Bournemouth tops seaside search league

TRAVEL interest to UK coastal destinations has increased by up to 64 per cent according to new data from hotel comparison site trivago.co.uk.

Hotel searches made during the hottest days (June 29-July 1) were compared to searches made the previous week. #Bournemouth emerged as the UK’s favourite seaside resort, followed by Blackpool, Brighton, Scarborough, and Whitby.

The most expensive coastal destination in July was St Ives in Cornwall, where an overnight stay cost an average of £160. This was followed by Poole (£140), Portsmouth (£127), Newquay (£117), and Brighton (£116).

The cheapest prices were found in Blackpool (average of £60 per night during July 2015), followed by Skegness (£62), Scarborough (£79), Weston-super-Mare, and Southend-on-Sea (both £82).

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Most of those murdered in Tunisia beach attack believed to be British; tour companies cancel upcoming departures

THE British death toll in last week’s Islamic terrorist attack in Tunisia is likely to exceed 30, according to the UK and Tunisian governments.

The number of confirmed British deaths stands at 18. At least 12 Britons are still listed as missing. The UK’s Foreign Office says delays in identifying victims were in part because they were ‘dressed for the beach’ and, therefore, did not have identifying documents such as passports with them.

Thirty-eight sunbathing holidaymakers on a hotel beach in Sousse were murdered by a gunman, a Tunisian student who killed by police shortly after the attack.

Thomson and First Choice said their customers were among ‘a number of fatalities’, and they had sent 10 aircraft to bring home 2,500 UK holidaymakers.

The TUI Group operators said the two hotels at the centre of the attacks – the Hotel Riu Imperial Marhaba and the Bellevue – were part of their package programmes.

The companies have cancelled all Thomson and First Choice holidays to Tunisia for this week.

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Abolish APD, say UK airlines

LEADING airline companies in the UK have again asked politicians to abolish Air Passenger Duty (APD). The renewed plea was made as it emerged that 136 countries are more competitive than Britain when it comes to air ticket taxes and airport charges.

The UK is ranked 137th out of 138 countries in the World Economic Forum’s biennial global Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index, just above Chad at the bottom of the table. Britain trails behind European competitors such as Sweden (26th), Spain (55th), Italy (83rd), Germany (110th), and France (114th).

Countries outside of Europe that are actively encouraging the development of their aviation sectors rank highly, including Qatar, India, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, and China.

The UK has such a low ranking because most countries do not tax air travel or do so at significantly lower rates, according to the British Air Transport Association (BATA).

Figures released last week by HMRC showed that passengers paid £3.17 billion in APD in 2014-15. Germany has the next highest tax in Europe, but its aviation tax raised just £745 million in 2014. More than 20 EU countries do not have an equivalent tax on flying.

The UK’s Office for Budget Responsibility estimates that the tax take from APD will increase by a further £500 million over the next five years. Passengers will be paying £3.7 billion a year by 2019/20.

BATA chief executive, Nathan Stower, said: ‘We knew UK Air Passenger Duty is sky- high compared with our competitors in Europe. We know now that it is one of the least competitive taxes in the world. The next government should end this damaging tax on trade, tourism and families, and abolish APD in the new Parliament.’

EasyJet chief executive, Carolyn McCall, said: ‘The World Economic Forum rankings show that the UK is in the top five of countries with the highest aviation taxes in the world. This is further proof that APD is a tax that is making the UK less competitive, with a negative impact on UK tourism, investment and business activity. Abolishing APD would boost the UK economy and pay for itself by increasing revenues from other sources. Research by PwC has revealed that the GDP boost to the UK economy would amount to at least £17 billion in the first three years and result in almost 60,000 extra jobs in the UK over the longer term.’

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Virgin Trains East Coast targets airlines' market share

VIRGIN TRAINS EAST COAST is aiming to capture market share from domestic airlines through a series of initiatives.

A more flexible reservation system is to be introduced allowing bookings to be made closer to departure to better suit travellers who make last-minute travel arrangements.

Customers booking online or via the company’s app will be able to collect two Nectar points for every pound spent, while passengers can also earn Virgin Atlantic Flying Club miles.

The plans come as the rail operator approaches the 100th day of business since taking over the inter-city East coast franchise in March.

The company is promising faster journey times between London King’s Cross and Leeds of two hours and Edinburgh in four hours, with improved catering designed by local chefs with menus changed regularly.

Longer-term plans include the introduction of 65 new ‘Super Express’ trains from 2018.

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Picture Credit: Virgin Trains East Coast Super Express Train by Virgin Trains East Coast - http://www.virgintrainseastcoast.com/media-centre/#/images/image-of-iep-new-train-in-virgin-trains-east-coast-livery-395152. Licensed under CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Warning over sharing holiday details on social media

INSURANCE against burglary could be jeopardized if holidaymakers share details of their trips on social media. The UK’s Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) has warned that comments on Twitter and Facebook, locations check-ins on Foursquare and selfies uploaded onto Instagram could be used by burglars to target empty properties.

Many consumers are unaware that insurers are likely to check social media accounts if they are the victims of crime – a practice that is already common for investigating medical claims, The Times reports.

Most insurance policies include clauses that specify that “reasonable care” must be taken to protect property.

The FOS said: ‘People will cancel newspaper deliveries to make their absence less obvious, but then post pictures of their trips – and even dates – online for everyone to see.’

Travellers should be particularly wary of posting comments that detail their itinerary, such as saying they are enjoying the first day of a two-week holiday.

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A Gatwick- London train … every 3 minutes

NEW Gatwick Express trains will enter service between the airport and London Victoria from early next year, with 108 new carriages designed specifically for airport passengers. Rail capacity through Gatwick will double, with a train leaving the airport for London every three minutes, according to the airport’s managers.

The improvements in services are being matched by a £120.5 million transformation of Gatwick Airport railway station by 2020.

Gatwick’s chief commercial officer, Guy Stephenson, said: ‘The new trains will be much more reliable and will be stacked with amenities suited to the needs of air travellers. Combined with robust new track and signalling systems, Gatwick’s passengers will experience a really pleasant and dependable service. Overall, the improvements to Gatwick’s rail service means that 15 million people will be brought within 60 minutes of Gatwick by rail – the best reach of any UK airport.’

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Picture Credit: 442412 at Victoria 4 by Panhard - Own work. Licensed under CC BY 2.5 via Wikimedia Commons