Making life a holiday with interesting vacation and adventure ideas.

It appears that Recycle Now, the UK's recycling champions, are urging everyone to cut down on their use of travel brochures. They point out that nowadays it is easy to use sites such as the Activity Holidays Guide to source a holiday and it is easier than ever to book on line.

With 180 million travel brochures being distributed in the UK each year and most of them ending up in landfill, they urge holidaymakers to recycle those old brochures. Problem is that I suspect many of the brochures are not all that eco-friendly. As you might expect, we only really use the Internet in my household, but in the past we have fed old brochures to the worms (we have a garden wormery) but they didn't show a lot of interest in the hard, glossy, finish that makes most travel brochures so attractive.

Labels: holidays, Tourism, travel, vacations

Latest consumer research from Mintel looking at changing trends in the leisure marketplace, indicates that Britain is becoming a nation of cycling enthusiasts. During 2006, biking-mad Brits went on an exhausting 450,000 two wheeled holidays, with some operators experiencing as much as a third increase in bookings on 2005 figures.

"The growth of independent travel is creating a new breed of holidaymaker, who is resourceful, adventurous and hungry for a taste of authenticity away from the crowds. Cycling is a great way to explore the hidden secrets of a region, enjoy intimate contact with local culture and an opportunity for travellers to feel good about benefiting local economies," comments Richard Cope, Senior Travel Consultant at Mintel.

Mintel believes that the greatest future scope for the cycling holidays market lies in combining biking with mainstream holidays. Operators could re-brand more holidays as "cycling-plus" trips, offering cycling interspersed with other experiences such as R&R, spa, walking, boating and other hobbies. "Whilst Britons cycle less than many other Europeans, we take more frequent holidays and cycling breaks have enormous potential. These do not have to be the preserve of cycling clubs and the Tour de France-emulating hardcore. Cycling holidays will also appeal to families, sightseers, and those simply seeking relaxation and escape from the crowds," explains Richard Cope.

Mintel has provided key insight into leading global trends for over 35 years. More information is available on their web site

Browse cycling holidays in our listings from around the world.

Labels: 2007, cycling, holidays, Mintel, survey, vacations

The last Monday in May is Memorial Day in the United States of America and since 1971, has been a federal holiday. Memorial Day began in the United States on May 30, 1868, following the ending of the American Civil War, and is a day of remembrance for those who have died in the nation's service.

However, in modern times, as Pat Ferrier notes in the Coloradoan, the holiday has become the unofficial start to the summer travel, camping, rafting and hiking season.

It is predicted that over 38 million people will be travelling in the US during the holiday weekend, around 84% of them by car. More than 4 million people will be flying to their destination and 2 million will be using the bus or train.
Apparently, holiday travel numbers are likely to hit record highs despite the soaring fuel prices.

Labels: holidays, Memorial Day, U.S.A.

Had the press release been a few weeks earlier, many might have thought that a newly announced British Standard was an April Fool joke. The standard in question BS 8848:2007 Specification for the provision of visits, fieldwork, expeditions and adventurous activities outside the United Kingdom, is a 45 page document developed for adventurous activities abroad with the laudable aim of reducing the risk of injury or illness. It was conceived because of (British) consumer concerns about the risks associated with adventure holidays, fieldwork, expeditions and other visits, and the variable levels of competence, training and fitness of participants.

However, the standard's strategy is to specify requirements that should be met by an organiser of adventurous trips, in order to conform to good practice. Of course, the definition of 'good practice' was decided by the committee that produced the standard, but that aside, the key words are: 'specify requirements' and 'good practice'; what is being offered is a checklist of items that can be used by British nationals, or anyone else, planning adventurous travel outside the UK, and is particularly aimed at expedition organisers; universities, further education colleges and other organisers of field work and field research; gap year travel companies; providers of adventure holidays or vacations; and voluntary groups organising adventurous travel. Helping them to identify and manage risks when planning their ventures and therefore reducing the likelihood of serious harm or injury to participants.

I guess that the value of the standard will depend on the definition of 'good practice' and the way in which it is applied. The provision of such activities within Britain is governed by UK Health and Safety guidelines, and various consumer protection laws, but presumably the same 'good practice' is relevant, whatever and wherever the adventure. Participants can use the new standard, BS 8848:2007, to gauge levels of risk applicable to them and get answers to the 'what if' questions. Hopefully, the advice is universal.

By the way, the reference number for the new standard '8848' corresponds to the height of Mt. Everest in metres, the International Standards Organization unit of distance.

Labels: adventure, British Standard, BS 8848:2007, holidays, planning, travel, vacation

Biosphere Expeditions are planning another expedition to the mountains of Oman, where they will monitor the Arabian leopard and its prey.

Oman is the land of the Queen of Sheba and Sinbad the sailor, it is a land of varied landscape and remarkable wildlife; we have several tour operators offering vacations in Oman.

Labels: Arabian leopard, expeditiions, holidays, Oman, vacations