ABTA Travel Trends Report 2012

8/3/2019 ABTA Travel Trends Report 2012

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ABTATravelTrendsReport2012


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ABTATravelTrendsReport2012 2011TravelMarketOverview 2 2012TravelMarketOutlook 3 KeyTrends2012:

1. Authenticandspecialistholidays 42. Budgetandluxurytravel 53. Hotdestinations 54. Agegrouptrends 55. OnlineVshighstreet 66. Latebookings 67. Sustainabletourism 6

ObservationsfromtheForeignandCommonwealthOffice(FCO) 8 2012DomesticOutlook 9 ABTADestinationstoWatch2012

o Longhaul Colombia 10 DominicanRepublic 10 Mexico 11 SriLanka 12 TheUSA 12

o Midhaul CapeVerde 13 Egypt 13 Greece 14 Jordan 14 Turkey 15

o Shorthaul IcelandandAuroraBorealis 16 Poland/Ukraine 16 Serbia 17 Spain 17 Tunisia 18

FCOGeneralAdvice 19


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2011TravelMarketOverviewTheBritishpublicshowedremarkableresiliencein2011whenitcametotakingtheirholiday;facedwith

uncertaineconomicconditionsandasqueezeonhouseholdbudgets,mostpeopletookthesamenumberof

holidaysas

in

2010.

According

to

the

Office

for

National

Statistics

(ONS),

in

the

12

months

to

September

2011approximately36.3millionpeopletookaholiday(adecreaseof1%yearonyear),ofwhichitis

estimated15millionwerebookedaspackages.

FiguresfromtheABTAConsumerTrendssurveyshowedthatinthe12monthstoSeptember2011,63%of

Britstookaforeignholidaywithathird(34%)takingmorethanonetripabroad. Figuresfordomestic

holidayswerealsostrong,withapproximately4in5takingoneormorebreaksintheUK. Only10%ofthe

populationtooknoholidays,eitherintheUKorabroad.

Itwasachallengingyearforsomepopulartouristdestinations.Mostsignificantly,theArabSpringmeanta

dramaticfallintourismtoNorthAfrica.ThedevastatingfloodsinThailandcausedadropinnumbers

travellingto

Bangkok

and

other

parts

of

the

country

and

an

unseasonably

mild

November

in

2011

meant

thatsomeoftheprimeEuropeanskiresortswerelatetostarttheirseasons. Spain,FranceandtheUSA

wereamongstthemostpopulardestinationsof2011.

Whenitcomestobookinghabits,travelagentsandtouroperatorsremainedapopularoptionin2011,with

overhalfofconsumerswhotookaforeignholidaybookingthisway.Thismethodofbookingwasparticularly

popularwiththeyoungerendofthemarket;withathird(32%)of1624yearoldsbookingthisway.42%of

foreignholidayswerebookedasapackage,whichisexactlythesamepercentageasholidayswheretravel

andaccommodationwerebookedseparately.

Oneinfivetravellerswerestillgoingabroaduninsuredin2011,however,annualtravelinsurancepolicies

havebecome

very

popular

in

the

past

twelve

months,

with

30%

of

travellers

opting

for

this

(up

from

only

13%in2010).

ABTA,whichrepresentsaround1,300travelcompanies,sawitsmembersturnoverreach29.3billionfor

the20102011financialyear,whichendedon30thJune2011,comparedto27.3billionintheprevious

financialyear anincreaseof2billion,highlightingtheresilienceoftheholidaymarket.


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2012TravelMarketOutlookWiththeEurozonefinancialcrisisstillunfolding,highinflationandloweconomicgrowthforecastin2012,

thesqueezeonhouseholdbudgetsissettocontinueintotheNewYear.Despitethegloomyeconomic

outlook,theholidaymarketlookspoisedtoremainrelativelyresilient.FeedbackfromtheABTAConsumer

Trendssurvey

shows

that

holidays

are

the

last

to

go

when

the

public

is

cutting

back

on

spending,

with

consumerschoosingtomakesavingsoneatingoutorhomeimprovementsbeforelosingoutontheir

holiday.Oneinfiveconsumersissokeenontheirforeignbreaksthattheyregardalongertripoverseasasa

necessitytheycouldntdowithout.

Thecontinuingfinancialcrisisisexpectedtoseeholidaymakerscontinuetoseekvalueformoneyin2012,

with71%ofconsumersbelievingthatgettinggoodvalueformoney,butnotnecessarilythelowestprice,is

anessentialorimportantelementwhenbookingaholiday.Perhapssurprisingly,findingthelowestprices

comesmuchfurtherdownpeopleslistofpriorities,withonly53%seeingthisasessentialorimportant.In

factthiscamelowestoutofalistoftenconsiderationswhenbookingaholiday.Thefocusonvaluefor

moneyratherthanthecheapestprice,suggestspeoplearethinkingcarefullyaboutwhattheywantand

beingmore

discerning

about

their

holidays

and

where

they

spend

their

money.

ThedoubleinflationriseinAirPassengerDutythatcomesintoeffectinApril2012willputadditional

pressureonthetravelmarket.Longhauldestinations,whereafamilyoffourtravellingineconomyclasscan

payupto368intaxes,arelikelytobemostaffected.

Financialprotectionisexpectedtocontinuetobeapriorityforholidaymakersin2012.Recentevents,such

astheAshCloud,andeconomicdownturnhavemadeconsumersmorecautiouswhenbookingtheir

holidaysandeightin10(79%ofconsumers)nowseeafinancialprotectionschemeasessentialorimportant

upfrom74%in2010. Duetothefinancialprotectiontheyoffer,packageholidaysareexpectedtoremain

popular. ThereformofATOLregulationsinearly2012willalsoseeconsumerfinancialprotectionriseupthe

newsagenda.


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KeyTrends20121. Authenticandspecialistholidays

Withvalueformoneylookingtoremainakeytrend,alotofconsumersareincreasinglyseekingholidays

thatofferamoreauthenticorspecialistexperience.Manytravelcompanieshaveincreasedtheirofferings

intheseareas,recognisingthevaluetheycanbringbyusingtheirknowledgeandexperiencetocreatehighly

tailoredandpersonalisedexperiences.

Beachholidaysareexpectedtocontinuetoremainthemostpopularkindofholidaybutholidaymakers,

particularlyatthemidtohighendoftheincomescale,areincreasinglylookingfordestinationsthathavea

strongandauthenticsenseoflocation,ineverythingfromfoodandsettingtoexcursionsandentertainment.

Thistrendisreflectedinsometravelcompaniesabandoningsummer/winterbrochuresinfavourof

destinationonlytitleswithagreaterfocusonlocation.Severaltravelcompaniesatthehigherendofthe

markethavealsolaunchedpackagesspecificallyfocusedonofferingauthenticexperiences.Theseinclude

tripsforadventuroustouristssuchasexploringwildlifeintheGalapagosIslands,discoveringPatagoniaorwalkinginAnnapurna,Tibet.

Thetrendtowardsmoreauthenticexperiencesisalsosupportedbyanincreasedconcernamongst

holidaymakersthattheirholidayisbenefitingthelocaldestination,with50%(asopposedto47%in2010)

believingthattheirholidayshouldhelpthelocaleconomyandpeople.

Specialistholidaysareexpectedtoperformwellin2012withtravelcompaniesofferingsomethingfor

everyone,whetheritsacouplesholiday,rivercruise,minigap,spiritualspabreak,learning/adventuretrip

orawedding/vowrenewal/honeymoonpackage.

Thegrowing

demand

for

adult

gaps,

as

empty

nesters

and

adults

on

career

breaks

head

off

abroad

to

exploreandimmersethemselvesinanotherculture,isexpectedtodrivedemandforvolunteeringand

learningbreaksforadultsandfamilies.Travelcompanieshaverespondedtothisdemandwithmanyoffering

longerpackagebreaksforadultsorfamiliesthatincludevolunteering,conservation,teachingorlearninga

newskillorlanguage.Holidaymakersgrowingconcernabouttheimpactoftheirholidaysonlocal

destinationsmeansthatin2012itwillbecrucialfortravelcompaniestoensurethatthesetypesofbreaks

haveapositiveandlongtermimpact.

Cruiseholidaysareexpectedtocontinuetogrowmodestlyin2012afteraverystrong2011.ThePassenger

ShippingAssociationestimatesthat1.73millioncruiseholidayswillbetakenbyBritishpassengersin2012,

anincreaseofjustoveronepercentonthe2011figure. Rivercruisingisemergingasthefastestgrowing

sectorof

the

cruise

market

with

European

river

cruises

particularly

popular.

WeddingsabroadcontinuetobepopularandareseenasacheaperalternativetomarryingintheUKwhere

researchnowindicatestheaveragecostis20,000comparedto6,500abroad. Mintel,aleadingresearch

company,revealedin2011that1in5couples(18%)nowmarryabroad.

Foreignhoneymoonsareexpectedtogrowinpopularityin2012.Manycouplesarealsooptingforamini

mooninorclosetotheUKimmediatelyaftertheirweddingandthendelayingtheirhoneymoonoverseasto

capitaliseonbetterweatherorcheaperdeals.


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2. BudgetandluxurytravelThedownturnisexpectedtoseehighdemandforthebudgetandluxurymarketsin2012,withthemid

marketcomingunderthegreatestpressurefromreductionsinhouseholdspending.

2011was

astrong

year

for

all

inclusive

holidays

and

demand

for

this

type

of

holiday

looks

set

to

continue

into2012asbudgetconsciousholidaymakersfavourthetransparencyandcontrolallinclusiveholidays

provideoverfinances. ResortsinTunisia,alongtheYucatnPeninsulainMexicoandaroundtheRedSeain

Egyptarealllikelytooffergoodvalueandhighqualityaccommodationin2012.

Thehighendofthemarketlookssettoperformwellin2012.Attheluxuryendofthemarket,thereisa

growingtrendtowardsremoteanddiscreetholidays. Globalisationandovercommoditisationhasledhigh

endholidaymakerstoseekoutlocationsthatareoffthebeatentrackwithacertainkudosattachedtogoing

todestinationsthatarelesswelltrodden,suchasEthiopia,theGalapagosIslandsandAntarctica.

3. HotdestinationsUncertaineconomictimesarelikelytoseeBritonsputtheirfaithinplacestheyknowwellin2012this

suggestsdestinationslikeFrance,Italy,Greece,USA(Florida)andSpainwillfareparticularlywell.Early

summer2012bookingsforthesedestinationsarealllookinghealthy,whilenumbersareslightlydownin

otherdestinations,suchasEgyptandTunisia.

JanuaryandFebruaryarethemostpopulartimesforpeopletobookaholidayandwhilecertainareasof

NorthAfricacontinuetoexperienceunrest,holidaymakersshouldlookoutforgooddealsinareasthathave

returnedtorelativecalm.TunisiaandtheRedSeaResortsinEgyptinparticularwillberelativelyaffordable

withdealsonofferastravelcompanieslooktoluretouristsbackintotheseareas.

Destinationsto

watch

next

year

include:

Poland

and

Ukraine,

the

hosts

of

the

European

football

championships;Jordan,whichiscelebratingthe200thanniversaryoftherediscoveryofPetra;CapeVerde,

foritslowkeybeautyandrelaxingvibe;Iceland,asmeteorologistspredictaparticularlyspectacularyearfor

theAureliaBorealis;andColombiawhichoffersdiversecultureandbeautifullandscapes.

Spaincontinuestobethefavouritedestinationforfamilies,followedbytheUK,USA,FranceandGreece.

4. AgegrouptrendsTheover55s,orBabyBoomers,looksettoenjoylotsoftravelin2012asthegroupleastpreparedtogive

uptheirholidaysintimesofeconomicdifficulty.30%ofthoseaged5564tookmorethanfourholidaysin

theUK

in

the

twelve

months

to

September

2011

and

10%

took

more

than

four

holidays

abroad.

Cruise,

coachandrailholidaysareallexpectedtobepopularwiththisagegroupastheytendtobelesstime

pressuredthanyoungerholidaymakersandcanenjoythemoreleisurelypaceofthesetypesofholiday.

Holidayscontinuetobepopularwiththebackpackerbrigadewithoneintenunder24stakingmorethan

fourforeignholidaysayear.

Thoseagedbetween35and54tookthefewestnumberofholidaysin2011,suggestingthatitiscash

strappedfamilieswhohavebeenthehardesthitbycurrenteconomicconditions.


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5. OnlineVsHighStreetWhenitcomestoholidaybookinghabits,2012lookssettobeaninterestingyearwithchangesafootonthe

highstreetandanexplosioninmobilebookingapps.Whateverthebookingmethod,customersare

increasinglylooking

to

travel

companies

to

provide

highly

personalised

inspiration

and

ideas

based

on

their

tastesandbudgets.

Highstreetbookingshadabitofacomebackin2011;whileconsolidationsawoverallshopnumbersdecline,

bookingswereup,with25%ofthepublicbookingtheirforeignholidayonthehighstreetcomparedto17%

in2010.Perhapssurprisingly,thismethodofbookingwasmostpopularwithyoungerholidaymakers,with

nearlyathird(32%)of1524yearoldsbookingtheirholidayonthehighstreetcomparedtojust15%of45

54yearolds.Tocapitaliseonthisdemandforinpersonbooking,in2012severalmajortravelcompaniesare

expandingtheirhighstreetpresenceandwecanexpecttoseecompaniesadoptnewapproachestobetter

competewithanddifferentiatethemselvesfromonlineoutlets.

Followingthe

success

of

stores

like

Apple,

many

travel

companies

will

place

agreater

focus

on

creating

an

instoreexperiencein2012,movingawayfromrowsofbookingagentsbehinddeskstoprovidegreater

interactionandfunforcustomerstobetterreflecttheproducttheyarebuying. TechnologysuchasiPads

maybeusedtoenhancetheinstoreexperienceandmanycompaniesareinvestingmoreinthetrainingof

theirfrontlinestafftoensuretheyoffercustomersahighlevelofexpertise.

Onlinetravelcompaniesin2012arelikelytoinvestinmobileapps.Thebusinesstravellerisalreadywell

cateredfor,butin2012manymoreleisureprovidersareexpectedtogetonboardwithanexplosionof

consumersbuyingsmartphonesandothermobiledevices.Thechallengefortheindustryistokeepthe

bookingprocesssimplewhileaddingvaluebydoingthingsthatcannotbedonethroughwebsites.

Consumerscanalsoexpecttoseegreaterintegrationofoffandonlineadvertisingcampaigns,forexample

throughthe

use

of

QR

(quick

response)

codes

that

allow

customers

to

link

straight

through

to

booking

pages

usingtheirsmartphones.

6. LatebookingsTravelcompaniesareexpectingthatconsumerswillleaveitlatetobookin2012,liketheydidin2011,as

theycautiouslywaitandseewhathappenstothejobmarket,exchangeratesandtheeconomy.The

increaseinonlinebookinganddiscountsitessuchasGroupon,haveincreasedthebeliefthatitiseasyfor

holidaymakerstowaittothelastminute,however,inrealitymanyofthebestdealsarestilltobefoundfor

thosewhobookinadvancejustafterChristmas.Holidaymakersplanningonlastminutebargainsshouldbe

awarethatchoicecouldbelimited,particularlyiftheyarelookingforsomethingspecificsuchasfamily

deals.

7. SustainableTourismConsumerawarenessoftheenvironmentalimpactoftheirholidaysisexpectedtocontinuetorisein2012.

One inthreeholidaymakersnowbelievesthatholidaysshouldhaveanenvironmentalrating,suchasthat

offeredbytheABTAdevelopedTravelifeSustainabilitySystem.ABTAestimatesthatthisrepresentsoverten

millionpeopletakingforeignholidays.Thefigurehasgrownfrom29%in2010to33%in2011,andishigher

amongstwomen 38%. Theresearchalsosuggeststhatcompanieswhich invest inmakingtheirbusiness

better for theenvironment stand togaina competitiveedge,with19% (up2% from2010)ofconsumers

saying theyareprepared topaymore foraholidaywithacompany thathasabetterenvironmentaland

socialrecord.


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TheUnitedNationsConferenceonSustainableDevelopment(Rio+20)willtakeplaceinJune,wherenations

willcometogethertodiscusstheprogressmadeinthe20yearssincetheRioEarthSummitin1992andlook

towardsacommonfuturedirection.This is likelyto further increaseconsumerawarenessofsustainability

issues.

2012will

also

see

the

large

scale

introduction

of

the

new

Boeing

787

Dreamliner.

The

new

aircraft

is

20%

morefuelefficientthanaircraftofanequivalentsizeandisthefirsttouseextensivelycompositematerials

andisanimportantexampleoftechnologicaladvancesaddressingtheemissionsimpactofaviation.


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ObservationsfromtheForeignandCommonwealthOffice(FCO)TheForeignandCommonwealthOffice(FCO)dealtwithabout1.79millionconsularenquiriesfrom1April

2010to31March2011,andsupportedsome45,197Britsindifficultyabroad,fromvisitingthosewhohad

beenhospitalisedorarrested,torescuingcitizensfromforcedmarriages.

BritonsinDifficultyAsanindicationofthetypesofcasestheFCOdealswith,overtheperiodApril10March11,4,971Britons1

neededconsularassistanceinSpain.Therewere1,272BritisharrestsintheUSA,347deathsinThailand(of

which60%wereofnaturalcauses)and452BritonswerehospitalisedinGreece.Inadditiontoassistance

cases,FCOstaffaroundtheworlddealtwith1.79mconsularenquirieslastyear2.

1Lost/stolenpassportsarenotincludedinthefiguresbecauseinthevastmajorityofcases,theworkdone

byconsularstaffismainlydataentrywithnoadditionalassistancerequired

2Anenquiryisarequestforinformationthatdoesn'trequireanyfurtheractionfromtheFCOstaff

concerned.Acaserequiresactiontoassisttheindividualindealingwithwhateversituationtheyface.

Arrestsanddrugoffences1,745BritonswerearrestedinSpainlastyear,significantlymorethananyothercountry.Globally,arrestsfor

drugsoffencesformedasignificantpercentageofthetotal,andcontributedtoalmostaquarterofthetotal

arrestsinThailand.Therewere799totalarrestsfordrugoffencesworldwidewhichaccountedforarounda

seventhofallarrestableoffences.Chewinggum(Singapore),wearingswimwearawayfromthebeach

(Barcelona)oreatingnearchurches(Florence)areallagainstthelawinsomecountriesorregions,

highlightingtheneedforBritonstocarefullyresearchtheareatowhichtheyaretravelling.Locallawsand

customs

can

vary

from

the

UK

significantly

and

ignorance

of

these

laws

can

lead

to

more

severe

punishmentsthanintheUK.

HospitalisationsanddeathsThehighestnumberofhospitalisationsoccurredinSpain(1,024),followedbyGreece(452),Thailand(246),

France(228),theUSA(150)andTurkey(143).Manyofthesehospitalisationswereduetomopedand

motorbikeaccidentsaswellasdrinkrelatedincidentssuchasbalconyfalls.Alloftheseincidentsescalate

overthesummermonthswiththeincreaseinconsumptionofalcoholanddrugs.Therewere5,972reported

deathsofUKcitizensabroadincludingnaturalcauses,accidentaldeathsandmurders.

PassportsLostorstolenpassportswerebyfarthemostfrequentproblemencounteredbyBritishtouristswith25,969

reportedincidentsworldwide.TheFCOrecommendsphotocopyingimportantdocumentssuchasyour

passportandstoringthemseparatelyfromtheoriginalsifappropriate,onasecuredatastoragesiteonline

tospeedupthereplacementprocesses.Variouscountriescontinuetoreportincreasesinscamsandthefts

ofBritishpassportssotravellersareadvisedtostayvigilant.

ThisreportcontainsfactsandtraveladvicefromtheForeignandCommonwealthOffice.Forcomprehensive

anduptodatetraveladvicevisitwww.fco.gov.uk/traveltofindthelatestinformationforthecountryyou

arevisiting.


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2012DomesticOutlookStillridinghighfromtheWillsandKateeffect,theUKlookssettohaveafurtherboostin2012withthe

Olympics,ParalympicsandtheQueensDiamondJubilee.Theseeventswillbeastrongpullforboth

internationalvisitorsanddomesticholidaymakers.

TheDiamondJubileeisbeingcelebratedwithadoublebankholidaygivingmanypeopleafourdayweekend

inJune(25),providingagreatopportunityforholidaysathomeandabroad. WiththesuccessfulRoyal

Weddingcelebrationsstillfreshinpeoplesminds,manystreetsandtownsarelikelytoholdtheirownstreet

partiesandfestivities.

InthesummertheOlympicGameswillbeamomentouseventfortheUKandLondoninparticular.With8.8

millionticketssold,theCapitalwillbebusyduringthetwoweekevent.WhileLondonwillbethecentreof

theaction,eventsarealsotakingplaceacrossthecountryinWeymouth(Sailing),Broxbourne(Canoeing),

andHadleigh(MountainBikes)whileManchester,Newcastle,Cardiff,Coventry,GlasgowandWembleywill

allhostfootballmatches.

TheTorchRelayprovidesanopportunityforallareasofthecountrytoshineandcelebrate,takingplace

between18Mayto27July.TherelaystartsinLandsEnd,CornwallmovingtotheNorthviaWales,theIsle

ofMan,andNorthernIrelandacrosstoScotlandreachingtheShetlandIslandson10June.Thetorchthen

headsSouthviaEdinburgh,headingalongtheeastcoastandintoEastAnglia,continuingitsjourneyintothe

SouthEastandChannelIslandsbeforearrivingintoLondoninlateJuly.

Filmsoftenprovideaboostfortourismand2012isnodifferent.InMarchwewillseethelongawaited

openingoftheWarnerBros.StudioTour TheMakingofHarryPotterinLondon.Potteraficionadoswillhave

thechancetodiscovertheiconicsetsofthefilmincludingtheGreatHall,Dumbledoresoffice,theboys

dormitory,theWeasleyskitchenandmanymore.

ScotlandisembracingitselfforthereleaseofthenewDisneyPixarfilmBrave,beingreleasedinJune.Itis

anewtaletojoinmanyoftheepicbattlesandmysticallegendsofScotlandwhereacourageousgirl,Merida,

confrontstradition,destinyandthefiercestofbeaststodiscoverthetruemeaningofbravery.

ScotlandwillcontinuethecelebrationoftheOlympicsandParalympicGamesinAugustwithaSpeedofLight

festivalatArthursSeat,Edinburgh.Thefestivalisamassparticipationeventbringingtogethersportand

innovation;runnerswillwearspeciallydesignedlightsuitsatnighttoilluminatethehillsidewhilstthe

audiencewillalsogeneratelightcreatingaspectacularsightonthehillsideinEdinburgh.

InNorthernIrelandthecentenaryoftheTitanicwillbecommemoratedinAprilinBelfast.TheTitanicwas

builtin

Belfast

and

2012

sees

the

opening

of

amulti

million

pound

Titanic

Belfast

visitor

attraction,

enabling

thevisitortorelivethestoryoftheillfatedship.

InWales,2012marksthecelebrationofthe100thBirthdayoftheNationalShowcavesCentreforWales.The

FfestiniogandWelshHighlandRailwaysarejoiningtoenablerailenthusiaststotravelforthefirsttimealong

the40milesofnarrowgaugetrackfromCaernarfontoBlaeneuFfestiniogthroughtheSnowdoniaNational

Park,makingitthelongestheritagerailwayrouteinBritain.

Forwalkingenthusiasts,the850milescoastlineofWalesisopeningtowalkersinMay2012,makingitoneof

theonlycountriesintheworldwherevisitorscanwalktheentirecoastlinealongmarkedtrails.


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ABTAsDestinationstoWatch2012LonghaulColombiaMostfirsttimevisitorstoColombiaareadvisedtoheadtothenorthofthecountrytothebeautifulcolonial

walledcityofCartagena.BuiltbytheSpanishasabaseforprotectionagainstmostlyEnglishpirates,

CartagenaisaUNESCOworldheritagesiteandacityofbeautifulsquaresdottedwithcathedrals,churches

andrestaurants.CartagenaisastoppingoffportonmanyCaribbeancruisesandnotfarfromthecityarethe

27RosarioIslands,anationalparkwhichhassomeofthemostunspoiltbeachesintheCaribbean.Likemost

SouthAmericancountriesColombiahasatastyandvariedcuisinewithanemphasisonfreshingredients.If

youfindyourselfinColombiaintherainyseasonyoumayevenbeofferedtheunusualdelicacyofants,

whichareregardedasapotentaphrodisiac!

Visitorsto

Colombias

capital

Bogota

will

find

an

interesting

architectural

mix

of

colonial

and

modern

architecture.Thecityhasbenefitedfromrecentinvestmentinrenovatingsomeofthemorehistoricpartsof

town.Itboastsavibrantrestaurantandnightlifescene,packedwithlocals,touristsandpeoplefromallover

Colombia.

AlthoughthesafetyandsecuritysituationinColombiahasimprovedconsiderablyinrecentyears,visitorsto

thecountryareadvisedtotakesensibleprecautionsandtoreadandfollowtheForeignOfficetraveladvice

tothecountry.

DominicanRepublicTheDominicanRepublicisalivelyCaribbeanislandofferingpristinesandybeaches,colourfulstreetlifeand

enoughadventureandwatersportstosatisfyeventhemostextremeadrenalinjunkie. Theeastcoastoffers

40kilometresofbeautifulwhitesandbeaches,atthecentreofwhichisthelowslungresorttownofPunta

Cana,thelargestandfastestgrowingtouristdestinationintheCaribbean. Aswellasitsbeaches,PuntaCana

offersgreatwatersportsandanecologicalparkwherevisitorscanhaveguidedtourstoseemanydifferent

typesofbirdsandplants.OthernotableresortsontheislandincludeCabareteonthenorthcoast,whichisa

surfersparadiseandPennsuladeSaman,anidyllictropicalhideaway. Forthosewantingabreakfrom

beachlife,thecapitalSantoDomingoofferslivelystreetlifeandprettycobblestonestreets.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice Colombiacontinuestohaveahighrateofkidnappingforransom.Streetcrimeisalsoaproblem

inmajorcities,particularlyindeprivedareas.

Duringtherainyseason(AprilJuneandSeptemberNovember),thereisariskoffloodsandlandslidesafterheavyrainsthroughouttheColombianAndes.Seeklocaladvicebeforetravelling

onmountainroadsafterheavyrain.

AirporttaxforinternationaldeparturesforvisitorswhostayinColombiaforlessthanthreemonthsisUS$34.ForstaysinexcessofthreemonthsthetaxisUS$68.However,thecharge

dependsonthetypeofvisawithwhichyouareissued.


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Mexico2012issettobeMexicosyearwiththeMayancalendarcomingtotheendofa5,125yearcycle,which

optimistspredictwillheraldthestartofanewspiritualera(thoughpessimistsfeartheendoftheworld).So

letsbeoptimistic!ThecountryisshowcasingitsMayanheritagebothcontemporaryandhistoricalin2012.

ThemajorityofUKtouristsarelikelytoheadtothebeautifulCaribbeanbeachesoftheYucatnpeninsula

withtheresortsofCancunandCozumelleadingtheway.Theresorttown,PlayaDelCarmen,just50minutes

southofCancunisemergingasagreatdestinationforfamiliesthankstoitssandywhitebeaches,fantastic

restaurantsandrangeofactivitiesonoffer. Thoselookingforhistoryareadvisedtobasethemselvesinthe

colonialtownofCampeche.ForsomethingalittlebitdifferentintheYucatn,holidaymakerscanvolunteer

forthenotforprofitgroupElHombreSobrelaTierrastayingwithlocalinhabitants,gettingfirsthand

experienceofMayancuisineandlifestylesaswellasworkingonarangeofecoprojects.Fromgourmet

gastronomythrough

to

traditional

Mayan

culture,

action

and

adventure

travel

and

eco

tourism,

Mexico

has

somethingforeveryone.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice AccordingtotheMexicanauthorities,touristnumbersfromtheUKareupby20%in2011over

numbersin2010.

MostvisitstoMexicobyBritonsareproblemfree,butcrimeandviolenceareseriousproblemsinspecificareas.VisitorsareadvisedtotravelonlyduringdaylighthoursthroughoutMexico,to

seekadvicefromlocalcontacts,andavoidtraveloffthebeatentrack.

Inordertoreduceairpollution,MexicoCityandsomeotherregionsofthecountryhaveintroducedrestrictionsondrivingsuchasforbiddingcarsfromenteringcertainareasonparticulardays,basedontheirnumberplates.Thisappliesequallytopermanent,temporaryand

foreignplates,andisstrictlyenforced.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice YoumustholdavalidpassporttoentertheDominicanRepublic.Yourpassportmustbevalid

foraminimumperiodofsixmonthsfromthedateofyourdeparturefromtheDominican

Republic.

Mostlocaltourcompaniesofferingexcursions,watersports,jeepandquadbikerental,horseridingetcdonotprovideinsurancecover,soyoumustcheckthetermsandconditionsofyour

travelinsurancepolicybeforeundertakinganysuchactivities.

BeparticularlyalertifyoutravelfromtheairportLasAmericasinSantoDomingoatnight.Therehavebeenseveralreportsofpassengersbeingstoppedandrobbedand/orassaulteden

routetotheirfinaldestination.Mostattackshaveoccurredearlyinthemorningorlateat

night.


13/20

12

SriLankaThehostofthe2012CricketChampionshipsisexpecting4milliontouristsin2012,drawnnotonlybythe

cricketbutbythestunningbeaches,interestingcultureanddeliciousfood.Theislandisidealforadventure

holidayswithmanytouroperatorsofferingwhaleanddolphinwatchingpackages.Inland,travellerscan

discoverbeautiful

waterfalls

and

tea

plantations

often

shrouded

in

an

enigmatic

early

morning

mist.

With

beautifulscenery,greatweather,magnificentbeachesandawarmwelcomefromtheSriLankanpeople,

thereisnodoubtthatanyonetravellingtowatchthetwoTestseriesinMarchandApril2012willwantto

makethemostoftheirstay.

TheUSATheUSAisalwaysapopulardestinationfortheBrits,beingthethirdmostvisiteddestinationbyUKresidents

in2010(ONS)andvotedoneofthetopUKdestinationsforfamiliesin2011(ABTAConsumerSurvey2011).

In2012,theUSwillbefirmlyonthepoliticalmapintherunuptotheNovemberUSPresidentialelections.NewYorkremainsapopularcityforshoppingbreaksforUKtouristsandwontdisappointin2012.Florida

willcontinuetoattracttouristswithitsyearroundwarmweatherandgreatfamilyattractions.Anew

LegolandWaterParkwillopeninspring2012andUniversalStudioswillgo3DwiththereanimatedAmazing

AdventuresofSpiderManrideandDespicableMe.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice TheUSVisaWaiverProgramme(VWP)allowsmostBritishtravellerstovisitforupto90days

withoutavisa. Todoso,visitorsneedtoprovidedetailsonlineatleast72hourspriortotravel

throughthe

Electronic

System

for

Travel

Authorisation

or

ESTA,

at

acost

of

US$14.

Lawsvaryfromstatetostate,includingspeedlimitsandtheageofconsent.Sodoestheageatwhichyoumaylegallybuyandconsumealcohol,butthisisusually21years.

ThehurricaneseasonnormallyrunsfromJunetoNovemberandcanaffectthewholeofthesouthernUSA.YoucanmonitortheprogressofstormsontheUSNationalHurricane

Centrewebsite.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice AlthoughthemilitaryconflictinSriLankainvolvingtheLTTE(theTamilTigers)endedinMay

2009,thereisacontinuedmilitarypresenceinpartsofthecountry. Someareaswereheavily

mined,sooperationscontinuetoclearminefields.Therearesignsprovidingwarningsofmined

areasbutyoushouldexercisecaution.

Youcanbefinedifyouignoreinstructionsnottosmokeordrinkincertainpublicareas. Anewonlinevisaapplicationprocess,theElectronicTravelAuthority(ETA),willbecomefully

operationalfrom1January2012.FurtherdetailscanbeobtainedfromtheETAofficialwebsite

oftheDepartmentofImmigrationandEmigration.


14/20

13

MidhaulCapeVerdeThetentinyislandsofCapeVerdearesettoofferapopularallyearroundsunoptionin2012withnewflight

routes

for

the

summer

opening

up

from

Gatwick

and

Manchester.

A

blend

of

African,

Brazilian

and

Portuguesecultures,CapeVerdehasbeendubbedtheAfricanCaribbean.Wellservedbytouroperatorsand

onlysixhoursflightfromtheUK,theislandsofferalaidbackandrelaxingvibe.

OneofthemostpopularisSal,whichisknownforitsstrikinglunarlikelandscape.Itsalsodottedwith

rainbowcolouredtowns,likeSantaMaria,whosecobbledstreetshugtheislandssouthernshores.BoaVista

isfamedforits55kmofpristinebeacheswiththebeachofPraiaChavestandingoutthankstoitssnow

whitesandsandshapeshiftingdunes.Alsoatcertaintimesoftheyearitsagoodbaseforturtleandwhale

watching.SaoVicenteisknownastheculturalcapitaloftheislandsandtheplacetogotocatchthemost

authenticmusicandnightlife.

CapeVerdecuisineisadeliciousmixtureofAfricanandPortugueseinfluenceswithaheavyemphasison

freshingredientsparticularlyfishandotherseaproduce,whicharefoundinabundanceinthewatersaround

theislands.CapeVerdeoffersanexoticandinterestingalternativeforthoselookingforsomethingalittle

outoftheordinary.

EgyptWhilecontinuingpoliticalunrestmayaffectEgyptscapitalCairointherunuptothespringpresidential

elections,thetouristdestinationsontheRedSeaRivieraarealongdistanceawayandremainsafefor

holidaymakers.Thebudgetconsciouscanexpecttoseesomeexcellentdealsonhighqualityresorts,

including

all

inclusive

holidays.

The

resorts

of

Sharm

El

Sheikh

and

Hurghada

are

ideal

for

families

as

they

arepackedwithgreatactivities,includingdivingschoolsandsnorkelling,andhaveshallowwaterforyoung

children.ThosewantingtoseesomeofEgyptsancientcultureshouldvisit,ortakeacruise,toLuxoronthe

banksoftheNilewherecantheyvisitthefamousAncientValleyoftheKings,includingTutankhamens

tomb.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice EgyptisapopulardestinationforBritishtourists;1,455,906Britishnationalsvisitedin2010

(Source:EgyptianMinistryofTourism).Mostvisitsaretroublefree.

YoushouldcarrysomeformofphotographicIDatalltimes.Acopyofyourpassportissufficient. TheEgyptianChamberofDivingandWaterSports(CDWS)websiteprovidesregularupdateson

divingconditions

in

Sharm

el

Sheikh.

In2010,BritishconsularstaffinEgypthandled25casesofsexualassaultandthreecasesofrape.Someassaultswereagainstminors.Manyoccurredinwhatwereconsideredtobesafe

environmentse.g.hotelpremises.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice TherainyseasoninCapeVerderunsfromAugusttoOctober. Hurricanescandevelopinthis

time. Torrentialrainscancausefloodsandlandslides.Youshouldmonitorlocalweatherreports

andexpectdifficultieswhentravellingtoaffectedareasduringthisseason.

CrimeratesinCapeVerdearelowbuttherehavebeenincidentsofmuggingsinvolvingBritishnationals. Youshouldavoidcarryingvaluablesinpublicandremainvigilantatalltimes. The

localequivalent

to

the

999

emergency

line

in

Cape

Verde

is:

132

(police)

and

131

(fire).

TheCapeVerdeEscudoistiedtotheEuroatCVEsc110.265=1Euro.Bankswillexchangehardcurrencies.Mainhotelsandrestaurantswillacceptthemajorcreditcards.


15/20

14

Greece2012lookssettobeanothertoughyearforGreeceandthecountryislikelytoencouragetourismtohelpits

economicrecovery.Pricesforfoodandaccommodationlookliketheymaybecheaperthanin2011and

thereshouldbelotsofgoodvaluepackagesonoffer.TheislandofCreteisoneofGreecesstarattractions,

offeringsomething

for

everyone

with

gorgeous

beaches

and

mountains,

lively

nightlife

and

fascinating

architecturalheritage.Forthosewantingtoexplore,islandhoppingremainsapopularoptionandthereare

nowlotsofdifferenttypesofGreekislandcruisestosuiteverytasteandbudget.

JordanTheJordanTourismboardislaunchingamajorcampaignnextyear,doublingitsUKadvertisingspendinthe

hopetoattractmorevisitors.JordanstourismrockstarisPetra,the8,000yearoldNabateancitylistedas

oneofthenewSevenWondersoftheAncientWorld,and2012marksthe200thanniversaryofthe

rediscoveryofthemagicallostcity;therewillbelotsofspecialeventsforvisitorstocommemoratethe

occasion. PriceshavehistoricallybeenhighinJordanbuthavecomedownrecentlythankstothearrivalof

budgetcarriers,whileoperatorshaveaddedmorevalueaccommodationoptions.AsidefromPetratourists

canenjoysightssuchasWadiRum,thedesertfeaturedinLawrenceofArabia,andtheancientcitiesof

JerashandMadaba,aswellasenjoyingthefriendlyandwelcominghospitality.Itshistoryandtourist

infrastructuremakeitoneofthemostaccessibleArabstatesforEnglishspeakingtravellers.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice YouneedanentryvisatoJordan.Youcanobtainsingleentryvisas,validforonemonth,on

arrivalatanyportofentry,exceptfortheKingHusseinBridgeattheJordan/Israelborder.A

singleentryvisacosts20JordanianDinars.

Thetemperatureinsummermonthscanreachover40degreesCelsius.Visitorsshouldusehighfactorsunblock,anddrinkplentyofwatertoavoiddehydration.

YoumustundergoanHIVtestifyouintendtostayinJordanformorethan30days,eitherasaresidentorasalongtermvisitor. Thefeetoobtainthehealthcertificateiscurrently20

JordanianDinars.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice Calling999fromaUKmobileinGreecewillautomaticallytransferyoutotheGreekemergency

services. TheplantKhatisanillegalnarcoticinGreece.Youwillbearrestedanddetainedwiththe

possibilityofaprisonsentenceifyouarecaughttryingtotakeKhatintoGreece.

Whenhiringacar,moped,quadbike,boat,jetskiorothervehicle,checkthatitisroadorseaworthyandthatyouhaveappropriateinsurancecoverandsafetyequipment.Greeklaw

requiresyoutowearacrashhelmetonascooter,mopedormotorcycle.Quadbikeriders

requireafullfacehelmet(ornonfullfacehelmetplusgoggles). Youmaybearrestedifyoudo

notcomply.Failuretowearacrashhelmetmightalsoinvalidateyourinsuranceifyouare

involvedinanaccident.Ifyouintendtohireamopedyourequireavaliddrivinglicencewithat

leastcategoryA1'lightmotorcycle.CategoryPwhichisvalidintheUKfordrivingmopedsup

to50cc,isnotvalidinGreece.


16/20

15

TurkeyInthelast15yearsTurkeyhasgonefromanexoticbutrarelyvisiteddestination,toafirmfavouriteforUK

holidaymakers.Overthelastfiveyears,thecountryhasseena50%increaseinforeignvisitors.Asa

destinationTurkeyhasitallwithitsstunningbeaches,beautifulandvariedcountryside,warmand

welcomingpeople

and

one

of

the

worlds

great

cities.

In

2012,

Istanbul

is

set

to

continue

its

march

to

join

Rome,ParisandLondonasoneofthemustseeEuropeancapitalcities.

ThemainbeachresortsforBritsremainBodrum,MarmarisandAntalya,buttherearemanymorebeach

optionsavailable,fromthesophisticatedresortofAlacatinearIzmir,tothelargelyundevelopedcoastnear

Iskenderuminthefareastofthecountry.ForgolffansBelekinAntalyaoffers17stateoftheartcoursesand

willhosttheABTATravelConventioninOctober.Turkeyisalsohometosomeofthebestpreservedclassical

ruinsintheMediterraneanwiththesitesofPergamon,Troyand,mostspectacularofall,thecityofEphesus

nearKusadasi,whichmakesPompeiilooklikeasmallvillage.InlandtheareaofCappadociadottedwith

otherworldlyrockformationsisamustseesightasyoudriftatsunriseunderahotairballoonhaving

checkedoutofyouruniquehotelhollowedintoacave.

Fromacurrencyperspective,Turkeylookssettodowellinthefirsthalfof2012,aslongasthepound

continuestoperformasitdidinlate2011.LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice

Generallycrimeislow,butstreetrobberyandpickpocketingarecommoninthemajortouristareasofIstanbul.Youshouldbewaryofapproachesfromstrangersofferingtochangemoney,

offeringfoodanddrinkorofferingtotakeyoutoarestaurantornightclub.

In201040casesofsexualassaults,includingrape,werereportedtoourConsularstaffinTurkey.Themajorityofthesecasesoccurredduringthesummerholidayperiodincoastal

touristareasinSouthWesternTurkey.Mostoccurredlateatnightandmostassaultswere

committedbysomeonethatthevictimhadmetduringtheevening.

Turkeyhasstrictlawsagainsttheuse,possessionortraffickingofillegaldrugs.Ifyouareconvicted

of

any

of

these

offences,

you

can

expect

to

receive

aheavy

fine

or

aprison

sentence

offourto24years.

Beawarethatalcoholanddrugscanleadtoyoubeinglessalert,lessincontrolandlessawareofyourenvironment.Ifyouaregoingtodrink,knowyourlimit.Rememberthatdrinksservedin

barsoverseasareoftenstrongerthanthoseintheUK.Inallcircumstances,youshouldbuyyour

owndrinksandkeepsightofthematalltimestomakesuretheyarenotspiked.


17/20

16

ShorthaulIcelandandAuroraBorealis2012issettobeanexplosiveyearfortheAuroraBorealis,asbetweennowandwinter2013,Earth

willbear

witness

to

asolar

maxim.

This

peak

in

the

suns

11

year

cycle

produces

surges

of

electrically

chargedsubatomicparticlesfuellingspectaculardisplaysfromAuroraBorealis,andIcelandisoneofthebest

locationstowitnesstheshow.Manytouroperatorsareofferingcombinedwhalewatching,dogsledding

andvolcanotourstoboostinterestfurther.Itisalsocheaperthanithasbeeninpreviousyearstovisit

Icelandduetothecurrentexchangerates.

Poland/UkraineAs

joint

hosts

of

the

2012

European

Championship

thousands

of

football

fans

will

be

getting

their

first

taste

ofthesebeautifulandvariedcountries.

EnglandhaswiselychosenthebeautifulcityofKracowasitsbase.Centredaroundanidyllicmainsquareand

WawelCathedral,theWestminsterAbbeyofPoland,Kracowisalsoashorttrainridefromthesaltmineof

Wieliczkawithgalleries,chapelsandsculpturescarvedfromsaltandtheintenselymovingwarningfrom

historycontainedinanexhibitatAuschwitz.ThoseofyouwhocouldntgetintotheLeonardoDaVinci

exhibitioninLondonin2011canseethepostergirlGirlwithanErminebackinherKrakowhome.Polandis

alsohometosomeofthemostunspoiltnatureandcountrysideinEurope.Threeareasstandout,the

lakelandareaofMasuria,PolandsanswertoCumbria,theTatramountainswhereyes,youcangoskiingand

theuntouchedBialowiezaforestwhichprovidesatasteofwhatmainlandEuropewouldhavebeenlikefor

ourmedieval

ancestors.

Due

in

part

to

the

large

Polish

community

in

the

UK,

we

are

well

served

with

air

routestoPoland.

TheUkraineissettohittheUKtourismradarwhenithostsEnglandsopeninggameintheEuropean

Championship.TheUkraineisalreadytheeighthmostpopulartourismdestinationinEuropewith21m

visitorsin2010.Itisanenormouscountrywithhistoriccities,castlesandbeautifulnaturereserves.Kiev,the

capital,isunderthreehoursflyingfromtheUKandcontainstwoUNESCOworldheritagesites:theStSophia

CathedralandPecherskLaraMonasteryaswellastheaweinspiring203fttallWW2statueMother

Motherlandmadefromshiningtitanium.Alotofmoneyhasbeenspentinrecentyearssprucingupthe

centreoftownandvisitorswillfindawiderangeofgoodqualityhotelsaswellasverylivelynightlifeand

bars.OdessaontheBlackSeacoastwasonceafavouriteoftheRussianaristocracyandboastsbeautiful

Italianand

French

style

buildings

as

well

as

long

sandy

beaches,

and

for

film

buffs,

the

Potemkin

steps

immortalisedbydirectorSergeiEisenstein.TheUkraineisameccaforthemoreactivewithitsnationalparks

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice Manyhighlandtracksonlyopenforashortpartofthesummer.Ifyouintendtodrivetothe

highland,orremoterregionsofthecountry,youshouldalwayscheckfirstwiththeIcelandic

RoadAdministration(Vegagerdin)beforedeparture

WhalemeatisavailableinIcelandbuttouristsshouldbeawarethatitsimportationintotheUK/EUisillegalundertheConventiononInternationalTradeinEndangeredSpecies.Any

importationofwhalemeattotheUKwillresultinseizureofthegoods,possiblyafineofupto

5,000andacustodialsentence.

Smokinginrestaurants,bars,publictransportandpublicbuildingsisprohibited.Anyonecaughtsmokingwillinitiallybeaskedtoleavethepremises.Failuretodosowillresultinarrestanda

fine.


18/20

17

providingawealthofchoiceforskiing,climbing,hikingandcycling.Donetsk,whichhostsanotherof

Englandsmatches,isakeyindustrialcitybasedaroundsteelproductionasitstwinningwithSheffield

shows,butfanswithtimetospendbeforeorafterthematchshouldheadforthe2.5kmleafyPushkin

Boulevardwhichislinedwithcafesandbars.

SerbiaSerbiaissettotakeitsplaceontheUKtouristmapin2012.ThecapitalBelgrademakesanidealcitybreak

andisfamousforitswelcomingatmosphereandexcitingnightlife.TheriverSavawhichflowsthroughthe

city,islinedwithbargeswhichdoubleupasbarsandcafesandinthesummertheactionmovestotheisland

ofAdaCilganlijawhichhasover7kmofbeachesandsportsfacilities.ForcultureloversBelgradehasmany

museumsandarchitecturalgemsincludingthechurchofSaintSavaandtheWhitePalaceMuseum.

SerbiassecondcityNoviSadhasbeendevelopingareputationinrecentyearsastheplacetogotocatch

someof

the

worlds

best

bands

at

afraction

of

the

price

you

would

pay

in

the

UK.

The

EXIT

festival

takes

placefrom1215July2012andhasinrecentyearsattractedactsofthecalibreofArcadeFire,Pulp,Fatboy

SlimandPortishead.Thisyearslineuphasyettobeconfirmedbutsavvyhipstersareadvisedtobookearly

toavoiddisappointment.

Spain2011wasanexcellentyearforSpainwithvisitornumbersfromtheUKrisingby10%,cementingitsposition

asthemostpopularoverseasdestinationforUKholidaymakers.Votedthemostfamilyfriendlycountryin

the2011ABTAConsumerTrendssurvey,2012shouldseeitcontinuetomakeupsomeofthedownturnin

visitornumbers

caused

by

sterlings

fall

in

2009.

The

majority

of

UK

visitors

in

2012

will

head

off

to

the

BalearicandCanaryIslandsandthevariousCostasforbeachholidays.Barcelonaremainsnumberonefor

Lawsand

customs

Did

you

know

facts

and

FCO

Advice

TheUEFAEuro2012ChampionshipswillbeheldinPolandandUkraineinJune2012. Ifyouplan

toattend,organiseyourtravelandaccommodationwellinadvance. Distancesbetweenvenue

citiesaresignificant.

Polishpolicetakeastrictapproachtopublicdrunkennessandiffoundtobedrunkinapublicplaceyoumaybetakentoadryingoutclinicwhereadoctorornursewillmedicallyassessyou.

Youwillnotbereleaseduntilyouhavesoberedupandthismaynecessitateanovernightstay.

Youwillberequiredtopayforthecostofthestay.

YoushouldcarryyourpassportatalltimesinUkraineforIDpurposes.Policeoftencarryoutpassportchecksonforeignnationals,particularlyintheKhreschatik(central)areaofKyiv.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice OnenteringSerbia,makesureyougetanentrystampinyourpassportfromtheborderpolice.

Temporaryresidents(inthecountryformorethan90days)shouldhaveexitentryvisasaswell

asresidencestampsintheirpassports.

You

will

be

required

to

declare

money

(including

travellers

cheques)

in

excess

of

10,000

(or

equivalentinothercurrencies)thatyoubringintoSerbia.

RabiesiscommoninSerbia,largelyinparksandtheoutskirtsofmajorcities,includinginareasthathavepreviouslybeenrabiesfreefordecades.


19/20

18

citybreaksbutMadrid,GrenadaandSevillearegrowingsubstantiallyinpopularity.In2012Spainis

concentratingitseffortsinpublicisingsomeofthelesswellknownpartsofthepeninsula.TheBasqueand

GalicianregionsofNorthernSpainarefamousthroughoutthecountryfortheexceptionalqualityoftheir

foodwiththecoastalresortofSanSebastianleadingtheway.ThesetwoareasandAsturiasareknownas

greenSpain,withbeautifulheavilywoodedhillsandmountainsandruggeddramaticcoastlinesreminiscent

ofCornwall.

Further

south,

the

medieval

towns

of

Toledo,

Salamanca

and

Avila

are

all

easily

accessible

from

theUK.SpainsclimateseesgoodweatherfromApriloftenuntilearlyNovember,witheveninwinter,sunny,

relativelywarmweatherbeingcommoninthesouthandontheislandsmakingaholidayvisitagoodbet

outsideofthemainsummermonths.

TunisiaAftertheuprisingsearlierthisyear,stabilityhasreturnedtoTunisiaanditiswellplacedtoattractattention

in2012.Offeringyearroundsunshine,longstretchesofsandybeachesanda3,000yearculturalheritage,

Tunisiacontinuestooffergoodvalueholidayswithgreatexcursionsandhistoricsitestoexplore.While

touristarrivalsfellby35%in2011,officialsarepredictingareturntotherecordbreakingnumbersofBritish

visitorsseenin2010,whenTunisiawelcomed353,282Britishvisitors.TUIandThomasCookhaveboth

increasedtheirTunisiancapacityfor2012inanticipationofthis.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice Insomecitycentresandresorts,thievesposingaspoliceofficersonfootpatrolmayapproach

touristsandasktoseetheirwalletsforidentificationpurposes.Ifthishappenstoyou,becareful.

Firstestablishthattheofficersaregenuine.IfthepolicerequestID,eithershowthemyour

passport,driverslicenceorotherphotographicidentification.Genuinepoliceofficersdonot

requestto

see

wallets

or

purses.

Ifanaccidentoccurswhilstmountaineering,canyoning,potholingorclimbing,orifyoubecomelostinthemountainsorotherareasrequiringmountainrescue,call112fortheemergency

servicesor062fortheCivilGuard.

InBarcelonaitisagainstthelawtobeinthestreetwearingonlyabikiniorswimmingshorts/trunks.Beingbarechestedorgoingfullynudehasalsobeenbanned.Theonlyexception

tothislawiswhenyouareonthebeach,theseafrontpromenadeortheadjacentstreets.Failure

torespectthislawmayresultinafine.

LawsandcustomsDidyouknowfactsandFCOAdvice InthecoastalholidayresortsthedresscodeisverymuchlikeanyEuropeancityortouristarea.If

visitingthe

main

cities,

religious

sites

or

more

remote

areas

of

Tunisia,

dress

more

modestly

and

avoidanyarticlesofclothingwhichmaycauseoffence.Toplesssunbathingonbeachesmay

causeoffence.

Inthecaseofprescriptionmedication,werecommendthatyoucarryanotefromyourGPconfirmingthatthemedicationhasbeenprescribedforanexistingcondition.

ItisnotpermittedtoremoveantiquitiesfromTunisiawithoutfirstobtainingpermissionfromCustomsauthorities.Failuretodosocouldresultinlengthydelaysondeparture,finesand/or

imprisonment.


20/20

19

FCOGeneralAdviceTheFCOhasasimplemessagefortravellers:inordertohaveagreattimewhileyoureaway,youjustneed

tomakethenecessarypreparationsbeforeyougo.

BeforeBritons

travel

abroad,

the

FCO

advises

some

key

preparation

steps:

Doalittleresearchonyourdestination. Thisiskeytohelpingyougetthemostoutofyourtripandavoidunnecessarytrouble. Getagoodguidebook,andmakesureyouknowaboutthelocallaws

andcustoms. CheckouttheFCOtraveladviceonwww.fco.gov.uk/travelforthelatestinformation,

includingcountryspecifictraveladviceandtoptipsforsafetravel. Youcansignupforupdateson

thegoonwww.facebook.com/fcotravelortwitter.com/fcotravel.

TheFCOisencouragedtoseeanincreaseintakeupofannualtravelinsurancebyBritonsheadingoffaroundtheworld. However,sometravellersarestillnottakingoutanyoradequateinsurance. It

isreallyimportanttotakeoutcomprehensivetravelinsuranceandreadthesmallprintsoyouknow

youarecoveredforeverythingyouwanttodoonholidayforexample,youmayneedtoextend

yourcover

for

certain

activities

such

as

riding

mopeds

or

jet

skiing.

IftravellingwithintheEuropeanEconomicArea(EEA)orSwitzerland,getafreeEuropeanHealthInsuranceCard(EHIC)togiveyoufreeorreducedcostemergencycare. Youstillneedfulltravel

insurancethough! Alsoremember,youcancall112tocontacttheemergencyservicesinanyEU

country.

Takeenoughmoneywithyou,andmakesureyouhaveaccesstoemergencyfunds. Dontkeepallyourmoneyinthesameplace.

Checkoutthemedicalrequirementsforyourdestinationwellinadvance. Ifyoutakeprescriptionmedication,makesureitislegalwhereyouaregoing,andpackenoughforyourwholetripplusa

fewdaysincaseyouaredelayedreturninghome.

Checkyourpassportisvalidforyourfulltrip(somecountriesrequire6monthsvalidityfromtheendof

your

visit),

and

has

next

of

kin

details

filled

in.

You

can

renew

it

up

to

nine

months

before

it

expires,andtheremainingtimewillbeaddedtothenewone. Besureyouhaveallnecessaryvisas.

Makecopiesofimportanttraveldocuments,andkeepthemseparatelyfromtheoriginalseitheronpaperoronlineonasecuredatastoragesite.

TellsomeoneintheUKwhereyouaregoing,andleaveemergencycontactdetailswiththem. Makesureyourmobilephonewillworkabroadandthatyoupackthecharger. Ifyouplantodrive,familiariseyourselfwithlocaldrivinglawsandmakesureyourlicenceis

currentandvalidwhereyouaregoing.

FindoutwhereyournearestBritishEmbassyorConsulatewillbeandtaketheirnumbers.

WhatFCOcanandcannotdotohelpBritishnationalsabroadFCOspriorityisprotectingthewelfareofBritishnationalsabroadandtheywilldotheirbesttoassistpeoplewhentheysufferseriousproblemsabroad.

TheFCOcan:Issueyouwithanemergencytraveldocument

Giveyoualistoflocallawyers,interpreters,

doctorsorfuneral directors

Contactfriendsandfamilybackhomeforyou

Provideinformationabouttransferringfunds

Visityouinhospitalorifyouhavebeenarrested

TheFCOcant:Helpyouenteracountrywithoutavalidpassport

Giveyoulegaladvice

Searchformissingpeople

Getyoubettertreatmentinhospitalorprisonthanis

giventolocalpeople

Payanybillsorgiveyoumoney

Maketravel

arrangements

for

you

ABTA Travel Trends Report 2012

Documents