Gap Adventures offers UK travellers the chance to win 1 of 5 £250 travel vouchers and signed copies of best-seller 1,000 Places to See Before You Die every day for 5 days

London, 8 March, 2010 – New York Times best-selling author Patricia Schultz has been announced as the 10th celebrity judge in an esteemed panel that will select the Top 20 finalists of Gap Adventures’ highly-popular Create Your Own Adventure contest (www.createyourownadventure.com).

But the author of the definitive travel guide 1,000 Places to See Before You Die – who was named one of the 25 most influential women in travel by Forbes Magazine in 2008 – will have extra judging duties to carry out before she helps decide the top finalists. For all entries submitted between 8 March and 13 March, Schultz will select her five choices for ‘Best Adventure to Experience Before You Die’ out of the hundreds of worldwide submissions. The five winners will be awarded a £250 Gap Adventures travel voucher, as well as a signed copy of 1,000 Places to See Before You Die including a personalised message from the author.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to participate in such a dynamic online contest,” Schultz said. “Create Your Own Adventure allows travellers to share the itinerary of their dreams with others and communicate their passion for adventure to the world – I don’t think you could ask for anything more from a travel contest.”

The Create Your Own Adventure contest invites everyone from once-a-year travellers to seasoned globetrotters to submit an itinerary for the tour of their dreams, virtually anywhere in the world, virtually any way they want. Everyone with a winning tour idea can log on to www.createyourownadventure.com and use the customised itinerary engine to build their dream trip. The deadline for submissions is 31 March 2010 and the creator of the winning tour will have the opportunity to experience their adventure along with two lucky friends.

“Having Patricia Schultz come aboard as a judge simply is the perfect addition to this panel,” said Gap Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip. “Her commitment to exploring the world in search of authentic travel experiences aligns perfectly with our goals when we first dreamt up this contest. I can’t wait for her to join me and the rest of our travel-loving judges to select the finalists.”

For brides-to-be and their mothers Whatley Manor (01666 822 888 www.whatleymanor.com), the beautifully restored private manor house that nestles in 12 acres of Wiltshire countryside, has devised a series of two full day spa experiences and an overnight Mother & Bride-to-Be Spa packages to help mothers and daughters escape from the preparations and indulge in some exclusive pampering in the luxurious surroundings of its award winning spa Aquarias.

Aquarias spa is the only La Prairie five star ‘Art of Beauty’ centre outside of London. These centres are only found in the most exclusive spas around the world and are a sign of outstanding quality.

With a choice of two full day midweek spa experiences guests can select either a two hour or three and a half hour series of treatments. The two hour series of treatments includes a sixty minute facial and a Jessica mini manicure and mini pedicure per person, plus full use of the spa facilities followed by a light lunch and refreshments and costs £195 per person. Or alternatively the three and a half hour series of treatments comprises a ninety minute facial, choosing from a host of luxurious and signature facials plus a Jessica mini manicure and mini pedicure per person and full use of the spa facilities. This is followed by a light lunch and refreshments served in the spa lounge for £310 per person.

For those that wish to extend the indulgence and treat themselves to an Overnight Mother & Bride-to-Be stay, packages start from at £555, based on two guests sharing a standard room (Midweek only – Sunday to Thursday night), full English breakfast, use of all the spa facilities plus a 60 minute spa treatment and mini manicure and mini pedicure per person and a light lunch and refreshments served in the spa lounge. Prices for a Deluxe room are £595 and for a Suite £655 based on two guests sharing.

For further information and to book call Whatley Manor on 01666 822 888 or visit the website at www.whatleymanor.com.

Families looking to go away with water-babies of all ages need look no further than Tropical Sky Family Diving Holidays (www.familydiving.co.uk) who offer a wide selection of diving holidays around the world that the whole family can enjoy.

The focus is on parents who want to dive whilst on holiday and want the reassurance that their children will be safely looked after by qualified carers. All resorts in the Family Diving portfolio have children’s clubs and some also offer qualified childcare or a fly-and-stay nanny service where a personal nanny is made available for the duration of their holiday.

Tropical Sky Family Diving Holidays have excellent availability during peak holiday weeks, such as to Egypt during the summer holidays or October half-term:

Depart on 17, 24 or 31 July and stay at the four-star Sierra Hotel from £719 per adult and £546 per child or on 23 October for half-term week from £909 per adult and £639 per child. Included is seven nights’ accommodation in a Garden View room on an all-inclusive basis, flights from London Gatwick with British Airways, transfers, taxes and surcharges.

Set on White Knight Beach, the hotel offers two restaurants, five swimming pools, floodlit tennis, a wellness centre and spa and a nearby 18-hole championship golf course. Children’s facilities include a kids’ club, swimming pool, playground and indoor games room equipped with various entertainment including PlayStation sets. Babysitting is available on request.

Diving for a qualified adult or older child can be added-on with six boat dives for £99 per person and a ‘try dive’ at £60 per adult and child (aged 10 or over). What’s more, parents who wish to introduce their children to the wonders of the underwater world can do so as there are various beginner courses aimed at those aged eight upwards. In Egypt it includes:

PADI Bubblemaker (Aged 8+): This introduction to scuba diving uses scuba equipment specifically designed for youngsters. Children are taken to a maximum depth of two metres under the care and supervision of a fully-qualified PADI professional. Cost: £60 per child.

PADI Scuba Diver course or Junior Scuba Diver Course (Aged 10+): This two-day course combines classroom and pool work and culminates with an open water dive. Those that complete the course are issued with a license allowing dives to a maximum depth of 12 metres with a diving professional. Cost: £160 per person.

PADI Open Water Course (Aged 10+): This four-day course combines the principles of scuba diving with learning basic scuba skills in a pool or shallow beach. It culminates with an open water dive and a license which allows children aged 10-11 years to dive to 12 metres and up to 18 metres for those aged 12 plus. Cost: £235 per person.

To book visit Tropical Sky Family Diving Holiday at www.familydiving.co.uk or call 01342 310585.

Luxury river cruise operator AMAWaterways is including a complimentary two night, b&b city break in a 5* hotel in Prague with bookings for a 7 night `Castles and Rivers’ cruise of the Main, Rhine and Mosel Rivers.

The cruise, from Nuremberg to Trier, takes in Europe’s most scenic countryside, passing historic cities, timbered towns and through waterways lined with castles and vineyards.

The `stay-and-cruise’ offer also includes transfers to join the ship in Nuremberg and represents a saving of at least £450 per person.

Prices for the 7 night `stay-and-cruise’ start from £1275 per person for departure on 29th October 2010, with departures also on 14th May (£1395), 25h June (£1325) and 16th July (£1325).

The 9 night holiday includes 2 nights b&b accommodation in a 5* hotel in Prague (3 nights on the July departure), transfers, 7 nights cruising on board a luxury river cruise ship, with all meals, free flowing wine with dinner, champagne breakfasts, daily excursions, free use of on board bicycles, free internet access and international taxes, excludes flights.

When it comes to air travel it seems that, although we complain about hidden charges, the budget airlines are gradually educating travellers to accept such charges for services that were once part of the headline flight price, according to new research released by BDRC Continental.

Budget airline travellers stressed more than anything else that they would like to see fewer hidden charges added to their ticket, yet budget airlines are still managing to convince customers that paying extra for an ever-widening range of services is acceptable.

Carried out in January, the survey asked travellers what extra charges are acceptable once they had paid for the flight. And the results suggest that some customers are prepared to pay for almost anything. 66% now think it acceptable to be charged for an extra item of hand luggage, 61% consider it appropriate to ask people to dig a little deeper in their pockets for priority boarding and 53% would accept the principle of additional charges for seat reservations.

There are now also significant numbers who feel it is acceptable to be charged for the privilege of being checked in by a member of staff (25%), to check in a bag at all (18%) and to pay for a ticket via a credit (26%) or debit card (15%) -see below.

When purchasing airline tickets extras are often charged separately. Which of these do you think are acceptable to charge for as extras on your ticket price?

66% An extra item of hand luggage
61% Priority boarding
53% A seat reservation charge
50% Surcharge on people over a certain weight
29% A carbon off-setting charge
27% Assistance to aircraft if have mobility problems
26% Paying for ticket on a credit card charge
25% To be checked in via a member of staff
18% To check in a bag
15% Paying for ticket on a debit card

Source: BDRC Continental (Q19) Base: All 20-64 year old online users (1005)

Steve Mills, Director of the Tourism, Travel and Leisure Team at BDRC Continental says: “Who would have thought five years ago that a quarter of us would now find it acceptable to pay extra just to be checked in? We all like to moan about these charges for ‘extras’, but the fact is those of us looking for bargain flights still look at the headline flight price when choosing an airline and neither have the time nor inclination to work out the final amount you end up being charged. The fact that this ‘unbundling’ of flight charges seems to be increasingly accepted by the public suggests that this practice is only likely to become more commonplace.”

So, how do these additional charges add up?

An extra item of hand luggage From £6.50 to £70 each way
Priority boarding From £4 to £16
A seat reservation charge From £4.50 to £10
A carbon off-setting charge Depending on flight distance – (e.g. flight from LGW to Alicante = £3.12 per passenger)
Paying for ticket on a credit card charge From 2.5% of transaction to £10
To be checked in via a member of staff From £6 to £80
To check in a bag From £8 to £15
Paying for ticket on a debit card From £2.95 to £10

So, in essence, a traveller could be paying in the region of an extra £284.12 on top of the ticket price – not such a budget conscious option after all.

We don’t even generally like travelling on budget airlines, with the survey finding that 49% of those with an opinion of budget airlines had not enjoyed their experience, compared with only 23% among scheduled airline travellers. However, further lowering prices seems to trump all quality measures when it comes to aspects that the public would like to see improved – for both budget and scheduled airlines.

Spend the longest day of the year- 21 June- onboard Royal Caribbean International’s (www.royalcaribbean.co.uk 0844 493 2061) Adventure of the Seas from just £760 per person for a five-night Western Mediterranean cruise (based on two people sharing an inside cabin).

Boasting 15 decks of activity including an ice skating rink, rock climbing wall, miniature golf course, shopping street and a huge range of restaurants and bars, Adventure of the Seas has plenty to keep guests entertained for all 17 hours of daylight on the longest day of the year, as well as the remaining seven evening hours.

Price includes return flights from London Heathrow to Barcelona, transfers and a five-night cruise departing Barcelona (Spain) and calling at Cannes (Montecarlo, France), Civitavecchia (Rome, Italy), Aiaccio (Corsica) and Malaga (Spain) before returning to Barcelona; meals and entertainment onboard and all relevant cruise taxes/fees.

Price is based on 21 June 2010 departure.

For more information or to book see www.royalcaribbean.co.uk, call 0844 493 2061 or talk to your travel agent.

This 2 night Mini Cruise Break to Alkmaar is a MUST for cheese lovers! From only £97pp this Alkmaar’s Cheese Festival is one of Holland’s most popular tourist attractions. Browse the stalls; watch the cheese men bringing their wares on barrows, and taste samples of Dutch cheese. Or explore the restaurants, cosy bars, extensive shopping offering and interesting museums.

Alkmaar’s historic town centre hasn’t changed really since the 17th century and with its pretty canals, cobbled streets and traditional gabled buildings it creates a fantastic atmosphere for the famous cheese market.

Sailing from Newcastle, enjoy two nights cruising, to and from Holland, where there is a whole host of great things to see and do onboard. From a cinema to a casino, a number of sumptuous restaurants and bars to enjoy a drink, there is something to keep everyone entertained.

Why not enjoy a summer drink on the sky deck as you sail to Holland and enjoy a romantic meal before retreating to your en suite cabin for a relaxing nights sleep.

On arrival into Holland you will be transferred to the famous cheese markets of Alkmaar. After a full day exploring the shopping and museums of Alkmaar it’s time for your return overnight cruise back to Newcastle.

2 nights from £97pp departing 27 May, 8 July, 19 August 2010

What’s Included

• 2 nights onboard in an en-suite cabin

• Coach transfers to and from Alkmaar

• Live entertainment onboard

Mini Cruise Prices

• Standard Mini Cruise
From £97pp

• With Breakfasts included
From £115pp

• With Breakfasts & Dinners included
From £155pp

Simply add meals or upgrade your cabin whilst making your booking.

World Travel Market’s visitor satisfaction levels have increased dramatically cementing WTM’s position as the premier global event for the travel industry, independent research reveals.

Visitors to WTM 2009 rated the exhibition as better than other industry events, including ITB Berlin, in a range of categories with WTM being particularly strong for meeting and networking and keeping up to date with the latest trends.

The independent research of 2,058 visitors to WTM 2009, by Fusion Communications, also reveals increased levels of satisfaction compared to WTM 2008. An impressive eight out of ten visitors in 2009 came away feeling completely satisfied or very satisfied.

Overall, WTM 2009 met or exceeded the expectations of 94% of visitors.
The research also reveals WTM remains an extremely important place to do business with a massive 91% stating the event is imperative for their business and an impressive 97% of visitors likely to return in 2010.
Furthermore, 85% of visitors feel attending WTM gives them a competitive advantage over their rivals.

International media, which increased by 12% to 2,839 for WTM 2009, are in agreement with visitors with a massive 86% rating WTM as the best event or among the best events in the travel industry, including four out of ten stating WTM is the best event.

World Travel Market Exhibition Director Simon Press said: “It’s great to see that visitors are delighted with the experience of World Travel Market 2009 and view the exhibition as the best in the industry.

“WTM 2010 is expanding with a new floorplan, seminar content and networking functions offering greater opportunities.

“The findings from the independent research firmly cements World Travel Market’s position as the premier global event for the travel industry.”

The ever-challenging task of finding the perfect summer holiday for all the family to enjoy has just been made easier thanks to Eurocamp’s new partnership with bushcraft experts, The Woodcraft School.

Creating fires by friction, eating wild plants and tracking native animals are not the usual ingredients for the family’s summer trip but, as the kids get older, ‘out-of-the-ordinary’ experiences such as these are just the perfect adventure. And with courses provided by the award winning Woodcraft School – who have been providing bushcraft courses since 1997 – Eurocampers of all ages will be able to learn survival skills in a controlled environment.

Budding Bear Grylls aged 8 and over – plus mum and dad – can get closer to nature while learning survival skills to conquer the great outdoors. ‘Hands-on’ sessions from The Woodcraft School at Eurocamp’s La Croix du Vieux Pont parc, in Berny-Rivière, ninety minutes from Paris, include basic bushcraft techniques such as making safe drinking water, foraging in forests to identify, gather, cook and taste wild plants and also learn about the environment.

Chris Hilton, Head of Brand at Eurocamp said, “The popularity of TV shows from experts such as Ray Mears and Bear Grylls shows there’s real family interest in outdoor adventure and survival, and these bushcraft lessons are a fun way for kids and parents to get their hands dirty and actually give them a try for themselves. As well as that, the courses – which should hopefully deliver a truly unforgettable holiday experience – have been designed to help families enjoy some great quality time together, while enjoying the chance to enjoy the outdoors and get that bit closer to nature.”

And after the ‘back to basics’ experience in the parc’s own private forest, it’s not far from the comfort and civilisation of the parc and a host of other fun activities including the exceptional ‘Action Station’ – for both kids and grown-ups – that offers a giant climbing wall, a zip wire, abseiling, Trapeze walking plus archery. There’s also tennis, table tennis, horse riding and bike hire, plus, with Disneyland Resort Paris within easy reach, plenty to keep the kids entertained, while mum and dad can relax at the on-parc Jacuzzi, sauna and choice of four swimming pools.

The Eurocamp Bushcraft courses, in partnership with The Woodcraft School, run from the 6th April until the 27th October and cost just £24 per adult and £18 per child.
Group sizes are small for each of the four courses available, to ensure everyone gets the most out of the experience, so pre-departure booking is recommended.

A seven night stay at Eurocamp’s La Croix du Vieux Pont parc, in Berny-Rivière, Paris, arriving on 5 June 2010, staying in a 3 bed ‘Comfort’ mobile home, which sleeps up to 6, with decking will cost just £456 for the whole family, accommodation only.

A seven night stay at Eurocamp’s La Croix du Vieux Pont parc, in Berny-Rivière, Paris, arriving on 15 July 2010, staying in a 2 bed ‘Comfort’ mobile home, which sleeps up to 6, will cost just £ 888 for the whole family, accommodation only.

Ferry crossings, fly drive packages, rail travel and overnight stops – at hotels or parcs en route – can also be arranged through Eurocamp at a supplement.

For further information on Eurocamp, please call 0844 406 0552 or visit www.eurocamp.co.uk

Bushcraft courses:
• ‘Basic Bushcraft’ – includes fire making, water and shelter. Duration 3 hours.
• ‘Fire by Friction’ – includes tools use, making and using own blow drill set. Duration 3 hours.
• ‘Wild Food Forage’ – includes identifying edible foods, preparation and tasting. Duration 3 hours.
• ‘Nature Ramble’ – includes animal track detecting and wider knowledge of environment. Duration 1.5 hours.
• Courses run on selected dates throughout the summer.

The Great Adventure People use expertise to foresee what travellers really want

The Great Adventure People say after 20 years in the business they are perfectly placed to predict the future of adventure travel.

The company has launched a number of initiatives to celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2010.

The latest is its 10 tips for the ultimate travel experience.

“It’s a fun idea but what lies behind it is a serious understanding of the future of adventure travel and what adventure travellers are really looking for,” says Bruce Poon Tip, founder of Gap Adventures. “What we have created is our blueprint for twenty more years of the best service in the business.”

Poon Tip says travellers like to do a bit of everything nowadays. They have their ideal itineraries in mind and his company’s job is to give people what they want.

Gap Adventures has also launched the exciting new competition, ‘Create Your Own Adventure’ (www.createyourownadventure.com) which invites travellers to submit their dream itinerary for the chance to win a place for themselves and two friends. The winning entry will then be featured in the 2011 brochures as the signature trip for the 20th Anniversary.

“This is an excellent way for travellers to express their perfect, once-in-a-lifetime trip and for one lucky winner, the dream will become a reality,” says Poon Tip.

Gap Adventures top ten tips for the next 20 years are:

1 Once in a lifetime trips
We will see less travellers going on package holidays and more embarking on life-changing adventures. They want memories and experiences they can boast about.

2 Embrace the bizarre
Travellers don’t want to see the ordinary any more. They will travel to new destinations and take part in new activities to really see and experience the weird and wonderful.

3 Do The Right Thing: Give Back
From our customers, we have learnt that people love the feeling of giving back to the communities they have visited. Volunteering holidays are more affordable and accessible than ever and over the next 20 years these will soar in popularity.

4 Love Changing Lives
People love to better themselves so combining a personal accomplishment with travel is the ideal situation. The next 20 years will see travellers booking trips to do something they’ve always wanted to do in order to better their lives. This can be anything from visiting that lifetime dream destination or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to learning to cook in South America or even rehabilitating wild animals.

5 The staycation was a passing craze
Travellers are bored of home and are realising that holidaying in the UK isn’t always cheaper. They will now want to spread their wings and get their kicks further afield.

6 Working sucks – travelling doesn’t
Many people who have lost their jobs over the past few years have turned the situation on its head and used their time wisely. They have eloped to see the world. By 2030 more people will choose to take some time out in search of thrills and experiences.

7 Edgy destinations are on the up
Travellers obviously want to be safe when they visit new countries but with so many new destinations opening up to global tourism, the world has never seemed bigger. People are also becoming more travel savvy and with this comes curiosity. Travellers will begin to venture to new locations that were once viewed as risky, Columbia, Burkina-Faso and Bhutan being prime examples.

8 A whole new world
Travellers want so much from a trip now and want to see places that are a world away from what they’re used to. People crave extremes and as a result will travel to the ends of the earth to do so. The next 20 years will see destinations such as Antarctica and Spitsbergen growing in popularity.

9 Create Happiness and Community
What is the point of travelling to a whole new country and not experiencing how the locals live? People are craving more meaningful adventures now and want a chance to interact with the local people, traditions and customs. By 2030, more travellers will be staying in basic, locally-owned accommodation or with local families in villages. They will experience all types of accommodation – from gurs to igloos.

10 One trip, more countries
In today’s society everyone is time poor. Not all people can spare weeks on end to travel. That is why it is becoming increasingly common to cram as much as they can into the time they have. Over the next 20 years, we will see a rise in people who crave a diverse itinerary, with one itinerary taking in two or three countries as we are seeing in the 2,000 plus itineraries which have been created through www,createyourownadventure.com.