Adventure travel news - 2008
Latest news
British Airways has come up with a list of destinations it thinks will be particularly good to visit during 2009.
Topping the chart was Cape Town, with Johannesburg taking second place thanks to it being all set to host the British Lions tour.
Dubai came third, with American cities San Francisco and New York completing the top five.
Hong Kong, St Kitts, St Lucia, Sydney and Shanghai completed the compilation.
British Airways' head of UK and Ireland sales Richard Tams said that the credit crunch is not stopping die-hard travellers.
An eco-lodge in Ecuador has been given an award for environmentally-friendly tourism, it has emerged.
The Latin American Tourism Association presented Huaorani tribe leader Moi Enomenga with the award for Best Sustainable Project of the Year, despite the lodge having been open for less than 12 months.
Huaorani people have lived in the Ecuadorian Amazon for thousands of years, between the Curaray and Napo rivers, PeoplesoftheWorld.org attests.
People going on their holidays should check the travel advice for their destination, as well as taking any necessary health precautions before jetting off, it has been suggested.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) found that countries which do not use the euro, such as Egypt and Mexico, will see more bookings next year as people try to save money on their holidays.
Indeed, the organisations attest that the number of people going to Egypt has risen by 38 per cent in the last year.
Despite the current economic downturn, those in between school and university will continue to take gap years, one expert has claimed.
Managing director of FutureSense Arvind Malhotra did say, however, that these people will be more careful about where their money goes, potentially resulting in changes to the way gap years are undertaken.
He suggested that people may book their holidays at shorter notice and that they are likely to take sabbaticals for less time than the full year in order to avoid leaving themselves out of pocket.
Going on a volunteering holiday could be the ideal chance for people to give something back to charities or communities in the current economic climate.
This is the suggestion of Jeffrey Glueck of Travelocity, who said that 13 per cent of respondents to a poll intend to go on such a break in 2009.
He said that volunteering can allow people to really see a destination, as well as getting the satisfaction of letting money go where it is really needed.
In what may be interesting news for people going on holidays to Malaysia, the country's government has launched an ambitious new plan to save its tigers.
With numbers having fallen to only 500 due to poaching and encroachment of the animals' habitat, it is hoped that the Tiger Action Plan will increase numbers to around 1,000 over the next 12 years.
The government commented that this will be achieved through the creation of jungle corridors to allow the tigers to move through their habitat more easily, as well as through the implementation of better security measures.
A journalist has recommended Lebanon and its capital Beirut in particular as great to visit as a holiday destination.
Nick Redmayne, speaking to Wanderlust magazine, said he visited Beirut in October and that he enjoyed a very pleasant holiday.
"Beirut is easy to get around, there's great food and great wine," he commented.
Mr Redmayne added that it could be the perfect destination for a short break because it is only about four hours away from the UK by plane.
The Moroccan city of Fes will see more tourists during 2009 as the desire for a holiday destination with history and culture grows.
This is according to Sharron Livingston, editor of thetravelmagazine.net, who said that Fes, Morocco's forth largest city, offers much in terms of religion, culture and authentic African foods.
She added that the new flights to the country from Gatwick which are to begin in 2009 will be beneficial, as it will mean easier access for people who may have wished to visit Morocco in the past, but have been restricted through flight services.
Students who take a gap year will be able to go to university with more skills and a more mature outlook on life, it has been claimed.
Asa Sokopo, writing for Dispatch Online, said that the time away from parents and the fact that people can earn money through working at their destinations, can make a person more independent and aware of the benefits of hard work.
Kirsty Brear, 28, told the newspaper that she thoroughly enjoyed her gap year, which was largely taken in the US.
Anyone with a passion for Ancient Egypt may wish to take a modern-day trip to the country in order to see an artefact returned to its rightful home.
The Head of Amenhotep III was stolen by a British man, who painted it in an attempt to smuggle it out as a cheap souvenir.
Jonathan Tokeley-Parry was jailed for his crime more than ten years ago and the head was taken by the British Museum.
However, it is now to be presented back to Egypt in a special ceremony at the British Embassy, which will see the ancient piece of history being put on display for visitors.
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