Dubai cruise ideal tonic

TOPFLIGHT has launched its Winter Sun brochure that includes luxury cruises and winter sun and wellness holidays.

The cruises are from Dubai and Barcelona with Costa Cruises, and packages start from over €1,800 plus taxes for the Dubai sailing. The European version starts at €1,499. Prices include full board during the cruise, port dues and cruise entertainment, flights and transfers.

Topflight is a wholly Irish-owned company and has three Summer Sun brochures.

Full details from Topflight on [phone], or www.topflight.ie. The brochures should also be available from all travel agents.

* ETIHAD Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has won the “leading airline” award at the World Travel Awards (WTAs) for the Middle East and Africa.

Votes for the WTAs were taken from nearly 170,000 travel industry professionals from around the world, of which 110,000 are travel agents.

The airline, which will launch its flights from Dublin to Abu Dhabi on July 2, drew particular praise at the WTA ceremony for building a global flight network of 42 destinations in as many months, which the organisers describe as ”an unprecedented achievement in the air travel industry”.

* RYANAIR’S decision to operate three flights a week from Dublin to Malta looks set to boost the Maltese economy.

The Maltese Tourist Board is now targeting the short breaks sector out of Ireland — on top of an already healthy holiday market.

Steeped in 7,000 years of history, Malta offers superb architecture, excellent sporting facilities and a lively nightlife, while also boasting an impressive calendar of carnivals, festivals and open-air concerts this summer, including big names such as Bryan Adams and Jose Carreras.

The Malta Arts Festival runs for three weeks, in July and August, and celebrates music, dance, theatre and art, with events held in many venues, including the Old Opera House.

To book accommodation visit www.visitmalta.com, or contact any travel agent.

* A new Irish travel company, Holiday Homes Direct, has been launched to cater for those looking to book a villa or other property at home and overseas. The company provides a direct service between holiday makers and foreign homeowners.

It enables those wishing to book holiday accommodation abroad to deal directly with a property owner.

More and more people are now opting to tailor-make their own holidays.

Indeed, according to reports conducted by Amas, travel and accommodation are the top purchases for Irish consumers online. In 2003, 76,000 people said they bought travel and accommodation online, but by 2005 that rose to 318,000, up 420%.

For information visit www.holidayhomesdirect.ie, or call [phone].