Price Savvy UK tourists will be looking out for All Inclusive Maldives thanks to a convenient procession of four bank holidays: three in April (22nd, 25th, 29th) and one close by in May (the 2nd). Bank holidays are obviously beneficial to those in employment, because the three day working week of the 25th of April will be all that comes out of their annual leave if they decide to go on holiday. Currently, estimates of Britons heading abroad run as high as two million. This number is significantly higher than those typically taking Easter breaks.

However, it would seem that people’s readiness to travel abroad is in some way a sign of apathy towards the event. Meanwhile, the truly patriotic will line the streets and hole up in the bars, giving UK tourism a much needed boost. But even compared to the 80s wedding of Charles and Diana, the ability to see the wedding from absolutely anywhere makes actually being there less than imperative. You could find yourself in a beautiful house with a beautiful wife on Sri Lanka All Inclusive or ascending Table Mountain. Getting to see the event will be no big challenge through the internet, or the local TV station.

The reality of it is that if you’re genuinely running from Royal Wedding fever, you’ve got less chance than Justin Bieber in a locked room full of fourteen year olds. And when it comes to royal weddings, ‘abroad’ is the last place you want to be. The last thing any republican needs is to head abroad and hear how absolutely thrilled the British people are about the happy couple’s big day. Everywhere you dare to open your mouth, you’ll be immediately clocked as British. People will approach you with their congratulations, and you’ll have to take it with good natured enthusiasm. And this is to say nothing of the potential for the as yet unannounced honeymoon to end up following you. You may well find your peace and quiet shattered on Mauritius Holidays if the itinerary is suddenly revealed to take in those sandy shores.

The Three Peaks Challenge is climbing 3 mountains in 24 hours. Ben Nevis, Scotland is the first mountain, after 1000ft tall it’s the toughest. This is made even tougher as it’s often done early in the morning. As such, nightwear is needed!. Following the climbdown, you hitch a ride south. This is where the race in 24 hours is won or lost, so it’s essential a driver, so you can sleep.

The reason why it’s won or lost here? If you hit traffic around the Lake District, England, you will be queuing. The second peak to scale is England’s tallest mountain, Scarfell’s Pike. This is the smallest mountain to climb, but it’s one of the hardest. The reason? Paths aren’t etched as easily as on the other two mountains, so it’s very easy to get lost. Upon completion, drive down the M6 motorway, to Wales.

The final peak to ascend is Snowdon, in Snowdonia. The second highest mountain in the challenge, Snowdon is the highest peak in Wales, and the last on your challenge. You should be climbing this in the early evening, as it takes about six hours to climb the mountain. However the challenge isn’t over until you descend the mountain and return to base camp.

If you do, before 24 hours after you started, then congratulations! You’ve completed the Three Peaks Challenge!

After such a climb like this, then you will want a few days off to recouperate and celebrate? There are plenty of Llanberis Hotels if you need time to recouperate!

To add insult to injury, the air tax bands aren’t even consistent and have several well publicised anomalies. Going on Holidays to the Caribbean incurs more air tax than a trip out to California, despite the thousands of miles further you must go to get there. Thankfully for the Caribbean, this anomaly will be among the many that are reconsidered in the consultancy period. Air passenger duty will also be levelled at passengers of private jets, possibly bringing in extra money to reverse previously costly changes.

A large number of UK tourists to the Caribbean have Caribbean heritage, but there is also simply well established tourist market there. Meanwhile, the average UK holidaymaker is tempted to tighten their purse strings in 2011. Better than risking holidays to Barbados, British tourist are expected to play it safe by opting for cheap short-haul flights. Such ‘staycationing’ is likely to persist until at least next year, due to the world coming to the British Isles for the Olympics. The further woe of increased VAT and general costs of living has begun to mean that the British family is feeling the pinch.

Or perhaps that’s how it should be: in the real world, such Luxury holidays markets haven’t been hit as hard as we’d think. But it has been newly emerging markets that have swooped in to take the real money. With last November’s hurricane season causing a not atypical amount of damage, the Caribbean economy has had to recover from global recession with competitors and foreign impositions besieging them. Anything short of a total U-turn on the air-tax issue will not assure Caribbean fortunes: the Caribbean will be hoping that the air-tax freeze is only the start.

VisitBritain is putting all its faith in the success of three big events in the next two years: a Royal Wedding, Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics. But most will surely head on Holidays to Barbados as a sunnier option. It’s not entirely without reason: those 21 offices are in countries that do account for 80% of all foreign tourist income. But focusing on the events in 2011 and 2012 is in complete contradiction to the government’s supposed priorities. Honestly, nothing much is happening in the UK after 2012. And all the time, the UK is having to compete with the fact that people are heading to Dubai Holidays and other recently emerged tourist destinations for something new.

Overseas arms of VisitBritain aren’t the only limbs being lopped off: the Regent Street visitor centre is going to be axed as well. The solution? VisitBritain plans to put more effort into its online services. Especially into ‘smartphones’ and other mobile macguffins. Now if that’s not chasing a bandwaggon, I don’t know what is. Not only does this limit their scope to a specifically tech-savvy demographic, but it also denies the established fact that roaming data charges are absolutely extortionate. I don’t know what wonderful utopia VisitBritain believe they’re promoting, but it isn’t Britain. The only miracle that can save them now is a world full of people somehow taking their Tropical Sky Weddings Abroad to Britain, just because the world’s most infamous History of Arts students are tying the knot? Dream on Sire.

It would be downright criminal to head out into the UK for a weekend and neglect to stop by Blackpool. Seated on Englands western coast on the shores of the Irish Sea, the borough is a hub of Englands tourism and it shows. People from all over flock to the beach that extends along the towns entire waterfront. Dancing is currently experiencing a boom in popularity, and enthusiasts will marvel at the couples who enter the Blackpool Dance Festival, a world-famous ballroom dancing competition. Arguably the ideal time to stop by Blackpool, however, is at the end of August for the lighting of Blackpool Illuminations. This breathtaking 7-mile long exhibition dazzles viewers with over one million bulbs decorating objects of all shapes and sizes.

Theme parks were seemingly made for weekend breaks, and Alton Towers is the UKs finest. The park is located in Staffordshire, England and welcomes nearly 2.7 million visitors each year. Alton Towers is famous for its top-notch roller coasters such as Nemesis and Oblivion, but there are scads of other attractions found there. Kids will have a blast in Storybook Land and Old MacDonalds Farmyard which is home to a relaxing petting zoo. There are also the historic areas of The Gardens, home of the Chinese Pagoda Fountain and the Swiss Cottage. Also, you will come across The Towers, an area molded from the ruins of the towers that graced the Talbot family estate and that gave the park its name.

For a more relaxing, natural weekend break, the New Forest is ideal. Becoming a National Park in 2005, it is not even two hours from London and offers miles of soothing walking trails, opportunities to visit quaint little villages, and views of a scintillating coastline. Grazing ponies are encountered all over the park but they are privately owned, so guests will have to sign up for a horseback tour if they wish to ride. Both seclusion and good company are in abundance at the New Forest.

The UK is home to weekend break opportunities that offer both relaxation and excitement. So many of the activities appeal to all ages that they are great trips for the entire family. Pack up a couple days worth of clothes and head out for a weekend in the UK.

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Last month, the Britannia Hotel Group purchased the Pontin’s chain of British holiday camps. Now for the benefit of our non-British readers, it’s probably worth defining what a ‘Holiday Camp’ even is, considering that it’s slightly more British than bad dentistry. The typical Holiday camp in itself isn’t especially unusual, but it’s all draped in a very mid 20th century British kitschness that in short, is becoming less and less fashionable with British holiday makers. St Lucia holidays they’re not. Entering this bleak arena comes Alex Langsam, the new Pontin’s owner. He believes he has the perfect plan to turn around this tourism relic into a successful modern business. He doesn’t.

Alex Langsam’s grand vision for Pontin’s is to keep the outdated elements whilst emulating as far as possible the Disney resorts. The concept is simply enough: give British families the Florida holidays experience. “It’s the adults that enjoy it as much as the kids”, he claims. The idea that a chain as painfully British as red phoneboxes and tea drinking can emulate anything within a multinational, multi-billion dollar American media empire is just comical. They may as well pretend they’re offering Jamaica holidays by working in Jerk Spice into the Fish and Chip menu. Langsam’s idea is that there will be costumed reps along the lines of their ‘cast members’. Considering Pontin’s isn’t a holiday business that grew out of the success of a motion picture studio, their only option will be to use their paltry 25 million GBP to license other people’s characters. Dreamworks are always willing to climb into bed with potential partners, but they’ll be a poor choice consider the characters (rather than the movies) are widely reviled by adults. However, any best case scenario still involves the Bluecoats staying, according to Langsam, when they’re really the root of the problem.

Brighton and Hove Festivals: Through the Year

Anybody with a passion for the arts in Brighton and Hove should put some time aside in May to get the most from two of the city’s best attended festivals, the Brighton Festival and the Festival Fringe, which run side-by-side for three weeks during that month.

The Brighton Festival is famed for Artists Open Houses, where local artists can open their doors to the public and showcase their work with the local community. First taking place in the Sixties, the festival can see as many as 200 events take place during its three week run. The Festival Fringe has emerged from humble beginnings in 1967 to become the biggest open access arts festival in the UK, attracting over £500,000 in pre-event ticket sales.

Music fans will also find Brighton has plenty of potential during this busy moth for the city, with The Great Escape establishing itself as one of the most successful new festivals on the circuit since it first took place in 2006. Artists from across the spectrum perform across the city on three separate nights, with high profile acts such as Kasabian, The Maccabees, The XX, Ellie Goulding and Tinie Tempah making an appearance at the festival over the last few years.

The height of summer in Brighton and Hove has become synonymous with Pride, an annual festival that raises awareness of the issues faced by the LGBT community. A carnival atmosphere descends on the city, ending up with a mass celebration and funfair in Preston Park. Another summer festival that warrants a mention is Paddle Round the Pier, one of Europe’s best loved beach festivals. All for charity, PRTP boasts a mix of live music, shopping stalls, live sports demonstrations and delicious gourmet food.

Finally, in the second half of the year, when the weather starts to turn for the worse and everyone is in need of some hearty laughs, the Brighton Comedy Festival perks up the city in October, boasting some of the best known faces from the world of British comedy, whilst the darker nights are a cue for some of Brighton’s most engaging winter festivals, White Night and Burning the Clocks.

Considered to be one of the worlds major cities, London is located in south-east England and is the capital of the whole UK. Key attractions include Whitehall where you can stop and see the famous black door of 10 Downing Street and the Houses of Parliament. Also really popular among tourists is the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Youll also be spoiled for choice with the massive array of restaurants, theatres, museums and myriad other attractions available throughout the city.

If you visit Scotland, then you definitely need to go to Edinburgh, its capital city. One of the main attractions is Edinburgh Castle. This overlooks the city and was built over 1000 years ago, making it an absolute must see. The Palace of Holyroodhouse is also impressive and features a great art collection as well as being a royal residence. You could also see the Penguin Parade at Edinburgh Zoo. Edinburgh is a UNESCO City of Literature and in 2009 was voted the best place to live in the UK.

If you visit Wales, then you should definitely see its capital city, Cardiff. Take in the sights on a boat ride round Cardiff Bay, which is a key attraction and the largest waterfront development in Europe, or perhaps go for a walk along Mermaid Quay. If you like music festivals, then you should visit The Big Weekend, a free festival featuring bands and the UKs largest traveling funfair. You could also see a free concert at the Wales Millennium Centre or visit the Impressionist paintings at the National Museum Cardiff.

Northern Ireland may have a somewhat troubled history, but its capital city of Belfast was recently announced as the safest city in the UK and so is a great place to visit. For some fantastic concerts, check out the Waterfront Hall or, if youre on a budget, City Hall offers free guided tours. You could also go on the Titanic boat tour, celebrating Belfasts achievement in building the Titanic. Saint Annes Cathedral is also impressive and is close to some lovely cafes and galleries.

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Meanwhile, international tourism continually sees shifting priorities. Weather and Facilities used to be of primary importance to UK travellers, now they’re sidelined by cost. This reflects the way that quality is no longer something that tourists expect to be lacking: tourist infrastructure is nearly always of sufficient quality in the modern market. The result is that there are many low cost alternatives in the regions of the world that you can count on to be of a high standard. When it comes to the tropics, one tropical island is very much like another. The cultural nuances are important, but only to certain travellers: a white sandy beach on your Mauritius holidays is virtually interchangeable with one anywhere else in the world. With such destinations, it’s all about which island is physically, temporally and culturally closest.

Prices ramp up somewhat disproportionally to the distanced you travel. Nonetheless, sometimes a well known neighbour will have a culturally and climatically similar neighbour that asks for significantly less of your hard earned cash. Vietnam holidays for instance, are a great way travel into the heart of Asia for something unique and reasonably priced. Vietnam deserves a more prominent position in the international holiday market, but for now they’re a great place to visit because of their competitive pricing versus comparable stays in China and Thailand. For prices you pay for a four or three star Phuket or Hong Kong hotel, you could get a five star Vietnamese accomodation.

If you love music, then youll absolutely adore the free lunchtime concerts at the Wales Millennium Centre. Youll love the centre itself, too, which is a genuinely iconic landmark in Cardiff despite the fact it only opened its doors in 2004. The centre is a stunning international arts centre situated right next to Cardiff Bay. The free lunchtime concerts in the foyer of the building include lots of different styles of music from folk to opera, making it a music lovers dream.

You could also visit one of the largest collections of Impressionist paintings outside Paris at the National Museum Cardiff. The museum is also home to Wales national art collection and there are a few different gallery tours to help guide you round the exhibits. The Evolution of Wales exhibit is definitely worth looking at, and there are some great features and exhibitions on everything from archaeology to natural history and geology. The museum is free to enter and is in the heart of Cardiffs civic centre.

Cardiffs Big Weekend is great for everyone who loves the holy trinity of music, festivals and getting things for free. Lasting for 3 days every year, normally over the first weekend in August, the Big Weekend boasts great live music and entertainment on stage at the civic centre. It also plays host to the UKs largest traveling funfair and brings thousands of people into the already bustling city, making it a truly great annual event for all music lovers and fans of the city.

Lastly, if youre after yet more great free entertainment to see you through the summer months, then the Food and Drink Festival is definitely worth a visit. There are loads of different events at the festival such as a Welsh cookery school, wine seminars and workshops for children. Introduce your taste buds to some new flavors by visiting the stalls featuring food and drink from around the world as well as the great range of Welsh food on offer. This is truly Cardiff at its best.

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