Latest News/Press Releases:
Welcome to the Secret Destinations Press Release/Resource section. Our latest news appears at the top, however you can click on any press release date in the panel below to see another article. If you are a travel writer and require further information regarding any properties in our programme, please contact: allisonpiearce@secretdestinations.com
Release Date: |
Title: |
| 27/02/2008 | At last - direct Canaries flights to La Palma with great accommodation |
| 02/10/2007 | Travelling in the footsteps of kings |
| 03/08/2007 | Gran Canaria Forest Fires - Tourism not affected |
| 06/06/2007 | Holiday villas that are one price all-year-round |
| 20/04/2007 | New range of affordable luxury villas in Mallorca and Lanzarote |
| 26/03/2007 | Reduce your carbon footprint on this year's Spanish holiday |
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RELEASE DATE: 27/02/2008:
At last! Direct Canaries
flights to La Palma
with great accommodation
Many holidaymakers seeking a relaxing Canarian holiday already know that La Palma is a little gem - a beautiful heart shaped island covered with exuberant vegetation, palm groves and pine forests - coupled with the fascination of La Caldera de Taburiente at the heart of its National Park.
Secret Destinations has always featured La Palma within its secret Canaries programme and it offers one of the largest collections of holiday accommodation on the island. However, until now, this Canary Island has been difficult to access, with visitors having to fly to neighbouring Tenerife to take a transfer flight or ferry to La Palma. Many visitors could lose at least a day of their precious holiday time simply waiting for transfers to and from the island.
The good news is that weekly flights now operate directly to La Palma from Manchester and Gatwick, every Monday throughout the year.
John Smith, Sales Manager at Secret Destinations said: "This is wonderful news for anyone looking for a holiday on La Palma. We have featured it for many years as it is so popular with nature lovers and walkers. Now our customers can fly there directly, gaining as much as a whole day of their holiday which would have previously been spent transfering."
A full range of self catering accommodation is available through Secret Destinations, from apartments and cottages to fincas and villas with pools and their tailor made holiday service can also arrange flights, car hire and holiday insurance.
For further information visit: www.secretdestinations.com or call them on 0208 941 6588.
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RELEASE DATE: 02/10/2007:
Travelling in the footsteps of kings
Independent Spanish holiday company Secret Destinations is proud to announce the launch of its new hotels programme. The range of accommodation still includes self-catering villas and apartments throughout Spain, Mallorca and the Canary Islands and this is now complemented by a full programme of Parador hotels.
The Secret Destinations brand has always strived to represent a true taste of authentic Spain, with a choice of holiday accommodation in relatively undiscovered locations, tucked away from the tourism masses and commercialised costas. Following the introduction of Parador hotels to the programme, customers can now travel in the footsteps of kings, conquistadors, poets and troubadours; stay in a medieval castle, palace or ancestral home and enjoy a privileged location on the coast or at the rural heart of Spain.
Reservations manager John Smith said: "During the year we noticed that many of our customers were asking for hotel accommodation in their favourite tucked away locations where they had previously enjoyed a villa holiday with us. We found The range of Parador hotels to be the perfect complement to our popular self-catering programme."
Most of the hotels in the Parador group are ancient monuments, historic ancestral homes or traditional buildings that have been sympathically restored. They bring together history and tradition with state-of-the-art facilities.
Secret Destinations has made it very easy to find your perfect Parador hotel quickly. A user-friendly inter-active map on the website enables you to quickly zoom in to any area of Spain. You can then see all of the hotels available there.
Visit www.secretdestinations.com/paradores-hotels.html or call the reservations team on 0208 941 6588 for more information.
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RELEASE DATE: 03/08/2007:
Gran Canaria Forest Fires
- Tourism not affected
Last Friday, July 27th, a forest fire was declared in the Pajonales Zone, in the Central West of Gran Canaria. The elevated temperatures and prevailing winds produced a rapid spread of the blaze to this area of the island.
The latest reports from the Tourism Board of Gran Canaria states that the situation is now normalised. Fire crews and the emergency services have worked intensely to extinguish the flames and the fire was officially declared to be under control yesterday.
Fortunately all of those displaced can now return to their homes and the general situation can return to normal, with reasonable precautions. Regarding the tourism infrastructure, the situation is absolutely normal. Moreover, among rural housing, only one establishment has suffered material damage.
The first reports estimate 20,000 acres of land has been affected and there are no reports of any human casualties. In general, the damage has been at environmental level; the fire has affected more the forest floor than the treetops, and it is anticipated that natural regeneration of the forest as a whole will be relatively quick. The 'pinus canariensis', the tree that predominates on Gran Canaria, is a species of great resistance to fires and has an enormous capacity for regeneration.
A Gran Canaria Tourism Board spokesman said: "The Airport is functioning perfectly and tourists are continuing to enjoy thier holidays on the island. We will be working to ensure that the affected areas will once again offer the wonderous views that Gran Canaria is famous for as soon as possible."
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RELEASE DATE: 06/06/2007:
Holiday villas that are
one price all-year-round
Every year thousands of holidaymakers are forced to pay more for their holiday accommodation, simply because they can only travel at peak times of the year. Hundreds of tour operators take advantage of this captive market and seasonally increase their prices, especially during the school holidays. This unfair attitude is grudgingly accepted by the thousands of families who are limited to taking their holiday between the school terms, and they believe they have no choice but to pay a higher price for their annual holiday.
In a valiant attempt to address this situation, Crewe based tour operators Secret Destinations have introduced a range of 'one price all year' holiday villas in the Canary Islands. They guarantee that when a customer chooses their villa from this range, they will pay exactly the same price whatever time of the year they travel, with no supplements and absolutely no seasonal price fluctuations - not even during school holidays!
Customers have a choice of accommodation from coastal villas and apartments to rural fincas and country cottages. Areas currently featured in the range include popular Fuerteventura and Tenerife, along with the quieter islands of La Palma, La Gomera and El Hierro. The company is planning to increase its range of one price villas to include Lanzarote, Gran Canaria and other areas of mainland Spain and Mallorca.
Reservations manager John Smith says: " We are very pleased to give our customers such excellent value for money. When our private villa owners offer us their accommodation at one price all year round, then we believe these savings should be passed directly on to our customers."
So, if you're still looking to get away during the school holidays, the full range of hand-picked, privately owned villas and apartments throughout Spain, Mallorca and all seven Canary Islands are all available at www.secretdestinations.com, or you can call the holiday team directly on 0208 941 6588 and ask about their 'one price all year' villas.
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RELEASE DATE: 20/04/2007:
New range of affordable luxury villas
in Mallorca and Lanzarote
If you want to enjoy luxury and sophistication on this year's sunshine holiday, then Secret Destinations' new range of private villas in Mallorca and Lanzarote could be what you're looking for.
All of the luxury villas in this hand-picked selection are located in the very best areas of each island. Many are set amid rolling countryside or enjoy privileged coastal locations in exclusive marina enclaves, close to golden sandy beaches and splendid golf courses.
So whether you're dreaming of a romantic villa for two with a private pool or a nine bedroom stately home set amid lush private grounds, at www.secretdestinations.com you can choose from a wide range of beautifully appointed accommodation that offers a superb level of refinement and luxury.
- Fabulous choice - coastal, countryside and exclusive marina village locations
- Large & small villas - from 2 people to groups of 16
- Competitive prices with no hidden charges
All of the villa prices are clearly displayed and are 'per property per week', based on maximum occupancy with no hidden charges, so it's easy to see exactly how little your private villa will cost.
Furthermore some of the main airlines flying to Lanzarote and Mallorca are now offering great deals on their early summer prices, with return fares starting from as little as £109 per person. Customers can take advantage of their preferred airline's reduced fares, while the Secret Destinations holiday team help them to find the ideal luxury villa.
*Based on return flights with Thomsonfly from Birmingham to Palma, Mallorca, Dep. 07 May 2007, Rtn. 14 May 2007, £108.98 avg. per person all taxes included; and based on return flights with Monarch from Manchester to Arrecife, Lanzarote, Dep. 07 June 2007, Rtn. 14 June 2007. £138.00 avg. per person all taxes included.
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RELEASE DATE: 26/03/2007:
Reduce your carbon footprint
on this year's Spanish holiday
Many travellers will enjoy a holiday abroad this year and, despite all of the current environmental issues concerning air travel, a high percentage of them will still choose to fly to their destination. However, for the growing number who want to experience the warm Spanish sunshine without unnecessarily adding to the earth's greenhouse gases, the holiday team at www.secretdestinations.com has a solution.
Journeys by air are highly carbon intensive and we are now being encouraged to fly less. Just to put it into perspective, a family of four taking a return flight from London to Santander produces on average 1.12 tonnes of carbon emissions; the same family travelling by ferry and car will produce on average .32 tonnes - less than a third of those produced by flying*.
So if you are looking for ways to reduce your carbon footprint (or simply can't face the hassle of airports this summer) then look no further. Secret Destinations has increased its range of holiday accommodation in the lush green north of Spain. They offer you a selection of villas, apartments, cottages and country houses in Galicia, Asturias and Cantabria. From quaint fishing villages and superb coastal resorts, to enchanting villages nestled amid the fabulous Picos de Europa mountains; whatever your choice of destination all of their northern green Spain villas can be reached easily within a day's drive from Bilbao or Santander ferry ports.
Just imagine, your holiday can begin with a leisurely mini-cruise across the Chanel on board a luxury ferry; you arrive in Spain refreshed and relaxed, ready to drive through beautiful scenery on the journey to your villa - all this without the hassle of airport check-in queues, flight delays and cramped aircraft seating - but most importantly you'll be reducing your carbon footprint and helping to limit potential damage to the environment.
To see the whole range of hand-picked villas and apartments in Spain visit: www.secretdestinations.com.
Source: www.co2balance.com . *Comparison based on a family of 4 flying from London Heathrow to Santander and a family of 4 travelling by ferry from Porthsmouth to Santander with a medium sized petrol engine car.
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