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Malta Holidays Get British Media Boost

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Malta is being boosted by British press attention this year, and a rise in holiday visitors has already been noticed.

The island the British tourist forgot in recent years is waking up to a re-energised holiday and hotel sector.

It's taken a while, but after some years of a declining tourist market, the Mediterranean island of Malta is seeing a revival in her fortunes as a mainstream tourist destination.

The prospects for the island have improved dramatically over the last year. At one point in 2006 there was speculation that a major British tour operator was considering taking the holiday island out of its brochures, but this year, having stared at the possibility of slipping to a niche travel destination, Malta is enjoying an upswing in visitor numbers.

The danger of slipping to a niche travel status, and the subsequent economic consequences for the Malta tourist industry, is thought to be part of the reason why the island was galvanised into finally accepting low cost flights from her main UK and Irish markets, with Ryanair starting flights from London in November last year, and this March from Dublin.

In addition to the new Ryanair services, the island's own airline, Air Malta, has run a successful campaign of its own for cheap flights to Malta, and from May launched a new route from Liverpool to Malta. Further visitors are expected from Spain and Germany, following agreements with airlines to provide cheap Malta flights outside of Malta's traditional market.

The extra visitor numbers are being boosted by more media coverage in Malta's traditional core market of the United Kingdom, with daily and Sunday newspapers featuring Malta more as a suggested location for a holiday.

According to UK based travel site YourMalta.com the number of enquiries from British journalists asking for information about Malta in the first three months of 2007 is up significantly from 2006.

'Malta seems to have come back on travel writers' radar', they say, 'We've been pleasantly surprised at the number of national newspapers asking us for quotes. The same has happened with journalist enquiries for property in Malta, showing perhaps that increased media interest for holidays in Malta is no coincidence.'

Hotels in Malta

But there could be a bigger boost for Malta in the autumn if discussions concerning a British TV soap comes to fruition.

Local media in Malta reported recently that talks were taking place with Britain's favourite TV soap, Coronation Street, about filming an episode on the island.

Coronation Street is the world's longest running soap, and first broadcast in 1960. Viewing figures in the UK regularly top ten million viewers an episode, and as recently as April this year reached twelve million.

'If it were to happen,'comment YourMalta.com, 'It could be a major boost for the winter season and for summer 2008 too. A half hour episode on Malta will reach more people over a longer period of time than a tourist authority could hope to with a series of twenty or thirty second advertisements, it would be worth millions in equivalent advertising.'

In addition to reaching Malta's prime UK market, additional benefit for the Malta holiday industry would come from Canada and Australia, where the show is aired some weeks after the UK.

In conclusion, YourMalta say that increasing and sustainable tourism for Malta has to come from repeat visitors who enjoy their first visit to the island, with good hotels in Malta being a key factor.

'If Malta can achieve more frequent mentions in the UK national press, travel programmes and other media it will influence the buying public when it comes to deciding where to go on holiday. The more Malta is mentioned the more likely it is that the island will be considered. We don't expect malta to start reaching top ten favourite destination polls, or to become as related to holidays as Majorca is for example - but to get somewhere close to what Cyprus has achieved could be an achievable aim.'

Travelling in New Zealand

Sat, 03 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0700

A visit to New Zealand is an opportunity to discover a spectacular range of landscapes, so deciding how you will travel around our country can be as important as choosing where you want to go.

A little research will help you to match your mode of transport to the style of holiday you have in mind. There’s plenty of choice available, from luxury custom transportation to economical backpacker options.

When you’re considering transport options, remember that New Zealand is 1600 kilometres long and has a larger land mass than the United Kingdom. Whether you choose car, train, boat or plane depends on how quickly you need to get where you’re going.

Booking & Information Services

When you’re ready to book activities, accommodation and transport, you can use the time-saving services of a booking and information specialist. Local knowledge can help you to make good decisions.

Road - self drive

Cycling, biking and driving are popular ways to explore New Zealand. Having the flexibility to spontaneously follow your desires, or the advice of someone you met along the way, sits well with our relaxed pace of life.

The scenery changes at almost every turn, as our well-formed roads follow the contours of the landscapes. Outside of the cities, most highways have just one lane in each direction, occasionally expanding to two lanes to enable safe overtaking. Driving times are often longer than you’d expect. Allow plenty of time so you can relax and enjoy the journey.

For the highest level of freedom, try a motorhome holiday. For longer stays and backpackers, purchasing a second-hand car is often an affordable and practical option.

Check out our helpful information and safety tips for driving in New Zealand.

Road - be driven

If you’d rather leave the driving to an experienced local, there are plenty of options available to move you around the country comfortably and efficiently.

From scheduled intercity bus services and luxury coaches to custom tours and taxis, our friendly professional drivers understand there’s more to a journey than simply getting from A to B. From the comfort of a passenger seat, you can give your full attention to the scenery and the driver’s informative commentary.

Drive New Zealand

DRIVING ROUTES

Planning to drive around New Zealand? Your best-fit Driving Route is only a few clicks away.

Photo credit: Ben Crawford

THEMED HIGHWAYS

Travel for one day or much longer on these touring routes which are signposted to make driving easy.

Rail

Rather than an all-encompassing network of passenger services, New Zealand offers a collection of scenic rail journeys. They’re a great way to experience magnificent remote areas that are not accessible by road.

The Overlander runs through the centre of the North Island, connecting Auckland and Wellington. In the South Island, the TranzCoastal follows the coastline between the inter-island ferry terminal at Picton and the city of Christchurch. From Christchurch, the TranzAlpine crosses the Southern Alps to Greymouth. Further south, the popular Taieri Gorge Railway and the Kingston Flyer promise memorable journeys. Commuter train services to outlying suburbs operate in the cities of Auckland and Wellington.

It’s easy to connect rail journeys with other forms of transport, so your modes of travel can deliver as much variety as our stunning landscapes.

Water

Touring New Zealand usually includes the option of a ferry trip at some point and some places, like Marlborough Sounds or smaller islands, are only accessible by water.

The North and South Islands are connected by modern ocean-going ferries that carry passengers and vehicles. In Northland, vehicular ferries operate on the Hokianga Harbour and to historic Russell in the Bay of Islands. The ferries to Stewart Island carry passengers and light freight only; however secure vehicle storage is available at the departure port of Bluff.

Passenger services and scenic tours are offered throughout New Zealand, in boats that range from historic steamers to fast water taxis. Wherever there’s an offshore island, a harbour, lake or river, there’s a good chance you’ll find a safe and convenient form of water transport nearby.

Air

If you’re short on time, or being there is more important than getting there, then air travel is a good option. Jet aircraft operate between the main centres; modern light aircraft service the smaller cities and larger towns. Around 40 destinations are linked by scheduled internal air services.

Scenic flights offer unique views of our most spectacular geography. By air, large areas of wilderness scenery can be enjoyed in a relatively short time. Remote islands, volcanic cones and snow-covered mountains have a magic of their own when viewed from the air.

Cape Summer Trail Series 2009

Fri, 02 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0700

Make the most of this summer and take to the mountain trails!

The days are getting longer and the popular Cape Summer Trail Series is almost here. Now in its second year, this series consists of five individual trail races on the Cape Peninsula. The distance varies between 9 and 11km in length, and each race is run on five consecutive Wednesday evenings in January & February 2009. You can race any number of races, but competitors finishing four or more races will qualify for the 2009 Cape Summer Trail Series Championship.

Stellenbosch Fresh Goods Market 10 January

Sat, 10 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0700

It's a brand New Year and time for a fresh outlook so why not grab your biggest basket for a wholesome shopping experience.

The Stellenbosch Fresh Goods market is an authentic Slow Food market consisting of producers selling products they have sourced, grown, raised, harvested, caught, preserved or transformed themselves.

If you’ve never been, you’ll never know. Experience an ancient way of shopping in a modern context and find the real story on how food is farmed. The Stellenbosch Fresh Goods market conveniently brings together a variety of fine foods and wines. Goods with known provenance are sold fairly. That means no long cold storage, no over processed chemically laden foods, no excessive food miles or doubtful production methods.

Customers get to taste before they buy and you can bargain and swap recipes in the process. Our food is fresh seasonal and locally grown making it simple, nourishing and delicious. By trading the food grown on the urban edges directly from the producers, market organisers aim to make the food chain more sustainable and environmentally sensitive.

Come and support your friend and neighbour, the small scale artisan producer of fine foods who uses only the freshest ingredients and makes your food with care.

Expect over 70 stalls with yummy foods ranging from Street Food like 'Jou ma se kos' heritage foods; saried Indian curries and fresh spices; fresh handmade pasta with saucy sauces; slow roasted coffee beans and dark juicy chocolates; healthy sandwiches and salads and lots more. Stock up on Slow Food: Sugar and Spice - moistly risen cakes and tarts of milk and honey; fresh spices; chocolate salami’s; French baguettes and fine patisserie; cookies of all sorts; mouth watering quiches; wood fired artisan breads. Fresh and Seasonal - organic fruits and vegetables; local and seasonal fruits; heirloom potatoes; ‘Trixie se spene’ Artisan slow cheeses; full fat yogurt; fresh olives; ‘Japie my skapie’ organic meat; free- range meats; plaashoenders; biltong carpaccion and charcutterie. Catch fresh shellfish, smoked fish varieties and Saldanah oysters at Just Caught Fish. Raid the Pantry for fruity jams; award winning olive oils; badger friendly honey and much, much more.

And your basket won’t be complete without a few bottles of good wine. In one easy stroll you can visit the Stellenbosch Slow Wine Route, showcasing the region’s wine estates and including organic and garagist wines.