So Where Are We Going This Summer?

All the schools have broken up now. My local rail carpark is only about half full and the 7.30am traffic jam no longer exists. That means that some of you have already started your holidays.
So are you holidaying in this country, having a staycation or are you going abroad after all? We are going to have to wait a little while to see where you have actually gone as opposed to where you said you would go.
But there is one guide to what is happening and that comes from the bureaux de change. Knowing which currency has been bought gives a pretty good indication of where you are going and the Post Office has come up with some information.
It looks as though more of you than we thought are going abroad after all. According to them, Kenya, Thailand, Egypt and Indonesia (well Bali really) are doing well in comparison to previous years and now that the pound is performing better against the euro, we are increasingly looking at the traditional places like Greece, Spain and Italy again. Turkey was always going to do well and so it has proved top be since £1 buys over 8% more than it did a year ago.
But Kenya is the big surprise. Currency sales have nearly trebled. After the disputed election and the problems there over a year ago, some people thought it might take a while for tourism to recover. It has bounced back faster than thought although Tanzania and Botswana are seeing increases as well.
Thailand also performed well but that might be a blip given the recent news about scamming at Bangkok Airport. (see our feature page)
More importantly the strength of sterling has come at the right time. It is up 15% since the lows of January. Just right for the holiday season.

Summer Holidays Rush Begins?

With travel agencies opening for the first day after Christmas traditionally, today, begins the big booking period for summer holidays. Its cold across most of the country but dry on the whole and it will be bright.
Why the weather forecast?
Generally if it is raining, snowing or the weather is miserable then summer holiday bookings increase. The milder and nicer the weather, the sages tell us, the lower the bookings.
Just before Christmas, ABTA and the Foreign Office released the results of a survey of 2,018 adults which said the top destinations that people were looking at were in Turkey and Egypt. The UK doesn't seem to be at the top of their list but I would have thought that the economic downturn and the weakness of the pound would make the UK attractive this year. At least you know how much your money will buy come the holiday.
And overseas?
Well both Turkey and Egypt are outside the eurozone so the pound hasn't slid so far against their currencies. Others suggested by the survey include Cuba, Croatia, Mexico and the Caribbean. I would have thought you could also add destinations that offer all-inclusive holidays wherever they might be. People will want to know that they have budgetted for virtually all their holiday spend. Already in November (for which the latest figures are available) Spain has had quite a downturn in tourist numbers and it could be that in order to try and attract more tourists there may be Spanish bargains. Remember though that with the demise of so many tour operators and ther mergers of First Choice with Thomsons and MyTravel with Thomas Cook that there will be fewer holidays around this summer.
Today and tomorrow the newspapers will be filled with holiday adverts to lure you to their destinations and into travel agancies. We will keep an eye on them and let you know early next week what we find.

Zahi Hawass Gets World Tourism Award

Who he you may well ask.
Dr Zahi Hawass has headed up the Supreme Council Of Antiquities in Egypt for the last six years. As such he is responsible for the archaeological excavations throughout the country, it's musuems and those travelling exhibitions that go around the world.
With his trademark cowboy hat he has become quite a television personality who has raised the profile of Egyptian antiquities ( if they weren't high enough already) so that he is quite a recognisable figure.
His wikipedia biography points out that he some critics. It would be hard for him not to have some since has greatly improved the way some sites are looked after. You can't walk around and remove things as souvenirs from spoil heaps as easily as you once could.
So here is an award that is justified. His efforts have greatly aided Egyptian tourism and if they aren't all of his own making, so be it. What matters is that what Egypt offers the tourist is worth seeing and it is protected for future generations to see.