Low Cost Flights A Tourist Boon Across Much Of Europe
Malta has experienced an uncommon boon this year in their tourist trade. It appears that their popularity is on the rise as a popular, affordable destination for more travelers on holiday. And much of this success can be attributed to the increase in affordable flights to and from the exotic destination.
Airlines, especially low-cost airlines, are accustomed to record sales during the peak travel months of summer, but not so much in the winter months. Malta’s home based airlines are reporting a record breaking winter season this year with more than 500,000 passengers originating from their home base of Malta’s Luqa Airport. The winter months, November 2007 through March 2008, showed a remarkable 15 percent increase over the 2006 winter season.
Malta’s charter air traffic is on the increase as well and is reporting a 21 percent increase over last year’s figures. And it’s not just the Maltese who are prospering: the market reported the largest increase as being Italy with 41 percent. Germany came in a close second at 32 percent with France at 25 percent and the U.K. by 6 percent.
Airline executives are reporting double-digit growth every month during the winter season. The question arises as to why this has happened. This success can be attributed to several factors:
* Existing code-share agreements between a network of airlines a network allow travelers daily access via European hubs. In its entirety, the network of airlines offers access to more than 180 destinations worldwide.
* Airline ticket sales via the Internet are credited as well with sales increases during the winter months.
* Many of these have added additional destinations to their list of available destinations.
* In addition to the introduction of new available destinations, airlines are increasing capacity and the frequency of flights to other major European hubs.
Times are difficult around the globe these days; both financially and politically. Now more than ever people want a break from it all in a place they can afford to visit while feeling secure in their person visiting. Many Europeans are choosing to look closer to home for their travel destinations for both of these reasons. Malta and many other near island resort sports are becoming more popular than ever.
The success of low-cost airlines proves that current currency exchange rates have not had the negative impact on international travel that was anticipated. Passengers are simply being more mindful of prices that fit their travel plans and budgets. In fact, business for most of the low-cost airlines that make frequent flights to and from Malta as well as the Balearic and Canary Islands, has seen a dramatic increase. This increase is expected to rise even more; at least for the short while.
Airlines have already promised more frequent flights to and from favorite travel destinations for the 2008 summer travel season. Increased flights at reduced prices and the availability of packaged travel deals are sure to be big hits with tourists this year. It would appear that major global excursions are out and neatly-packaged, convenient and affordable holiday hotspots are the flavor of 2008.
For Luqa Airport and Malta flights visit yourmalta.com
The guide also has the Malta weather
Life Begins at 60 - Spending the Inheritance
Forget knitting and false teeth, the new generation of grandparents are out and about and living it up.
A few years ago, retired American tourists started displaying bumper stickers that declared, “We’re spending the kids’ inheritance”. And what started as a joke has become a reality.
With better health, longer life expectancy, more plans for an active retirement as well as higher living costs than generations before them, retirees in the noughties are increasingly cashing in on their investments early and spending.
Known as ’ski’ (spending kids inheritance) or ’ski-ing’, this growing trend is prevalent amongst the over-50s who have substantial equity in property. According to a survey carried out by Saga in May 2008, 79 per cent of retirees in the UK who own their own home have paid off their mortgage by the age of 60 with this figure rising to 99 per cent at age 70.
Rather than waiting to pass on the fruits of their labour to their offspring until after they’ve gone, many of today’s informed and healthy retired people are choosing to spend their hard-earned cash on travel, cars and property.
Andrew Goodsell, Chief Executive of Saga Group, says, “We have seen an increasing amount of customers use the equity from their home to fund retirement. We have even had a customer recently who released money from their home to pay for their golf club membership!”
Increasingly retirees are active and adventurous and looking for more than a coach trip every year. Older tourists are stepping off the beaten track and participating in activities usually associated with gap year travellers - scuba diving, white water rafting, trekking and volunteering overseas.
Italy, Spain and France are still the most popular holiday destinations for retired travellers but Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand and America are all gaining in popularity.
Retired tourists are often well-organised travellers who take advantage of holiday add-on services including airport parking, airport hotels and airport lounges.
Many retired Brits decide to relocate overseas permanently for the good weather, outdoor lifestyle and lower cost of living. Brits Abroad, a report published in 2006 by the Institute for Public Policy Research, showed that there were more than one million UK state pensioners living abroad at that time. Australia, North America, Ireland and Spain were all top locations for enjoying later life.
At the end of 2006, the government was estimated to be paying over 2 billion pounds a year in pensions to these expats and transferring several hundred million pounds every year to help other EU countries provide healthcare services to retired British people living in Europe.
And here’s where the rose-tinted retirement spectacles have to come off for most of us, especially younger generations. The UK population is ageing all the time, with the proportion of the population aged over 65 rising as the post-Second World War baby boomers move into retirement.
Data collated by the Office for National Statistics demonstrates that, although fertility rates have increased recently, there are still fewer people being born now than in the 1960s. This smaller working population is having to support the ever-growing retired population in public services such as healthcare.
A significant proportion of the current generation of retirees is enjoying a golden age of affluence. This can be attributed largely to the property boom of the last ten years and generous company pension schemes from ‘jobs for life’. They may well be the last generation for a long time to enjoy such financial security.
A state pension doesn’t go very far, as the millions of pensioners living without any supplementary income will confirm. And how much will it be worth in years to come? Experts today advise people to prepare financially for 25 to 30 years of retirement. But for many this is impossible.
Debts mount from student days onwards and pension provision is often delayed until later in life. A lot of company pension schemes are less generous than they once were. Stay-at-home mothers are commonly unable to contribute to any scheme and private pensions can be inadequate on retirement. In recent years, property has been seen as the lucrative alternative to a pension plan.
Kids today don’t expect an inheritance or begrudge their relatives an enjoyable retirement. But a little help from flush parents could go a long way.
With faltering property and financial markets and rising living costs, younger generations may well be hoping mum and dad pass a little their way while they’re still alive and don’t blow all their cash on cruises and fast cars.
Max Clarke is a part-time copywriter for holiday services company, Holiday Extras, currently writing about Manchester airport parking,airport hotels and Manchester Airparks Gold.
Building Your Prefab Metal Storage Shed: A Great Project for the Long Weekend
You’ve needed a storage shed for quite some time and you have a long weekend coming up. This long weekend is going to present you with the best opportunity to embark on your shed project and clear some of the clutter in your life. As a matter of fact, it can make a great project for the entire family, bringing everyone together in clearing out their lives. But it is important to outline the steps of putting up a prefab metal storage shed with the family before beginning.
So what are the steps?
- Make sure you have everything that you need. This includes such tools as levels, measuring tape, all of the materials included with the kit, and goggles to protect your eyes.
- Check to see if your community requires a permit to erect prefab buildings. If it does, then make sure the proper permit is acquired. Many states and communities require that a permit be acquired when the storage is more than 120 square feet. The local zoning and building inspector will have this necessary information and will be able to instruct you on how to acquire a permit.
- Make sure your shed is on level ground and that it is in a place that you can easily access. Try to avoid building it over underground pipes or utility lines. If something ever happened that the lines would need to be repaired, your storage shed could present a problem.
- After determining where the storage shed can go, see how much room that gives you. This will determine the size of prefab shed and how much you can store. If you need work space, how much you store may have to be changed.
- Since the building is a metal storage shed, it isn’t hard to build from the ground up. You want to install any flooring first, if it is required, and use foundation blocks or stakes to secure it to the ground. You then want to place your prefab metal storage shed over that flooring. After that, install any doors that you may need to install.
This is actually a job that you can do yourself and you can do it before the weekend is even over. If you get the family involved, you may be able to do it faster, but your entire family can stake their claim on a job well done. It is great to be able to involve the family in such projects.
However, even if you do it alone, you are still able to have time for your family after a job well done. Erecting a prefab metal storage shed is not hard at all. Everything that is needed to erect the shed is there and even those with limited carpentry skills can put up a sturdy metal building that will last for a very long time. This makes it both a time-efficient and very cost effective solution to being able to store those items that tend to get in the way. You don’t have to pay someone to do it for you, you don’t have to buy expensive equipment or tools, and you don’t have to wait weeks or months for your building. You can have your building up and stocked before the weekend is ever over. You and your family can then sit back and be proud of a job well done and a life that has a little less clutter in it. That in itself makes the entire task one that is very worth it and to think that the shed will be serving your needs for years to come is also satisfying.
Metal buildings are versatile, durable and easy to maintain. Weather making use of them in rural or urban areas metal buildings are easy to construct and can be designed to your specifications to blend in with your home or on your farm.
Aland Islands - Some Great Things To See On Your Vacations
The Aland archipelago, also called Finnish Ahvenanmaa locally, is situated between Finland and Sweden in the south end of the Gulf of Bothnia. It is an autonomous Swedish-speaking province of Finland which has its own administration, flag and stamps. Aland Sea lies in the west of the Aland Islands, which extends between the island and Sweden. Some 40km across to the east is the arm of the sea known as Skiftet. This group consists of around 6,554 islands and stacks, but you can find habitation in only around 80 of these islands. Aland Islands has an area of around 1, 505sq.km with a population of just 24,000 only.
Their main language spoken here is Swedish, even though it has autonomy, they are still a province in Finland. Aland Islands is a part of the crown of Sweden for hundreds of years, just in the same with Finland. Russia got possession of the Aland islands in 1809.
Finland has always accepted the autonomous status of the island and has always extended support, as now they can issue their own stamps. You will notice that the islanders have pride in their land and independence and do not want to be called Finns. The economy of Aland Islands is mainly based on shipping, agriculture and tourism. It is a very popular holiday destination especially with the Swedes.
In case you are planning to travel from Sweden, it’s very simple; you just have to the ferry of your choice as there are many ferry departures. You can take it from Grisslehamn, Kapellskar or Stockholm. It is just a two hour ferry ride. In other words going to Aland is pretty speedy and convenient. Because of its location the movement to and fro the island is excellent, that means you can come here from the main cities in Sweden, Finland or Estonia. You have a choice between relaxed sea voyages, a quick flight, or you can even think of coming here on your own boat.
It is the best place for people who want to relax and rewind, but may not find it very suitable if you are looking forward to a very active holiday. Here you can enjoy all kinds of winter sports, boating, fishing, hiking, cycling, art shows and some more like just walking.
You can find what you want from romance and relaxation to adventure and activities. This is a city where you can holiday first-class food, shopping and relaxed accommodation, in a hotel or you can even rent a cottage in the serene natural surroundings. It’s up to you how you want to have a unique experience holidaying in Aland islands.
Spring is when the nature at the best. You can enjoy one or many of the activities available on the island. The popular activities associated with spring are; visiting museums or art galleries, fishing, paddling, shipwreck diving, cycling and many more. Any one who is a golf buff then he can really take pleasure and enjoy playing at the golf courses, the season begins by May 1st.If you choose to go in winter then skating is a great experience and you can also experience other winter sports here.
Working too hard, forget the workdays! Enjoy life; treat yourself to a breathtaking holiday in the Aland archipelago staying in a luxurious holiday villa.
Andrew Gibson is MD of Direct Holiday Bookings. It has holiday villas, ski chalets and self catering holiday apartments to rent on line as a holiday home rental. To see an example of holiday villas have a look at Holiday Villas
