Thursday, 8 January 2015

‘Precious Time’ tourism project launched by Madrid

THE UN World Tourism Organization has selected Madrid as the pilot city for smart urban tourism.  

The Precious Time project will involve 100 business owners designing tailor-made experiences for tourists, the aim being to establish Madrid as a first-class destination for wealthy visitors, tourists interested in luxury retail, and hyper-connected tourists who want access to Wi-Fi on the go.


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All aboard for the Azores

RYANAIR is to open an Azores operation next April, with flights to the Portuguese outpost in the North Atlantic from London Stansted, Lisbon and Porto.


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Wednesday, 7 January 2015

A card for the Caribbean



BLUE SKY LUXURY has launched the Aspire Blue Card, the Caribbean's first villa loyalty programme.

It’s free for repeat guests and property owners, and has no complicated points system to navigate. 

 Members will get a Blue Sky Luxury Concierge Can welcome, arrival gifts on their Barbados villa holidays, and a 5% discount on future villa bookings in Antigua, Dominica, Jamaica, St. Barts, St. Martin/St. Maarten, and Saint Lucia.

The company - 
www.blueskyluxury.com - manages more than 250 holiday villas in the Caribbean.

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Picture Credit: 'St. Lucia - view of The Pitons' courtesy blueskyluxury.com

Fresh looks at New England

NEW ENGLAND is one of America's most popular touring regions, and for 2015 several newly-launched and enhanced tours and trails will offer British visitors the chance to take a fresh look at the six states.



Literary tours explore Jack Kerouac's home town in Massachusetts … A range of walking and bus tours exploring the life, achievements, and locations related to Jack Kerouac, the 20th century novelist, are now available in his Massachusetts hometown of Lowell. www.lowellcelebrateskerouac.org for more information

300 years of history: heritage trail launches in New Hampshire … The new 'Experience New Hampshire Heritage Trail' will unearth the history of one of America's oldest states. Showcasing the museums, historic buildings, and homes of New Hampshire, the trail depicts more than three centuries of history and extends from historic Portsmouth to the town of Plymouth. www.nhmuseumtrail.org

The Maine Beer Trail Expands … The Maine Beer Trail – which has been at the forefront of the craft beer movement since 1986 – will expand in 2015 to welcome a roster of new breweries and pubs. Sixty craft breweries will feature on the trail by the end of the year. The Maine Beer School will also launch in 2015, introducing novice and expert beer drinkers to the art, science, and personalities that make the state's craft beers unique. www.MaineBrewersGuild.org

Discover Rhode Island's wine and heritage from the saddle … A five-day bike tour along the Coastal Wine Trail of Rhode Island has been launched by Great Freedom Adventures. It winds through coastal villages, taking in grand country estates, vineyards, and historic Newport. www.greatfreedomadventures.com/coastal-new-england-wine-trail-bike-tour.html

On the antiques trail in Connecticut … Discover some of America's finest and largest collections of antiques on the Connecticut Antiques Trail. Taking in all five Connecticut counties as well as the town of Hartford (where many of the state's early antique collectors first lived), the trail combines breathtaking New England countryside with auction houses, antique stores and shows, and historic inns. www.CTVisit.com/AntiquesTrail

Vermont celebrates a Year of the Arts … Vermont will celebrate its art, music, literacy, and performing arts heritage. Art festivals in Vermont include Rockfire in June, the Vermont Festival of the Arts in August, and the Stowe Foliage Art Festival in October. There will be art walks in some of Vermont's charming towns and cities, including Burlington, Montpelier, and Brattleboro. www.vermontvacation.com

To learn more about New England, visit www.discovernewengland.co.uk


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Picture Credit: From Top - "Cape Cod (5335004626)" by cjuneau via Wikimedia Commons; 'Map-USA-New England01' by Nick Roux (:Image:Map-USA-New_England01.svg) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

What’s cooking in Spain?

TRUJILLO VILLAS ESPANA is launching a menu of gourmet experiences for guests interested in learning more about authentic Extremaduran cuisine.

Trujillo Villas Espana [www.trujillovillasespana.com], the only villa rental company in the town, has introduced foodie treats for holidaymakers staying at the company’s five villas. 

*A Conquistador's feast delivered to guests at their villas
*Cooking lessons with a local chef
*A private viewing of the cellars of two Michelin-starred restaurants
*Visits to a ham curing house and local markets

Trujillo is a medieval walled hilltop town overlooking the plains of Extremadura three hours south-west of Madrid.

The agency’s villas range from a one-bedroom artist's studio to a Conquistador's mansion sleeping eight.  


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Picture Credit: "Trujillo streetscape" by Joe Mabel - Photo by Joe Mabel. via Wikimedia Commons

CityJet links with Blue Islands for Channel Islands flights

LONDON CITY AIRPORT operator CityJet is joining forces with Blue Islands, the Channel Islands airline.

The partnership will provide islanders with improved access to major European cities on hundreds of connecting codeshare flights every week from London City Airport through the CityJet network.

It means that day returns to Amsterdam and Paris are now possible from Jersey. Blue Islands also announced an additional lunchtime service to London City.

The new daily connecting flights via London City will commence early in 2015.


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Tuesday, 6 January 2015

Where to watch the whales






THE whale-watching season in the Dominican Republic runs from January to March, when the Bay of Samana on the country's north-east coast attracts more than 40,000 tourists who take the 30-minute boat ride get a close look at humpback whales.

Visitors can also see the whales from an observatory on the shore.


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Picture Credit: 'Anim0920 - Flickr - NOAA Photo Library' by Lt. (j.g.) Tony Perry III, NOAA Corps. (NOAA Photo Library: anim0920) via Wikimedia Commons