Isle of Man wins UNESCO accolade

THE #ISLEOFMAN has been recognized by #UNESCO as one of the best places in the world to explore nature. The island was named a Biosphere Reserve, with UNESCO calling it a ‘special place for people and nature’. 

The island was among 20 sites added to UNESCO's list of 669 Biosphere Reserves, with sites in more than 120 countries, including Mount Hakusan in Japan, Peru's Gran Pajatén, which has the Andean cloud forests, Tanzania's Jozani-Chwaka Bay, much of Italy's Tuscany region, Spain's Sierra Nevada, Morocco's Atlas Cedar, and Yellowstone National Park in the US.

In awarding the special status to the Isle of Man, UNESCO noted the island's cliffs, islets, farms, and beaches, as well as a rich biodiversity in peat reserves and the sea. It's the first time that an entire jurisdiction has been recognized for the distinction.

‘We are immensely proud of what our island has to offer visitors, from awe-inspiring waterfalls hidden away in verdant historic glens to wide open expanses that produce vistas that take your breath away,’ said Angela Byrne, head of tourism at the Isle of Man.

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Budget tax blow for self-catering sector

by Kurt Janson director of the UK Tourism Alliance 

‘HIDDEN away in the Budget’s supporting documentation was a decision that will have a detrimental impact on the tourism economy of many seaside and rural destinations: self-catering properties will be subject to the new Additional Stamp Duty Land Tax (ASDLT) on secondary residential properties being introduced on April 1.

While ASDLT is being introduced for two main reasons – to help prevent buy-to-let investors outcompeting first-time buyers in cities, and holiday home owners outcompeting locals in some coastal towns and villages – there are significant problems associated with extending it to cover self-catering properties.

The main problem is that self-catering properties constitute a large proportion of the tourism accommodation stock in many small rural and seaside destinations. They are also a preferred accommodation type for families and have seen considerable growth as a result of visitors looking for value-for-money options for holiday accommodation.

As such, they contribute significantly to the economies of these destinations. Analysis by the Tourism Alliance suggests that the average self-catering property delivers almost £35,000 per annum to the local community and that every two properties support one local job in that community.

ASDLT will have a significant impact on the viability of self-catering businesses as the additional £5,500 that will be paid on the average property represents over 40% of the £12,750 in revenue that the average property generates in its first year of operation.

We estimate that if just 10% of self-catering operators are deterred from purchasing a property as a result of ASDLT, it will lower the revenue for these small communities by £330 million per annum and cause the loss of over 6,000 jobs. It is worth noting that this £300 million loss in revenue is three times the amount the government will receive in revenue from the purchase of self-catering properties.

So, while the government’s aim of allowing more residents to buy a property in their village may be achieved, we could end up with a situation where these residents lose their job as a result.’

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New website for Cyprus tourism

THE #Cyprus Tourism Organization has a new website: www.visitcyprus.com.

The site – in Greek, English, German, French, and Russian –provides comprehensive information for visitors, who can search it based on their holiday interests and preferences.

It includes a daily weather update, practical info on entry regulations, currency, shop openings hours etc., an interactive map, sections on each of the main tourist regions, and updated events listings.

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Flybe – new routes from Doncaster Sheffield Airport

#YORKSHIRE’S Doncaster Sheffield Airport has announced the launch of new Flybe flights to Paris Charles de Gaulle, along with a business route to Dusseldorf.

Part of a new eight-route deal between Flybe and the airport, the launch of the new routes will see the UK-based budget airline deliver the largest number of departures from the Yorkshire airport, offering some 42 extra flights per week. As part of the deal, almost 500,000 extra seats will be available to Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, Jersey, Newquay, Malaga, Alicante, and Faro.

The Embraer 195 jet aircraft that took off from Doncaster Sheffield Airport to Paris on March 24, inscribed with ‘Welcome to Yorkshire’ livery, will be used to promote the Yorkshire region to potential tourists across Europe and the UK.

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£55 million ‘Richard III dividend’ for Leicester

LEICESTER CITY COUNCIL has reported that the ‘Richard III effect’ has generated a £55 million boost to the city’s economy over the past year.

The council says the £55 million estimate represents the amount of cash spent in the city which has been directly influenced by interest in Richard III, who was reinterred at Leicester Cathedral a year ago.

Sarah Harrison, at Leicester city council, said: ‘The total figure is calculated using visitor figures from the Richard III visitor centre and the cathedral. We estimate that 10 percent of those people would have come from overseas, and so would need accommodation, and 38 percent came from other parts of the UK, so some of those would need hotel rooms, too.’

Hotels are said to be benefiting from the increase in tourist numbers since the discovery of Richard III’s body, with 80 percent of rooms being occupied regularly. The rise in overnight stays and visitors is estimated to have been worth an additional £5 million in revenue for businesses such as hotels, cafes, pubs, and B&Bs over the past year.


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Picture Credit: Service of Compline for the Reception of the Remains of King Richard III</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin

See Sardinia by train

A LITTLE-KNOWN fact about #Sardinia is that it has 450 miles of standard and narrow gauge railway … and a vintage steam train.

The Railway Touring Company has been offering its 'Sardinia and the Emerald Coast' tour for 15 years, and has refined the route to take in all of the highlights in a nine-day journey around the mountainous Italian island.

The company's tour travels by narrow gauge train along the coastal route from Bosa to Tresnuraghes, and by special vintage train, from Palau Marina Station climbing into the hills, through forests and along deep valleys to Tempio Pausania, to descend once more, crossing bridges and viaducts and winding through villages to pause at Nulvi for a local feast.

On the final day of the Sardinian odyssey a steam-hauled chartered narrow gauge train of restored wooden-bodied vintage carriages will take holidaymakers north along the scenic Sorgono branch, a line no longer open to regular traffic, and which was rescued from closure in 2015.

'Sardinia and the Emerald Coast' costs £2,155, including flights between London and Cagliari, all rail and coach transport, transfers, hotels, lunches, dinners, and the services of a tour manager.

The company offers a range of heritage rail-based tours in Britain, Europe, Sri Lanka, Canada, the Andes, Peru, and India.

www.railwaytouring.net

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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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Picture Credit: uPiazza San Pietro</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin