Americans seek unique and novel experiences

EXPEDIA.COM analyzed thousands of data points this year to identify the top trends in travel for 2018, and the results show that American travelers are increasingly interested in unique and novel experiences.

Activities and experiences are increasingly popular as travelers look to personalize and customize their vacations. These are the fastest-growing activity categories in 2018 for the U.S.:

Fastest-growing category: Attractions. Observation decks and architectural landmarks are leading the pack, with the Eiffel Tower, Rome's Colosseum, the 360 Chicago Observation Deck and the High Roller Observation Wheel in Las Vegas among the top trending attractions.

Runner-up: Tours & Sightseeing. Walking and hop-on-hop-off bus tours remain popular among travelers visiting big cities.

Third place: Shopping & Culinary Experiences round out the top categories, as travelers look to get the most out of their destinations and sample local flavors.


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Vienna at your fingertips

VISITORS to Vienna can now gain access to more than 60 of the city's most popular attractions, tours and museums directly via their smartphones with the newly launched mobile version of the popular #Vienna PASS sightseeing card (www.viennapass.com).

The mobile Vienna PASS places the best of the city at the visitor's fingertips and makes it possible to use the pass within seconds of purchase. An email booking confirmation contains a link to the free Vienna Guide app for iOS or Android devices, which acts as a platform to download the mobile pass. The Vienna PASS customer then simply scans the app's barcode straight from their smartphone to gain entry at a featured attraction.

The app also acts as a digital guidebook, containing full details on all Vienna PASS attractions as well as maps of the city and essential tourist information. Once downloaded, all of the app content including the mobile Vienna PASS is available without an internet connection.

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Hula some time away at New York Botanical Gardens

HAWAIIAN summer at the New York Botanical Garden, while Georgia O’Keeffe: Visions of Hawai‘i at The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) brings more than 15 paintings back to #NewYork City for the first time since they were exhibited in 1940. 

This landmark exhibition that runs through October 28, 2018 and also offers up a summer-long feast of Hawaiian flora, culture, music and food, along with a rich menu of programming, hula and films. For visitors to New York City, it’s an immersive counterpoint to a day of urban sightseeing, a tropical escape just 20 minutes from the bustle of midtown.

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Website for Travelers Visiting Japan

All Nippon Airways (ANA) announces the introduction of a new website "Japan Travel Planner" aimed to help travelers visiting Japan discover the beauty of the country by obtaining valuable travel information.

The two informative current websites "ANA Experience Japan" and "Taste of Japan" were integrated into the new " Japan Travel Planner" website which offers enhanced research and travel plan creation functions making it easy to find the best ways to get to sightseeing spots. By selecting a location and the desired traveling time, a recommended itinerary of the trip will be created and an option to make a reservation for an air ticket will be given.

Through this new "Japan Travel Planner" site, ANA will introduce not only the most popular sightseeing spots, but also many hidden attractive locations throughout Japan, strongly contributing to the accomplishment of the Japanese government tourism target of reaching 40 million overseas visitors to Japan in 2020.



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Stopover offerings whilst in Ethiopia

PASSENGERS traveling through Addis Ababa and continuing their journey to one of the destinations on Ethiopian network can now take advantage of stopover offerings from Ethiopian Holidays, the tour operator wing of Ethiopian Airlines, enabling them to discover and experience the many historical, cultural, religious and natural treasures of #Ethiopia, Land of Origins. An online e-visa service for processing stopover visa is available for all international visitors to Ethiopia at https://www.evisa.gov.et/.

The packages range from #sightseeing in Addis Ababa, the diplomatic capital of Africa, to visits to the pre-Christian era obelisks of Axum, the stunning medieval rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, the amazing 9th century mosques of Harar, the majestic castles of Gondar, the stunning source of the Blue Nile, the jaw-dropping Simien Mountains, the splendor of the lake side resorts of Hawassa and Arba Minch, or the unique coffee farms of Kaffa, birth place of coffee.


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Hop on and hop off in Hanoi

THE first double-decker bus was put into service on May 30 with hop-on and hop-off at 13 stops, running through 25 streets and taking tourists to 30 attractions in the capital city of #Hanoi, Vietnam.

Each bus has 80 seats and is equipped with modern technology, including the GPS system, free Wifi, USB gates, refrigerator, a TV screen and safety cameras.

An automatic narration system in various languages such as English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean is also installed in the buses, giving visitors an overall insight of over 30 most typical tourist attractions of the city.

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Alaska West Air celebrate 40th Anniversary in 2018

2018 marks the 40th anniversary of Alaska West Air providing flightseeing, bear viewing and guided trip services in #Alaska. 

The flightseeing company began in 1978 and has provided adventure services to clients from all around the world. From Disney, Warren Miller, BBC, MTV and National Geographic as well as its estimated 4,000 to 6,000 private guests each year.

Some of its most popular destinations include Katmai National Park and Preserve, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Chinitna Bay, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge and the iconic naturalist Dick Proenneke’s historic cabin on the shores of Twin Lakes. 

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Sightseeing from the rails

A new luxury tourist train in Japan launched on 21st July 2017, offering visitors the chance to ride in style from Yokohama (near Tokyo) to the Izu Peninsula – full of hot springs and picturesque coastlines.

The Royal Express - Japan’s latest addition to its ever-growing number of luxury sightseeing trains - has been designed by Eiji Mitooka, designer of the Seven Stars Kyushu sightseeing cruise train, from the smart royal blue of the train’s exterior down to the staff uniforms.

The train will run between JR Yokohama station in Yokohama and Itokyu Shimoda station in Shimoda City at the southern tip of the Izu Peninsula. It will offer passengers the chance to enjoy an elegant experience on their way between Yokohama and Izu, featuring opportunities for dining and live musical performances while on board. At around 100 people, it also has one of the highest passenger capacities of any tourist train in Japan.

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Hover over the Hoover Dam

GRAND Canyon Helicopters is now offering tours from its new Hoover Dam heliport.

The four brand-new tours, including a three-minute taster flight, make it easier than ever for guests to enjoy a flightseeing experience of the world-famous Hoover Dam.

From the heliport, located next to the Hoover Dam Lodge Hotel & Casino on U.S. 93, GCH flies guests closer to the dam than previously and also offers views of Lake Mead and the volcanic terrain of Black Canyon.

The new tours range from just the blink-and-it-will-be-over three-minute flight to a two-hour adventure.

Papillon.com

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Lisbon: New viewpoints, cool bars and the ‘best rooftop bar in the world’

#LISBON might be known as one of Europe's sunniest capitals, but for many visitors it comes to life when the sun goes down. Here are some of the best options in City of Seven Hills.

Check out Lisbon's answer to London’s Shoreditch and the cantina that turns into a nightclub. Built out of shipping containers, Village Underground Lisboa is a club with an arts space.

Watch the sun set from Lisbon's newest viewpoint. Amoreiras 360º Panoramic View is the place to see Lisbon from a bird's-eye view. On the 18th floor of the Amoreiras Shopping Centre, it offers 360º views over the city and the Tagus River.

Join a street party and paint the town pink. Once a down-at-heel suburb, Cais do Sodré is now one of the city's coolest neighbourhoods and a hub of great clubs, bars, and original shops. Rua Nova do Carvalho (known as Pink Street) is the liveliest spot for nightlife.

Recognized by the UCity Guides as the Best Rooftop Bar in the World, Silk Club on the 7th floor of the listed Espaço Chiado building offers vistas over Lisbon. The boutique Bairro Alto Hotel opened in 2005 and a decade later it is still impossible to find a hotel in this part of the city that can claim better views. Its roof terrace bar, ever-popular with locals and visitors, is famous for its 37 different gin brands!

During the day, Alcântara is a great place to relax by the river. After sunset, the neighbourhood turns into a nightlife hub. At both Alcântara Docks and Santo Amaro Docks, visitors will find plenty of bars and restaurants in converted warehouses.

www.visitlisboa.com

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Cornish cottage specialist launches Poldark trail

BOUTIQUE Cornish accommodation specialist Milly & Martha has launched a brand #Poldark Trail across the county.

Created as a downloadable guide, the visual trail reveals where fans can find locations made famous by the BBC television series, complete with descriptions, addresses, and tips on what to do at each location.

The guide in printed form will be given to self-catering guests at their Milly & Martha holiday homes, and it can be downloaded for all to see and use here: www.millyandmartha.com/library/News/Poldark_Trail.pdf

‘Poldark did wonders for showing off some of the county’s most beautiful hidden gems,’ explains Martha Burnyeat, co-founder of Milly & Martha. ‘But visitors often miss out on the more under-the-radar locations the county has to offer, so we wanted to produce a trail that would not only give Poldark fans the chance to see the landscapes and places made famous by the series, but also help them discover beautiful off the beaten track locations to get a feel for the real #Cornwall.’

Milly & Martha’s Poldark Trail covers eight filming locations across the county, including:

• Porthgwarra Beach 

• St Agnes Head 

• Porthcothan Bay 

• Poldark Mine 

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Cool Poole cruises

AS EUROPE'S largest natural harbour, Poole in Dorset is best experienced from the water. City Cruises has a range of trips departing from Poole Quay, with tours allowing visitors to get ocean views of attractions such as Sandbanks, Brownsea Island, the Purbeck Coast, the old Harry Rocks … and the local puffins.

Trips include:

• Harbour & Island cruise 
• Jurassic Coastal cruise & return cruise to Swanage 
• Poole Sea Train Adventure 
• Sundowner Evening Cruise & Jurassic Evening Cruise \Jurassic Evening Cruise 

City Cruises will also run special trips during the Bournemouth Air Show (August 20- 21) for an offshore view of the Red Arrows.

www.citycruisespoole.com

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Ten of the best in Britain

SWEEPING across beaches, hills and ancient remains, Britain’s 46 Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) showcase the island’s most spectacular landscapes. Here are some of the highlights:

Gower Peninsula – The very first AONB, near Swansea, Wales, has been protected since 1956. Rhossili Bay is regularly voted one of the world’s best beaches. It has a 39-mile coastal path.

Cotswolds – Fifty years ago, the beauty of the Cotswolds was protected by being designated an AONB. With historic villages made from local honey-coloured stone, alongside meadows and rivers – including the source of the Thames – it’s a quintessentially English landscape. There’s a walking trail that covers the entire 90-mile length of the Cotswolds, starting in Chipping Camden in Oxfordshire and running south to Bath in Somerset, with plenty of pubs on the route.

Northumberland Coast – South of the border with Scotland, things get rugged here. There are cliffs and sweeping beaches studded with ancient forts such as Bamburgh. You’ll also find the Farne Islands, home to thousands of grey seals, and Holy Island, which is linked to the mainland by a causeway that disappears as the tides rise.

Isles of Scilly – These are a chain of small, almost other-worldly islands, surrounded by white sand beaches. As the most southerly part of the United Kingdom – and part of Cornwall – spring arrives here first each year. There are five inhabited islands (mostly car-free) and over a hundred that aren’t.

Reach them via ferries from Penzance or flights from Newquay, Lands’ End, and Exeter.

Lincolnshire Wolds – A hidden gem in the Midlands that even many British people don’t know about – and beautifully unspoilt. It’s great cycling country. Under three hours from London by train, it has a strong Viking history. Stand on top of the aptly named Wolds Top for views across salt marshes and over to Lincoln Cathedral.

Mendip Hills – These Somerset hills take in steep gorges with intricate cave systems (many of which can be explored). This is the home of both Cheddar Cheese and Glastonbury Tor.

Arnside & Silverdale – It’s hard to pick out just one area of the Lake District for its beauty, but this part near Morecambe Bay in Lancashire is worth searching out. To fully experience its stillness and serenity, visit one of its nature reserves. In spring you’ll find wild daffodils, while summer brings butterflies, autumn red deer, and migrating birds in winter.

Wye Valley – Where Wales meets England, this is a 72-mile stretch of river between Chepstow and Hereford, studded with woodland and wildlife. Head to Coppett Hill and you’re likely to see peregrine falcons in the sky. Medieval monks built Tintern Abbey and its impressive ruins have attracted tourists from the 18th century onwards.

Causeway Coast – The Giant’s Causeway is the stuff of myth and legend. A series of dark, mostly hexagonal basalt columns rising from the ground with the sea crashing against them, it’s unlike any other landscape on the planet. Caused by a volcanic eruption approximately 60 million years ago, the Causeway Coast is now mostly owned by the National Trust, and normally an hour’s drive from Belfast.

East Devon – With lush farmland and streams meandering towards the sea near Budleigh Salterton, this part of England’s Jurassic coastline is studded with fossils. East Devon is famous for its thatched cottages, cream teas, and small harbours.

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Hop-off for Afternoon Tea

#EDINBURGH BUS TOURS is giving visitors the chance to experience not only the best views from the top deck, but some of the best tea, cakes, and sweet treats the Scottish capital has to offer. 

Visitors can enjoy a set of exclusive offers – available until the October 29 – on Afternoon Tea experiences when they hop-off with their MacTours City Tour ticket. Holidaymakers can save up to 25% at five venues.

Kenny Campbell, tour operations manager at Edinburgh Bus Tours, said: ‘In recent years, Edinburgh has gained a reputation for offering some of the country's best foodie experiences. We are always looking to give our visitors more reasons to hop-off our tours to enjoy the very best of Edinburgh before hopping back on and continuing their sightseeing.’

Tours are available every 30 minutes, with frequency increasing to every 20 minutes in July and August.

MacTours tickets cost £15 for adults and £7.50 for children, with family tickets from £36 for two adults and up to three children.

www.edinburghtour.com.

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Isle of Wight goes green

THE ISLE OF WIGHT has turned a deeper shade of green thanks to the arrival of a fleet of 15 Renault Twizys, available for hire from £49 a day. 

Already promoting itself as Bicycle Island, the #IsleofWight has come-up with a range of eco-friendly and sustainable modes of transport for its ‘drive less, see more’ campaign.

The Renault Twizy is the latest of these. An electric-powered two-seater, it accelerates from 0-30mph in four-and-a-half seconds and has a range of approximately 50 miles. There are 12 charging points across the island.

The fleet is currently lined-up at the Red Jet Hi-Speed ferry terminal in Cowes. They are for hire by people who are a) over 21 and b) have a driving licence.

Don't take a large picnic basket, however. Once a passenger has settled into the back, there's just enough room for a couple of small bags and a compact camera.

www.hireatwizyisleofwight.co.uk
www.visitisleofwight.co.uk

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Thames cruises with a Shakespearean twist

#CITYCRUISES is marking the 400th anniversary of William #Shakespeare’s death by treating passengers on the #Thames Circular cruise to spontaneous theatrical performances.  

Throughout April, actors will entertain passengers with renditions of each and every one of his plays.

The sightseeing cruises, departing from Bankside next to the Globe Theatre, will be filled with sonnets, sketches, and scenes, including a montage of Shakespeare’s insults from a variety of plays including a Winter’s Tale and Much Ado About Nothing.

The performers will demonstrate how regularly we use Shakespearean language in our lives, and re-enact the story of Hamlet in just five minutes.

Passengers can relive Romeo and Juliet, take part in The Tempest and mingle with Macbeth as the boat sails past London’s most famous landmarks, from Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament to Shakespeare’s Globe and St. Paul’s Cathedral.

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Picture Credit: Picture16</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin<

Save time and money in Rome

ATTRACTION TICKETS DIRECT is now selling sightseeing tours and attraction tickets in #Rome. Holidaymakers planning a city break in the Italian capital can save time and money by pre-booking tickets to the most popular attractions, museums, and tours before leaving home.

Tickets include skip-the-line access to the Vatican museums, the Sistine Chapel, the Colosseum, the Palatine Hill, and Roman Forum

Options also include walking and food tasting tours, and sightseeing by bike, Segway, and classic Fiat 500 cars.

Expected to be among the most popular tickets is the Rome Pass, including a 48-hour hop-on/hop-off bus ticket. The pass is priced at £75 per adult and £58 per child aged six to 17.

Oliver Brendon, CEO of Attraction Tickets Direct, said: ‘Rome is a fantastic choice for a weekend away, but so much time can be spent queueing to get into the most popular museums and attractions. Doing a little research and planning before leaving home can save hours of time that can then be spent enjoying the city.

www.attraction-tickets-direct.co.uk

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Spring into these top cities

SPRING guides to Barcelona, Berlin, Istanbul, London, Moscow, New York, Paris, Rome, Shanghai, Sydney, and Tokyo are available now at www.seasonalcities.com.

The guides, written by resident travel journalists and updated every season, are an insider's edit of top fives (sights, events, shops, restaurants, bars and clubs, and hotels), and they provide three-day weather forecasts for each of the cities. 

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Church tours

THE CHURCHES CONSERVATION TRUST (CCT) has unveiled a programme of overnight historic church tours, with packages starting at £200pp, inclusive of lodgings, food, drink, travel, and guided tours.

Tours will take place across the country from May until September, and will run alongside a series of one day historic church tours on offer nationwide.

Tickets are available from the CCT’s website … visitchurches.org/tours

The trust is charged with protecting 347 church buildings which attract almost two million visitors a year. The trust’s collection includes irreplaceable examples of architecture, archaeology, and art from 1,000 years of English history. All churches in the trust’s care are listed, mostly Grade I and II, and some are Scheduled Ancient Monuments.

www.visitchurches.org.uk

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Book city tours online

A BESPOKE tour guide service has been launched online. London-based Touriocity specializes in offering private, tailor-made tours in 50+ cities across the world. 

Alex Grant, founder and CEO of Touriocity, says: ‘I used to work as a tour guide in Rome, so I know how having an expert take you round a city can be a really special experience and a highlight of your trip. I wanted to open this up, so that a private tour with an expert is something that everyone who is 'travel curious' can enjoy.

‘It was also important to me to offer a boutique online service. So with Touriocity you can take control and design and create your perfect private tour online before you set off on your travels. You know you will see the sights you want to see, when you want to see them, with a friendly expert guide.’

If the customer, he adds, is not sure what they want to see, Touriocity will suggest a tour of the main sights in the city. Touriocity employs guides who are experts on the cities in which they work.  One of the guides in Rome has a PhD in Archaeology and has dug at some of the sights in the city.   

www.touriocity.com

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