Dr. Jill Nash, owner of independent guidebook publishing company ‘Luxury Backpackers’, on Canada, Cornwall and the Lake District’s best kept secrets

Ewe celebrating St Patrick’s Day? Even a flock of sheep in Scotland wants to be ‘seen in green’ this weekend!
 

have read a slew of articles recently on how Abu Dhabi – the UAE’s richest emirate – is about to emerge as a world class centre for the arts, culture and sport. The Abu Dhabi Festival kicks off next week (March 11) and will see Simon Russell Beale perform at the Royal Opera House while Michelin starred chef, Gary Rhodes, is set to open Rhodes 44 at the St Regis Abu Dhabi.

More than 371,00 immigrants who were admitted to Britain, claimed state benefits in the UK last year, according to official figures compiled by the government for the very first time.

Although many parts of Thailand have been affected by floods, they are expected to recede in a few weeks, and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) team have welcomed guests at this week’s World Travel Market with smiles and enthusiasm, despite the damage that the floods are causing back home.

UPDATE: 5 Nov. Qantas is now offering free tickets to anywhere in Australia to those who were caught up in the shut-down. If you were involved and haven’t been contacted by the airline, do so yourself. Passengers entitled are those with bookings between October 29-31st.
It’s been a week from hell for Qantas.

Ethical consumerism is on the up in the UAE’s scene stealing emirate. Against all the odds, the kingdom of bling has developed a conscience and in the process is learning that it’s now cool to care… In Green Tourism Week, CD Traveller reports

Denise Van Outen et al have all been snapped sunning themselves in Dubai, in recent weeks. But there’s more to the kingdom of bling than sun, sand and shopping says one member of the CD Traveller team

CD Traveller tells you what’s hot and what’s not in the travel world. This month the future looks red hot for Virgin’s cabin crew but gap years could be on their last leg…

The City of Gold is yet to go green. CD Traveller reports

CD Traveller tells you what’s hot in the travel world

The menus from outer space

Heading to Dubai for the kingdom of bling’s shopping festival? Make sure you hit the malls by all means but be sure to get yourself to Global Village, where you can shop and eat your way around the world…

Heading to Dubai for the kingdom of bling’s shopping festival? Hit the malls by all means, but be sure to get yourself to Global Village where you can shop and eat your way around the world…

CD-Traveller tells you what’s hot and what’s not in the world of travel

Dubai’s annual winter shopping festival starts next month and CD Traveller has the low-down on where you can shop like a sheikh in the kingdom of bling

Escaping Britain’s big freeze and heading to Dubai – the land of guaranteed sunshine – for Christmas? Make it a white one. CD Traveller shows you the way to go…

In survey after survey, one of the reasons given for visiting a place is the shopping. We have weekend shopping trips to places as far away as Dubai. Coach companies do day trips to places like the Metrocentre in Gateshead. Outlet stores form retail parks such as in Bicester or outside Chester. Even when people spend a two week sun filled beach holiday in Spain, shopping is one of the things people indulge in.
So it was with some interest that I heard most of the debate in parliament on Wednesday on the future of independent retail. Tourism is integral with shopping. Good shops attract us to them. But did I hear much about tourism? Despite the fact that many MP’s were from areas that attract tourists, the answer was no.

Abu Dhabi maybe the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) but for years it was showy Dubai that dominated the headlines. Not anymore.

It’s never too early to start planning your next holiday. CD Traveller lets you in on where to have a warm, white Christmas

In the last week or so both Cumbria and Dubai have been hit by disasters of different sorts. As you will all know, Cumbria has been hit by some of the worst floods in memory and Dubai by a financial crisis which few thought would ever happen. Both are heavily dependent on tourism and both have been quick to say that both are open for business.

Tourism to the Gulf countries is relatively small but growth is likely given the amount of investment that is being ploughed in an attempt to get us to visit. Abu Dhabi is anticipating growth of 10% for next year and 15% for the following two years. We have previously carried stories about what Abu Dhabi has to offer and it certainly shouldn’t be thought of like Dubai as a luxury destination. Hotel rates are reasonable and with all the competition amongst gulf airlines, prices are reasonable.

Last night the winners were announced of the British Travel Awards. CD-Traveller is one of the sponsors because these are the only awards where you, the traveller and holidaymaker, can vote. So it’s not just the travel industry patting itself on the back. And over 100,000 of you voted so our thanks, and those of the organisers, for taking the time to vote.

Opening today is the new Dubai Metro. Nothing odd about that you might think. Cities the world over are providing public transport as either a green solution or a congestion solver or both. The difference with Dubai is that in only four and a half years it has already opened the first forty odd kilometres. The whole 70 kilometre system will be open in 2012.

Hotel rooms are cheaper in some places this year than they have been for a while. It’s due to the recession of course. (Nothing to do with some hotel prices being over the top anyway). So this year prices in London have been quite a bit lower whilst in Edinburgh they have stayed about the [...]

The title makes it sound as though I have sailed on her many times so let me straightaway say I have never even been on her and now, I never will. A regret. Like not having flown on Concorde. Both I wish I had done but as with many others, I feel that this ship [...]