Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Bansko, Bulgaria ski holiday bookings hit new heights

Ski holiday bookings have had a boost in the ski resort of Bansko, as more and more holidaymakers are heading for the snowy slopes of Bulgaria for the 2006 –2007 ski season.

Bookings for the winter ski holiday season have just begun in earnest and Bansko is already looking to be one of the most popular European ski resorts. www.ski-direct.co.uk have seen bookings for Bulgaria ski holidays grow 5 years in a row. This is down to the annual developments of ski and après ski facilities.

Paul Reeve, Sales and Marketing Manager for Ski-Direct believes the appeal is mainly due to the wide availability of cheap package ski holidays in Bulgaria, combined with the increased investment by the Bulgarian tourist authorities in Bulgarian ski resorts as they bid to host the 2014 Winter Olympics.

Paul says: “Bulgaria has built up a great reputation as a low-cost holiday choice over the last few years. Bansko has great slopes, particularly for beginner skiers and for snowboarders and we’re seeing a word-of-mouth effect boosting the number of holidaymakers picking Bansko ski holidays.”

Thursday, July 20, 2006

Travel agencies are real winners in Portugal holiday boom

British holidaymakers don't appear to be holding a grudge against Portugal for knocking England out of the World Cup - since England's exit there has been a surge in bookings of Portugal holidays.

A survey of holiday bookings by online travel agency, www.freedomdirect.co.uk has revealed that the Algarve is now the third most popular summer holiday destination among their customers - rising from sixth place in June.

The surge in bookings for holidays in the Algarve began on the same day that England lost to Portugal on penalties after extra time.

Nick Jackson, Commercial and Marketing Director of www.freedomdirect.co.uk says: "It's good to see that people aren't put off going on holiday to Portugal just because Ronaldo winked in a dubious way and it's great (if surprising) to see such an increase. It would be interesting to see if Portuguese visitor numbers to the UK have dropped because Wayne Rooney 'accidentally' put his foot down in the wrong place!"

Nick attributes the popularity of holidays in Portugal to the wide variety of affordable hotels in the Algarve and the high quality of the Algarve's resorts. Because of the variety of places to stay, Portugal appeals to a wide range of holidaymakers.

Wednesday, July 05, 2006

Second homes boost Cypus holidays

Visitor numbers to Cyprus have remained at a steady level, despite an overall drop in sales of holidays in Cyprus from around the world and one of the main reasons is thought to be the boom in sales of second homes in the country.

Over 50% of visitors to Cyprus each year come from the UK, attracted by the cheap holidays in Ayia Napa and other popular resorts. There has been a rise in visitors to Cyprus from the UK in 2006.

Online travel agency, www.freedomdirect.co.uk has identified an increase in flight-only bookings for Cyprus this season. This supports the theory that larger numbers of people, especially families, are travelling to Cyprus to stay in second homes.