Summer of fun at Legoland Windsor

THE LEGOLAND Windsor Resort will be hosting its first-ever 'Summer of Fun' event, set to thrill families throughout the school holidays. The two-month long event will invite guests to join an awesome Beach Party built just for kids, hosted at the resort's all-new 10m long sandy beach, with a host of beach activities for all the family to enjoy.

Plus, the LEGOLAND Windsor Resort will be unveiling its first-ever giant sand sculpture. The 20 tonne creation will be sure to wow guests, who can watch the sculptor in action (07 – 10 July) as he builds the spectacle, before the final creation is revealed on 11 July.

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Great Northumberland

THIS summer, the great county of #Northumberland will demonstrate why it’s one of a kind when it serves up a summer of arts, culture and heritage to tempt visitors to enjoy and discover this unique and stunning corner of Northern England.

Great Northumberland 2018 is an eight-week extravaganza of events, exhibitions and activities starting from Saturday 7 July. Great Northumberland offers something for everyone, regardless of age, whether they’re families, art lovers, history buffs or they're simply looking to explore and find adventure.

Spurred on by the Great Exhibition of the North 2018, Northumberland County Council is bringing together, for the first time, a diverse range of summer activities under ‘Great Northumberland’, with a variety of the county’s best-loved visitor attractions playing host to events, including Lindisfarne Castle, Cragside, Vindolanda, Cherryburn and many more.

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Toy Story fun in Florida

IN the US Summer of 2018, Walt Disney World Resort in #Florida will introduce the newest addition to the #Disney Parks family: Toy Story Land, a magical new land located in the larger-then-life setting of Andy’s backyard. Located within Disney’s Hollywood Studios, guests will think they’ve been shrunk to the size of Woody and Buzz as they are surrounded by oversized toys from the blockbuster movie Toy Story.

The 11-acre new land features two news attractions alongside giant building blocks, game board pieces and the toys and characters of the beloved Toy Story movies. Two new attractions: Slinky Dog Dash will be a family coaster attraction that zips, dodges and dashes guests around many turns and drops, stretching Slinky’s coils to their limits. Alien Swirling Saucers is designed to look like a play set Andy received from Pizza Planet. The famous little green Aliens from the movie will fly around in their flying saucers and try to capture guest’s rocket vehicle with the ‘claw’.

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Sunsational Durban campaign launches

THIS year #Durban, South Africa has embarked on an intensive marketing campaign to attract visitors from all over the world, with the overall message being “Sunsational Durban, 100 % Pure Summer”.

Enjoy this special natural paradise, take advantage of the warm Indian Ocean that’s perfect for water sports, enjoy the world-class shopping, fine dining restaurants, unique arts and culture and enjoy the magnificent beach promenade and be charmed by the warmth and sunshine smiles. 

Enjoy the line-up of the most exciting events from Umhlanga to Umlazi. Some of the highlights being, Fact Durban Rocks, Durban Jazz Festival, Woza Durban Picnic, Umgababa Beach Festival, Durban Underground, Aquafest, Umhlanga Beach Festival, Sapphire Coast Beach Festival and so much more on offer!

Visit www.durbanexperience.co.za and connect via Twitter & Facebook.

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Up in the air . . .

THE peak summer travel period is fast approaching with many travellers making plans for trips home or on holiday. 

The combination of the Eid public holiday, school break and the summer season means that 22 June to 24 August will be a particularly busy time at Abu Dhabi International Airport, with up to 3.3 million guests flying with Etihad Airways across the network over the next two months.

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Holiday Planning Causes Stress

SO with the summer holidays approaching, relaxing times await - or so you would think. According to momondo’s international travel survey, the summer holiday is not a completely relaxing event for Brits, with 30% finding holiday planning to be a stressful ordeal.

Naturally, there are a lot of factors to consider when planning the summer holidays: from calculating the budget and deciding upon the destination, to finding the right flight and hotel, and then eventually packing for the holiday itself. Whilst travel should be a rewarding and relaxing escape from everyday life, it is always beneficial to consider a few tips and tricks to better overcome the planning of this years’ summer holiday.

1. Do your homework and plan ahead

2. Make a luggage checklist

3. Avoid last minute airport arrival

4. Less is more

5. Unplug your mobile devices

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Branson’s Necker Island available for September bookings

RICHARD BRANSON’S private #island in the British Virgin Islands, #Necker, is available for booking on selected dates this summer. 

Guests can book a seven night stay for the following dates:

• September 3 for 3, 4, 5 and 7 nights 

• September 10 for 3,4,5 and 7 nights 

• September 17 for 3, 4, 5 and 7 nights (adults only) 

• September 24 for 7 nights (adults only) 

Rates per couple start from USD $12,840 for a 3-night stay.

Go to www.virginlimitededition.com/necker-island to check availability online.

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Cost is king for UK families heading to the sun

THE OVERALL cost of a holiday is the most important factor for the majority of families, a survey by On the Beach has found.

The survey of 1,500 British families conducted by My Family Club on behalf of On the Beach found that almost a third (30%) say the cost of a holiday is more important than any other element. A travel agent or operator offering full financial protection was also rated very important.

Positive feedback from family and friends was important, with 18% saying testimonials from their peers was a major factor in their holiday choices.

The survey results also suggested that British families were becoming more adventurous with their holidays with more than half (55%), saying at least one of their holidays this year will be to a new destination, with one in five sticking to their favourite destination once again.

Alistair Daly, chief marketing officer at On the Beach comments: ‘For most families, the annual holiday is the biggest spend of the year, so the cost of that holiday is incredibly important. We're also seeing more families choosing all-inclusive holidays, which is a great choice for those wanting to keep a close eye on their spending.’

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easyJet to launch summer Zakynthos flights

EASYJET has announced it will launch a new route to #Zakynthos (also known as Zante) from London Stansted Airport. It will operate weekly throughout the summer with the first flights commencing on May 28. 

The route is expected to be popular among leisure passengers; the airline is expecting to fly 5,400 passengers between the destinations annually.

Neil Slaven, commercial manager at easyJet, said: ‘Zakynthos is widely renowned for its great beaches which combined with small harbour towns make it a great summer holiday destination for families, but with plenty of vibrant night life available for those who seek it.

‘Our #Greek routes are proving extremely popular for those who wish to get some easy and affordable summer sun.’

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Get beach smart!

BECAUSE many sea rescues involve young swimmers and bodyboarders, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has produced a safety pack to help keep children safe when they’re out having fun in the surf.

The Get Beach Smart for summer pack – which can be downloaded from www.beachsmart.org.uk – includes tips for parents, a wave guide for the children, and stickers that can be attached to bodyboards and beach bags.

#RNLI lifeguards went to the aid of more than 7,900 children on Britain’s beaches last year, and this year will have lifeguards on 220 beaches.

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Travel shorts . . . UK

STAYCATION BOOM: This summer will be a bumper year for staycations, says letting agency, holidaycottages.co.uk, which has seen record increases across the UK for self-catering summer bookings.

Compared to the same period in 2014, bookings made so far in 2015 for holidays in the summer period (June-August) are up 16 per cent across the UK. The north of England has seen an increase of 329 percent, while Wales has also seen significant increases, with a 101 percent increase across the country.

MAY RECORD FOR LUTON: More than one million passengers used Luton airport in May, a 15.7% rise over the same month last year. It was the first time the milestone of a million passengers in a month has been reached before the start of the peak summer period.

The airport is embarking on a £100 million re-development programme to raise annual capacity from 12 million to 18 million passengers by 2026.

HOT SPA: The Gainsborough Hotel in Bath, Somerset, will be opening on July 1. The hotel’s spa pool will be fed by water pumped from the city’s natural thermal waters.

The hotel’s private water reserve bubbles to the surface at 47C/116.60F.


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English beaches 'at risk' of failing new water quality standards

THE Environment Agency has warned that a record number of #England'sbeaches are at risk of failing to meet European Union (EU) water quality standards this year.

It suggests new EU regulations will make it harder for beaches to attain the top ‘excellent’ rating.

More than 99% of English beaches passed last year's tests, but this is forecast to drop by 6%, with the water at 25 beaches possibly classed as ‘poor’.

Among those at risk are beaches in Margate, Ilfracombe, Blackpool, Lancing, Lyme Regis, and Fleetwood.

The Environment Agency will take water samples from 400 locations across England each week until the end of September.

Sites will have to display signs at all bathing areas by the end of the summer showing if the standards have been passed and whether or not people should swim.


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