Although the worst of it is over, for now at least, bad weather is continuing to cause major disruptions in many parts of Britain, especially in the colder north of the country in Scotland and England’s northern counties. While many people are all too familiar with the almost yearly upheaval in the UK and the ensuing chaos shortly after the first snowflake falls, this year winter has come earlier than ever. With a very cold start to December, many parts of the UK experienced record low temperatures of the sort that are normally only recorded in January in countries in central and northern Europe which are relatively used to experiencing much colder winters.

Hundreds of drivers in Scotland have literally had to abandon their cars in the snow as roads have been blocked and much of the country has come into a deadlock. Hundreds of schools around the country still remain closed since teachers are, for the most part, still unable to get to work. In Edinburgh last night, temperatures hovered around -13 centigrade and -11 was the low for Glasgow. Snow continued to fall and does not show any sign of letting up in the next few days. By contrast, southern and eastern England are starting to recover from the unseasonably cold and snowy past week that they have endured.

In spite of that, airports around the country are still experiencing major delays. Belfast and London City have said that there will be considerable delays until the thick, frozen fog has cleared. Surprisingly, however, and in spite of current conditions, the airports of Edinburgh and Glasgow are still remaining open though operatives have been advised to check their flight statuses before setting off to get to the airport.

The rail system remains severely affected, especially in Scotland with many trains being delayed for entire days or cancelled altogether without any replacement bus services. It is not a good time for people planning to get to London from other parts of the UK either, especially if they are planning to take the train. Not only do travellers have to brave the world’s highest train fares, but they also have to be prepared for some phenomenal delays on some lines. Services on the eastern coast of the country are also severely disrupted, especially effecting trains to Yorkshire.

With traffic bought to a standstill, airports closing, trains not functioning and all of the other wintry woes that hit the unprepared UK almost annually, this time of year is certainly not a good time to visit. Severe weather warnings remain in place across the entirety of Scotland and in many parts of north-west England. Some of these are expected to stay for a number of days.

Travel Topics: Britain, London, Scotland, snow, UK, winter

The United States Government issued a warning on Sunday to any Americans planning to visit Europe following concerns of terrorist attacks taking place. The government is therefore advising that U.S. citizens travelling to Europe take every advisable precaution and be aware of their surroundings at all times, specifically when they are visiting certain countries. However, the advisory is not meant to advise travellers against visiting Europe in the near future, but only to take extra precautions in case of trouble. Travellers have also been advised to register their travel plans with the U.S. embassy in their destination country.

There have been a variety of reasons why the state department has issued these travel alerts for Europe and it is certainly not the first time that it has happened in recent years. Last time there were warnings regarding travelling to Europe because of the volcanic eruption in Iceland which cause major air traffic problems across Europe. There was also an alert issued in 2004 after the train bombings in Madrid. However, the most recent alert comes after western intelligence officials have discovered information about possible attacks in various cities in Europe. The plot, allegedly to be carried out by al Qaeda, is being taken very seriously on both sides of the Atlantic.

Nonetheless, tourists are not being advised to change their plans. It is simply a matter of being more careful, and the U.S. government has stated that it would rather warn tourists than later being accused of not doing so in the event of a terrorist attack. Intelligence regarding possible terror threats is constantly coming in, but it is strongly advisable to stick to the government’s recommendations and take extra precautions regardless of the holiday destination in Europe. Western security services and governments continue to monitor the situation very closely on a daily basis.

The United States is not the only country to have issued warnings for travelling in the current time. The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (the FCO) has also offered a travel advisory of its own for British citizens in France and Germany. The threat of terrorism has been deemed high over its previous classification as substantial. However, the FCO did not comment regarding intelligence matters and did not specify whether this change was in any way related to the recent travel alert in the United States.

Germany’s interior ministry is also made a statement on the issue and continues to evaluate any intelligence data regarding it. However, the German authorities have stated that they are not planning to change the current alert level right now. Meanwhile, Spain is remaining on the same level of alert that it has been on since January this year, warning of a high and probable risk of terrorism in the country.

Travel Topics: Europe, France, Germany, Spain, terrorism, travel advise, travel warning, United Kingdom, US travel warning

Whenever same-sex marriage laws are approved in a particular state in the US or another country in the world, it usually makes headlines. This just goes to show that not every tourist destination will welcome same sex couples honeymooning with open arms.

Why Focus on Gay Honeymooners?

But the same thing does not apply in Mexico City, Mexico. According to CNN.com, the first couple to wed under Argentina’s same-sex marriage law will arrive in the city this week. It’s an all-expenses paid trip which is part of the local government’s initiative to woo gay travellers.

So why focus on gay couples or gay honeymooners in the first place? Alejandro Rojas, Mexico City’s tourism secretary says that the move was made to entice same-sex couples who get married around the world to spend their honeymoons in Mexico.

No matter which part of the world it is that you visit, you will usually see a pattern wherein the gay-friendly communities have a flourishing tourism industry. Mexico aims to tap into this market by turning their city into a haven for same-sex couples who would like to spend their honeymoon in a beautiful country.

In fact, the city opened its new gay tourism office last July – which is the first of its kind in Latin America. Rojas further said that their aim is to make Mexico City the topmost gay-friendly destination in Latin America. With gay tourists representing 15% of the world’s tourism market, they are considered a very important tourism audience because they spend more money when they travel.

In addition, the move to welcome gay honeymooners into the city is an important milestone in a country with a very stringent Roman Catholic Church. The local laws in Mexico City even allows married gay couples to adopt children – something which officials hope will set a strong example that the rest of the country will follow.

Top Spots for Same-Sex Honeymooners in Mexico

So which spots in Mexico City and its neighboring locations are considered to be the most romantic spots that newly married same-sex couples can stay? Here are the top spots in and around Mexico City which are perfect for your honeymoon:

-          Las Alcobas

If you’re a fashion-forward couple, you can stay at the hip Polanco district where you can be part of the sophisticated, chic, urban life in Mexico City.

-          Other Top Spots for Lovers in Mexico City

Romantics-at-heart would have a blast walking in the footsteps of famous lovers Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera as they stroll along the streets of Mexico City. The Museo Frida Kahlo and Palacio Nacional will give you a dose of the local culture.

-          Puerto Vallarta

Prominently featured in famous literary works, Puerto Vallarta is a cosmopolitan beach town where newlyweds can get away from it all.

-          Holbox

Situated just north of Cancun, this is where you can lounge with your main squeeze by palm-tree shaded white beaches.

-          Los Cabos

If you’re a couple who want to feel like a Hollywood celebrity hounded by the paparazzi, pack your bags and head to the unspoiled beach hideaways of Los Cabos.

-          Punta Mita

Finally, those who want to lose themselves in the crowd – in style- should go to Punta Mita. St. Regis Punta Mita is an ideal honeymoon spot where there are luxurious villa accommodations with gorgeous infinity pools.

Travel Topics: Argentina, Catholic Church, gay destination, gay tourism, gay travel, Latin America, Marriage, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, same sex honeymoon, Same-sex marriage, Tourism

The UK-based budget tour operator, Goldtrail went into administration yesterday after struggling to survive. The tour company, based in south-west London specialized in organizing holidays to Greece and Turkey and since its collapse on Friday, approximately 16,000 UK holidaymakers have been stranded abroad. As there are no more outbound flights, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has had to take matters into their own hands and arrange to fly Goldtrail’s former customers back home. The official website of Goldtrail contains further information on what stranded tourists need to do to get home as cheaply as possible. The debacle still, however, represents a major blow to tourists, some of whom were not even informed of the company’s collapse until moments before their flights were set to depart on Friday evening. Others were left in the dark until Saturday morning, having already checked in for a flight to Bodrum, Turkey.

The CAA later stated that flights home from Turkey should still operate as always, though tourists in Greece will have to expect changes. Tourists stranded in Greece will need to check at the local airports to find more information on which flights are still operating to get them back home to the UK. In addition to those stranded in Greece and Turkey, some fifty-thousand holidaymakers will have to change their plans having booked flights with Goldtrail for holidays this summer. They will all have to make new plans due to the company’s recent collapse. They will, however, have to pay for new flights though they should also be able to claim the money back that they spent on Goldtrail as the company was ATOL protected. Money spent on booking new flights should be claimed back through the CAA which is now in control of matters. Since the CAA is now dealing with all of the claims from disappointed tourists who have already booked their holidays, they have promised to refund people as quickly as possible.

Rumors on Goldtrail’s poor financial performance had been circulating for a number of months and in these times of international economic hardship, many had predicted that the smaller tour companies could find it very difficult to survive. Perhaps due to this lack of financial performance, Goldtrail’s standards of customer service also seemed to be worsening. A number of comments posted on various websites and reviews of the company’s operations seem to suggest that its reputation was rapidly decreasing.  In fact, last year, the company was even featured in Watchdog, a consumer affairs program on UK television.  Customers had complained on inadequate accommodation and customer service while on holidays in Turkey. The company was later fined by the ABTA, Association of British Travel Agents due to various problems with its operations and a number of complaints from customers.

Travel Topics: ABTA, Association of British Travel Agents, CAA, Civil Aviation Authority, Goldtrail, Goldtrail bankruptcy, tour company, tour operator, UK tour operator

The worst oil spill in history continues to affect the tourism industry and beaches around the Gulf of Mexico, and it has made it’s way to certain beach areas in the state of Florida.  In some areas of Florida like Panama City Beach, where beaches are still open, tar balls could be found on the sand and small oil patches in the water just off-shore;  while in other areas, like Pensacola Beach, parts of the beach are closed and swimming isn’t allowed due to large patches of oil on shore and in the waters.  All along the Gulf Coast of Mexico various state’s visitor bureaus have posted no-swimming signs even if small tar balls are present on the beach due to health concerns for beach-goers.

Convention and Visitor Bureaus in Alabama, Louisiana and Florida have all issued some sort of warning at various beach locations informing people there is no swimming allowed or partial beach closure notices due to the presence of oil.  Businesses related to the tourism industry, which include hotels and tour operators, continue to express their concerns that business has been down since the oil reached the shores in the Gulf Coast.  With no end in site to stopping the oil leak, communities along the shores of the Gulf of Mexico still have yet to realize the complete impact this disaster will have on their economy and tourism industry.

Travel Topics: alabama tourism, bp oil spill, florida beaches, florida tourism, gulf of mexico beaches, gulf of mexico tourism, louisiana tourism, oil spill affects tourism, tourism affected by oil spill, tourism industry hurt by oil spill