Travel in the age of ash

DESPITE the volcanic ash plumes causing chaos across Europe, Irish people are still travelling abroad and the sheer number of holidaymakers stranded overseas during the recent airport closures is testament to that. According to CSO figures there were over seven million overseas visits in 2009.

The Icelandic volcano may be causing all the disturbances at the moment but one of the top situations that can potentially ruin a trip is poor health. A new healthy travel campaign has been launched by well-known Lonely Planet writer and No Frontiers reporter, Fionn Davenport to remind members of the public that the expense and devastation of becoming ill while travelling is not worth the risk. It is pointed out that 25% of Irish holidaymakers fall ill on holiday and more than 90% of those not taking health precautions believe they are unnecessary despite all the evidence to the contrary.

One can get details on the new travel advice website www.healthytravel.ie

- THE closure of Budget Travel could have been a disaster for a Crete-based holiday group, Lyda Hotels. However, the hotel owner has taken a unique type of action to protect his business with a huge number of Irish clients who tended to return year after year.

The Hotel set up an exclusive Irish website called www.lydahotels.com to enable individual customers and travel agents who would have been familiar with the product to continue booking space with the group, and it has paid off.

Additionally, the hotel group have completed a deal with Skytours in Dublin to make it easier for customers to book direct flights to Heraklion in Crete. All Lyda customers are met at the airport and provided with a free bus transfer to the property.

- FORMER drummer with the Sawdoctors, Johnny Donnelly, has signed up to run the Third Clare Burren Marathon Challenge on Saturday, May 22, next in aid of Sea Change, the Irish charity.

Last year this spectacular adventure marathon attracted over 2,500 people to the North Clare area, and it is hoped that this year’s event will bring €500,000 to the local economy over the weekend.

- GOHOP.ie are getting a strong response to deals in the Sandals all-inclusive Royal Hicacos offer in Cuba’s Varadero Beach Resort for adults only, and the company is offering a free Cuban visa worth €25 with every honeymoon booked.

The package price of €1,267 per person to include return flights, seven nights accommodation, return airport transfers, airline taxes and those Cuban visas.

Clients can add extra nights in the city of Havana at a four star hotel for an extra €58 per person. For more information on this deal visit www.gohop.ie/3167/Cuba-Dominican-Rep-/Cuba-Sandals-Royal-Hicacos-All-Inclusive-resort/holiday.html Visit gohop.ie to check out honeymoon options.