The Royal Wedding: Inspiring Americans to visit Great Britain

BIG BEN, the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, the River Thames have all lured Americans to Great Britain through the years, but now there's a renewed interest as England's Prince Harry is set to wed American actress Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018. According to a quick poll of travel agents in Travel Leaders Network – one of America's largest retail travel agency organizations – some are seeing an increase in clients wanting to travel to Great Britain as a result of the Royal wedding.

The #royalwedding is expected to be one of the largest events for #Windsor Castle and thousands are planning to flock to the area hoping to get a glimpse of the lovebirds as they travel in procession after their wedding ceremony. Whether you're traveling to #GreatBritain this spring or later in the year, here are some things to see and do while you're there.

Ride in Royal Footsteps - Horse-drawn tours are available to the public from Windsor Castle, with private guided tours on the Long Walk.

Art and Architecture in Windsor - Windsor Castle, about 45 minutes from London by train, has been home to 39 monarchs.

Buckingham Palace - The queen's official London residence, is open for tours from July 21 to Sept. 30. 

Diana's Fashion Sense - The memory of Prince Harry's mother, Princess Diana, lives on around Kensington Palace, home to many of today's British royals. On display here is "Diana: Her Fashion Story," featuring outfits worn by the late Princess of Wales. 

Warwick Castle - A medieval fortress built in 1068 and located on the River Avon, is about 90 minutes from London by train. Take an intriguing tour of the medieval vaults and climb to the top of the castle's towers and ramparts.

Southwest England - A visit to Southwest England is gorgeous, even from a train window, but it is not complete without a stop at Tintagel Castle's legendary ruins.

Trooping the Colour - The annual parade, which for nearly 300 years has marked the official birthday of the British sovereign, will be June 9th this year.

Feast Like a King -  A train ride would allow one to stop for mouth-watering experiences in many different cities, from avant-garde haute cuisine to renowned ethnic and regional dishes.

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Five Thai beaches rate tops in TripAdvisor awards

FIVE of Asia’s Top 25 #Beaches in 2017 are in #Thailand, according to the latest poll of the popular global travel website TripAdvisor, which has just released its annual Travelers’ Choice listings.

Nai Han Beach, Kata Noi Beach, and Freedom Beach at Patong, Phuket were listed as 4th , 8th and 11th , while Phra Nang Cave Beach and Railay Beach in Krabi took 7th and 14th place, respectively in the list of Top 25 Beaches – Asia. 

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La Manga Club voted among world's best tennis resorts

LA MANGA CLUB in Murcia, #Spain has enhanced its position as a firm favourite with players across the globe after being named among the world's top 75 tennis resorts in a poll of users of Tennis Resorts Online. 

The survey asked users to rate their favourite tennis resorts and training camps, taking into account more than 20 different aspects of a tennis holiday. #LaMangaClub was voted second best in Europe.

The accolade is a further endorsement of La Manga Club's tennis facilities, with the venue already the official overseas winter training base of Britain’s Lawn Tennis Association, as well as having extended its partnership this year with Tennis Europe for a further two years.

The resort was named as Spain's leading golf complex at the 2015 World Golf Awards for the second year running earlier this month, as well as being voted Best Golf Resort in Spain by UK readers of Today's Golfer magazine.

La Manga has 20 clay courts, four hard courts, and four on artificial grass.

www.lamangaclub.com

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Self-catering cuts costs

COST savings, peace of mind, and flexibility are among the reasons why many people find holiday rental stays more relaxing than other lodging accommodations, according to a poll by Wyndham Vacation Rentals in the US. 

Renters report having saved an average of $740 (£475) over the course of a week by preparing some meals in their holiday property.

Said Mary Lynn Clark, president of Wyndham Vacation Rentals North America: ‘While you might think you'd never cook on vacation, it can be a tremendous source of savings. That added value along with the extra space and flexibility a vacation rental offers can make for a more relaxed vacation experience.’

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Myrtle Beach … top spot for golf

MYRTLE BEACH, where more than 3.5 million rounds of #golf are played annually, has been recognized as the US’s top golf destination in a poll by #golf.com, one of the world’s largest golf websites.

The Golfers’ Choice Awards polled almost 6,000 travelling golfers over a six-week period; they ranked Myrtle Beach, Carolina, as the ‘Favourite US destination’, ‘favourite US destination for value, and favourite US spot for a trip with golf friends.

The Myrtle Beach and Grand Strand area, stretching for more than 60-miles from Pawleys Island, South Carolina, to North Carolina’s Brunswick County, draws 15.2 million visitors annually.

It has 79 championship standard golf courses.

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Top marks for the Heathrow Express

HEATHROW EXPRESS has received an excellent overall satisfaction rate of 94% from a poll of UK rail passengers, compared to the national average of 80% and a London & South East average of 78%.

The air-rail link, which connects London Paddington and Heathrow in 15 minutes, has consistently received overall satisfaction ratings of more than 90% for the last three years.

Of the 23 train operating companies surveyed, #HeathrowExpress came top in the following categories: comfort of seating area (95%); cleanliness both inside (96%) and out (95%); sufficient room for passengers to sit and stand (93%) and top for upkeep and repair of the train (96%). It shared a joint first for speed with Merseyrail (96%), overall satisfaction with the station with East Coast and First Hull (90%) and again with First Hull (94%) for personal security on board.

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Which are world’s best airlines?

According to Skytrax, which asked airline passengers to vote in a global poll, the answers are disappointing for American, British, and European carriers, none of whom make the top 10 list. 

There’s no US airline in the top 20 list, into which British Airways slithers at No 20 behind Lufthansa, Austrian, Swiss International Air Lines, and Air France.

Here’s the full Top 20 Skytrax list:

1. Qatar Airways 
2. Singapore Airlines 
3. Cathay Pacific Airways 
4. Turkish Airlines 
5. Emirates 
6. Etihad Airways 
7. ANA All Nippon Airways 
8. Garuda Indonesia 
9. EVA Air 
10. Qantas Airways 
11. Asiana Airlines 
12. Lufthansa 
13. Austrian 
14. Swiss Int'l Air Lines 
15. Air France 
16. Virgin Australia 
17. Air New Zealand 
18. Dragonair
19. Thai Airways 
20. British Airways 

Skytrax is a UK-based consultancy, which runs an airline and airport review and ranking website. 

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US top holiday choice in France

THE US, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Thailand, and Mexico topped the list of ‘dream’ holiday destinations in a poll of 44,000 French people by market research company, Ipsos.

This year, the average vacation budget of French travellers is expected to return to the same level as 2013 at €4,900 (£3,500) per couple per year, after falling last year, says Ipsos.

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Picture Credit: Grand Canyon South Rim Sunset by I, Jonathan Zander. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Tasman Valley - Aoraki Mount Cook - Canterburyby David Briody from Edinburgh, Scotland - Tasman Valley (by Lesley). Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons