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Lonely Planet Chooses Manchester as Top Travel Destination for 2023


www.nitravelnews.com LONELY Planet has destinations for annual


Manchester as one of its must- visit


Best


the only UK city to make the guidebook’s Travel list.


chosen 2023, in


The city is described as “one of the best – if not the best – cities in the UK, with something for everyone”.


Manchester Council Chief Bev Craig says of the accolade: “When Lonely Planet says there is something for everyone here, it’s the result of long-term planning and partnership. We’re proud to be the only UK city on this list.” Other top cities on the list include Sydney, Lima, Montevideo, Marseille and Dresden.


Lonely Planet suggests a one- day itinerary for visitors including a visit to the Manchester Art Gallery, Central and John Rylands libraries, Northern Quarter street art, Manchester Craft and Design Centre, and Mackie Mayor food hall. Tom Hall, Lonely Planet’s Vice President said:


“Everyone at


Lonely Planet is thrilled to have Manchester included in Best in Travel 2023. Manchester’s urban dynamism


combined with a


fascinating history and cultural scene makes it an exciting pick. Next year is going to be a great one in Manchester for cultural happenings like the reopening of Manchester Museum, the launch of the new Factory International and the chance to tour Castlefield Viaduct. It’s a city to experience, not just visit, so our suggested itineraries have also flagged up live music, great places to eat and drink, and street art tours, and much more.”


PHENOMENAL GROWTH: UK FASTEST GROWING MARKET FOR JAMAICA


HOT on the heels of the destination welcoming two million


stopover


Jamaica’s Tourism,


Minister Hon Edmund


Bartlett has announced that the UK, is the fastest growing recovery market for the island.


“In 2019, we did 225,000 visitors and right now we are trending to make in excess of 230,000 visitors and earn 326 million pounds,” said Minister Bartlett. “This means the market is set to earn ten percent more than 2019 when we earned 295 million pounds. So, the UK market is good, and we are happy for that.


“The growth we are seeing is phenomenal and is being reflected in both arrivals and earnings,” he added.


arrivals, of


2023 Will be the Year of the Conscientious Customer – ABTA


ABTA has revealed its travel predictions for 2023, including the emergence of a more Conscientious Customer next year. According to ABTA’s Travel in 2023 report, holidaymakers will adopt an even more thorough approach to holiday planning than in previous years, which includes putting their trust in an expert to do the job for them.


New research from


ABTA shows people are 36% more likely to book with a travel professional now than before the pandemic,


with getting


the security of a package holiday (45%), up-to-date advice (38%) and good value for money (31%) among the top reasons for doing so.


In addition, Conscientious


Customers


these will


be carefully considering which companies to book with, as an increasing number of people (75%) say booking with a well- known name in the travel industry will be an important part of the booking process this year (up from 62% in 2019), as will previous experience of booking with a specific company (up to 67% from 57% in 2019). The company being a Member of ABTA continues to be an important factor (up to 83% from 79% in 2019)2.


These changes in consumer sentiment mean it’s even more important for ABTA Members to clearly display the ABTA logo in their retail stores, their marketing materials and on social media.


The Conscientious Customer is one of six main trends


detailed in ABTA’s Travel in 2023 report. The findings were revealed at the association’s Travel Trends Conference today, as part of a full day of insights on the latest industry trends, popular destinations, customer sentiment and practical tips and advice to inform marketing strategies for the coming 12 months.


Graeme Buck, Director of


Communications at ABTA – The Travel Association said: “Our new Travel in 2023 report paints an optimistic picture for the travel industry next year, with our research and booking trends from our Members clearly showing a strong commitment to foreign holiday taking over the next 12 months.


“It’s really encouraging to see that many of these committed travellers are placing higher value on booking with trusted travel professionals than before the pandemic.


With more


than 8 in 10 people saying it’s important that they book with an ABTA Member travel company this year,


it’s really important


that our Members make sure they’re proudly promoting their ABTA credentials among their customers.” ABTA’s six travel trends for 2023 are:


All hail the all-inclusive – all- inclusive holidays will be the go- to option to help people control their travel spend and take that sacrosanct holiday next year. Hibernation holidays


Stena Line to


DOUBLE Rosslare to Cherbourg Route


STENA Line have announced that it is to double sailing frequency and treble capacity for tourists on the Rosslare to Cherbourg route for summer 2023, with the introduction of the Stena Vision cruise ferry on the route from June 2023. In addition to the existing Stena Horizon ferry, it means there will be six sailings each way between Rosslare Europort and Cherbourg every week from June, ideal for tourists looking for a sustainable travel option between


Ireland and France. The Stena Vision brings with it space for up to 1,300 passengers, with 485 passenger cabins, offering the widest selection of cabins across all of the company’s ferries. The new travel experience includes a wide choice of bars and restaurants, as well as an onboard Nordic Spa.


It


even boasts 42 cabins equipped for pets, meaning the entire family can holiday from Rosslare Europort next summer.


extended winter breaks are proving popular for the months ahead, as people look to swap the cold, damp days of the UK for warmer, sunnier locations. Getaways to get away – people will turn to their holidays for some


much-needed escapism –


from everyday life in 2023, with familiar destinations proving particularly popular. Early birds in action – people will book even earlier than normal to lock in a good price for their holiday next year. Conscientious customers – an even more conscientious approach to holiday planning than before the pandemic will lead to a rise in bookings with trusted travel professionals. A new dawn for rail and sail


Airline Sector Pushes for Single Pilot Flights… But Pilots Say No!


THE airline sector is pushing for the introduction of commercial flights operated by a single pilot, however pilots have been pushing back against the idea, saying this could lead to lead to safety issues.


Having just one pilot in the cockpit would cut costs for airlines. More than 40 countries have petitioned


the International Civil


Aviation Organisation (ICAO) to set aviation standards to allow single- pilot flights. These include Germany, the UK and New Zealand.


January 2023


Express Transfers - An Exclusive New Service for Guest from Jet2holidays


J E T 2 H O L I DAY S has announced the launch of Express Transfers, a brand- new and exclusive service that means customers are guaranteed to be the first, second or third drop off on their arrival transfer at the start of their holiday. As well as giving customers the best start to their holiday by getting them to their hotel faster, the brand-new service also means customers will be one of the final three pick ups on their departure transfer back to the airport at the end of their holiday. The launch of the new


service was announced by Zoe Towers, Head of Product at Jet2holidays,


at the


company’s annual VIP conference for independent travel agents,


taking place at the 3HB Guarana


which is in


Portugal this week. Express Transfers will launch in the next few weeks and will be included as standard when customers or independent travel agents book a hotel featuring the service. Customers with existing bookings to properties featuring the service will automatically receive an Express Transfer


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