Hotels and holiday parks in North Wales are preparing for record numbers of visitors as increasing numbers of Britons forego summer breaks abroad in favour of destinations closer to home.

Operators are reporting that bookings are up significantly over previous years.

Pontin’s in Prestatyn is one of the resorts expecting to have a record-breaking season. It has seen bookings rise by 30 per cent, which is five per cent more than any other Pontin’s property.

This news comes after a report in the Daily Post reported in April indicating that the holiday park outperformed its competition with a 28 per cent increase in visitor numbers over Easter.

Jason Brindle, the sales and marketing manager at Pontin’s, said: “Prestatyn is our only camp in North Wales but it’s been performing brilliantly. It has seen a 30% increase, while the others are at around 25%.”

He added: “It accommodates over 3,500 people and has a tremendous heritage. The park has all the ingredients; it is popular and in a beautiful location. Prestatyn had an amazing start to the year and it’s just got better and better.”

Pontin’s in Prestatyn resort is also undergoing renovation, with the company spending more than £50 million on upgrades to its six holiday camps. Work is already underway, but most of the actual construction is still subject to planning permission and is expected to take place later in the year.

Thanks to www.dailypost.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.pontins.com

The upcoming Worcester Festival, organised by Worcester Live, is featuring 330 events this year that the arts organisation believes will keep everyone well entertained.

An extravaganza celebrating the arts, music and culture, the event includes both the Worcester Camra Beer, Cider and Perry Festival and the Worcester Music Festival, and runs from Saturday, 15 August through Monday, 31 August.

Highlights of the popular festival include an all-male production of The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare, a Hollywood costume exhibition held in the Worcester Cathedral, a riverside artists’ market and the firing of the Worcestershire 214 Battery Regiment guns.

Festival chief executive Chris Jaeger is encouraging people of all ages to join in.

Jaeger said: “I am so excited about this year’s festival. It truly will be the biggest and best to date with more than 330 events taking place over the two- week period, 229 of which are completely free and 70 of which are specifically designed for children.”

He went on to say: “There will be fantastic bands, films, drama, the Camra beer festival, the Worcester Music Festival, workshops and live performance. The festival will end, as always, on Bank Holiday Monday with a phenomenal firework display down by the river Severn which is open to all and absolutely free of charge.”

Thanks to www.berrowsjournal.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.worcesterfestival.co.uk

A top UK tourist resort is likely to see a gipsy traveller camp set up permanently in the centre of its town.

Placard-carrying residents demonstrated outside the town hall in Bournemouth, where councillors were expected to approve the permanent site.

Locals are claiming that their town, which thrives on tourism and known as one of the most attractive seaside towns in Britain, will suffer from unsightly rubbish, antisocial behaviour and crime if the travellers are permitted to move in.

The site that has been earmarked for the camp has been described by councillors as the “least bad” option. It would permit travellers to establish camps just a few hundred yards from the seven-mile expanse of Bournemouth’s beaches, its ornamental gardens, shops and pier.

Gipsies and other travellers from across the UK could move into the camp, where space would be provided for parking as many as 36 caravans.

Residents have been fiercely opposed to the plan, and have launched a campaign urging others to “say no to the gipsy site”. Nearly 700 residents have signed an online petition indicating their opposition to the proposed site.

For more information on this article please visit www.dailymail.co.uk.

www.bournemouth.gov.uk

Tourist attractions in Derbyshire are getting ready for a surge in visitors this summer, as more British families forego more expensive holidays abroad for cheaper breaks closer to home.

Campsites around Britain are reporting an increase in summer bookings and attractions are hoping to maintain visitor numbers seen over a record-breaking Easter holiday weekend – throughout the summer.

Accommodation providers and visitor attractions are citing the recession as the main reason for the boost in business, as families are looking for fun but have less money to spend.

Janet Blackburn, of Haddon Hall, located in Bakewell, noted that increasing numbers of people were taking the time to “discover” a side of Britain unfamiliar to them.

She said: “It seems that people are having more short breaks in the UK rather than one big foreign holiday. This could be due to the poor pound but also because of employment insecurities. People are a little wary of making long-term plans.”

Blackburn went on to say: “We are noticing that the strong euro is also encouraging more European visitors to Haddon. People have tended to think that a holiday necessitated jumping on a plane. Fortunately for UK tourism, this is not so much the case any more.”

Simon Seligman, of Chatsworth House, commented that they were hopeful of having a busy summer.

Thanks to www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.chatsworth.org

British holidaymakers concerned about their finances during the economic downturn, and who live in London, won’t even have to leave the city this year for their summer break.

Bovril, which produces a drink that has been favoured by UK campers for years, is opening the capital’s – and Britain’s – first “Extreme Urban Campsite” to help city dwellers enjoy a break without spending what they would normally on a traditional holiday.

The campsite is situated at an elevation of 230 feet, atop a building in Central London’s Shoe Lane. It is being trialled by Bovril to help those who don’t have the money or the time to take a break in the countryside or abroad this year.

Bovril has commented that it is committed to helping Britons enjoy both rural and urban outdoor spaces and that if the feedback on the new urban campsite is positive, more campsites in cities around the country will be opened.

The campsite launch comes as the number of Britons opting for holidays in the UK is on the rise due to the economy.

The Camping and Caravanning Club has reported that its advanced bookings are 30 per cent higher at this point than last year at the same time. The Club experienced an increase of 50 per cent in occupancy rates over Easter across its 109 Club Sites in the UK.

Jon Dale, speaking on behalf of The Camping and Caravanning Club, commented: “Camping has always played a big part in the British outdoors and our latest figures only help demonstrate the fact that camping and caravanning is becoming all the more popular.”

Thanks to www.travelmole.com for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.bovril.co.uk

Wilderness Scotland, a top adventure tourism operator in the UK, is reporting a 37 per cent increase in bookings this year.

According to the company, the rise in the popularity of its offerings is due to holidaymakers looking to cut costs by staying closer to home on breaks during the economic downturn and also the increasing number of Britons seeking environmentally-responsible holidays.

Scotland boasts world-class wilderness areas where adventure-seekers can enjoy mountain biking, open canoeing, photography, sailing, sea kayaking, wilderness walking and wildlife adventures without the potential carbon footprint and expense of long-distance travel.

These types of adventure activities are offered by award-winning Wilderness Scotland, which is committed to sustainable tourism and supports local conservation efforts.

Stevie Christie, the director of Wilderness Scotland, said: “More people are listening to their green consciences and the rise in demand for our environmentally-sound holidays reflects this.”

He added: “The opportunities to take eco-friendly breaks in Scotland have increased significantly since we established the company in 2000, with more like-minded partners such as hotels and lodges appearing, and Visit Scotland’s aim to make the country Europe’s number one sustainable tourism destination is set to provide a further boost in a growing market.”

Thanks to www.travelmole.com for the above quotes, for more information on this article please visit their website.

www.wildernessscotland.com