Category Archives: UK

Global Air Travel Set to Bounce Back 65% in Third Quarter 

The summer travel outlook report, produced for the World Travel Market (WTM) by ForwardKeys, reveals that in the third quarter of the year, July, August and September, global air travel is set to reach 65% of where it was before the pandemic in 2019. 

However, the revival is patchy, with some parts of the world doing much better than others and some types of travel, particularly beach holidays, being much more popular than urban city visits and sightseeing.

The region of the world that is on course to recover most strongly is Africa & the Middle East; its arrivals in Q3 are expected to reach 83% of 2019 levels. It is followed by the Americas, where summer arrivals are expected to reach 76%, and then by Europe, 71%, and Asia Pacific, just 35%.

The current preference for beach holidays is well illustrated by a comparison of the top ten beach and urban destinations in Europe, ranked by Q3 flight bookings compared to 2019. All those in the beach list, which is led by Antalya, 81% ahead, Tirana, 36% ahead and Mykonos, 29% ahead, are showing extremely healthy demand, whereas, in the urban list, only Naples is ahead. 

Furthermore, the four leading urban destinations, Naples, 5% ahead, Istanbul, flat, Athens, 5% behind, and Lisbon, 8% behind, are all also gateways to beach resorts too.

A similar trend is exhibited in the Americas, where Q3 bookings for air travel to the Caribbean, Central America and Mexico are 5% ahead of 2019 levels, whereas flight bookings to South America and to the US and Canada are, respectively, 25% and 31% behind. The destinations which are set to perform most strongly are Costa Rica, 24% ahead, Jamaica, 17% ahead and the Dominican Republic, 13% ahead.

Enthusiasm to travel again internationally is so strong that a rise in air fares has done relatively little to dampen demand. For example, the average fare from the US to Europe climbed by over 35% between January and May with no noticeable slowing in booking rates. 

And these fares were nearly 60% above the previous year. Fares for shorter haul, intraregional travel (ie: within the Americas) also increased substantially, by 47%, which is less than for long haul. However, the demand for those tickets peaked in March.

Helpfully for the travel industry and for many destinations, American travelers are planning to stay longer and spend more than they did in 2019 but not as much as they did during the pandemic. 

The average planned length of stay in Q3 is 12 days, up from 11 days in 2019. Last year, it was 16 days, but fewer people, with a more affluent profile, were traveling then. The proportion of people flying in premium cabin classes in Q3 is also set to rise, from 12% in 2019 to 15% this year. The relatively promising outlook for summer travel to Africa and the Middle East is due to a combination of factors. Several Middle Eastern airports act as hubs for travel between Asia Pacific and Europe, which has led to the Middle East benefiting from the revival of intercontinental travel, particularly driven by people returning to Asian countries to visit friends and relatives. The closure of Russian airspace has also contributed to the uplift in hub traffic. Cairo, 23% ahead, has increased connectivity to European markets. Nigeria, 14% ahead, Ghana, 8% ahead, and Ivory Coast, 1% ahead, with large diasporas in Europe and the US, are seeing expats return to visit friends and family. Tanzania, 3% ahead, Cape Verde, flat and the Seychelles, just 2% behind, are successfully attracting long haul visitors from Europe

Eva Air Lays on More Flights to Meet High Demand 

EVA Air, Taiwan’s leading independent airline, has announced that it is to increase its London Heathrow – Bangkok – Taipei service from three flights per week to five flights per week in response to encouraging sales and high demand. Effective from August, the flights will depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays for all flights scheduled in August and September, with a view to increasing further depending on performance.

This will be yet more welcome news for the travel industry and EVA Air customers and coincides with recent reports of booming sales to Southeast Asia. The relaunch of the airline’s London to Bangkok flights, which was announced at the end of April and coincided with Thailand’s lifting of arrival testing, have seen encouraging sales, which has prompted EVA Air to add on the extra departure dates.

Commenting on the news, Sarah Wu, EVA Air’s General Manager of the London office said: “We are really pleased that we have been able to add on more flights, so soon after the announcement of the London-Bangkok-Taipei relaunch. The addition of these extra days gives our customers more flexibility. If demand remains high we are well on the way to returning to our daily service later in the year.  We would like to thank all our partners for their support and are very much looking forward to seeing even more passengers from the UK flying with EVA Air again.”

The award-winning airline retains its desirable flight departure time of 2135 from Heathrow’s Terminal 2.

To learn more about EVA Air’s travel destinations and award-winning services, and to buy tickets, visit www.evaair.com

Take a trip to the city made for thrill-seekers Orlando 2022

The heart of Florida is home to world-famous theme parks, Disney delights and exhilarating studios. Venture to Orlando – made for family-fun and grown-up giggles.

holiday to Orlando is an adventure for the senses. Let your laughter out, feel the wind ripple through your hair on rollercoaster rides and watch wildlife with wonder when you arrive in Florida. Orlando is the ultimate hub of excitement, bursting with fly high rides and make-a-splash water parks – with entertainment for everyone. Find fairy tale magic in Walt Disney World, meet the most loveable characters and watch fireworks light up the night over Cinderella’s Castle. Discover the energy of Universal Orlando Resort, with its white-knuckle rides and memorable movie moments.

See the vibrancy of International Drive. Start with Denny’s for a mammoth breakfast of oversized pancakes, then venture through the enthralling upside-down world of Wonderworks. Shopaholics can lose themselves in Orlando International Premium Outlets, with its discounted designers and oodles of frozen yogurt stalls. Or head over to glistening Lake Eola’s downtown, for the colourful Sunday farmer’s market and free yoga on the lawn. If taking a swing on golfing greens is more your thing, you’ll be spoilt for choice in Orlando. Soft sand banks, palm trees and crocs in the water hazards – watch out.

Enjoy different activities every day of your Orlando experience.

Christmas in Manchester – Silvija Travel Tips

Now is the perfect time to start planning your festive break to Manchester. During the winter months the city of Manchester becomes a magical wonderland, full of seasonal smells, sights and sounds. From the bustling Christmas markets where shoppers can indulge in foodie delights or buy one of kind gifts to experiencing an enchanting theatre production.

Book your festive short break to Manchester now.

Silvija Travel Tips  www.silvijatraveltips.com

Canary Wharf, London, UK – Silvija Travel Tips

Canary Wharf is one of Britain’s major financial districts in the heart of East London. It was once home to the West India docks but as these went into decline and redevelopment began in the 1980’s, Canary Wharf was born. The London skyline changed forever, a new shining ultra modern part of the city was created including some of the tallest buildings ever seen in Britain. One of the first buildings completed in 1991 was Number One Canada Square. This became a powerful symbol of the regeneration program and one of the most recognised buildings in London. Many more buildings have now been built and Canary Wharf has grown into an integral part of London’s modern skyline. It is as instantly recognisable as other landmarks such as the London Eye and Houses of Parliament.

Silvija Travel Tips www.silvijatraveltips.com

Caernarfon Castle, Wales – Visit Britain – Silvija Travel Tips

Caernarfon Castle, tucked in the northwestern corner of Wales in the UK is a magnificent example of medieval castle building. Work began on the site over 700 years ago. In 1283, the English King Edward the 1st built this castle to stamp his authority on the rebellious Welsh. Edward adorned the castle with imperial grandeur such as these carved stone eagles and stone heads mounted all along the battlements. To would be attackers, these heads may have looked like helmeted soldiers and hopefully acted as a deterrent. On permanent lookout, they symbolised the strength of the royal garrison within. The castle’s curtain walls were unique in Britain at the time because they contained passages that ran between the towers. They allowed guards to keep a constant lookout, and also offered valuable protection to archers. Running between the outer and inner walls, they are over six meters thick and were a unique innovation at the time. All the towers here at Caernarfon Castle perform specific functions: there was the well tower retrieving fresh water from the bedrock, one tower that stored and processed grain, another that housed the treasurery, and others such as the lookout towers that held more traditional defensive roles. But the greatest of all has to be the Eagle tower, which contains the royal apartments where King Edward intended to stay with queen Eleanor. Every thing about it was designed on a grand regal scale. King Edward brought his heavily pregnant wife to stay in this tower. He wanted the next future king to be born in Wales. He was later given the title prince of Wales, which has been conferred on each first-born royal son ever since. Our own Prince Charles was invested here at Caernarfon in 1969. Caernarfon Castle is a world heritage site, and it’s gone from being what would have been a palace to being part of Caernarfon itself: a thoroughly absorbed landmark in the fabric of Wales.

Silvija Travel Tips www.silvijatraveltips.com