News

Haven?s pink elephant character is celebrating her birthday across all of its 35 parks from September 19-23 and guests are invited to join the birthday party, which will include?a special birthday ceremony, traditional party games, party bags and party dances.

Families can also join in a range of free activities including the SportsZone programmes, SplashZones offering heated indoor pool complexes, parent-free zones for the teenagers, a variety of family activities such as football coaching, archery, fencing, go-karts, mini-golf, remote control cars, ten pin bowling, kids clubs and adventure playgrounds.

Four night breaks starting on September 19 start from ?149 per unit of accommodation based on a Standard two-bedroom self-catering caravan that sleeps up to six people at selected parks.

For more information visit?www.bourneleisuresales.co.uk or call 0871-230 1919.

Families can also join in a range of free activities including the SportsZone programmes, SplashZones offering heated indoor pool complexes, parent-free zones for the teenagers, a variety of family activities such as football coaching, archery, fencing, go-karts, mini-golf, remote control cars, ten pin bowling, kids clubs and adventure playgrounds.

Four night breaks starting on September 19 start from ?149 per unit of accommodation based on a Standard two-bedroom self-catering caravan that sleeps up to six people at selected parks.

For more information visit?www.bourneleisuresales.co.uk or call 0871-230 1919.

LAN Airlines is relaunching direct flights from Lima, Peru to Easter Island, Chile from February 1, 2012.

The route was briefly operated between January and March this year.

For more information visit www.lan.com

The route was briefly operated between January and March this year.

For more information visit www.lan.com

Small Luxury Hotels of the World is offering guests the chance to escape the British chill this autumn with a new selection of special deals including free nights, up to 20% savings and added-value benefits with a selection of city breaks, beach getaways and countryside retreats when booking by November 14, for travel by?November 15.

As examples, guests can stay five nights at Germanys?Gut Klosterm?hle Hotel and Spa for the price of four, with prices leading in at approximately??116 per room, per night.

In France, guests staying two nights at the?H?tel Belles Rives in Juan Les Pins will?receive 10% off the best available rate. Prices start from ?137 per room, per night, while at the?Casa Angelina Lifestyle Hotel ? in Praiano, Italy, guests staying four nights?receive 10% off the best available rate, with prices from ?203 per room, per night.

For details see?www.slh.com or call?00800-5254 8000.

As examples, guests can stay five nights at Germanys?Gut Klosterm?hle Hotel and Spa for the price of four, with prices leading in at approximately??116 per room, per night.

In France, guests staying two nights at the?H?tel Belles Rives in Juan Les Pins will?receive 10% off the best available rate. Prices start from ?137 per room, per night, while at the?Casa Angelina Lifestyle Hotel ? in Praiano, Italy, guests staying four nights?receive 10% off the best available rate, with prices from ?203 per room, per night.

For details see?www.slh.com or call?00800-5254 8000.

Bales Worldwide has launched its 2012 Escorted Small Groups and Tailor Made Holidays programme for 2012/13.

The?brochure covers 40 countries (with an additional ten included online) throughout Asia, Africa, the Far East, Latin America, Egypt and Arabia, India, Canada, Alaska and Australasia.

A?few countries make a welcome return as well as an increased offering in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Peru, Morocco and throughout Africa. In addition to a variety of tailor-made?ideas and suggested itineraries there are seven new escorted small group tours with prices starting from??1,095 for a ten-day?Wonders of Ancient Egypt? tour and 11 new select frequent departure tours.

To celebrate the launch the company?is offering an?early booking offer of ?100 per person discount for bookings made before?September 30.

For?details see www.balesworldwide.com or call 0845-057 0600.

The?brochure covers 40 countries (with an additional ten included online) throughout Asia, Africa, the Far East, Latin America, Egypt and Arabia, India, Canada, Alaska and Australasia.

A?few countries make a welcome return as well as an increased offering in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Peru, Morocco and throughout Africa. In addition to a variety of tailor-made?ideas and suggested itineraries there are seven new escorted small group tours with prices starting from??1,095 for a ten-day?Wonders of Ancient Egypt? tour and 11 new select frequent departure tours.

To celebrate the launch the company?is offering an?early booking offer of ?100 per person discount for bookings made before?September 30.

For?details see www.balesworldwide.com or call 0845-057 0600.

The Puerto Rico Tourism Company (PRTC) says that the Island is open for business and fully operational for tourists after Hurricane Irene passed through earlier this week.

All hotels, casinos, airports and ferries are operating as normal on the main island as well as on the islands of Culebra and Vieques.? Cruise ships and airlines are arriving and departing as scheduled.? Beaches are open and the water is safe for swimming.? The majority of roads have been reopened and electricity has been restored across most of the Island.

PRTC?s tourism service line (001-800-981-7575) will operate on its normal schedule (Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. until midnight and Saturday - Sunday 9:00 a.m. until midnight, all times Eastern Time) and tourist information centres on the Island are available during regular business hours to offer support to tourists who need it.

PRTC continues to recommend that arriving and departing passengers call their airline regarding any changes, delays or cancellations that may be caused by Hurricane Irene passing through the East Coast of the United States.

All hotels, casinos, airports and ferries are operating as normal on the main island as well as on the islands of Culebra and Vieques.? Cruise ships and airlines are arriving and departing as scheduled.? Beaches are open and the water is safe for swimming.? The majority of roads have been reopened and electricity has been restored across most of the Island.

PRTC?s tourism service line (001-800-981-7575) will operate on its normal schedule (Monday - Friday 8:00 a.m. until midnight and Saturday - Sunday 9:00 a.m. until midnight, all times Eastern Time) and tourist information centres on the Island are available during regular business hours to offer support to tourists who need it.

PRTC continues to recommend that arriving and departing passengers call their airline regarding any changes, delays or cancellations that may be caused by Hurricane Irene passing through the East Coast of the United States.

In the run-up to the submission of its full response to the Department for Transports ATOL Reform proposals, ABTA is repeating its call for airlines to be included in the scheme, and expressing its concerns about the feasibility of a January 2012 launch.

Early analysis of results from ABTAs recent questionnaire among members shows that there is widespread support for airlines to come within the scope of ATOL financial protection.??

? 95 per cent of respondents agreed that airlines should be included in ATOL, so that consumers receive the same protection for all Flight-Plus and flight inclusive holidays sold in the UK.

Key areas of concern around the January implementation timescale include the current lack of definition regarding the protection to be offered by the Air Travel Trust Fund, and hence the backup insurance requirements for Flight-Plus arrangers; the mechanism for implementing the ATOL Certificate; and the bonding requirements for new ATOL licensees. In recent weeks, ABTA has contacted the Department for Transport on behalf of its members, seeking to clarify critical elements regarding these and other practicalities of the reforms.

Mark Tanzer ABTA chief executive said: ?"We have called on the Government to ensure that the reforms are both fair and workable. ?There is overwhelming support for airlines to be included because without them, the scheme will not provide a truly comprehensive and fair system of consumer financial protection. ?We are also concerned about the lack of clarity regarding key elements of the reform proposals. ?It is absolutely essential that principles are clear and mechanisms affordable, if the trade is to be able to support the Governments objective of providing better protection for consumers."

Early analysis of results from ABTAs recent questionnaire among members shows that there is widespread support for airlines to come within the scope of ATOL financial protection.??

? 95 per cent of respondents agreed that airlines should be included in ATOL, so that consumers receive the same protection for all Flight-Plus and flight inclusive holidays sold in the UK.

Key areas of concern around the January implementation timescale include the current lack of definition regarding the protection to be offered by the Air Travel Trust Fund, and hence the backup insurance requirements for Flight-Plus arrangers; the mechanism for implementing the ATOL Certificate; and the bonding requirements for new ATOL licensees. In recent weeks, ABTA has contacted the Department for Transport on behalf of its members, seeking to clarify critical elements regarding these and other practicalities of the reforms.

Mark Tanzer ABTA chief executive said: ?"We have called on the Government to ensure that the reforms are both fair and workable. ?There is overwhelming support for airlines to be included because without them, the scheme will not provide a truly comprehensive and fair system of consumer financial protection. ?We are also concerned about the lack of clarity regarding key elements of the reform proposals. ?It is absolutely essential that principles are clear and mechanisms affordable, if the trade is to be able to support the Governments objective of providing better protection for consumers."

Journey Latin America has teamed up with a select number of high-end boutique hotels in Costa Rica to come up with an unusual special offer to grab the attention of the more mature travelle

The operator is offering clients a percentage discount based on the age of the oldest passenger. The offer applies exclusively at a selection of hotels including Lapa Rios, where a three-night breakfast stay starts from ?720 per person including flights from San Jos?; Arenas del Mar, where a three-night stay starts from ?237 including breakfast; La Finca Rosa Blanca, where three nights lead-in at ?350 with breakfast; and The Harmony, with prices from ?258 including breakfast for three nights.
The offer is valid for new bookings travelling by November 15 and is based on two people sharing a room.It applies to all room categories and is subject to availability.
For more information visit www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk or call 020-8747 8315.

Shearings has launched its cruise brochures for 2012 which feature seven new ocean cruises and 13 new river cruises, bringing its total number of itineraries to 45.

Four new exclusive ocean cruise itineraries on the newly chartered MV Athena include Historic Spain, Portugal and Morocco, Gardens of Cornwall and Normandy, Jewels of the British Isles and Norway and Land of the Midnight Sun. For the first time, the operator is also offering two Med cruises with MSC Cruises and a world voyage on the MV Athena, taking in three continents, Australia, Africa and Europe.

New river cruise itineraries include journeys through Switzerland, Holland, Belgium and Germany as well as an exclusive trip centred around Floriade 2012, a once-a-decade horticultural expo based in Holland.

Prices lead in at ?499 for a five-day Gardens of Cornwall and Normandy taster cruise.

To help agents capture early sales, the operator is offering a guaranteed 15% off no-fly ocean cruises and 10% off other ocean cruises and all ?exclusive to Shearings? river cruises if booked before November 15.

For details call 01942-823449 or visit www.shearingsagent.com

Four new exclusive ocean cruise itineraries on the newly chartered MV Athena include Historic Spain, Portugal and Morocco, Gardens of Cornwall and Normandy, Jewels of the British Isles and Norway and Land of the Midnight Sun. For the first time, the operator is also offering two Med cruises with MSC Cruises and a world voyage on the MV Athena, taking in three continents, Australia, Africa and Europe.

New river cruise itineraries include journeys through Switzerland, Holland, Belgium and Germany as well as an exclusive trip centred around Floriade 2012, a once-a-decade horticultural expo based in Holland.

Prices lead in at ?499 for a five-day Gardens of Cornwall and Normandy taster cruise.

To help agents capture early sales, the operator is offering a guaranteed 15% off no-fly ocean cruises and 10% off other ocean cruises and all ?exclusive to Shearings? river cruises if booked before November 15.

For details call 01942-823449 or visit www.shearingsagent.com