Holiday & Travel

Air India is increasing the frequency of its non-stop service to Amritsar from twice weekly to three times a week from 5^th May 2018, just a few months after starting the route.

The additional service is scheduled for Saturday evenings, arriving into Birmingham at 18:15 and departing for Amritsar at 19:45. This means the service now operates every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Amritsar allows direct access to the major commercial and cultural centre in the heart of the Punjab and it is home to the Golden Temple.

Air India has been a successful partner at Birmingham Airport for over four years after launching a Delhi flight in August 2013. This service alone has already carried over 600,000 passengers since its launch.

Tom Screen, Acting Aviation Director at Birmingham Airport, said: “Amritsar was a new route which Air India launched from Birmingham in February this year. It’s great to see the airline increase the frequency of flights within only the first few months of this route starting.

“No other UK airport currently operates a direct service to this destination and so we expected it to be popular. With over 200,000 British-Indian people travelling to India each year to visit friends and relatives, and for tourism and business interests, this additional flight shows the large demand within the region for direct Amritsar services from the Midlands.”

Mr. Pankaj Srivastava, Commercial Director and Board Member of Air India, said: “Air India is committed to serving the needs of Indian Diaspora settled worldwide and the long-standing need for direct connectivity between Punjab and Birmingham.

“We are delighted to add one more frequency per week between Amritsar and Birmingham from 5th May 2018 making it a three times a week operation. We are confident that with the strong partnership with Birmingham Airport, we together will be able to grow traffic flow from the Midlands to India”.

The additional Amritsar flight will be operated by the new Boeing 787-8 ‘Dreamliner’ aircraft. The cabin comprises of 256 seats with 18 lie flat business class seats and 238 in economy class.

With two bank holiday weekends in May one 7th and the other 28th don’t risk being bored and stuck at home, when instead you could be having the time of your life with friends and family at The Crystal Maze LIVE Experience!

With two locations, one in London* and one in Manchester**, it doesn’t matter which half of the UK you hail from. Take your pick or even tackle both in the same month as an all-weather attraction, the inevitable showers won’t rain on your parade, wreaking havoc on your bank holiday plans.

Whether you were a die-hard fan of the iconic 90s show or if you are someone who never seems to have exciting plans, then this is the perfect way to spruce up your bank holiday and make your colleagues green with envy when reporting back about your weekend antics.

Guaranteed to sell out, tickets for May maze madness at the Manchester attraction go on sale 5th March and are already available for the London Maze, so grab a team and book your slot.

Teams of up to eight dash through the Maze’s Medieval, Aztec, Industrial and Futuristic adventure zones guided by an eccentric Maze Master. The aim is to win as many crystals as possible by completing various challenges; skill, physical, mental and mystery. Each crystal won means more time in the iconic dome, where the goal is to catch enough golden tickets to bag yourself a spot on the coveted leader board!

At the end of the show celebrate your successes and laugh at your failures with a cocktail in the exclusive Maze bar available at the London attraction***.

The whole experience is frantic and fun. Expect to be crawling, running and even sliding your way around the maze. It’s the ultimate way to spend your bank holiday!

Lightwater Valley Theme Park is inviting visitors to discover the majestic world of birds of prey over the May Bank Holiday Weekend (May 5th-7th).

There will be special aerial displays and meet and greet sessions with a selection of awesome raptors.

As well as having the opportunity to see how these amazing birds are trained and handled and to learn about every aspect of their daily lives, guests have the chance to watch dramatic daily flying shows and have photo-opps with some of the regal eagles.

Located within a purpose built complex, the Centre is home to over 35 amazing raptors including owls, falcons, eagles and hawks.

The Centre is also home to a variety of other feathered, scaly and furry residents including rheas, snakes and rabbits. Plus don't miss the keeper talks on the park's cutest resident, the adorable marmoset monkeys.

With over 35 rides and attractions for thrill seekers of all ages, the North Yorkshire attraction is bursting with adventures for the whole family.

The Ultimate is Lightwater Valley's signature ride and provides a thrilling 1.5 mile cocktail of speed, cornering and airtime.

Take to the skies in the grip of the Eagle's Claw, venture into the underground world of Raptor Attack, see the park from a whole different viewpoint aboard Black Pearl and then hop on Apolloand take a spinning ride above the tree tops.

Enjoy wet 'n' wild fun on the Wild River Rapids, and swashbuckling adventures aboard speedy Skull Rock and the tummy-tickling Flying Cutlass. Plus jump around on the huge Jumpin' Jacks bouncy pillow.

There is something for little ones too including the Lightwater Express train ride around the park,Eagle's Creek Farm tractor ride with animals as well as play areas indoors and out!

An extraordinary new exhibition celebrating the works of one of the 20th century's most influential artists opens at Blenheim Palace on July 18th.

Running until October 7th, Yves Klein at Blenheim Palace will be the most comprehensive exhibition of the visionary French artist ever staged in the UK in what would have been his 90th year.

Yves Klein was obsessed with just one colour: blue. He worked with a chemist to develop his own brand of paint, which he called International Klein Blue or IKB.

The paint had a particularly bright and intense colour, which visitors will be able to discover for themselves at the UNESCO World Heritage Site in Oxfordshire.

The new exhibition, which has been organised in collaboration with the Yves Klein Estate, will feature over 50 artworks including a large-scale blue pigment installation and a number of Klein's Monochrome Paintings which will be shown against the opulent backdrop of the Palace State Rooms and Great Hall.

Visitors will be able to explore Klein's wide-ranging practice, including painting, sculpture and large- scale installation.

He applied the paint to his pictures using rollers, sponges, and even people. Visitors will see the results of these artistic experiments in the ground-breaking Anthropometry series, for which Klein employed models as 'living brushes' to create marks on the canvas in front of an audience, as well as Fire Paintings and Klein's later works in gold.

Klein blended traditional artistic mediums and imagery with dynamic techniques and performance, erasing the boundaries between process and artwork. Sponge Sculptures, made from the sponges Klein painted with, saturated with pigment will be on show alongside other free-standing works inspired by Classical Greek sculptures such as a Venus de Milo, coated in IKB.

Blenheim Art Foundation, now celebrating their fifth anniversary year, continues to produce bold encounters between the world's most influential artists, the Palace, and new and recurring visitors.

The Foundation's award-winning programme has earned a reputation for pushing boundaries by inviting artists to engage directly with the palace's Baroque interiors and particular history, as well as showcasing some of the most iconic and seismic artworks and movements in art history, from Michelangelo Pistoletto's Arte Povera to Jenny Holzer's testimonies of war by contemporary veterans.

WOW air's inaugural flight from London Stansted Airport took off yesterday, Wednesday 25 April 2018, connecting with the low-cost airline's new long haul route to Detroit.

In keeping with the airline's tradition of naming its aircraft after family members, the aircraft making the maiden flight was a brand new A321ceo with the tail number TF-DOG, named after man's best friend.

Joining London Gatwick and Edinburgh as the airline's third UK departure point, London Stansted will also provide connections with the low cost airline's new US routes to Cleveland, Cincinnati, Dallas and St Louis, all launching in May.

Skúli Mogensen, founder and CEO of WOW air, said: “Yesterday's launch well and truly highlighted London Stansted Airport as a key gateway from the UK to the US. This move is undoubtedly a reflection of our continued growth in Britain and our mission to offer greater travel possibilities on either side of the Atlantic. We're delighted to be opening up a whole host of US travel destinations to UK travellers in Stansted and the surrounding regions the airport services.”

Martin Jones, London Stansted's Commercial Director, said:  “We're delighted to welcome WOW air and its passengers to London Stansted for the airline's first flight to Reykjavik that also opens up a fantastic range of exciting onward connections to the USA from its Icelandic hub, including Chicago, Los Angeles and its new service to Detroit. We wish WOW air every success with these great value and convenient flights which will I'm sure prove to be really popular with passengers from London and East of England as well those from the USA wishing to visit the UK.”

WOW air flights will depart from London Stansted daily bound for Reykjavik, with the airline's Detroit service operating four times a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

Ladies eager to sparkle in the Spanish sun on a 'spa-cation' have fresh incentive to visit the award-winning La Manga Club from this spring, with the resort offering a range of new treatments for guests to indulge in.

Spa lovers seeking the chance to unwind can enjoy outstanding value at the Murcian venue over the coming months with an array of attractive offers available when staying at the resort's five-star Hotel Principe Felipe or four-star Las Lomas Village, with packages starting from just €99 per room per night.

Whether celebrating a birthday, landmark anniversary or just looking for a relaxing girls' holiday, La Manga Club is the ideal venue to combine a pampering experience with the chance to self-indulge in the many other delights of the world-famous resort, including fashion boutiques, a range of different sports and numerous bars and restaurants.

Among the extensive list of treatments on offer at La Manga Club's 2,000sqm Wellness Centre – voted 'Spain's Best Resort Spa' at the 2017 World Spa Awards – is LPG's luxurious age-defying facial therapy, which minimises wrinkles, large pores and redness while also ensuring facial hydration levels are immediately replenished.

An upgraded selection of bespoke facial products is also available, with a wide variety of products from respected industry leaders Medik8 being used in some of the treatments, while, under the guidance of manager Raquel Martin, the spa has introduced a number of ancient Oriental therapies – the only venue in the region to do so.

Designed to melt away any tension to bring the body and mind back into a harmonious balance, the Oriental-inspired treatments will ensure guests will be prepared for La Manga Club's buoyant nightlife - complete with perfectly-manicured nails following a visit to the Nails Bar.

In between luxury pampering sessions, guests can use La Manga Club's dynamic Fitness Centre to tone their bodies and shed any unwanted pounds, while the Wellness Centre's state-of-the-art 'water zone – featuring two heated pools, hydro massage beds, a swan-neck fountain, steam bath and cold tub – will make sure that the morning after the night before has never seemed so appealing!

Each treatment comes complete with a 'tailored to you' experience which is fronted by a leading health expert. Aside from indulging in a vast variety of luxury therapies at the boutique spa, guests can treat themselves to a bottle of Prosecco, while enjoying some of the gastronomic delights available at the famous resort.

Qatar Airways has announced that it is the first airline in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA) to provide gate-to-gate internet connectivity onboard. A decision by Qatar’s Communications Regulatory Authority (CRA) will allow the provision of internet service onboard aircraft at all altitudes. Previously, internet connection was only permitted when an aircraft was higher than 3,000 meters above sea level.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “In another first for the MENA region, Qatar Airways passengers will be able to enjoy uninterrupted internet connectivity from the moment they step on board a Qatar Airways flight. This is another significant enhancement to our award-winning levels of service that our passengers around the globe have come to appreciate. We look forward to welcoming passengers on board and helping them stay connected throughout the flight.”

Approval by the CRA means that Qatar will be the first country in the Middle East and North Africa region to provide gate-to-gate internet connectivity onboard aircraft. It also reflects CRA’s alignment with Qatar’s high rate of technology adoption across various sectors, particularly those affecting transport and communication that are strategic to Qatar’s future development and economic growth.

Improvements in technology and developments in global technical standards now ensure that on board internet service does not cause harmful interference to either aircraft operations or land-based public mobile networks. However to avoid any interference to aircraft and land-based mobile services, restrictions still apply to the on board use of mobile GSM services and SMS when the aircraft is below 3,000 meters.

While on board, passengers can continue to enjoy Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system, Oryx One, which offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B777, B787, A350, A380, and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi service.

From planning how to travel, to choosing where to stay, more and more of us are considering our carbon footprint, linking our holiday plans with our desire to save the planet.

Whether it's renewable energy, composting toilets, tree planting or locally sourced food and drink, going green is becoming increasingly important for environmentally conscious travellers.

Following Earth Day (22 April), why not bask in the beauty of the Most Beautiful Country in the World* with an eco-friendly stay in Scotland?

Green getaways

The Old Pine Yurt

Ancient Scots pine trees provide a magical backdrop for your stay at The Old Pine Yurt. Located on the secluded foothills of the spectacular Cairngorms Mountains, with just surrounding nature for company, this is a camping experience like no other.  The handcrafted yurt is equipped with all the usual home comforts including a cosy double bed, solar lighting, a wood burning stove and a welcoming dram.  Nearby you'll find the 'Hut' with kitchen and toilet facilities as well as an eco-shower.

Loch Ossian Youth Hostel

Surrounded by the stunning scenery of Rannoch Moor, Loch Ossian Youth Hostel is the perfect base for hillwalkers, wildlife watchers and dark sky observers. Powered by locally sourced hydro and solar power, the hostel boasts electric panel heating, composting toilets and even bat-friendly paint. For those conscious of their carbon footprint, the site is also only accessible by rail, foot or bike,

Glampotel, Dundas Castle

With solar-power, instant hot water showers, green fuel BBQs and patio heaters, every part of the design and build of this glamping accommodation is eco-friendly. The luxury Canvas Cottages can be found in their own secluded wooded knoll, with peaceful surroundings and breath-taking views of the Castle's Loch.

Three Glens

Boasting jaw-dropping views across the countryside to where the three glens of Craigdarroch, Dalwhat and Castlefairn meet, the green philosophy of Three Glens centres around the 'Four Rs' of 'Reduce, Re-use, Recycle and Recover' with these values brought to life in everything from the biomass stove and electric vehicle charging, to the oak cladding from wind-felled trees or the wool insulation from sheep on the farm.

Here’s an exclusive first peek inside Twycross Zoo’s brand new habitat, Chimpanzee Eden. Residents Rosie and Jambo are ready to welcome you!

Surrounded by lush, tropical greenery, visitors can enjoy an immersive jungle experience as they watch the chimpanzees make their way through the 1,160sqm semi-translucent habitat, spanning three stories high, complete with outdoor climbing frames.

The outstanding new habitat at the award-winning conservation charity, based in Leicestershire, has been purposely designed to replicate the wild environment and has both indoor and outdoor spaces for the chimpanzees to roam and explore.

Guests can discover hidden spots where they can get sneaky peeks at these wonderful animals from closer than ever before.

Providing outstanding facilities for both animal welfare, research, education and visitors, Chimpanzee Eden promises an outstanding experience for the whole family to enjoy.

Efteling – the fairytale theme park in the south of Holland – has launched a new virtual experience on one of the park's main attractions, the dark ride Droomvlucht, making the ride accessible to disabled visitors. For safety reasons, Droomvlucht was the only large attraction at Efteling that could not be experienced by guests with a physical disability, however this has changed with the launch of Virtual Droomvlucht, which incorporates virtual reality and other techniques.

Virtual Droomvlucht will replicate the original ride, offering guests the same experience by connecting disabled visitors with their friends on the ride through headphones and microphones so that they may see, and feel the same sensations.

The combination of VR, the audio equipment, as well as other techniques, which makes it possible to experience Droomvlucht virtually and as a group, is completely unique in the leisure sector.

Fons Jurgens, President and CEO of Efteling comments: "Until now, VR has often been used for individual experiences. With the use of other techniques such as audio equipment, we have created a group experience that completely stands in line with Efteling and the theme park's values”.

Annemarie Verbunt is a regular Efteling guest. Her disability made it impossible for her to experience the dark ride Droomvlucht. Last week Annemarie had a trial run and her response was enthusiastic: "I am so happy to be able to experience this. I've been looking forward to the day that I could experience Droomvlucht for 25 years. Virtual Droomvlucht really is a complete sensory experience, thanks to the smell and wind effects but also the contact with my friends who are on the gondola. What a beautiful attraction!"

The latest star in the global travel and tourism industry today is from Jamaica and no other than Edmund Bartlett, Jamaica’s Minister of Tourism. Travel and Tourism Security was high on the agenda when The Hon. Edmund Bartlett made his presentation at the ongoing 63rd UNWTO Regional Commission for the Americas and the International Seminar on Women’s Empowerment in the Tourism Sector in Paraguay. The UNWTO Conference is being held in conjunction with the National Secretariat of Tourism of Paraguay (SENATUR).

A tireless effort was put in by the former UNWTO Secretary-General Taleb Rifai together with Minister Bartlett, and the scene was set last year in November with the Montego Bay declaration after concluding the very successful UWWTO Global Conference on Jobs and inclusive growth in Jamaica. Minister Jamaica hosted the event.

The Montego Bay declaration highlighted the need for climate change mitigation and improving crisis preparedness, including a commitment among Caribbean countries to work toward more regional integration and to support a Global Tourism Resilience Center in Jamaica, including a Sustainable Tourism Observatory to help in preparedness, management, and recovery from crises.

This morning at the Regional Commission for the Americas meeting, Minister Bartlett made his presentation on establishing and hosting the first Tourism Innovation Centre in the Americas. A first conference is planned in Montego Bay in 2019.

The current UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvil continued to voice UNWTO’s support for a regional center.

Qatar Airways has announced that it has been named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘Best Business Class: Middle East’ and ‘World’s Top 10 Airline’ by the highly-respected 2018 TripAdvisor Travelers’ Choice Awards, complementing a growing number of esteemed accolades that the airline has already received in 2018. Qatar Airways garnered additional praise from TripAdvisor as it was recognised as a Travelers’ Choice Winner for ‘Airline: Middle East’ and ‘Economy Class: Middle East’.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker, said: “We are delighted to be recognised for our world-class hospitality and outstanding quality of product by the valued TripAdvisor travel community, a significant testament of our passengers’ satisfaction in their travel experience with us. TripAdvisor is one of the most well-known names in travel, and being awarded World’s Best Business Class and in the Middle East, as well as being named one of the Top 10 Airlines in the World is truly a tremendous achievement.”

TripAdvisor is the world’s largest travel website with more than 600 million traveler reviews of airlines, hotels, restaurants, and attractions worldwide. The Travelers’ Choice Awards are the highest honours presented by TripAdvisor, and are the only travel industry awards based on millions of reviews from travelers around the world, reflecting “the best of the best” for service, quality, and customer satisfaction.

Last month Qatar Airways received the Apex Passenger Choice award for ‘Best Overall Airline: Middle East’, ‘Best Food and Beverage: Middle East’, ‘Best Cabin Service: Middle East’, and ‘Best Seat Comfort: Middle East’ by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (Apex) during a ceremony at Apex Asia held in Shanghai, where the airline also received a 2018 Five-Star Apex Official Airline rating.

The airline was also in March named ‘Best Regional Middle East/Africa Airline’ by Money magazine’s 2018 ‘Best in Travel’ awards for the second consecutive year. The award, one of the highest honours in the industry, recognised the airline for its unparalleled value, comfort, and prestige. These awards complement a triumphant 2017, which saw the airline receive more than 50 awards across multiple categories, including ‘Airline of the Year’ by the prestigious 2017 Skytrax World Airline Awards. This is the fourth time that Qatar Airways has been given this global recognition.

The countdown is on for the unveiling of Chimpanzee Eden at Twycross Zoo!

The award-winning conservation charity based in the heart of England has created a new habitat for its chimpanzees, as part of its ambitious £55m Masterplan to become a national conservation organization and world-class visitor attraction.

With work now almost complete, the Zoo’s iconic species are getting ready to move into the £3.5m facility, purposely designed to pose the same kind of challenges that wild chimpanzees face in their daily lives and far more suited to their husbandry needs. The multi-story building will provide outstanding facilities for both animal welfare, research, education and visitors.

Dr Sharon Redrobe, CEO at Twycross Zoo says: “Twycross Zoo has housed chimpanzees since our inception in 1963. Back then, many of the chimpanzees were socially naïve, having been hand-reared and maintained in very small social units. Our dedicated team has since spent several years ‘re wilding’ the chimps into larger social groups through award-winning introduction programmes, where the chimps had to learn how to interact with more individuals in a more complex social context.

It has always been a long-term aim for us to house all our chimps in one place, as we want our animals to be living and behaving as closely to how they would in the wild. We place a strong emphasis on creating naturalistic habitats for our animals to live in and Chimpanzee Eden has been designed with this in mind; providing a larger, more complex space for our chimps to interact together.”

Twycross Zoo is at the forefront of wild animal conservation, education and research and has a strong commitment to its award winning education programme which aims to increase the level of awareness, knowledge and understanding of visitors about its animals. Chimpanzee Eden promises visitors a more engaging way of watching and learning about its primates. Complete with a classroom area where students can learn about the natural world, the 1,160sqm habitat spans three stories high with outdoor climbing frames, providing more natural surroundings for the chimpanzees and an immersive jungle experience for visitors. Guests can peer over the glass-free walls and watch in amazement as the chimps thunder over the crowds in see-through tunnels to head outside.

At 11m high, the semi-translucent habitat will feature lush, tropical and native shrubs, with glazing and discreet openings allowing visitors to see chimps close up as they pass through the habitat. Decked with imagery of chimps and forests in Cameroon, where the Zoo’s partner Ape Action Africa works to rescue and protect chimpanzees (and gorillas), Chimpanzee Eden is guaranteed to be a spectacle to behold.

Twycross Zoo collaborated with the University of Birmingham to develop an Enclosure Design Tool (EDT), to use science-based design for chimpanzees, using elements that mimic the physical and mental challenges they face in their natural environment. Following its successful deployment at the Leicestershire based zoo, the EDT has since been launched nationally through The British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums (BIAZA), with future aims to introduce the EDT throughout European Zoos via The European Association of Zoos and Aquaria (EAZA).

The University also helped design cognition pods in Chimpanzee Eden, an area where the chimps can participate in puzzles, allowing visitors and scientists to learn about the cognitive abilities of our closest living relatives.

Continued Sharon: “As a research-led charity, we hope to make a real difference to the quality of life for our chimpanzees by incorporating several recommended components into Chimpanzee Eden. The new habitat will allow the chimps to climb really high and move on dynamic structures that behave flexibly, similar to the branches and vines in forest canopies in their natural environment. This is vital for our conservation efforts and education programmes since chimpanzees move differently in static and dynamic environments and ensuring that they remain strong and quick-witted is a necessity for animal welfare. At the heart of our ambitious development plans lies a passionate commitment to the fundamental importance of environmental education and practical wildlife conservation, which is shared by the whole team at Twycross Zoo.”

Uber and Edmonton International Airport have announced that Uber will now be serving customers at EIA. Each airport has unique operational requirements, so the two companies have taken the time to ensure that the service meets the needs of travellers and works within Uber’s requirements for drivers. Riders will now be able to collect their luggage and use the Uber app to request a ride. Uber driver-partners will pick up riders on the outer curb outside Door 10 on the arrivals level.

“We are pleased to announce today that Edmontonians and travellers from around the world can now rely on the services of Uber upon landing at Edmonton International Airport. From today on, we will be able to meet the demand for safe, affordable and reliable transportation alternatives at the airport. By entering into this agreement with Uber, Edmonton International Airport joins more than 500 airports around the world where Uber ridesharing services are available and used by travellers.” – Ramit Kar, General Manager for Uber Western Canada

“We are happy to partner with Uber to meet our customers’ expectations. EIA is committed to providing travelers with a full spectrum of ground transportation options.” – EIA President and CEO Tom Ruth

The small Canarian island of La Palma will, for the second consecutive year, host Astro Fest La Palma, and shine a light on the island's world renowned astronomy. The Astro Fest La Palma festivities will run from 5 April to 30 May, and includes a variety of diverse and authentic activities which centre on the island's starry skies.

Known as 'la isla bonita' (the pretty island), La Palma is internationally recognised by UNESCO as an official Starlight Reserve for the countless stars which can be observed and the island's commitment to its environmental preservation. La Palma's longstanding international recognition has also been bolstered by their internationally acclaimed observatory, El Roque de Los Muchachos, which sits at an altitude of 2,420m. Often referred to as the 'Balcony to the Stars', it is one of the three best observatories on earth, and home to the largest optical telescope in the world.

Astro Fest La Palma, kicks off on April 5th with the Carrera de las Estrellas (Star Race), in the area of Reventón, and is the first ever competition to be certified as a Starlight Sports Event. A 2.4km uphill race to the islands stars, the race begins at night in Hermitage Pino of the Virgen and culminates in the forest track of La Hilera, illuminated along the way by the starry skies. Another sporting event during the festival takes place on 12th May, and is a reinvention of the world renowned Transvulcania trail runs, fittingly titled Transvulcania “Space Runners” 2018, as the race climbs to the Roque de Los Muchachos Observatory; the highest point on the island. The race is one of toughest trail running races in the world, with a distance of 74.33 kilometres through volcanic terrain.

From the 15th to the 21st May, the Vi Astromaster La Palma takes places, giving the opportunity to join world-leading astrophotographer Babak Tafreshi, for a 7-day intensive workshop focusing on Advanced Timelapse imaging and processing and landscape astrophotography. The program will include guided tours to astrological viewing points across the island, including a visit to the European Northern Observatory.

Another popular event includes the 12th edition of the Little Festival of Stars, or the “Festivalito de Las Estrellas” which takes place from 19 to 27 May. Based in Los Llanos de Aridane until the 23rd and then finishing off in the capital, Santa Cruz de La Palma, the activities focus on creativity, consciousness and nature. During this week, visitors will be able to take part in film shootings, music concerts, poetry sessions and astrology workshops, all conducted under the starry night sky.

La Palma's homage to astronomy provides activities during the day and night which are not only exciting, but also educational for all ages including conferences on “Preserving The Skies” on the 20 April and the Night Landscape Conference on 23 May, Astro-photography master classes, children's drawing contests, outdoor cinema screenings, and local musical performances. The Astro Fest La Palma has become one of the highlights of the year on the island, mixing astronomy with sporting activities, education, investment, music, culture and much more.

The start of the summer season sees a further two new connections from Budapest Airport as the Hungarian gateway continues to expand its route map. Supporting the growth of the airport, Ryanair added a twice-weekly service to Santander yesterday, which sees Budapest now offer 11 Spanish destinations on its network this year. Today the ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) also launched the airport’s first connection to Paphos, adding to Budapest’s growing list of destinations.

“It’s always a pleasure to launch a new connection from our airport, and to be able to welcome two in as many days with a valued partner is a very good reason to celebrate,” enthuses Balázs Bogáts, Head of Airline Development, Budapest Airport. “Ryanair now offers 36 destinations from Budapest and, having seen a fantastic 23% increase in passengers from our airport in 2017, we look forward to working closely with the airline during what is already promising to be another successful year of traffic development for Budapest,” added Bogáts.

Facing no direct competition on the 1,646-kilometre sector to Santander – a potential market of 39,000 passengers – the ULCC’s latest link to Spain joins its established operations to Barcelona, Gran Canaria, Madrid, Malaga and Valencia. The carrier’s second inaugural flight this week to Paphos will result in Budapest offering more than 200 flights to Cyprus this summer, and close to 40,000 one-way seats to the Mediterranean island.

Following a busy first two months of the year, Budapest increased its passenger traffic by an average 16.5%. Welcoming an additional 250,000 travelers by the end of February, the airport is firmly on the path to hitting the one million passenger mark in March, a month earlier than it did last year, and breaking another record in the history of the airport.