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Wendy Wu Tours Records Phenomenal Response Following ‘Race Across The World’ Popularity
Nevada Gears Up to
Welcome Visitors from Ireland
IN an unprecedented wave of wanderlust sparked by the BBC’s thrilling series ‘Race Across the World’, Wendy Wu Tours is witnessing a phenomenal surge in bookings to Asia. The conclusion of ‘Race Across the
World’ has ignited a newfound passion for travel, particularly to the show’s featured destinations like Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Wendy Wu Tours has seen a staggering 52% increase in bookings for Japan alone, prompting the addition of 17 new departures for the autumn season to meet the overwhelming demand.
Viewers, captivated by the
show’s breathtaking scenery and cultural experiences, are opting for the convenience
and expertise of guided tours rather than independent travel. Gary King, Head of Trade Sales at Wendy
Wu Tours, commented on this travel phenomenon, stating, “The excitement generated by ‘Race Across the World’ has truly been unprecedented. We’ve seen a dramatic surge in bookings, particularly for our Japan tours, with a 52% increase over the past eight weeks. In response to this incredible demand, we’ve added 17 new departures for the autumn season in Japan, including our flagship tours such as ‘Japan Uncovered’ and ‘Best of Japan’. It’s clear that viewers are looking for the security and enriching experiences that our fully inclusive tours provide.”
OPENING up even more travel opportunities from the UK & Ireland, Nevada is ready to welcome a new wave of travellers from Ireland, the north west of England and Surrey in 2024. Located in the Western region of the United States and landlocked between five neighbouring states, Nevada is defined by contrasts and offers visitors a rich history with diverse cultures. Known for its arid desert landscapes, alluring casinos, and vibrant nightlife, ‘The Silver State’ is also home to a variety of pristine natural wonders including the Valley of Fire State Park, Lake Tahoe and Great Basin National Park, as well as quirky ghost towns, eccentric exhibitions and attractions. The latest announcement comes from
Aer Lingus with a brand-new direct service departing three times weekly from Dublin (DUB). Launching on 25 October until 31 March 2025, lead in fares start from 499 euros return in economy with the added comfort of
preclearance U.S. Customs and Finnair Serves Up New Summer Menu Brimming with Fresh Flavours
FINNAIR has launched its summer menu, treating customers to new mouthwatering meals and light savoury flavours.
snacks packed with fresh
Customers flying on Finnair flights can tuck into a range of tasty dishes – available for purchase inflight – including vegetable bolognese pasta, vegetarian korma curry noodles and berry oatmeal. They can also enjoy salty snacks and sweet treats such as cashew nuts, blueberry muffins, salty liquorice and fruit candy.
Depending on the route, customers can also pre-order a hot meal or fresh sandwich. Hot meal options include grilled chicken fillet with carrot spaghetti, carrot puree, and pea pesto, as well as stewed beef with fried potatoes, onions, green beans and liquorice sauce. The summer menu, running until October 29, 2024, is inspired by Nordic summer flavours. Business Class guests travelling long-haul can choose a starter from salmon sashimi, shrimp tartlet, and summer vegetables.
immigration before boarding. Flights depart Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays departing at 15:20 and arriving at Harry Reid International Airport at 17:50 allowing plenty of time to enjoy an evening in the sports and entertainment capital of the world. Travel Nevada has created 10 “grab and go” road trip itineraries themed for every type of traveller from outdoor adventurers to art aficionados, stopping at national and state parks, open-air museums, ghost towns and even a clown motel. Designed to guide visitors safely through the 60 million acres of public land accessible across the state, the itineraries can be combined to create 2–10-day trips traversing the length and breadth of the state, allowing visitors to absorb as much culture as desired. Road trips include the Extraterrestrial Highway, Cowboy Corridor, Lake Tahoe Loop, and the Great Basin Highway.
INTERVIEW: KERRIE TRIPP, VISIT NEW ENGLAND
July/August 2024 of activities,
not
just one city. So if you stay in Boston, which is kind of the hub and where the majority of the flights are coming into, you can go up the coastline all the way to Maine,
you can
go West, you can go South, you can really have a great opportunity to visit the coastline that
way. Then if you go into New Hampshire or Vermont or the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, there are scenic byways and lakes and amazing vistas for hiking. It really depends on the person and what they are looking for but you can have tailor-made some great opportunities,” she added.
What is the best way to get around? “To come to New England, the best
way to do it is to do a fly-drive, but that being said, there is an opportunity to do the train up the coast, so you can jump on an Amtrak on Boston, or jump on an Amtrak in New York City and you can do the coast to all the way up to just North of Portland, Maine,” Kerrie recommends. “Then there’s an Amtrak that goes from Boston to Vermont. But to do a lot of those little interior things and getting to the lakes and things like that, having a vehicle is more helpful. Some of the cities, like Boston are very easy to navigate on public transportation, but the majority of the small rural towns just don’t have that same kind of public transport.”
What is your favourite part of the region? “Maine is home to Arcadia National Park which is one of the most visited National Parks in the United States, it just sits outside of Barr Harbour, another really well visited destination,” Kerrie said. “Staying in that upper area or Maine you also have the Katahdin Woods which is a National Woods and Monument. Just last year 31,000 visitors came through the visitor centre at the park. Its a really beautiful place and is a designated dark sky sanctuary. People really enjoy getting out and looking at the stars, trying to see the Aurora Borealis,” she continued. “There’s also some great opportunities to visit some of the famous Steven King locations - for instance if a book is set in Derry, Maine, that’s actually Bangor, Maine and you can take a tour around the city and actually see the places he wrote about.”
Apart from Stephen King, what else is the region famous for?
TUCKED into the northeast corner of the United States, New England is a region of tall mountains, rich farmland, wind-swept seacoasts, and everything in between. It’s made up of the states of
Massachusetts, New England Rhode Island,
Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine, with Boston’s the region’s largest city.
opportunities for outdoor activities, world-class cultural institutions,
offers incredible a
sophisticated and diverse food scene and a rich history.
Four distinct seasons and the perfect mix of big cities and small towns make New England a favourite travel destination.
NI Travel News Editor-in-Chief, caught up with Kerrie Tripp from Discover New England, to find out her favourite parts of the six sates.
“New England is a really great
area in the North East of the United States, it’s 6 total states - Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont make the top three, Massachusetts is the centre, then Connecticut and Rhode Island are the bottom two,” says Kerrie.
“It’s a nice little compact area that is easily navigable. There’s city, but there’s a lot of local-owned, small quaint New England village and towns, a lot of local- owned versus chain-owned and some really unique adventures,” she continued. So what are the most popular activities for
locals to do in New England? “Watersports in New England really are two different things, one is on the Ocean and one is on the hundreds of lakes that dot all six New England states. So for Lakes we have tours that go off on many different ones, canoeing, kayaking, those are really popular activities along with swimming,” Kerrie added. “Then along the coastline you have beaches, whale watching and lobstering and oyster farms, so you can experience a great coastal vacation and then go and experience more of a woods , waterways and lakes - two really different vibes. What is the best way to explore the region? “You can use any hotel, any rental house as a great hub and spoke to a lot
“Going down the coast, you’ve got Portland, Maine which is a really great urban, small city centre and it has amazing arts opportunities and coast opportunities,” Kerrie continued. “You can go out on a lobster boat there, you can choose what size of lobster you would like to purchase and you can actually lobster and then when you come in they will do a traditional lobster dinner for you. It’s a lot of fun. “Through Maine, Massachusetts and Rhode Island there are oyster farms that dot the coastline and you can go out in the oyster famers and learn about the aqua-culture of it,” she added. Anything special happening in 2024/2025? “Boston hosts some really great history for New England, just south of the city is Plymouth and that’s where the Mayflower landed. We have a great 250 year history - so starting April 19th, 2025, which was the shot that was heard around the world, which kicked off the war - that happened in Lexington and we will be having 250 anniversary activities happening across the country,”
she
added. To find out more about visiting New England check out visitnewengland. com.
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