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Lapland park closes after angry parents demanded refunds
divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/88334?ns=guardianpageName=Life+and+style%3A+Lapland+park+closes+after+angry+parents+demanded+refundsch=Life+and+stylec3=The+Guardianc4=Christmas+%28Life+and+style%29%2CChristmas+and+New+Year+%28Travel%29%2CLife+and+style%2CTravel%2CUK+newsc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CChristmasc6=Paul+Lewisc7=2008_12_05c8=1129121c9=articlec10=GUc11=Life+and+stylec12=Christmasc13=c14=h2=GU%2FLife+and+style%2FChristmas" width="1" height="1" //divpA Lapland theme park that sparked outrage from parents who complained that it looked nothing like the arctic home of Father Christmas has been closed, police said yesterday./ppTrading standards received more than 2,000 complaints about Lapland New Forest, which promised to make "Christmas dreams come true for children of all ages". Parents had scheduled a protest tomorrow at Matchams Leisure Park, near Ringwood, Dorset, the site of the "mini Lapland", to demand their money back. /ppVisitors dubbed the park a "glorified car boot sale" after they said the ice rink was broken, log cabins resembled BQ sheds, huskies were found chained to the ground and "going berserk", and a "tunnel of light" turned out to be a line of trees with a few strings of fairy lights. /ppThe "bustling Christmas market" resembled a white marquee with four small stalls and a few piles of boxes, parents said. /ppTwo elves and a Father Christmas were reportedly attacked by furious parents, who had spent up to pound;100 for entry for a family of four, and then spent hours waiting in queues. Tickets cost pound;30 for individuals, pound;25 for each person for families of four or more, and pound;10 for children under two years old. /ppThey were also charged extra for food, fairground rides and even a photograph with Father Christmas. One child allegedly found him smoking a cigarette behind the grotto./ppA spokesman for Dorset police said: "We have been told that the Lapland New Forest attraction has this morning been closed permanently and that contractors and stall holders are leaving the site."/ppThe spokesman added that police were called yesterday morning over fears there would be a breach of the peace because some contractors had alleged they had not been paid. He said no one was arrested and police did not close the site. /ppSeveral networking website pages have sprung up to lambast the Dorset Lapland, which is not connected to another themed-Lapland in Kent. Facebook groups include photographs of the muddy site, a bare-looking grotto and distraught children. "The so-called gorgeous huskies were going berserk chained up!" wrote one contributor./pp"The face painting consisted of a red nose and black lines for whiskers, the girl doing it said she had never done face painting before," said another. "Hardly anything that was advertised was there ... I knew it was bad when even the catering staff were moaning."/ppThe Lapland website has appeared inactive most of the week, and the organisers have declined to speak to the press. /ppHowever, speaking before the site was closed, Henry Mears, the advertising manager, blamed the complaints on a small number of troublemakers and said the ice rink had been fixed. "Like all people they like to get into queues and just generate a bit of aggravation," he said./ppHe recently added: "Everything that could go wrong did go wrong at the weekend. The weather wasn't in our favour. But on the advice of our solicitors we will not be talking to any press. It is disgusting and scandalous what they have done as it is stopping other people from enjoying themselves." /ppFew visitors have been to the attraction in recent days, after irate parents vented their fury on national television. Yesterday the entrance was coned off with a "closed" sign in place./pdivullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/christmas"Christmas/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/christmasnewyear"Christmas and New Year/a/li/ul/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a
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Ryanair offers low fare sweetener in bid for Aer Lingus
divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/11962?ns=guardianpageName=Business%3A+Ryanair+offers+low+fare+sweetener+in+bid+for+Aer+Lingusch=Businessc3=guardian.co.ukc4=Ryanair+%28Business%29%2CAirline+industry+%28business%29%2CIreland+%28News%29%2CBusiness%2CTravelc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Marketsc6=Dan+Milmoc7=2008_12_04c8=1129083c9=articlec10=GUc11=Businessc12=Ryanairc13=c14=h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FRyanair" width="1" height="1" //divpRyanair offered the Irish government a €200m (£173.4m) sweetener in its takeover bid for Aer Lingus today as it sensed a weakening of political opposition to the proposed deal./ppEurope's largest domestic airline said it would set up a €200m fund that the government can draw down upon if it does not reduce Aer Lingus fares by 5% or eliminate all fuel surcharges at the carrier. /ppThe move, a characteristic piece of showmanship by Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary, came in the same week that the Irish finance minister, Brian Lenihan, said a renewed takeover bid from Ryanair would have to be considered "carefully". /ppHoward Millar, Ryanair's deputy chief executive, said the proposals were delivered to the Irish transport minister today. "The Irish government is in listening mode," said Millar. He added: "It is under considerable financial pressure and it is looking at ways to raise cash."/ppThe government owns 25% of Aer Lingus and has been vigorously opposed to Ryanair's overtures./ppHowever, a prolonged dowturn in the airline market prompted Ryanair to return with a new takeover bid for Aer Lingus this week, valuing the carrier at €1.40 a share – half what it offered for the airline two years ago. /ppRyanair added today that it will restore daily Aer Lingus services between Heathrow and Shannon airport and that it will give the Irish government a veto over selling Aer Lingus's Heathrow slots, which it said would eliminate one of the government's major concerns over sanctioning a deal./pdivullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/ryanair"Ryanair/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/theairlineindustry"Airline industry/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/ireland"Ireland/a/li/ul/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a
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Tourists banned from Tokyo tuna auctions
divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/76249?ns=guardianpageName=World+news%3A+Tourists+banned+from+Tokyo+tuna+auctionsch=World+newsc3=guardian.co.ukc4=Japan+%28News%29%2CWorld+news%2CTravel%2CJapan+%28Travel%29c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CAsia+Travelc6=Justin+McCurryc7=2008_12_04c8=1129005c9=articlec10=GUc11=World+newsc12=Japanc13=c14=h2=GU%2FWorld+news%2FJapan" width="1" height="1" //divpVisitors to Tokyo will soon have to remove the early-morning auction at the Tsukiji fish market from their itinerary after complaints that their presence could be bad for business at the busiest time of the year./ppThe Tokyo metropolitan government said today that tourists would be banned from Tsukiji's hugely popular tuna auctions for a month from December 15th./ppTraders at Tsukiji, the world's biggest fish market, complain that the predawn crush inside the main auction hall has become a distraction and risks causing a serious accident./ppUntil a few years ago the traders went about their business largely unnoticed by the outside world, but the global sushi boom has turned Tsukiji into one of Tokyo's most popular tourist spots./ppOn a busy morning between 200 and 300 people pack into the auction area, according to market officials./ppTsukiji handles more than 700,000 tonnes of produce a year worth an estimated ¥600bn (£4bn). More than 400 varieties of seafood, from tiny whitebait to enormous tuna worth millions of yen, are bought and sold there every day./ppIn April the market's authorities restricted access to the auction area after buyers complained that their hand signals were being obscured by flash photography and some tourists were compromising hygiene by prodding the fish./ppLocal media reports pinned the blame for the ban on misbehaving foreign tourists, but Tsukiji officials were quick to point out that the ban will also apply to Japanese visitors.br /"This is not about restricting access to a particular group," Kazuta Yamada, a Tsukiji spokesman, told the Guardian. "The market gets very crowded at this time of the year so we don't want anyone to get in the way./pp"We're also worried that someone will be involved in an accident because of the large number of trucks buzzing around at that time of the morning." More than 40,000 people and 19,000 trucks pass through the market on a typical working day./ppThe ban will be reviewed on January 17th, but could be extended indefinitely if fish traders declare it a success./ppThe metropolitan government said it would employ guards to enforce the ban and notify hotels, embassies and travel agencies to save foreign visitors, who often hear about the auctions by word of mouth, from making a wasted trip./pdivullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/japan"Japan/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/japan"Japan/a/li/ul/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a
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Getting there: Lake District
Getting to Helm Crag
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Flights resume out of Bangkok as protesters lift airport siege
divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/66063?ns=guardianpageName=World+news%3A+Flights+resume+out+of+Bangkok+as+protesters+lift+airport+siegech=World+newsc3=The+Guardianc4=Thailand+%28News%29%2CWorld+news%2CTravelc5=Not+commercially+usefulc6=Ian+MacKinnonc7=2008_12_04c8=1128358c9=articlec10=GUc11=World+newsc12=Thailandc13=c14=h2=GU%2FWorld+news%2FThailand" width="1" height="1" //divpHopes for the hundreds of thousands of foreign travellers stranded in Thailand were raised yesterday when the first international passenger flights left Bangkok's main airport after anti-government protesters ended their eight-day siege./ppWithin hours of the lifting of the blockade the first passenger service in a week arrived from the resort island of Phuket, and a Thai Airways flight left for Sydney./ppThe end of the standoff - which left travellers frustrated and Thailand's tourist industry hamstrung - resembled a victory parade peppered with hugs and handshakes as the protesters declared they had won./ppThousands of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators left Suvarnabhumi international airport yesterday morning, a day after a court disbanded the governing party and barred the prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, from office for electoral fraud. /ppBut as services resumed, the Thai airports' authority said the arrival of the first three international flights would not happen until tomorrow - although the hope was that normal services could resume soon after to take home the estimated 230,000 trapped tourists. As PAD supporters, dressed in yellow as a mark of respect for the king, packed up their tents and bedrolls, government MPs met to choose an interim leader. The rump of the six-party coalition - led by the People Power party - plans to meet on Monday to select a new prime minister. It will be Thailand's third prime minister in three months and may spark fresh tensions./ppAlthough the end of the standoff has defused the immediate crisis, demonstrators warned they would return if need be, raising the spectre of further violence in the bitterly divided country. "We will come back when the nation needs us," said Somkiat Pongpaibul, a key PAD member, an alliance of Bangkok's urban monarchist elite pitting itself against the rural poor who voted mainly for the government./ppThere was a carnival mood yesterday as the remaining demonstrators sang and danced to a band on the makeshift stage outside the airport's departure areas. Queues formed before a table set up for PAD's co-founders, Chamlong Srimuang and Sondhi Limthongkul, who signed autographs./ppThe international airport's manager, Serirat Prasutanond, predicted a speedy return to normality after inspecting the terminal. As he spoke, 700 soldiers and specialist bomb squads moved into the airport complex with sniffer dogs to search for explosive devices, while cleaners cleared the rubbish and IT technicians started rebooting systems shut down a week ago./pdivullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/thailand"Thailand/a/li/ul/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a
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Heavy snow and high winds forecast to cause travel chaos
divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/12529?ns=guardianpageName=UK+news%3A+Heavy+snow+and+high+winds+forecast+to+cause+travel+chaosch=UK+newsc3=The+Guardianc4=Weather+UK+%28News%29%2CTransport+UK%2CUK+news%2CTravelc5=Not+commercially+usefulc6=Helen+Carterc7=2008_12_04c8=1128352c9=articlec10=GUc11=UK+newsc12=Weatherc13=c14=h2=GU%2FUK+news%2FWeather" width="1" height="1" //divpMany parts of the UK were forecast yesterday to wake up today to find a thick covering of snow making the daily commute treacherous./ppA combination of heavy snow and high winds was expected to cause blizzards across most of Scotland, northern England and the north Midlands through last night and into this morning. On higher ground up to 20cm (10 in) of snow was predicted, with deposits of between 2cm and 5cm lower down in populated areas./ppIn the Scottish Highlands temperatures were expected to fall to -10C. Hundreds of traffic accidents have already been reported in Scotland during the cold snap. Wales and parts of the Midlands may also have a dusting of snow, according to Met Office forecasters./ppAcross southern England and south Wales, heavy rain was forecast but it could turn icy in places as it falls on cold ground./ppForecasters said driving conditions during the morning rush hour would be difficult, even in the south where heavy rain could turn to ice as a result of falling temperatures./ppThe M74 in Scotland was affected by blizzards yesterday with only one lane open in each direction. About 90 schools in Aberdeenshire were closed or partially closed due to the weather./ppThe Met Office said a weather system had begun moving in from the Atlantic from yesterday afternoon. "That will lead to snow in Northern Ireland, although it will turn back to rain after a couple of hours. The main risk is for falls of snow across the north Midlands, northern England and Scotland," it said./ppThe snow is expected to be accompanied by strong winds of up to 40mph, which means there is a real risk of blizzards and drifting./ppParts of Oxfordshire and the northern home counties may also see snow, although it was unlikely to settle as it would turn to rain later./ppTraffic in the north-west was severely disrupted yesterday when the M62 was closed in both directions following a fatal accident involving a lorry and a car, which killed one person./ppThousands of homes in Kelso, Berwickshire, were left without gas, where 3,000 properties were affected during sub-zero conditions. Around 70 households were affected in the village of Ednam. It could take several days to restore the supply, and temperatures would remain below 5C until the end of the week./ppOn Tuesday about 200 schools in the north-west of England were closed because of snow causing poor driving conditions./ppWilliam Hill have cut the odds of snow on Christmas day to 4/1 in the UK's major cities. If it does snow on the 25th it could cost bookmakers pound;1m./ppA spokesman for the firm said: "Make no mistake this is a massive gamble and snow on Christmas day will be a disaster for us."/ppThe company is offering considerably longer odds (100/1) that the Thames freezes over between Westminster and Tower bridge./pdivullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/weather"Weather/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/transport"Transport/a/li/ul/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a
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Travel books of the year for Christmas
Rory MacLean asks leading travel authors to name their favourite travel books of the year. The results make perfect gifts for a stay-at-home Christmas read
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BA hit by fall in premium passengers
BA has suffered a significant drop in premium class passengers as the economic slump and rising unemployment hits the transport sector
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Pleased to greet you: recommended greeter schemes around the world
Here's where to find a friendly greeters' welcome, from Jamaica to Chicago
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Top 10 Christmas family days out in Great Britain
Treat the whole family to a festive adventure at one of these magical attractions
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Fears for Qantas jobs despite pledges to keep 'flying kangaroo' Australian
Australian Transport Workers Union (TWU) has called for talks with the two airlines over the potential loss of 38,000 jobs
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First flight reaches Bangkok as airport blockade ends
divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/66673?ns=guardianpageName=World+news%3A+First+flight+reaches+Bangkok+as+airport+blockade+endsch=World+newsc3=guardian.co.ukc4=Thailand+%28News%29%2CWorld+news%2CTravel%2CBangkok+%28Travel%29%2CThailand+%28Travel%29c5=Not+commercially+useful%2CAsia+Travelc6=Ian+MacKinnon%2CPeter+Walkerc7=2008_12_03c8=1127880c9=articlec10=GUc11=World+newsc12=Thailandc13=c14=h2=GU%2FWorld+news%2FThailand" width="1" height="1" //divpThousands of anti-government protesters streamed away from Bangkok's international airport today in buses and pick-up trucks, ending an eight-day siege that stranded hundreds of thousands of foreign travelers in Thailand./ppThe lifting of the blockade in what looked like a victory parade came after a court disbanded the governing party and disqualified from office the prime minister, Somchai Wongsawat, for electoral fraud./ppThe first passenger flight to Suvarnabhumi international in more than a week arrived today, bringing travellers from the resort island of Phuket./ppThe airports authority warned it would be several days before the arrival of the first international flight, though the hope is normal services will resume soon to take 230,000 trapped tourists home./ppAs People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrators – who wear yellow in reverence of the king – packed up their tents and bedrolls, survivors of the ousted government began deciding on an interim leader./ppThe rump of the six-party coalition plans to meet next Monday to select a new prime minister, a decision that could renew tensions. The court ruling has defused the immediate crisis but demonstrators have warned they will return if things do not go to their liking./pp"We will come back when the nation needs us," said Somkiat Pongpaibul, a key leader of the PAD, which pits Bangkok's urban monarchist elite against the rural poor who voted the government into power./ppRattiporn Nimitraporn, 29, one of the PAD devotees who took over the airport on the first daym, said: "The PAD has stopped now because we want the country to work. We will see what next step the government takes. We still have work to do to clean up the country."/ppAnother protester, Pas Apinantpreeda, said: "In the next two weeks I think we will come again."/ppToday the mood was one of carnival as the remaining demonstrators sang and danced to a band on a makeshift stage outside the departure areas./ppLong queues formed before a table set up for the PAD's co-founders, Chamlong Srimaung and Sondhi Limthongkul, who gave autographs for the faithful./ppWith the mutual backslapping over, Chamlong held what passed for an official hand-over ceremony of Suvarnabhumi. He hugged and shook hands with the Thai airports authority chairman, Vudhibhandhu Vichairatana, in front of a Buddhist shrine./ppThe first international flight, from Rome, is due to arrive at one minute after midnight tomorrow. Serirat Prasutanond, Suvarnabhumi's manager, predicted a speedy return to normality after that. " I have strong confidence that everything will be OK and back to normal in two days," he said./ppAs he spoke, 700 soldiers and specialist bomb teams moved into the airport with sniffer dogs to search for bombs. Cleaners were taking away piles of rubbish and computer technicians started rebooting systems shut down a week ago./pdivullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/thailand"Thailand/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/bangkok"Bangkok/a/lilia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/travel/thailand"Thailand/a/li/ul/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a
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Paris luxury hotels feel pinch in slowdown
Room prices cut to levels not seen for years, but budget hotels largely unaffected by downturn
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Response: The Taj Mahal hotel will, as before, survive the threat of destruction
This much-loved landmark has inspired the people of Mumbai for over a hundred years, says Charles Allen
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Holiday firms prepare for package tour slump by slashing summer capacity
divimg alt="" src="http://hits.guardian.co.uk/b/ss/guardiangu-feeds/1/H.15.1/3176?ns=guardianpageName=Business%3A+Holiday+firms+prepare+for+package+tour+slump+by+slashing+summer+capacitych=Businessc3=The+Guardianc4=Travel+and+leisure+industry+%28Business%29%2CBusiness%2CTravelc5=Not+commercially+useful%2CBusiness+Markets%2CBusiness+Travelc6=Simon+Bowersc7=2008_12_03c8=1127762c9=articlec10=GUc11=Businessc12=Travel+%26+leisurec13=c14=h2=GU%2FBusiness%2FTravel+%26+leisure" width="1" height="1" //divpOne in four British holidaymakers who took package deals in summer 2007 will not do so next year, according to Thomas Cook. /ppChief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa said deep industry-wide cuts in the number of holidays offered in Britain, combined with the collapse into administration of the third-largest tour operator, XL Leisure, had taken 3m holidays out of the market for next summer./ppThe two firms that dominate UK tour operating, Thomas Cook and Tui Travel, are planning summer holiday capacity reductions over two years of 20% and 27% respectively. The number of Thomas Cook's short-haul holidays, predominantly bargain packages to the Spanish Costas and the Balearics, have been targeted the most - down 38% over two years - and the firm yesterday doubled its total cuts for the coming summer./ppFontenla-Novoa said: "Capacity reductions in the UK market ... amount to approximately 25% over the last two years through our actions and those of other market participants." /ppHe said only a small number of UK travellers skipping mainstream packages were turning to low-cost airlines to create budget holidays - the majority would be staying in Britain next summer./ppFontenla-Novoa claimed the industry shrinkage was driven more by Thomas Cook and others removing "generic, budget, third-line products, that attract very low prices," than by financially stretched families deciding they cannot afford their summer break./ppPart of the reason for the cuts in holidays to Spain has been the weakness of the pound against the euro, pushing up hotel costs. As a result, Thomas Cook has focused its UK business on destinations further afield such as Turkey./ppAfter reporting a strong 32% jump in underlying profits for the 12 months to September 30, Thomas Cook doubled its planned summer holiday capacity cuts to 11%, against 6% previously indicated./ppFontenla-Novoa insisted yesterday's decision on capacity left UK holiday numbers well matched with anticipated demand. "We think that's about right. We don't anticipate any further reductions." /ppThomas Cook said it can cut capacity from the UK by a further 10% before affecting its own fleet of aircraft./ppDespite two years of sharp declines in the scale of the UK package tour industry, and thousands of job losses at travel agents, Thomas Cook yesterday reported an underlying pre-tax profit for the year to September 30 of pound;309m, on revenue ahead 11.8% at pound;8.8bn. Last week Tui reported a 43% rise in underlying pre-tax profit to pound;320m on revenue up 9%./ppFontenla-Novoa explained that the financial success of the two European industry leaders stemmed from a better matching of capacity with demand. He drew a parallel with 1991, when industry capacity slumped after the financial collapse of ILG, the company behind the Intasun brand, noting it was one of the most profitable years for other operators./pdivullia href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/travelleisure"Travel leisure/a/li/ul/diva href="http://www.guardian.co.uk"guardian.co.uk/a copy; Guardian News Media Limited 2008 | Use of this content is subject to our a href="http://users.guardian.co.uk/help/article/0,,933909,00.html"Terms Conditions/a | a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/webfeeds/1,,1309488,00.html"More Feeds/a
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