Visitors to the UK always come well-prepared for bad weather whatever the season. A sturdy umbrella and a raincoat are always first on the what-to-pack list.
But this country has a habit of confounding all preconceptions. Take September, for instance. It’s been dry, warm and pleasant and everyone’s been delighted … except Woody Allen. “I hate sunshine,” he mutters. “It should be raining.”
The 73-year-old director, currently making his fourth film in London, looked around in vain for the grey skies and rain he loves. “The sun is a very, very big problem,” he told the Daily Telegraph this week. “But those are the breaks. We’ll have to shoot it differently or maybe use a garden hose on the windows.”
The as-yet-untitled comedy romance stars Josh Brolin, Antonio Banderas, Anthony Hopkins, Naomi Watts and Freida Pinto (from Slumdog Millionaire).
The rain is an important part of the story because, as Allen explained to the Telegraph: “If you go back through my films, you find that it’s a tip-off that whenever the boy meets the girl and it’s a rain scene they always mean business. I’m a big rain fan.”
The Meteorological Office in London says it’s been the warmest September on record, with the average temperature 15.4C (59.7F) – that’s 3.1C (5.6F) above the long-term average.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique has a comprehensive selection of luxury hotels in London - and many other parts of the UK.
The Chinese have had a mouth-watering idea for a tourist attraction – a chocolate theme park.
The World Chocolate Dream Park – reminiscent of Roald Dahl’s much-loved book Charlie And The Chocolate Factory – will feature a life-sized Terracotta Army, Great Wall of China and versions of famous paintings. All, presumably, will be carefully guarded to stop them being eaten.
The park, due to open in January next year, will be located in the Olympic Green in Beijing, which also includes the iconic Bird’s Nest stadium and the Water Cube aquatics centre used during the summer Games last year. There will be five pavilions and two outdoor sites.
Chocolate is not as popular in China as it is in Western countries, but the nation’s younger generation have increasingly acquired a taste for it.
Tina Cheng, general manager of the company that will operate the park, said some prestigious European chocolate makers – notably from Switzerland and Belgium – wanted to take part in the project. “Our chocolate wonderland will be beyond imagination,” she said.
by Andy Moreton
For those with great taste, Luxique offers the best in luxury hotels in Beijing, including the award-winning Peninsula Palace and Shangri-La Beijing.
No sooner had I told you that the ESTA online security form to enter the US was free, there are plans to charge $10 (£6).
This ‘tourist tax’ is contained in a bill called the Travel Promotion Act. It has yet to be ratified by the House of Representatives, but it’s been passed by an overwhelming majority in the Senate and looks likely to come into force early next year.
The fee would be paid by all travellers entering the US under the Visa Waiver Programme using ESTA, which was launched in January.
The American authorities say the revenue will be used to pay for increased marketing to help boost tourism. The number of British people heading to the US this year is down about 19 per cent.
Travel operators in the UK are not impressed. “Any increase in the cost of travel to the US is regrettable,” said one. Another commented: “Compared to the cost of a visa to visit other countries, it is not expensive, but there will be some people who perceive it as a hassle and may be put off by the increased cost.”
- And while we’re on the subject of those annoying travel add-ons, cash-strapped British Airways has announced that it’s to charge people for choosing where they sit (£10/$16 for economy passengers). This will affect those seeking to ensure they’re side by side on a flight and people with a preference for window, aisle or emergency exit seats.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique can offer competitive rates at some of the finest luxury hotels in the United States.
Spain, which pioneered the cheap holiday-in-the-sun package deal, is trying to upgrade its image.
A campaign is attempting to convince the ‘affluent and discerning traveller’ that the country has far more to offer than just the opportunity to stretch out on a sun lounger for a fortnight with a good book. The tourist authorities want to put Spain’s lesser-known attractions on the map, such as its gastronomic and artistic traditions.
Among the destinations being highlighted are the vineyards of the Rioja region, the futuristic Guggenheim Museum in the Basque city of Bilbao and the vast Donana national park, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to rare wildlife.
“It’s time to look for customers with high purchasing power because there is plenty to offer them,” said Jose Maria Rubio, the head of Spain’s Hotel and Catering Federation.
General Franco first opened up Spain to foreign tourists in the late 1950s. But his idea has seen Mediterranean fishing villages transformed into a mass of skyscraper hotels, fast-food outlets, bars and nightclubs that are now synonymous with the worst of mass tourism. “Spain is suffering from a perceived loss of authenticity in its coastal destinations,” was how the tourism ministry put it in its Horizon 2020 plan last year.
Like many other holiday destinations, Spain has suffered in the recession. In the first seven months of this year, the number of visitors dropped by 10.3 per cent compared with 2008.
Mr Rubio emphasised that the coastal regions would remain a key factor. “It’s more a question of completing the image of Spain with its culture, natural and historical attractions and gastronomy,” he said.
by Andy Moreton
Whether soaking up the sun on the beach or the culture in the city, Luxique has an unrivalled selection of luxury hotels in Spain.
One of the most famous landmarks in the world, the Colosseum in Rome, is crumbling and in need of restoration.
The Italian government puts the cost at around 5 million euros (£4.5 million / $7.3 million) and is calling for international sponsors to help fund the work.
“Some bits of it are falling off,” said the Under-Secretary for Culture and Heritage, Francesco Giro. He added that the arena where gladiators once engaged in combat needed ‘immediate restoration’. The Mayor of Rome, Gianni Alemanno, said ‘a huge intervention’ was required – and soon.
The restoration of the Colosseum is part of a broader plan to tidy up the nearby Roman Forum and Palatine Hill, the collection of ruined temples and palaces which formed the heart of the Roman Empire.
The Culture and Heritage department is to ask the government for more funds for historic sites because 60 per cent of Rome’s archaeological areas are inaccessible – a situation it calls ‘alarming’.
The Colosseum attracts about four million visitors a year.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique guides you through the process of finding and booking the finest luxury hotels in Rome.
Some of the most famous landmarks in Sydney, Australia, were obscured from view yesterday by red dust blown in from the deserts of the outback.
Strong winds had swept tons of dry soil from drought-hit areas, lifting the dust high into the air and carrying it hundreds of miles.
In Sydney, Australia’s largest city, flights were diverted and ferries suspended after visibility was cut to a few feet. Cars, buildings and beaches were coated and there were many calls to the emergency services from people with breathing difficulties.
Experts said it was the worst dust storm since the 1940s and it followed days of unusual weather all over Australia. Some areas of the country have been bombarded by hailstones while others have been basking in a mini-heatwave in early spring.
John Huxley of the Sydney Morning Herald said it would be remembered as an extraordinary end-of-the-world sort of day when the bush came to Sydney.
“Most people just stopped and stared, peering myopically for lost landmarks, like the Harbour Bridge or the Opera House or the bus. All disappeared in the swirling dust.
Many did what Australia usually does in such circumstances: took photos, at least until their cameras became jammed with dust, and swapped Tweets, saying how bizarre everything was.”
by Andy Moreton
When the dust clears, make Sydney your destination and be sure to find your way to Luxique’s unrivalled selection of luxury Sydney hotels.
A curious thing happened here in London last week – the River Thames disappeared.
Transport for London (TfL) planners wanted to make the underground (subway) map less cluttered and more simple, so they distributed new versions of it without the stylised Old Father Thames and the fare zone grid that helps you decide what sort of ticket you need.
That was the cue for what was described as ‘an overwhelming public reaction’. At the head of the queue of complainants was London’s Mayor, Boris Johnson. He was said to have ‘hit the roof’ after arriving back from New York. He messaged his Twitter followers: “Can’t believe that the Thames disappeared off the tube map whilst I was out the country! It will be reinstated …”
And, guess what? A TfL spokesman said: “The overwhelming public reaction is that the tube and Thames should be reunited, so that’s exactly what we will do.” They were also looking again at zonal information, he said.
The tube map was drawn up in the 1930s by Harry Beck, an engineering draughtsman. His plan, based on an electrical circuit, has since been hailed as a design classic.
by Andy Moreton
The tube is just one of the delights awaiting you in London. Luxique’s Top Destination guide will help you get the best from your visit and we have a hand- picked selection of the finest luxury hotels in London.
French passengers on board an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Paris were thrown into panic when a false announcement was played over the public address system.
The airliner was about 20 minutes out of Dublin when a message in English advised passengers to return to their seats as there was some turbulence. But the French pre-recorded version that followed told travellers that the plane was about to make an emergency landing and to await instructions from the pilot.
One English-speaking passenger said: “The French man sleeping next to me woke up and looked very startled. He then translated what had been said … I got quite alarmed, the woman behind me was crying, all the French freaked out.”
The Irish airline’s cabin crew quickly realised their mistake and apologised in French. An airline spokesman said: “There was a malfunction of the public address system and we apologise to our passengers. This sort of thing happens very rarely.”
by Andy Moreton
It seems that an increasing number of British people are choosing educational holidays instead of the ‘fly and flop’ beach variety.
A survey by the market research analyst, Mintel, found that 36 per cent of those questioned believed that educating themselves about the place they were visiting was an important part of the holiday experience.
One in five enjoyed learning new skills on holiday, while in the past three years, six in ten adults had visited a museum while on their travels.
Mintel’s senior travel and tourism analyst, Tom Rees, said factors such as the increasing number of specialist products, more active styles of holiday-taking, the internet and the expansion of low-cost air travel had created demand for new destinations and novel experiences.
“Learning to Tango in Buenos Aires or to cook Vietnamese in Saigon offers a double whammy of intense local flavour and the chance for people to take their hobby to the next level,” said Rees.
Group-based learning holidays also have a strong appeal to the growing singles population, especially females. “Meeting others with shared values and interests will be a key driver in future years, and online social networking will play an important role in organising learning events and trips,” said Rees.
Three of the fastest growing areas in this sector are holidays involving photography, cookery and dance.
by Andy Moreton
The Dutch are planning to stop tourists from buying and smoking cannabis in Amsterdam and other cities.
The famous coffee shops, where small amounts of cannabis have been legally bought and smoked since 1976, have become a major industry and a popular attraction for many visitors. Turnover is estimated to be in the region of £1.6 billion ($2.7 billion) per year.
But the Dutch government wants to stop ‘drug tourism’ and is planning a system under which licensed coffee shops would have to introduce a members-only pass. This would prevent non-locals from buying the drugs.
In July, a government commission declared: “Coffee shops should again become what they were originally meant to be: vending points for local users and not large-scale suppliers to consumers from neighbouring countries. The situation has got out of hand.”
But Raymond Dufour of the Netherlands Drug Policy Foundation says there could be a challenge to the ban in the courts. “We have a problem with European law here, as all European citizens should be treated equally,” he said.
He said there was also the danger that the trade would be driven underground as in many other cities.
by Andy Moreton
Luxique has a first rate selection of luxury hotels in Amsterdam and many other Dutch cities.
