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Cash-conscious tourists in the UK have flocked to visitor attractions with free entry, according to figures just released.

Britons staying at home for their vacations, and overseas tourists attracted by the weak pound helped Britain’s leading attractions welcome 10.9 per cent more visitors in 2009 than the previous year.

The British Museum topped the list with 5.57 million visits, followed by the National Gallery (4.78 million) and Tate Modern (4.74 million). All these have free entrance except for major exhibitions.

Of the attractions charging, Blenheim Palace enjoyed a surge in visitors, welcoming more than half a million – 43.6 per cent more than in 2008. Blenheim, where Winston Churchill was born, is a unique example of English baroque architecture, set in 2,000 acres of Oxfordshire parkland landscaped by Capability Brown.

The Association of Leading Visitor Attractions has said there’s a feeling of optimism in the tourism industry about the immediate future, but it’s called for more government funding to promote Britain to potential tourists abroad.

by Andy Moreton

If you’re coming to the UK this year, Luxique can guide you to the perfect accommodation, with a wide selection of luxury hotels in London. We can also help you book luxury hotels in many other parts of the UK, including the university city of Oxford, close to Blenheim Palace.

Trust me, this is not a joke. A Czech travel agency is offering trips to Prague for your favourite teddy bear or other stuffed toy.

For the equivalent of £78 ($122), the agency will take pictures of the toy tourists at Prague’s major sights and put them on a CD so that you, the owner, can ‘boast to friends or on Facebook’.

The man behind it, Tomio Okamura, said:

“It is not a joke. We are four owners [including] me – the vice president of the Czech National Association of Travel Agencies – also Miss Dana Bérová, who is a former minister. So it’s proof that it’s a very serious business.”

But the sightseeing is just the half of it. For an extra £52 ($81), the toys can have massage or aromatherapy sessions. Mr Okamura again:

“Yes, we will make massage on the mat next to Charles Bridge, with Prague Castle in the background. So we will put teddy bear on the mat, put candles around him and take photos. So then his owner can say that his bear had a massage in Prague.”

Of course, the tour organisers need to know in advance if the guest is vegetarian because lunch is included …

Look, I can’t go on with this, it’s too ridiculous. If you have a teddy that’s shown an interest in broadening his horizons, go to www.sendyourdarling.com.

by Andy Moreton

Why send your teddy when you can go yourself? Here at Luxique, we describe the Czech capital as ‘a fairyland of pinnacles, towers and fabulously ornate castles and palaces.’ And we have a selection of 23 of the best luxury hotels in Prague.

The travel industry is being urged to continue supporting Madeira’s tourism despite the devastating floods over the weekend.

The Portuguese island – a favourite destination for winter sun-seekers – was hit by violent storms that caused torrents of water to sweep through streets and buildings. Forty-two people lost their lives.The worst affected area was the centre of the capital, Funchal.

The Madeira Tourist Board says the airport is operating as normal and the majority of hotels, which are located on the periphery of Funchal, have not been affected. Most areas now have electricity and water, and the harbour and main roads are now open, excluding the main route to the north.

Atlantic Holidays, a specialist Madeira tour operator in the UK, wants the industry to know that the island is open for business as usual. Sales and Marketing Manager, Dino Toouli, said:

“As many will know, Madeira heavily relies on tourism for its economy and the last thing we want now is for people to stop visiting the island.”

by Andy Moreton

Luxique features five of the finest luxury hotels in Madeira, including the celebrated Reid’s Palace, set on cliff tops overlooking the Atlantic, where traditional afternoon tea is an event not to be missed.

The enduring popularity of Abba is reflected in London’s newest tourist attraction – a museum/indoor theme park called ABBAWORLD.

The colourful Swedish quartet that gave the world Dancing Queen and other hit songs has sold 400 million records since its 1970s heyday and spawned the hugely successful stage and film musical, Mamma Mia.

The band’s story is told in 25 rooms spread over 30,000 square feet. Glass cases contain costumes in silk, satin and spandex. Visitors can see re-creations of Polar Studios, where the band recorded, and the seaside cabin near Stockholm where Bjorn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson composed the hits.

Ulvaeus and fellow Abba member Anni-Frid Lyngstad performed the opening ceremony at the venue at Earl’s Court.

“The ABBAWORLD experience is fantastic for us as well as for the fans,” said Ulvaeus. “We’ve been reunited tonight with a lot of great people who worked with us and supported Abba in the past.”

Lyngstad was misty-eyed:

“Going through ABBAWORLD brought back so many great memories. Seeing myself dancing as a 3D hologram and all the amazing stage clothes we wore, it’s just fantastic. It was a magical time and ABBAWORLD lets the magic live on.”

by Andy Moreton

Tickets are available online at www.abbaworld.com, and don’t forget that Luxique has an unbeatable selection of luxury hotels in London.

The ‘Obama effect’ of a US President with African heritage, and the 2010 soccer World Cup have been credited with creating a surge of interest in Africa as a tourist destination.

The UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) says Africa bucked the global trend in 2009 – it was the only continent to see a rise in the number of international tourist arrivals: up by 5 per cent.

That compared to a slump of 4 per cent in travel worldwide amid the economic crisis and the swine flu pandemic.

The head of the UNWTO, Taleb Rifai, told a tourism conference in Madrid:

“There has been a shift in the way people look at Africa. It’s now considered a serious destination for travellers from the major generating markets.”

Kenya’s tourist board says the fact that President Obama’s father was from Kenya has led to an increase in Americans visiting the country. And the African Travel and Tourism Association (ATTA) says this year’s World Cup in South Africa will have an enormous effect.

“The World Cup is certainly the most exciting thing to happen to Africa, not just southern Africa,” said the ATTA’s head, Nigel Vere Nicoll. “All Africans are very proud that it’s going to be there.”

by Andy Moreton

Check out Luxique’s selection of luxury hotels in South Africa, as well as in Botswana, Kenya, Zambia and other parts of the continent.

For the fifth year in a row, France has topped a list of the best places in the world to live.

International Living magazine’s 30th Quality of Life Index surveyed almost 200 countries across nine categories, including cost of living, culture/leisure, environment, and safety/risk.

“In France, life is savoured,” said International Living publisher, Jackie Flynn. “I don’t think anyone would disagree that France is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, where there is so much pride in all the small details. The French love little window boxes filled with flowers, tidy gardens, pretty sidewalk cafes and clean streets.”

International Living paid particular attention to provincial France, praising the affordability and services outside Paris, especially for retired people and their families.

Australia jumped up the rankings from fifth to second place on the strength of its economic recovery, while the US dropped from third to seventh. International Living claimed that sustaining the ‘American Dream’ had escalated out of the reach of many.

Top Ten
1. France
2. Australia
3. Switzerland
4. Germany
5. New Zealand
6. Luxembourg
7. United States
8. Belgium
9. Canada
10. Italy

The UK’s position? A lowly 25th behind the Czech Republic and Lithuania.

by Andy Moreton

Luxique can help you book some of the finest luxury hotels in Paris and in many other areas of beautiful France.

“These streets will make you feel brand new,
the lights will inspire you,
Let’s hear it for New York, New York, New York”.

So sings Alicia Keys on Jay-Z’s Empire State of Mind. And with that hit preceded by Paloma Faith’s wonderful song New York, it seems the city is currently ultra-hip.

The Big Apple’s certainly had a relatively good year as far as tourism is concerned. With 45.2 million American and foreign visitors in 2009, New York City was the leading tourist destination in the US.

That figure represents a decline of 3.9 per cent from 2008, but the fall had been forecast to be 10 per cent.

And NYC also remains the most popular American city for overseas travellers – 8.6 million last year, twice as many as its nearest rival, Los Angeles.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg said:

“Over the past eight years, our efforts to make New York City an even more exciting place to visit have helped produce a record number of tourists and create thousands of jobs.”

“Last year, while tourism declined significantly in cities across the country, we fared far better than most. In fact, for the first time in 20 years, we were the most popular tourism destination in the country, surpassing Orlando.”

by Andy Moreton

See what all the fuss is about – let Luxique help you book a luxury New York City hotel.

The tourist authority VisitBritain didn’t waste any time when it found out that Guy Ritchie was to direct a new version of Sherlock Holmes, starring Robert Downey Junior and Jude Law.

It got on the phone to Warner Brothers, and the result is a partnership between them to promote the film, its locations and the UK in general. The campaign invites tourists to discover Holmes’s Britain, past and present.

Conan Doyle’s story is fictional, of course, but the locations are real, including 221B Baker Street in London, where Holmes and his sidekick Dr Watson were said to have lived. It’s now home to the Sherlock Holmes museum – just look for the Victorian-era policeman on guard outside.

Other London landmarks in the film include St Paul’s Cathedral, the Houses of Parliament and the Royal Naval College in Greenwich. One of the locations outside the capital is the historic Royal Naval Dockyard at Chatham in Kent.

VisitBritain’s Marketing Director, Laurence Bresh, said: “Sherlock Holmes is known around the world as one of Britain’s most iconic characters. Our partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures is a great way of helping people discover the secrets of our destinations and entice them into having a fantastic adventure here.”

Sherlock Holmes is now on general release.

by Andy Moreton

If you’re planning a visit, finding a luxury hotel in London (and many other parts of the UK) is elementary: just browse Luxique’s superb selection.

There’s nothing like a Presidential vacation to give a boost to tourism – at least that’s what Hawaii is hoping.

As many parts of the United States were facing heavy snow and wintry rain, the Obamas were enjoying the warmer climate of Kailua in Hawaii for their Christmas break. Tourism officials hope others will have seen them enjoying the sun and fun and decide to follow suit.

This is Mr Obama’s first trip as President to the state where he grew up. He spent last Christmas there as President–elect. The state visitors bureau has set up a ‘Barack Obama’s Hawaii’ page that entices tourists with images of him golfing, body surfing and strolling along the beach.

Tourism in Hawaii has dropped by about 5.5 per cent from last year. Rob Kay, who runs the ‘Obama’s Neighborhood’ website, said: “It’s hard to anticipate that his visit will bring any kind of boom, but it can’t hurt.”

by Andy Moreton

Searching for some winter sun? Try Luxique’s pick of the luxury hotels in Hawaii – the Four Seasons Resort Maui and the Four Seasons Resort Hualalai.

Back to a recurring theme – the efforts by Venice to cling on to its cultural heritage in the face of all kinds of 21st century threats.

The city council has now outlawed for two years any new takeaway outlets selling pizzas or kebabs in Venice’s historic centre. The Mayor, Massimo Cacciari, said the proliferation of such places was contributing to the ‘impoverishment’ of restaurants and affecting the quality of the architecture.

While Venice is making a specific stand (by including the traditionally Italian pizzeria), Italy is witnessing a national campaign against ethnic food restaurants, led by some conservative local authorities. Earlier this year, the city councils of Milan and the Tuscan town of Lucca restricted non-Italian food outlets.

The Italian Agriculture Minister, Luca Zaia, has applauded these local initiatives aimed at protecting Italy’s culinary traditions. “We stand for the safeguarding of our culture,” he said.

by Andy Moreton

Browse Luxique’s selection of exquisite luxury hotels in Venice. All the top names are there.