All large aircraft flights recorded over a 24 hour period replayed over 1 minute.

World tourism down by 8%

Newly-published figures have revealed that world tourism is currently down 8% this year on the same time last year.

Taleb Rifai, the secretary general of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation, said it had initially forecast an overall slump of 2% for the calendar year, but in light of the current figures said it now expected a fall of 5%.

He said it was a major challenge to get world leaders to take the tourism industry seriously.

Speaking at a Tourism Society debate with the UNWTO entitled ‘Travel and Tourism: Stimulus for G20 Economies’, Rifai said: “Very few [world leaders] are aware that tourism can be part of the solution and very few give it political support.

“Tourism means jobs, trade and infrastructure and we have to get that message across.”

Rifai said the decision by the UK government to pull out of the organisation later this year was a mistake.

“It sends the message that they are not thinking along the same lines as us,” he said.

Marthinus Van Schalkwyk, the tourism minister for South Africa, said his country viewed tourism as a means to create jobs and as hugely important.

He said its government and the private sector were investing a total of £5.5bn in its infrastructure and ensuring hotels and lodges were environmentally friendly.

He claimed the staging of next year’s World Cup in South Africa was a huge opportunity for the country to showcase its products.

“We will be ready for it. People will be able to go on safari in the morning, to a game in the afternoon, and back into the bush in the evening. It will be a real African World Cup,” he said.

Danish skiers get a lift

This coming December, easyJet will launch a service on the Copenhagen – Geneva route, bringing the number of easyJet routes out of Copenhagen to six.

Just one week after announcing the launch of its Copenhagen-Manchester route, easyJet presents another expansion of the airline's route network out of Denmark. From December, easyJet will operate four weekly flights to Geneva.

easyJet expects the new route to Geneva to be attractive for the airline’s growing number of business travellers as well as for leisure travellers. Skiers in particular will benefit from the route, which will take them directly to the heart of the Swiss Alps this coming winter season. The airport is a mere 1-2 hours’ drive from some of Europe’s most popular ski resorts such as Val d’Isère, Val Thorens and Chamonix.

Six routes out of Copenhagen

With the launch of the Copenhagen-Geneva route, easyJet operates six routes out of Copenhagen. Since last summer, easyJet has already expanded its route network out of Denmark to include services to Milan and London Gatwick in addition to the existing two routes to Berlin and London Stansted.

Bournemouth get ready to ski via Geneva

Easyjet Flights to Geneva - Now on sale

easyJet’s popular winter flights from Bournemouth to Geneva are now on sale. This is easyJet’s fifth year of operating out of Bournemouth and demand for the route is as strong as ever. The winter service starts on 17th December and offers eight flights a week - daily plus two departures on Saturday. Fares are available from £25.99 one way, including all taxes and charges.

Perfect for winter sports:

The Bournemouth-Geneva route is perfect for those wanting a quick and easy way to get to the French and Swiss Alps. Some of the most popular resorts – such as Chamonix, Verbier, Courmayeur, Les Arcs and Val d’Isere - are within a couple of hours drive of the airport. Catch the lunchtime flight from Bournemouth and you’ll be enjoying pre-dinner drinks in your resort. And because you aren’t bound by the restrictions of charter flights, ski enthusiasts can get away for a two or three day short break or even just a weekend.

Perfect for a city break:

However Geneva is also a perfect city break destination. Nestling on the shores of Lake Geneva, at the foot of the Jura mountains, everything in the city exudes quality, elegance and a cosmopolitan lifestyle. For those on a short break it offers everything from gentle strolls around the antique shops in the Old Town, to exclusive shopping along the luxurious rue du Rhone, or thought-provoking visits to the UN or the Red Cross. And you won’t spend precious time travelling to the city – a train from the airport to the city centre takes less than ten minutes.

Flight times

Day Depart Bournemouth Arrive Geneva Depart Geneva Arrive Bournemouth

Sun - Fri 12:30 15:05 ret 11:20 12:00

Sat 15:50/16:50 ret 17:50/18:50 & 14:05/15:05 ret 14:45/15:45

New ski route for Norwich

WINTER SKI FLIGHTS TO GENEVA FROM NORWICH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Norwich Airport is offering low-cost winter flights to Geneva with Flybe starting from Saturday 19th December 2009. Passengers can buy flight only with Flybe, or choose a winter package holiday with Inghams, the leading independent ski tour operator that is offering Ski Switzerland holidays to the 12 major resorts direct from Norwich International Airport.

Geneva city breaks are perfect for relaxation and self-indulgence for those looking for lovely landmarks coupled with French-influenced shopping and dining, however as a winter destination, fly to Geneva for access to hundreds of kilometres of ski slopes, in one of the most spectacular mountain chains in the world.

Elliott Summers, the airport’s Managing Director commented: “We are pleased to offer these flights from Norwich Airport as Geneva is a very popular winter destination for local holiday-makers. The region offers all of the mountain activities you can possibly want, there is something for everyone.”

Holiday and Flight Information

· The flights will operate on Saturdays from 19th December to 13th March 2010 inclusive.

· The flying time from Norwich is 2 hours.

· The flight will depart from Norwich at 0955 and return flights depart at 1340.

Peak dates - Book early for your ski holiday

Following a difficult season, most operators have cut their capacity for next winter, meaning that available holidays on peak dates will be harder to get. Many operators are showing almost full for the peak half-term week in February as families and teachers start to book to secure their school holiday ski break. Traditional tour operators generally secure enough beds to cover the airline seats they have guaranteed for the winter, but this represents a huge financial risk, particularly with the pound struggling against the euro, the main currency for 91% of UK skiers, so by cutting capacity and concentrating on filling available places at higher rates, most operators will come out of next season better off, having taken considerably less risk. At hotels4u.com the advantage is that our hotel stock is not linked to high risk guaranteed aircraft seats, we provide great value hotel and apartments and transfers but let you choose the most suitable flight amongst the millions of available low-cost and scheduled flying serving the majority of ski destinations, so you get the best deal across the board. The other benefit is that in most destinations you can choose to travel on the day and for the duration that suits you, and not be tied in to standard Saturday-Saturday or Sunday-Sunday arrivals.

Helmet-use on the rise

A US-wide ski survey reveals helmet usage among skiers and riders nationwide increased 12 percent over the previous season...

According to the 2008/09 NSAA National Demographic Study, last season, 48 percent of all skiers and riders were wearing a helmet at the time of being interviewed, up from 43 percent during the 2007/08 season.

In comparison, only 25 percent of skiers and snowboarders wore helmets during the 2002/03 season. The annual Demographic Study is compiled from more than 130,000 interviews of skiers and riders nationwide. The study also showed that:

• 77 percent of children 9 years old or younger wear ski helmets;
• 66 percent of children between 10 and 14 wear ski helmets;
• 63 percent of adults over the age of 65 wear ski helmets;
• Helmet usage by skiers and boarders aged 18 to 24 is currently 32 percent, representing a 78 percent increase in usage for this age group since the 2002/03 season, when only 18 percent wore helmets.

In addition, overall ski helmet sales (adults and kids) have increased 43 percent over the past two years, dating back to the 2006/07 ski season.
Sales of adult ski helmets alone increased 50 percent since the 2006/07 season, according to the SnowSports Industries of America (SIA) annual Retail Audit.