Trump's tourist tariff: Face being locked up if you don't have accommodation booked!
Don’t delay: Travellers £250 out of pocket by leaving bookings to the last minute!
THERE are many things to worry about at the moment from Donald Trump’s tariffs tanking the world economy to ongoing wars, and just how many bars of Dubai chocolate can we buy at any one time. It’s a lot to keep up with. We’re so stressed. Thankfully this is a safe space. A place for the holiday massive to lie down and escape. There’s no bad news here, we just skip to the travel news that you might have missed amid the noise. We’re all busy people with plenty of scrolling to get on with, so let’s get started. Welcome to your fact-packed, must-read, monthly travel round-up…
THE ART OF TRAVEL!
Money Matters: Booking a last-minute holiday can end up costing you £248.31 more a year. Research by Klarna found that the best way to bag a bargain was to pay in advance. But 42 per cent of holidaymakers say with costs piling up all over the place they put off booking early because they can’t afford to pay the full amount in one lump sum. So they wait, but ultimately they end up paying more. Waiting for a last-minute, lower-cost, deal works if you’re flexible and don’t care where you go. But if you definitely want two weeks in a particular hotspot during the summer, you’re best off getting it in the diary sooner rather than later.
If you’re visiting London: The Thames is what makes London London. From the banks to the beaches this winding river has transformed the fortunes of the city. The shipyards and wharves may be locked up forever and the boats and the sailors have long gone but these waters played a seismic role in the creation of the capital. Most tourist boats shuttle between Westminster and the City of London to show off its trophy landmarks and palatial monuments. And so, we’ headed in the other direction – downstream, out to the docks, past the palaces of Greenwich to where London ends. Go where others fear to go… find out more here.
At the gate: Gatwick is on top again! It’s the second year in a row it’s been named the UK’s worst airport for take-off delays. On average flights took off 23 minutes late last year according to the Civil Aviation Authority. Although this was better than in 2023, when planes were taking-off 27 minutes late. It’s been put down to staff shortages and strikes. Birmingham came second with planes on average taking off 21 minutes late followed by Manchester with 20 minute delays. Gatwick says it’s looking to improve for 2025. Here it is in the Daily Mail written by our ed, Natalie. WOOP!
Travellers check: What do you think of America right now? Holidaymakers are voting with their feet and staying away from the US. Accor hotels says its bookings from Europe are down 25 per cent this summer. Its boss Sébastien Bazin says tourists are put off going into the US as “an unknown territory” with a “a bad buzz”. He said they were instead diverting to Canada, South America and Egypt.
More Trump slump: Two German tourists have been strip searched and given green prison uniforms before being deported from the US. The teenage women had arrived in Honolulu, Hawaii, but hadn’t booked any hotels for their five-week trip. They had planned to travel around before heading on to California. It comes after a long list of other tourists who have been detained after Trump’s crackdown on illegal migration. According to US figures, tourism is already 11.6 per cent down in March compared to last year. MailOnline has the story.
Good news for 2030: Boarding passes and passport control at airports could soon be overhauled by a new “journey pass” currently being looked at by British Airways and other airlines. Passengers would only need to upload their passport and flight details to their phone, then be able to move through an airport using only facial recognition. They wouldn’t even need to take their phones out of their pockets. Another from the Guardian.
Join the club: If you’re excited by golf, you’ll love a trip to Holywood. Not that one, the one in Northern Ireland where golf is big business. Tourism bosses are hopeful rich Americans will make a trip over this year after local golfer Rory McIlroy won the Masters last month. Tourism boss John McGrillen said McIlroy had been “putting Northern Ireland on the map for a long, long time”. He said: “Rory is a typical Northern Ireland person. He is so liked because of that. I think he has helped transform the perceptions of this place and the people of this place around the world. That is what people find when they come here, a nation full of people who are just like Rory McIlroy. We might not be able to play golf as well as him though.” The Belfast Telegraph has more.
Driven away: Coaches have been banned from taking tourists up to the white chalk cliffs at Birling Gap and the Seven Sisters in an attempt to reduce a huge increase in tourists. The National Trust says the clifftop in East Sussex is unable to manage 600,000 a year. A spokesperson said: “We continue to welcome visitors by car, motorbike, minibus and bus service.” The Guardian has more.
In la la land: In case you didn’t see it last month, cos’ you’re lucky enough to live on another planet, US popstar Katy Perry joined the Amazon boss’s girlfriend Lauren Sanchez, plus four other women, to blast off to the edge of space. Their 11-minute trip on the Blue Origin rocket launched from Texas and took them 62 miles up to the Karman line. They got a view of the Earth’s curve, a peek into the darkness of the cosmos and experienced weightlessness for a few moments. It was a giant leap into space tourism advertising – but don’t expect to “add to basket” on your Amazon account just yet. When you do, prices will start at around £750,000 with a £140,000 deposit. No comments on this one please. There’s been enough already. AP has more.
The future of sunbathing: If you want to roll out your towel on the sand in Sardinia this summer you’ll need an app to book a ticket. To manage overcrowding, the authorities of the Italian island have already capped numbers of sunseekers to 1,100 a day but have now introduced a digital ticket system. One of Sardinia’s most famous spots is Tuerredda Beach known for its crystal-clear turquoise waters and fine white sand. Angelo Milia, the mayor of Teulada said: “We hope to start with the new system as early as July.” Euronews has more.
What’s in Sardinia? Sardinia is Italian island in what’s become known as the Blue Zone –where locals easily live to 100 thanks to fresh food, olive oil, wine and low stress. Visit Aggius, an ancient village of 400-year-old stone houses where centenarians wave at you from their balconies. Follow their lead: eat well, nap, and relax in a hammock with a plate of cheese nearby. Feel the sand between your toes, dive into the sea, sip espresso and read by the Med. Stay at Valle Dell’Erica Resort Thalasso & SPA on a peninsula, surrounded by rosemary, butterflies and sea views. Sardinia is all about la dolce vita – simple, beautiful, and where you go to slow down. Relax here.
Travel begins on telly: We’ve just seen the first episode of Race Across the World – well, really, it’s not the world anymore. This year it’s a race from northeastern China to southern India. It’s the only thing we are glued to. Tbh, we have little interest in the contestants, we just want to see China. Did you see that mountain village at the end of the first episode – where they had to take a cable car and the bridge they had to cross to reach the first check point? After the arguments and plenty of selfies it was show-stealing. That was Huangling – a 500-year-old village – often known as the most beautiful in China for its ancient architecture and preserving its rural way of life. That’s gone on the bucket list. And then there’s Neil Oliver’s voice. Heaven. Why can’t they get him to read the news? Anyway, better than Attenborough! (Eek: are we cancelled?) This is on BBC One every Wednesday at 9pm. Watch it!
What else to see: Also on the BBC, but on Two, is Pilgrimage. This time it’s slightly famous people walking and talking about religion. Again we’re not too interested in the chat but the programme is fab. This time we’re seeing the Austrian Camino, which is part of the famous Camino de Santiago which ends in Spain. The seven celebs pass through evergreen forests and valleys, and stay in Alpine villages. We love tagging along… and all this in the living room. Ka-pow good telly is back.
Headline of the month: Niney-one per cent of Britons plan to spend more on travel this year than any other activity. A shift in spending habits has revealed that Gen Z are also prioritising travel, with 83 per cent wanting to tick off a bucket-list experience. A poll by Mastercard found that most are perfectly happy to cut back on luxury treats, coffees and take aways to pay for memories instead. A separate poll by NatWest showed the same trend – especially that young adults are more focused on short-term plans such as travel rather than saving for long-term goals like their parents did. Here it is in Mail+ written by our own Natalie here at Chalkmarks.
The crystal kingdom: For your next road trip visit the southeast corner of Germany for a drive along the ancient Glass Road. This iconic 155-mile touring route winds through the towns and villages in the depths of the Bavarian Forest taking in an emporium of glassmaking factories. For hundreds of years this has been a kingdom of fine crystal glass blowing and today many still use the traditional method. Drop in and shop at the world’s finest glass manufacturers including Theresienthal, Eisch and Schott. Taking three-to-four days, stop to see the “Glass Forest”, the biggest glass pyramid in the world and the Glassmaker’s Village in Frauenau. If you haven’t discovered it you can explore it here.
The more the merrier: At first you might think you’ve heard this one but no, this is new. In January it was Heathrow Airport expanding then in February it was Gatwick – and now it’s Luton. It too is about to get bigger having been given the go-ahead by the government to fly 32 million passengers by mid-2040 – up from 18 million today. That means it’ll get a £2.4 billion new terminal and train links etc. There’s uproar about the roar of more planes flying over the tranquil English countryside and environment activists saying, “so much for fixing climate change”. Seems like Labour just loves to fly. How many other airports are up for expansion? Tune in next month! PA Media has more.
Speaking of more flights: easyjet opens a new base at Southend. It had already been flying there but from this summer it will be based in Essex operating 120 flights a week flying holidaymakers to 20 sunshine destinations. And it’s in The Sun.
Also taking off: Virgin Atlantic announced it had made a profit for the first time since 2016 fuelled by a boom in traveller numbers. Shai Weiss at Virgin said: “We have a plan in place for 2025, with much to look forward to, including a new app, new routes to Toronto, Riyadh and Cancun, a new clubhouse in Los Angeles and greater stability for our operation.” Bloomberg has this one.
To cheer us up: Finally giving Eurostar some competition, Virgin then announced it had been given the “green signal” to run trains through the Channel Tunnel, . So, when… then? A spokesman said: “We expect to be able to make an announcement very soon. Watch this space.” We saw this one in the Standard.
Delivering miles: You’ve heard of Amazon Prime, now get ready for Ryanair Prime. The budget airline has launched a membership service that’ll get you first dibs on bargain flights plus savings the more you fly. The price isn’t sky high, it costs €79/ £67 a year. It’s on MailOnline.
Have you seen our pictures: Our fantastic travel photos, which capture some of our favourite destinations around the world, are now available for sale on Alamy. Woohoo!
Thrilling! Good news for those who love rollercoasters, as plans were confirmed for Universal Studios to build Europe’s first theme park in Bedford. Chalkmarks first reported on this multibillion-pound, project last November. The park will be in Kempston Hardwick – just five miles from Bedford – at a former brickworks. Expect scream-worthy rides, live shows, a hotel and … expect it to open in 2031. It’ll be the sixth Universal Studios to join those in the US, China, Japan, and Singapore. BBC Breakfast was there among the rubble.
Get under the covers: It’s a strange idea but the National Gallery, in Trafalgar Square, is looking for someone to wear their pjs for a sleep over among the million-billion-pound masterpieces. Bonkers. But it’s how the NG wants to celebrate the reopening of its £85 million refurbed and rehung collection in the Sainsbury Wing as part of its 200th anniversary. The prize will allow a member of the public to spend one night in the museum – on Friday, 9th May – surrounded by artwork from Michelangelo, da Vinci, Van Gogh, Rembrandt, Monet, Botticelli and 745 artists. They are also throwing in dinner for two at the gallery’s restaurant, a hamper for breakfast and to attend the official reopening at 10.30am on Saturday. AFP has more. Entry details here.
Cho-choose here: A couple has converted a former Great Western Railway railway carriage into a £175-a-night holiday let. Split into two rooms, the Penzance suite, sleeps four, and the Paddington suite two. Located in Little Downham, near Ely, in Cambridgeshire the carriage still has its original seats, windows, and luggage racks with added extras including a hot tub, air conditioning, and a private garden. MailOnline has this one.
Airing it all out: Heathrow, it turned out, was told there was an issue with power just days before it closed after a fire at a substation due to theft of wire and cables. Hauled in front of the government to explain what had happened last month, Nigel Wicking, representing the airlines, also said he thought Terminal 5 could have opened much sooner. But, Heathrow boss Thomas Woldbye said, look “if we had got this wrong, we might be sitting here today having a very different discussion about why people got injured, and I think it would have been a much more serious discussion”. Mr Wicking then said airlines were concerned about ongoing issues at Heathrow following baggage failures last year, adding it’s the most expensive airport in the world but bad value for passengers. Mr Woldbye said Heathrow was the most efficient airport in Europe. Sky News had this one.
We’ve done it: We’ve come back to Tenerife but we have grown up. We’re not in one of those 18-to-30s-resorts where young Britons enjoy the sun, sea, fry-ups and Irish pubs. We have been there, and done that. In fact I thought the whole place was one big Spanish party island but all that noise is tucked away in a very small corner in the south. In the north, in the capital Santa Cruz, this is the place to be hot but lazy. It’s a whole different island, far away from the busy beaches, bars and sunburned punters. If we’d felt nostalgic for a foam party, dancing till sunrise and downing shots, we could have nipped into nearby Puerto de la Cruz for a dizzying all-nighter. Instead we did this!
Travel tactics: The answer is definitive on jet lag. It’s worse heading east than west according to scientists. But whichever way you go, you have to come back right – so, does it really matter? Well, using data from Oura Rings, which tracks sleep, the researchers from Singapore and Finland did find that jet lag was actually worse over shorter distances – such as three-timezones away. From the UK, that would mean a flight to Istanbul, Athens or Dar es Salaam. They also discovered that it wasn’t just overnight flights crossing timezones that upset sleep but waking up early to catch a flight. While they came up with no solutions to help with feeling groggy they reckon that sleep patterns return to normal within two days. They also found travellers in their 60s recover quicker than younger adults.
Star sculpture: Bella Ramsey from the Game of Thrones and the Last of Us can now be seen at Madame Tussauds. The actress from Nottingham has asked visitors to high five her when they see her. She said: “I just hope that people like giving me like a high five or something, or shaking my hand. I’ll happily shake it back.” ITV News has more.
PARIS or Rome? Edinburgh or Cardiff? Wherever you go, the new travel trend is extreme day tripping. This is where you whizz to a city on a train in the morning, see as many sights as possible as if it were a theme park – and then post your photos on InstaTok on the last train home, with the hashtag livingmybestlife! Really? Yes, here at Chalkmarks we are giving it the eye rolls. Has the world gone mad? (yes, we know it has). Or is it us missing out on a great big adventure? Being on a quest just doesn’t feel like the best way to travel. To avoid the fomo, the planning and timing has to be meticulous. Plus, this is for the diehard wide awake club. Yuk! Calm down, we say. Travel shouldn’t be hard work. Let’s Make Travel Slow Again! There’s no need for speed although there is today.
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MUST FLY!
