ReleaseWire

The Icelandic travel and tourism sector's review-period (2008?2012) performance was adversely affected by the country's slip into recession in 2008. However, despite the volcanic eruption at Eyjafjallajokull in 2010, international and domestic tourism activity increased overall. Domestic tourist volumes rose at a review-period CAGR of 1.89% while international arrivals increased at a CAGR of 7.60%. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), in 2012, the sector accounted for 19.5% of Icelandic GDP and 20.9% of total employment.

BMI has left its key tourism forecast indicators unchanged this quarter. As such, we continue to anticipate strong growth in arrivals over the coming period. For 2014, we maintain our view that there will be 9.5% growth in arrivals from all regions, with tourism receipts set to rise by 10.4%.

BMI View: The Saudi Arabia Tourism Report examines the significant long-term potential offered by the tourism industry, but highlights the potential downward pressure that regional uncertainty could have on arrival numbers as the political landscape changes.

While planning a vacation the aspect of accommodation should always be given prime importance, choosing the right type of accommodation during a vacation would mean the trip would be not only fun but also relaxing and rejuvenating. The accommodation should be selected like one selects a home because the lodging will essentially play the part of being the home away from home. If one is travelling to Florida for a Disney World vacation then why not choose a Florida villa as the place to stay and relax during the vacation.

BMI View: BMI's Ukraine tourism report looks at a range of key market indicators, including the prospects for inbound and outbound travel, industry value, growth in the hotel sector and the expansion of tourism-related expenditure. With economic recovery in Europe gradually gaining ground, we expect growth across the board in the Ukrainian tourism market by 2017.

The tour operator ADAGIO con BRIO, along with the editors of the Florence Inferno blog, have just announced that they have organized a love-themed tour of the Uffizi Gallery, one of the world’s most famous museums. For those who plan on spending Valentine’s Day in Florence, Italy, and would enjoy experiencing a romantic themed-tour, the occasion will combine both art and love in one very memorable event.

Visiting friends, family and relatives is an integral part of annual travel routine of millions of Asian immigrants in UK. While low-cost carriers and big online travel agencies rein over Europe and US air traffic, Worldwide Travel & Tours (UK Ltd.), a Manchester based travel agency lunched their own online travel agency (OTA), UK to Anywhere, to target those traveling to non-EU areas.

Mauritius has indicated a tremendous influx of tourists over the past years. It is a beautiful tropical island nestled in the Indian Island, Southeast of Africa. Inhabited by a mixture of different cultures as a result of people from different countries and religions, it is the perfect place to enjoy a relaxing holiday surrounded by diversity. Smart Villas Mauritius is the go-to site for people looking for the right villa to enjoy a holiday in Mauritius.

The winter season is a time for many families and groups to take a nice vacation to Hawaii. With all the activities for families to take part in on the island, experiencing a deep sea fishing excursion on the clear blue waters of the Pacific Ocean in Kauai can be a once in a lifetime opportunity. For groups or families who enjoy the open air and a personalized fishing trip with an experienced captain, Ohana Fishing Charters is pleased to announce they are now offering an eight-hour private charter for groups.

We are very proud to announce the launch this week of GoLet Holidays – the most user-friendly website for private holiday home rental, featuring the best caravan hire listings service in the UK.

Twiztour is an extraordinary adventure ... Three young people gathered around a project for the less ambitious, think differently tourism!

Since its launch in 2009, Yoga Rocks the Park (YRP) has grown steadily from one small grassroots gathering with just 30 people in Denver, Colorado to one of the fastest growing, family-friendly, outdoor live music, yoga, and wellness celebrations in the United States with 25,000+ nationwide attendees.

Quality Cottages aims to transpose its exacting standard of high quality content across to video footage with these creative short films.

Insider London is an innovative, award-winning tour company that has been offering walking tours of London since 2007. Street Art, Architecture and The London Underground are just some of the tours that Insider London currently has on offer. The Insider London tube tour enables participants to travel through 151 years of London history in just two hours. The alternative tour company say that their tube tour is “ideal for visitors who want an engaging and informative look at London’s past and present, as well as Londoners who want to get under the skin of their home town.”

Battery Point is known for its oldest structures and historic buildings and is a popular tourist destination in Tasmania. A visit to this authentic place will definitely take visitors back to nostalgia and leave them wanting to come back again and again. Visiting a new place can be very exciting. However, without a proper stay and accommodation a holiday would clearly be ruined. It is all the more important to choose the right accommodation if it is a family that is on a vacation. At batterypointaccommodation.com visitors can find information on various accommodation options available to them and genuine reviews with regards to those options.

Planning a holiday especially for destinations outside one’s own country demands a lot of attention to details that are offered by travel companies. People who have bitter experiences with travel companies find it very hard to identify a good service provider.

Based in San Francisco, El Camino Charters is a leading provider of rental bus services and they are now offering the chance to enjoy luxurious rides of tour buses in San Francisco. These services have time and again proved to be exclusively beneficial for group travelers or for corporate tour and travel outings. The company is known for its trustworthy services, therefore schools also hire these rental buses for their outdoor events. Every possible measure is taken to ensure safe and secure operations so that clients can have memorable and trouble free time.

VIKASA, a popular boutique yoga resort and organic restaurant in Koh Samui, recently announced their upcoming expansion by offering exciting new services and programs. “The expansion is a response to an overwhelming excitement within the growing global community,” said a representative of the resort.

Kathy Nesbit Vacations Inc. offers properties that provide spectacular views of the sea and are an ideal location to spend a relaxing vacation. Properties available for rent vary in size as well as amenities offered and can be chosen according to the number of people staying. Fully furnished homes for families as well as modern condos for couples are made available according to the requirement of customers.

As one of the premier deep sea fishing charters in the Kauai region of Hawaii, there is an ample amount of fish just off the island. With the winter season beginning, Ohana Fishing Charters is now offering an exciting experience of whale watching while deep sea sport fishing. The Humpback whales are swimming off the coast of Kauai during the winter, birthing their babies before heading back to the Arctic. When taking part in a deep sea fishing excursion, the opportunity to see whales is an added bonus to the fish that can be reeled in.

Located in a region that is known as much for its economic depression as for its rich cultural heritage, Clarksdale, Mississippi is experiencing a revitalization in its historic downtown. Twin development projects, the High Cotton Condos and The Haberdashery Lofts are attaining twin goals: historic preservation and economic development.

Cape Tours, a bonded and UK registered tour operator that features enjoyable and custom-tailored South Africa holidays, has just announced that it has teamed up with Karkloof Safari Spa KwaZulu-Natal—which was recently voted the best Spa Destination and the only 7 star graded property in Africa—the historic Ellerman House in Cape Town, and Singita the Big Five Safari destination in the Kruger National Park to bring travelers the ultimate pampering combination package.

As an increasing number of Australians are opting to spend their holidays away from home, booking agencies are busy filling holiday weeks and weekends with travelers looking for the perfect spot to spend Christmas and New Years. Says Grant Hawkins, spokesperson for Byron Bay Accom, December is filling up fast.

According to recent eTrack statistics, more than 148 million travelers book travel arrangements online each year. Approximately 39% of travelers book their accommodation via the Internet. With these trends in mind, Byron Bay Accom has expanded its range of accommodations available to book online, particularly affordable luxury holiday homes.

As the holidays are approaching, many families, couples, or friends wish to get away for a few days in order to re-energize for another long year ahead. For those who travel to Kauai, Hawaii, Ohana Fishing Charters is pleased to announce they are now offering their valued guests 15 percent off shared and private charters. There’s never a shortage of fish in the water and deep sea or sport fishing can result in memories that last a lifetime.