Cheap and cheerful sun in Gran Canaria

When you want to escape the cold and gloom of a northern European winter, you generally have to think about travelling a long distance to get some heat and sunshine. The Caribbean, Thailand, India all offer warmth and great holiday resorts, but it takes a long flight to get there, and though there are deals to be had, they generally aren’t cheap.

An alternative that will save both travel time and money is to head to the Canaries – a group of Spanish islands that are situated off the north-west coast of Africa in the Atlantic. Known for their fantastic climate, they are sometimes nicknamed the Fortunate Isles and their climate is referred to as ‘eternal spring’. In fact, the climate varies little during the year, and while the winters are warm and mild, the summer temperatures don’t ever get unbearable.

The main islands are Tenerife, Lanzarote and Gran Canaria and they have been dedicated to mass tourism for the last sixty years. Consequently, these places are really ideally set up for holidaymakers looking for beautiful beaches, hotels with great facilities and lots of different things to do. The Canaries make an ideal location to take the family for a ‘fun in the sun’ holiday, but you can also find quieter resorts if you’re after a walking or hiking holiday.

The biggest and most popular resort on Gran Canaria has to be Playa del Ingles, where you’ll find the biggest concentration of tourist attractions like waterparks and hotels such as the IFA Continental which all boast excellent facilities including swimming pools, tennis courts and spas and are designed to make your holiday relaxing but simultaneously full of entertainment possibilities.

Whoever you’re going on holiday with, you’ll find a resort in Gran Canaria that is suitable for your party, and the fact that you can get there so cheaply and easily makes it an ideal place for a sunshine break any time of the year.

 

2013 Travel Trends

Intelligent travel search and convenience key

In September 2012, Momondo introduced a new flight rating technology. Unique to the market, the system aimed to take travel search to the next level – the second generation of meta-search.

 

By combining several factors into a single rating system – to get past cheap, but longer flights, momondo’s new technology instantly spots the best flights available, saving consumers time and money, with every search.

 

Every flight is rated with a smiley and a score between 0 (bad) and 10 (good) to help the user find the flight with the best balance between price and flight duration.

 

From its introduction in September, momondo noticed their rating technology, with price/time scores and new user interfaces with ‘smileys’, also made a significant change in the way users interacted with travel meta-search information, and made their travel decisions.

 

In the process, momondo discovered two new travel trends, which will affect travel in 2013:

 

1. Meta-search sites will need to be intelligent

Over the last four months, momondo saw a 24% drop in refined travel searches, since it introduced the rating system – as it is now easier for momondo users to make the right decisions based on travel needs. This information told momondo that moving into 2013, more consumers are looking for ‘intelligent’ travel search sites, which help with their travel decision making – by turning raw flight data into actionable information.

 

2. Convenience factors key

Secondly, momondo has seen a change in consumer buying habits. momondo observed that over the course of 2012 people steadily have been spending more money on flights, which in turn confirms that the traveller’s focus on a whole, is not now on booking the cheapest ticket, moreover convenience factors – such as time, play an important role. Users will act as ‘smart-buyers’, that seek insight and want to compare several factors, before they purchase.

New Flights single + tour | Music News

Bristol rockers Flights have been on a steady upward trajectory since the release of their debut EP in May 2011, earning rave reviews from the likes of Kerrang!, Rock Sound, Big Cheese, Total Guitar and Front. The band return with the splendid new single ‘Eleven’ on 11th June. If you enjoy the likes of Hell Is For Heroes, Thrice or Jimmy Eat World then check it out.

The band head out on tour in June in the UK & Ireland. Dates here:

07 – Bristol – The Fleece
08 – Doncaster – The Garage
09 – London – Bull and Gate
12 – Leicester – Sumo
13 – Belfast – Auntie Annie’s
14 – Galway – The Cellar
15 – Dublin – Cassidy’s
16 – Dublin – Industry

Links:

Official website