami spice restaurant
month
During Miami Spice
restaurant month (www.Miami-Spice.com)
throughout August and September more than 60
of the most celebrated chefs and restaurants
2004offer one price- $29.99 for a complete
dinner. Many places also feature great power
lunches for $19.99. Contact Lynda Daboh at
lynda@firstpr.co.uk.
Seville's flamenco
festival
Every other year,
Seville, the vibrant capital of Andalucia,
becomes a giant stage for some of the
world's most outstanding Flamenco artistes
to demonstrate their talents in lively
concerts and performances across the city.
The 13th Biennial Flamenco Festival (www.spainatheart.co.uk)
takes place from 14 September to 10 October
at venues throughout Seville, with impromptu
performances of singing, dancing and guitar
playing expected in the city's squares,
parks and gardens between. Contact Karen
Outred at
ko@freelancepr.fsnet.co.uk or 01189
401893.
Paxos music festival
Paxos, the jewel of the
Ionian Islands, is the perfect retreat for a
romantic getaway and the annual Paxos Music
Festival from 1 to 9 September has chamber
music, plus Greek music and dancing. Contact
Karen Outred at
ko@freelancepr.fsnet.co.uk or 01189
401893.
The Bermuda Jazz Festival
International jazz and
R&B musicians and singers will perform in
the oldest British colony of Bermuda during
its annual Jazz Festival, held from 6 to 10
October at the Royal Naval Dockyard and
other venues across the islands. Contact
Karen Outred at
ko@freelancepr.fsnet.co.uk or 01189
401893.
Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade
The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade (25
November 2004) in New York has become the
traditional kick-off to the Christmas
holiday season. On Thanksgiving Eve,
visitors can enjoy watching the parade’s
signature giant character and novelty
balloons come to life as they are inflated
with helium. The parade also features
marching bands, floats, and clowns. Other
popular elements include celebrities,
entertainers, cheerleading squads, costumed
characters, motorcycle units, and
participants on horseback. Contact: Reagan
Stulbaum at
rstulbaum@nycvisit.com
Cheyenne Frontier Days
This nine-day Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo
and western celebration (23 July to 1
August) draws top professionals who compete
for more than $1 million in cash and prizes.
Complementing the rodeo action are chute
tours that provide a first-hand look at the
behind-the-scenes activities, chariot races,
and a wild horse race. Carrying out the
frontier theme are an Indian village, Old
West town, square dancing, chuckwagon
cookoffs, pancake breakfasts, and art show.
Several parades that include antique
carriages and automobiles as well as riders
in period dress, a carnival midway, an air
show and top-name entertainment round out
the program. Contact: Nicole Gamst at
nicole@cfdrodeo.com.
Tobago Fest
The tranquil Caribbean
island of Tobago sheds its peaceful,
laid-back image to host an array of parties,
costumed parades, dancing in the streets and
Carnival music as part of the annual Tobago
Fest (28 to 30 September).This is held in
and around the capital, Scarborough with
visitors are welcome to take to the streets
with locals, and should feel free to don
feathered and sequinned costumes. Contact
Karen Outred at
ko@freelancepr.fsnet.co.uk or 01189
401893.
Shakespeare and love exhibition
Shakespeare and Love, this year's Globe
Summer exhibition opens on 5 June. While the
Season of Star-Crossed lovers develops on
stage during the Globe Theatre Season, the
exhibition will provide further commentary
on the theme. Contact Gerry Halliday at
gerry@shakespearesglobe.com or 020 7902
1406.
Best festivals in the UK this summer
Many of England's best loved cities play
host to a fantastic variety of alternative
festivals over the summer months, which
means you can enjoy your favourite music
with all the creature comforts of the city.
Contact Natasha Grant at
ngrant@webershandwick.com or 020 7067
0259.
Why Write About...
Aube en Champagne,
France
There were over 100.000
UK visits to the French region of Aube en
Champagne during 2003 writes Emmanuel
Trioné. Overall figures show that Aube
is the only départment in the Champagne-Ardenne
region to enjoy sustained growth in tourism
over the past three years.
Troyes, the ancient
capital of Champagne, is now a popular
citybreak destination thanks to its ‘halfway
house’ situation for families driving down
to the south of France, and thanks to the
opening of new low-cost airline routes to
places like Dijon, which serve as ideal
gateways to the department.
Aube can be translated as
the “dawn of a promising morning”, and is
also the name of a river. The “Département”,
or county, is made up of six areas;
Nogentais, Plaine Champenoise, Les Grands
Lacs, Côte des Bar, Chaourçois Armance and
Pays d`Othe.
The medieval capital of
Aube en Champagne is Troyes and is just 90
minutes from Paris on the TGV (high speed
train).
The region boasts many
vineyards and champagne houses and it is in
fact the second largest champagne producing
département in France.
The three man made lakes
in the “Orient Forest”, one for swimming and
sailing, one for wildlife and another for
motorised watersports are always a popular
attraction during the summer months.
Nigloland is France’s
fourth theme park. Created in 1987 by a
family of fair ground travellers the park
has much expanded and now attracts on
average 500,000 visitors a year. Rides are
diverse with high speed roller coasters for
thrill seekers and themed areas for younger
children. The park is a destination for all
the family.
Aube has an abundance of
unique and unusual buildings and since May
1998 Troyes, the capital of Aube, which has
the largest collection of half-timbered
buildings of any town in France, has
launched an initiative to restore and
preserve the historical architecture for
which the town is so famous.
Beautiful medieval
half-timbered houses and churches can be
found throughout the region along with the
largest collection of stained glass windows
in Europe.
Contact Emmanuel Trioné
at
emmanuel@representationplus.co.uk or 020
8877 4503
Styria, Austria
Styria is nicknamed the
Green Heart of Austria writes Karin
Mrkvicka.
With its climate and
beautiful countryside, ranging from
vineyards to mountains, this is the perfect
place to blow away the cobwebs, to rest up
and to recharge your batteries.
Wellness packages here
include the latest innovative approaches to
wellbeing, with complementary therapy
treatments and expert beauty and nutritional
advice, carefully combined with fun activity
programmes. The south of the region is
famous for its bubbling Hot Springs; further
north, the treatments include mineral salt
and special mud. Styria’s highly trained
wellness specialists have designed a
selection of holistic ‘energy boosts’ to
revitalise your body, mind and spirit.
But Styria and its spa
hotels offer more than a healthy lifestyle:
there’s also wonderful food, lively
entertainment and a rich history. For full
details contact Karin Mrkvicka at
karin.mrkvicka@austria.info or 020 7629
6146.
Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Baden-Württemberg in the German Southwest is
the third-largest federal state and the one
with the greatest diversity in all of
Germany writes Linda Borchert.
Unusually rich
in arts and culture, a changing scenery of
landscapes, lively and famous cities such as
Stuttgart, Karlsruhe, Freiburg, Heidelbeg,
Ulm, Tübingen and Baden-Baden. Contact Linda
Borchert at
linda.borchert@d-z-t.com
Flight
Lines
VLM
VLM Airlines, the largest carrier serving
London's City Airport, has started operating
a new service from the airport to Jersey.
The new service will be a continuation of
the route operated by FlyBe. Jennifer
Jackson at
jennifer@mccluskey.co.uk or 0208 237
7979.
Norwegian
Norwegian,
Norway’s low cost airline, which operates
flights between London Stansted and Oslo,
Bergen and Stavanger, has added another
three aircraft to its fleet. Contact
Catherine Foster
catherine.foster@invanor.no
NIKI
Low cost airline NIKI is
extending its City Shuttle service with a
new route between London and Vienna being
added from 1st November. The Austrian
airline of NIKI Lauda, the former Formula
One driver, is the first low-cost carrier to
link these two cities. The daily flight will
operate from London-Stansted to Vienna
Schwechat. Contact Angelika Schwaff at
abpresse@airberlin.com.
Singapore airport
SINGAPORE Changi Airport
has opened a Chair Spa. Travellers who fancy
a rejuvenation can choose from six massage
chairs in an environment which offers full
body, stiff shoulder, lower back or
acupressure massage after a flight. The
massage comes with aroma oils to stimulate
the senses, servings of fruit tea,
refreshing towels and an eye-mask. It costs
from S$10 for 15 minutes. Source :
www.changi.airport.com.sg
Air Berlin
Air Berlin is to operate
a new daily connection from Manchester to
Berlin-Tegel and one to Dusseldorf.
Manchester -Paderborn will be flown four
times a week and Southampton to Paderborn
three times weekly. Berlin Air also operates
London-Stansted Berlin-Tegel, Dusseldorf,
Hanover, Munster-Osnabruck, Nurem-berg,
Paderborn and Palma de Mallorca In the past
year almost 700,000 passengers travelled
with Air Berlin on these routes. Contact
Angelika Schwaff at
abpresse@airberlin.com.
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic Airways
is to launch daily scheduled services
between London and Sydney via Hong Kong from
7 December. The service will be operated by
an Airbus A340-600 aircraft the longest
plane in the world. In future years this
will be replaced on the route by the Airbus
A380, the biggest plane in the world.
Contact
pressreleases@fly.virgin.com
Easyjet
Easyjet claims every
passenger on a flight to Prague recently
from East Midlands International Airport,
including those with hold baggage, used the
self-check-in kiosks rather than the
traditional check-in process. The airline
ultimately wants to see kiosk-only check-in
for all its services.Source :
www.easyjet.com.
Wizz
flies to Warsaw and Gdansk
Wizz
Air, the new European low-fare airline has
added to its services
from London Luton Airport. Having established
routes to
Katowice in Southern Poland
and
Budapest in Hungary
it now flies London Luton to both Warsaw and
Gdansk. Visit
www.wizzair.com or contact
Ian Briggs at
ian.briggs@ltn.aero or
01582 395517.
Quantas
Qantas is to expand its
European operations from 31 October by
introducing daily codeshare services with
Air France to Paris via Singapore and
increasing services to London from 21 to 27
per week. Contact Melissa Heyn at
Melissa@shinecom.com or 0207 553 3333
Virgin Atlantic
Virgin Atlantic is
planning to offer its Upper Class passengers
the chance to experience the Gibbs Aquada
when travelling to and from London’s
Heathrow airport. This will enabling them to
beat the traffic by taking to the Thames.
Virgin Atlantic plans to introduce the
service later in the summer. Contact
pressreleases@fly.virgin.com
Brussels Airlines
SN Brussels Airlines has
been awarded a Skytrax "Airline Excellence
Award", the premier recognition of
outstanding Quality Excellence for product
and customer service standards across the
airport and onboard environment. Contact Sue
Heady on tel: 078 5595 0705 or
sue@heady.demon.co.uk.
Alitalia
Alitalia will start
operating twice-daily services from
Manchester International Airport to Milan
Malpensa. Contact Ivan Rahal at <rahal.ivan@alitalia.it
or 020 8745 8297.
Ongoing
The Tourism Society
The Tourism
Society (www.tourismsociety.org)
is the leading network of professionals in
the industry representing hotels,
attractions, destinations, operators, travel
companies, writers, academics, students and
consultants. Contact Adrian Clark at
tour.soc@btinternet.com
Wherewillwego.com
Travel website
wherewillwego.com is offering CIoJ
Travel Writers’ the chance to submit reviews
for its Travel reviews from around the
globe pages.
No fee is involved (on either side) but it
does provide a shop window for your features
and a way for editors (worldwide) to see
your writing style. In return Robert Jones
of
wherewillwego.com is publishing
information on the CIoJ Travel Writers’ and
will pass information on us to other travel
writers’ who approach him
Bradt
Bradt Travel Guides are
happy to provide CIoJ members with
complimentary copies of any of their guides
for research in return for a mention of the
guide in print. Please visit their website
to ensure a guide is published before making
a request.
For a full list see their
website
www.bradt-travelguides.com.
To request a particular
guide email
ashley@williamjack.co.uk.
Response Source
Response Source (www.responsesource.com)
is a relatively new journalist enquiry
system, which is now being accessed by
thousands of journalists and PR
practitioners.
Response Source allows a
journalist to send requests for information
to public relations agencies in specific
sectors. These agencies then respond direct
if appropriate.
EU4journalists
The European Journalists
Centre has launched a new website to help
journalists reporting on the European Union.
The EU for journalists website simplifies
the maze of information available on the EU
so reporters can easily get to grips with
the key issues and players. Visit
www.eu4journalists.com
The next issue
The next issue of the
CIoJ Travel Writers’ bulletin will be out in
June 2004.
Send your
contributions to
ashley@williamjack.co.uk | 
