Downing schnapps, dining on pickled herring and dancing around a phallic pole like a frog – it doesn’t sound terribly appealing, does it?! For most Swedes, however, Midsummer is by far the biggest and best party of the year. In a country with dark winters and short summers, celebrating the light and warmth – usually in an outdoor, rural setting – is a must. Here’s what it’s all about:

The pole: apparently it is a symbol of fertility. Why many European countries have Maypoles in May, and Sweden waits until Midsummer, is not entirely clear. It has been suggested that as summer arrives a bit later in Sweden, the flowers for decorating the pole are better in June.
Doing the hop: everyone dances around the pole to playful songs like Små Groderna, which translates as ‘small frogs’ – hence the hopping – or traditional folk music. 

The smӧrgåsbord: the main meal is served outside at midday and you can expect pickled herrings, boiled potatoes with dill, crisp bread, cheese, and strawberries and cream for dessert. The traditional accompaniment is cold beer and schnapps, preferably spiced, and drinking songs are an important part of the feast.

The location: generally the Swedes head to their summer homes away from the cities, and the festivities take place outside.

The myth: it is said that if you pick seven wildflowers and put them under your pillow you will dream of your future husband or wife.

Watch this space … I’m going to Sweden for Midsummer (Friday 25 June) this year and will report back on the festivities. Sarah Belcher

London’s South Bank will be transformed into a 1200m² sandy beach from Friday 18 June, complete with sun beds, a volleyball court and beach bar. For ten glorious days (until 27 June), the pop-up Greek Beach by the Thames promises the ultimate in urban beach experiences. Visitors can sample delicious Greek cuisine, watch masterpieces being created by ‘Sandy Andy’ (a London-based sand sculptor), kick a ball around with England’s beach soccer team, dance to the rhythm of Greek music, have fun with face paints, and much more – all for free! 

The Greek National Tourist Office is using over 300 tonnes of sand for the urbeach at South Bank’s Riverside Walkway, by Gabriel’s Wharf. Open daily from 10am – 7pm, the beach is a safe, fun and entertaining attraction for adults and families alike. Beach sports will take place throughout the day and there’s live music including a DJ spinning atmospheric background beats that are perfect for the summer scene.

Throughout the event, specific days will be dedicated to the gastronomy, traditional music and dance of three of Greece’s great holiday destinations – Rhodes (Saturday 19^th June), Crete (Sunday 20^th & Friday 25^th June) and Halkidiki (Saturday 26^th June). There’s also a prize draw every day at 5pm to win holidays to Greece…so get on down to the beach!

For further information see www.tasteofgreece.co.uk. 

Greek beach - the real thing!

As the World Cup kicks off at last, we’re aware England’s inevitable football victory will come at the expense of seven unfortunate teams. If you’d like to get to know those vanquished nations a little better, we suggest the following holidays to the homelands of England’s definite, and probable*, opponents this summer in South Africa.  COME ON ENGLAND!!!

 *as predicted by Travel PR’s foremost football experts

GROUP STAGE
USA
There are many ways to visit the US, but few as extraordinary as this trip from Ski Safari* (01273 224 060, www.skisafari.com). Drive from ski resort to ski resort, meeting locals, trying out different terrains and experiencing beaches and deserts en route. Leaving San Francisco, ski at Heavenly – the jewel in the Lake Tahoe crown – then move to Mammoth, bizarrely overlooking the desert. Drive on through Death Valley and finish in Las Vegas. Book now for prices from £1,399 pp (two sharing), including flights (Heathrow), 4×4 car hire and 14 nights’ accommodation.

Algeria
Cultural specialist The Traveller (020 7269 2770, www.the-traveller.co.uk) offers long weekends in Algiers with time to see the Kasbah, French-style waterfront, Ottoman palace, botanical gardens and Cathedral of Notre Dame d’Afrique – plus a trip along the Mediterranean to see the Roman remains at Tipaza. Prices from £1,495 pp include flights (Heathrow), taxes and transfers, guides and excursions, and three nights’ full-board in a three-star hotel. Alternatively, a seven-day tour guided by expert John Wilkes and visiting Djemila, Constantine and Timgad, departs 3 October and costs £1,875 pp.

Slovenia
What do we know about group opponents Slovenia? Not a lot, in most cases. Luckily, Explore* (0844 499 0901, www.explore.co.uk) has an eight-day walking group tour to this ‘greenest corner of Europe’ covering all the must-see sites: the Julian Alps’ lakes and valleys, capital Ljubljana’s Baroque architecture, the Venetian harbour town of Piran, Skocjan ‘thousand caves’ and dramatic Predjama Castle. There’s also a cable car ride up Mount Vogel and a scenic train journey to the Adriatic Coast. Prices from £877 pp include flights (Gatwick), all transport, seven nights’ B&B (hotels) and guiding.

LAST 16
Australia
Despite an ongoing Ashes feud and now football to fret over, a trip Down Under remains high on the wish list for most UK travellers. The southern coast’s particularly splendid and can easily be explored on two-week self-drive holiday from Sydney to Adelaide, where highlights include Canberra, Melbourne, Philip Island (check out the fairy penguins) and the Great Ocean Road. Go Touring (0161 491 7688, www.gotouring.uk.com) has prices from £975 pp (two sharing) including car hire, 13 nights’ accommodation and a full itinerary. International flights extra (booking service available).

QUARTER-FINAL
France
Hungry holidaymakers should consider a foodie foray across the Channel. With Travelzest’s VFB Holidays (01452 716 842, www.vfbholidays.co.uk), take your pick from hotels handpicked for their cuisine throughout France, often with a third or fourth night free. Four nights for the price of three at the tranquil Hostellerie du Château de Floure – a Relais du Silence hotel with a fantastic restaurant located in a sleepy hamlet close to Carcassonne –  costs £426 pp (two sharing) until 15 June. That includes return Channel crossings and four nights’ half board.

SEMI-FINAL
Brazil
Soon to be placed firmly on the sporting map with the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, Brazil offers much more than Copacabana beach and Caipirinhas if you book with Sunvil Traveller* (020 8758 4774, www.sunvil.co.uk). For the alternative Brazil, head to Rio’s Bohemian Quarter, a favourite for artisans, check out Brasilia’s modern architecture and enter the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park for surreal rock formations and fast-flowing rivers. Then dance to the beat of African drums in Salvador and finish in Natal, where exhilarating buggy rides on rolling sand dunes are on offer.

FINAL
Spain
Kirker Holidays* (020 7593 2283, www.kirkerholidays.com) has five nights for the price of four at the five-star deluxe Kempinski Estepona, one of Spain’s most luxurious resorts, complete with a wonderful beachside location on the Andalucian coast. As well as stylish rooms and beautifully-manciured gardens, this paradise has three pools, an excellent spa and tennis/watersports facilities. Prices from £898 pp (two sharing) – a saving of £140 pp – include flights (regional departures), car hire and B&B. Offer valid on departures until 27 June.

COME ON ENGLAND!

*This company is an AITO member. AITO is the Association of Independent Tour Operators: 140 independent and specialist travel companies providing an unrivalled collection of holiday ideas that cover every corner of the world. Consumers booking with AITO can be assured of 100% financial security, high-quality holidays and excellent personal service. Visit www.aito.com for further information.

It was only last week that Britons travelling abroad were voted the worst-dressed holidaymakers in Europe by a TripAdvisor survey so we were horrified to learn that Speedos are tipped to become an unlikely fashion hit this summer. Worryingly, searches for the skimpy swimming trunks are up 400% according to price comparison website Ciao.

Here’s our pick of the worst offenders in the holiday fashion department:
�
Socks and sandals

Exposed bra straps

Football shirts

Bad tattoos

Mankinis

We urge you to think before you buy!

Camilla Colley

It’s unusual to learn about an disaster before it actually happens but this is set to change. The imminent threat of a massive flood in remote North of Pakistan where a recent landslide has caused a lake to build up and threaten to spill over into the valley below shows how the internet can bring disasters in advance.

The predicted  time of the overflow of the Attabad lake is likely to happen on either May 28 or 29, according to the local National Disaster Management Authority as the water reaches a level that’s only two feet from the spillway. The 26km long artificial lake has depths of up to 100m in places was created when landslides blocked the River Hunza in early January and has killed 20 villagers, left more than 25,000 people disconnected with 36 villages in jeopardy. NASA has produced a satellite image of the area showing the growth of the lake in the past three months.

There’s nothing like an amazing picture to make you want to pack a bag and set off on your travels. The Sky News website picture gallery currently shows some of the best nature photographs of all time which really do make you want to be exactly where the pictures were taken to experience it all yourself. The elephants gathered in front of water in Botswana, taken in 1989 by Frans Lanting and titled Twilight of the Giants, gets my vote as the best of the nine on show there. The water lilies in the Okavango Delta, also in Botswana, isn’t a bad shot either and gives an incredible submerged perspective. Have a look  here for some inspiration from the natural world. Rob Looker

I don’t need a reason for a trip to Brighton but the 25th L2B (16 May) seemed like a pretty good one to me. With over 2,000 Minis taking part and entrants coming from all over the world, it is one of the biggest Mini events in the calendar, and makes for a colourful sight. My brother’s little Mini was full to bursting with a sister, a friend and a Mini enthusiast who had come all the way from Perth, Australia. The congregation of yellow plastic ducks adorning the dashboard – from sailor to jazz musician – even had a new friend, Bruce from Down Under.

 The 55-mile journey from Crystal Palace Park, London to Madeira Drive on Brighton’s seafront went without a hitch. Our biggest challenge presented itself on arrival: finding a spot to park in the vast sea of Minis glistening in the sunshine. After a welcome stretch of the legs it was time to take in the great cars on show, from custom classics to full-on race cars – even a bright-yellow Mini taxi.

Camilla Colley

As the country braces itself for a hung parliament and our political leaders battle it out for supremacy, spare a thought for those unsuccessful MPs who now find themselves out of a job. Looking on the bright side, though, at least this means there’s time for a holiday – even if it has to be funded from their own pocket. Here are some all-party suggestions from Travel PR.

Can’t put this on expenses – Trapani from £890 pp with Kirker Holidays
Politicians in need of some good news will appreciate a special offer this month. Enjoy four luxurious nights for the price of three at the five-star deluxe Kempinksi Hotel Giardino di Costanza, on Sicily’s west coast, where indulgences include three swimming pools, tennis courts and an extensive spa. This short break escape costs from £890 pp (two sharing) – a saving of £170 pp – including flights to Palermo (London), private car transfers to/from the hotel, accommodation with breakfast and Kirker’s guide to restaurants and sightseeing. Call AITO* member Kirker Holidays on 020 7593 2283 (www.kirkerholidays.com). Valid on departures to 27 June.

Wind down with Wow House – from £89 pp per night
A tailored stay with close family and friends at a peaceful Wow House property should help alleviate the pain of losing. Runners up should try rural Norfolk’s Felmingham Hall (sleeps 14), a beautifully-renovated manor located half a mile from the nearest village. Or escape on the yacht, Telemara (sleeps 13), for a bespoke charter cruise off the coast of Croatia. Felmingham Hall costs from £89 pppn including a housekeeper (extras available include a chauffeur, butler and helicopter trips – additional cost). ‘Telemara’ costs from £137 pppn including two crew. Food and drink, fuel and port fees are extra. Call the Wow House Company on 01452 715 373 (www.thewowhousecompany.com).

R&R at Sir Rocco’s new resort, for £1,810 pp with Sunvil Discovery
Pooped out party losers will appreciate Sir Rocco Forte’s latest opening – a super-luxurious five-star deluxe resort with luxury spa, heated outdoor infinity pool, two championship golf courses and sumptuous, private accommodation to boot. Positioned on the southern shores of Sicily amongst 230 hectares of peaceful olive groves and rolling countryside – it’s perfect for some much needed rest and relaxation. A seven-night stay at the Verdura Spa and Golf Resort costs £1,810 pp (two sharing) including B&B, return flights and car hire. Call AITO* member Sunvil Discovery on 020 8758 4722 (www.sunvil.co.uk).

Lessen the political blow with a trip to Monaco – for £8,273 per night
Politicians familiar with the finer things in life should make their way to the most exquisite penthouse in Monte Carlo. Party leaders should feel at home in the recently-refurbished Winston Churchill Suite at the Hotel de Paris. Occupying 200 m² on the top floor, the two-bedroom presidential suite – to which Winston Churchill was a regular visitor – is accessed via a private lift and has all the luxuries one could wish for, including a wood-panelled library, Jacuzzi and sea-view terrace. Priced at £8,273 per night. One-way helicopter transfer from Nice to Monaco is £90 pp. Daily flights to Nice with British Airways, Air France and easyJet from £29.99 one way. For more information on Monaco, visit www.visitmonaco.com.

Politicians in de-Nile – Luxury Egyptian cruise, £1,247 pp with Voyages Jules Verne
Being accustomed to the perks of office, a River Nile cruise aboard the SS Karim is the perfect way for ex-MPs to survey the sights of ancient Egypt. This historic paddle steamer was formerly used by kings and presidents, so party leaders will fit in just fine. The seven-night cruise visits the temples of Sobek, Karnak, Philae & the Valley of the Kings, whilst an exclusive reception at Luxor Temple will surely please any Prime Ministerial pretender. ‘King Fuad’s Nile Steamer’ costs £1,247 pp (two sharing) including return flights (Gatwick), taxes, transfers, seven nights’ full board, a sightseeing itinerary and the services of guides/local representatives. Departs 17 May. Call Voyages Jules Verne on 0845 166 7035 (www.vjv.com).

Wash away the woes – and save 50% – on The Great Swedish Cruise: six days for £670 pp
For a quiet, sedate getaway relax during a six-day cruise traversing Sweden between Stockholm and Gothenburg. Savour fine food in the nostalgic setting of an historic steamship and stop off at some of Sweden’s finest cultural sights en route. Save 50% on departures from Stockholm on 12 and 20 June which now cost from 7,648 SEK (£670) pp based on two sharing a double cabin, including five nights’ full- board accommodation and 11 stops and guided tours. Full price was from 15,295 SEK (£1,335). Call the Gota Canal Steamship Company on +46 31 80 63 15 (www.gotacanal.se).

Swap grumpy stares for grizzly bears – Niagara & the Rockies, £3,485 pp with Journeys of Distinction
Let’s face it, a House of Commons debate isn’t unlike a pack of bickering coyotes. Former MPs now have time to experience the real thing on a tour of the Canadian Rockies, where wildlife is in abundance. Banff National Park alone is home to over 50 different mammals including caribou, wolves and black bears – and not a party whip in sight. Departing 18 June (they can hide out in their duck houses till then), ‘Niagara & the Rockies’ is an 18-day fully escorted tour that also includes Toronto, Lake Louise, Vancouver and Victoria. The price of £3,485 pp includes flights (London), luxury coach travel, 16 nights’ B&B, some dinners, a Tour Manager accompanying from the UK and excursions. Call Journeys of Distinction on 01704 88 3000 (www.jod.uk.com).

Swap politics for Provence – from just £159 pp with VFB Holidays
A private villa en Provence is the perfect place for leader losers to take time out after the election. A short distance from the village of Mollans-sur-Ouveze in the Drôme region, with panoramic views across vineyards as far as Mont Ventoux, this attractive Provençal villa (sleeps six) with private pool offers complete seclusion and privacy. Nearby, soak up the arcaded market at Buis-les-Baronnies or the Roman towns of Vaison-la-Romaine and Orange. A week’s stay in May costs £955 per week (just £159 pp based on six sharing). Call AITO* member VFB Holidays on 01452 716 840 or visit www.vfbholidays.co.uk and search for property BER.26.

*AITO is the Association of Independent Tour Operators: 140 independent and specialist travel companies providing an unrivalled collection of holiday ideas that cover every corner of the world. Consumers booking with AITO can be assured of 100% financial security, high-quality holidays and excellent personal service. Visit www.aito.com for further information.

For further information please call Ian Bradley, Karen Carpenter, Sarah Belcher, Mika Bishop, Richard Mellor, Rob Looker or Camilla Colley at Travel PR on 020 8891 4440 or email initial.surname@travelpr.co.uk for further information.

Would you pay to read the Travel PR blog? How about 50p for a single online session or £1 for a week’s access? I thought not. Why should you pay for something we want as many people as possible to read?

The question is relevant because Rupert Murdoch is poised to begin charging for access to the websites of The Times and The Sunday Times. We’ll soon find out whether readers are prepared to pay £1 a day or £2 for a week to access the websites of these newspapers. Such access will be included in the seven-day subscriptions to the print editions of the two titles.

The Times and Sunday Times are said to losing up to £250,000 a week, largely because of the downturn in advertising since the collapse of the banks triggered the global  recession in 2008. Newspaper economics were always underpinned by advertising; no paper has ever made a profit from sales alone. This explains why free papers like Metro have flourished. But it is not just the printed pages that have been hurt by the advertising squeeze. Web advertising is thin on the ground, too.

Subscriptions from web visitors are an obvious alternative source of cash. To date, only specialist websites have profited from subscriptions. Friends Reunited was an early – and rare — example of a ground-breaking subscription service. Most general websites make their money from other sources. The comparison websites, for example, generate their income from commission from the insurance companies and other providers whose products they feature. You didn’t really think that their advice was free (and totally unbiased), did you?

Mr Murdoch has never been scared of a battle and has a record of breaking traditional practices. My career as a journalist was transformed when he took on the print unions and freed up the production of newspapers. Other proprietors are watching with interest, and if the Murdoch papers can generate revenue from subscriptions, you can be sure others will quickly follow.

Cynics say that Mr Murdoch, an old war horse who is said to have only recently discovered email, fails to understand the subtleties of the cyber battleground. A generation of readers/users has emerged who are unlikely to pay for access to an old media website. Even those of us brought up on print don’t expect to pay for information on the web.

I occasionally buy the Times on a train journey, and I read the Sunday Times two weeks out of four. The big test for me will be Rolling Maul, a weekly email commentary on rugby by Stephen Jones, the well-informed and opinionated Sunday Times rugby writer. It is great fun and often tells me things I wouldn’t have discovered elsewhere. I signed up for it when it was free, but I am not going to respond when they ask me to pay for the privilege of reading it. And I don’t think I’ll buy the Sunday Times any more as a result. It is too big, and life is too short.

There are many alternative websites to keep up us up to date. Like many other news junkies, I turn to the BBC for my fix (which is why Mr Murdoch’s papers are so anti-BBC). And the political agenda these days is being set by a new generation of news and comment websites and blogs. These sources are free to all-comers. And this how most of us expect the web to work; information should be free. The Times and Sunday Times are going to lose most of their casual website visitors who will turn away once they encounter the paywall. The key question is whether enough people will feel the need to pay. Mr Murdoch’s gamble could change the way the web works for ever, or it could be the beginning of the end of the old print media.  Desmond Balmer

When Eyjafjallajokull blew, 15below’s PASNGR system went swiftly into action, keeping well over a million passengers in the picture – and airlines in control

The Icelandic volcano eruption

Over the weekend following the Icelandic eruption, over half a million text messages and more than two and a half million emails kept customers of 15Below’s 10 European client airlines fully informed. Says Nicholas Key, 15below’s Commercial Director: “The sheer scale of this thing took everyone by surprise. But I’m delighted to say that PASNGR came through with flying colours.”

15below works with 25 airlines and other travel companies worldwide to keep passengers fully informed of anything that might disrupt their travel plans, from industrial action to stormy weather to an erupting volcano. Last weekend, PASNGR enabled passengers to avoid lengthy call centre queues and made it easy for them to rebook or apply for refunds online. Ryanair alone sent out almost one and a half million messages. As their Customer Services Director Caroline Green put it: “We’ve been able to contact all one million customers affected by this unprecedented disruption. The sheer numbers involved would have made this kind of targeted communication impossible before PASNGR.”

Not to mention websites crashing, call centres in meltdown, and travel companies reeling with the effort to keep one step ahead of disaster. “The ability to contact entire client databases instantly,” says Nicholas Key, “saves passengers immense stress and airlines massive amounts of time and money. Which is why companies like Ryanair and Qantas have put PASNGR at the heart of their real-time communications strategies. We probably won’t see the likes of last weekend again anytime soon. But even for the everyday, from a snowstorm to a crash on the M25, PASNGR can mean the difference between a temporary inconvenience and an operational and public relations nightmare.”

To learn more about PASNGR and how it can help your business, contact 15below on 01273 764 230.

PASNGR broadcasts in languages including Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Danish, Dutch, English, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Latvian, Norwegian, Polish, Russian, Spanish and Swedish.
PASNGR is used by over 25 airlines and travel companies on four continents, including Ryanair, JetBlue, Qantas and Carlson Wagonlit.

15below Fact sheet

15below is the travel software solutions company behind PASNGR
PASNGR is the powerful system that enables airlines and travel companies to communicate with their passengers, providing them with instant updates primarily through text messages and emails
PASNGR is the most widely used alerts and notifications service in the airline industry used by over 25 airlines and travel companies on four continents. These include Ryanair, JetBlue, Qantas and Carlson Wagonlit

PASNGR can respond quickly to external events such as last-minute schedule changes, disruptions and strikes. Other examples of passenger notifications include: cancellations and refund applications; ad-hoc disruption; extreme weather and security advice; travel advice and destination information
This automated management tool replaces the expensive, time-consuming process of contacting passengers manually
PASNGR makes communicating with an airline’s customers easy, efficient and inexpensive and improves customer satisfaction, reducing the time clients spend in call centre queues, for example
PASNGR generates additional revenue through value added services such as mobile and email itinerary confirmations, e-ticket receipts, pre-flight departure communication, mobile check-in and mobile boarding passes, negative balance/outstanding fare reminders; welcome home notifications with surveys
PASNGR is available in any language including Chinese, Arabic and Russian
PASNGR works in two directions – it retrieves bookings and reintegrates them into airlines’ back-end operations such as reservation systems
For more information about PASNGR call 15below on 01273 764 230 (www.15below.com).