Providing some good news for Scotland’s holidaymakers, low fare airline, Jet2.com, has announced a 70% increase on its Edinburgh to Faro route for summer 2010.

Jet2.com’s popular Edinburgh to Faro service will now operate four times a week during the summer period (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays) helping people in the region to get away for less next year. The summer season departures have also been brought forward to start 1st May 2010 and extended to 31st October 2010, giving even more choice for holidaymakers in 2010.

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WTM 2009

During this year’s World Travel Market (WTM) the Algarve was awarded the travel trade’s equivalent of an ‘Oscar’ for its marketing and promotional strategies.

Held in London from October 9th – 12th, the WTM this year celebrated its 30th anniversary. Organisers expected some 50,000 people to visit the exhibition, which is described as the premier global event for the travel industry.

Nuno Aires, President of the Algarve’s Regional Tourism Board (ERTA) was in London to receive the award, given to the region for its ‘daring investment in marketing’ and for selling the region to modern tourists as more than just a destination of sun and sea.

The Algarve seasonal entertainment programme, a multi-million euro agenda which is held in the region every summer and incorporates various types of activities including concerts, gastronomic events, sports and leisure, was highlighted as an example of the Algarve’s savvy promotional practices.

Rambler’s Worldwide Holidays, the specialist walking holidays company, has just launched a group of new walking holidays in Portugal.  They include an unusual 10 day rail and walk holiday which leisurely meanders through some of the country’s most stunning countryside and cities.

Portugal is a popular destination for walkers due to its warm climate and beautiful scenery, with many walks planned around the wonderful coastline of the Algarve area.  According to the company “The Algarve coast is justly famous for its fine Atlantic beaches, superb golf courses and beautiful coastline but it is generally not thought of in terms of open countryside; it is however truly wonderful rambling country.”

In relation to this rise in popularity of walking holidays and so-named geotourism, in 2008 Portugal’s first Geopark opened (Naturtejo Geopark), supported by Unesco, involving a network of nature trails and historical sites to encourage vistors to the region to indulge in more than a traditional beach holiday.  The 8th Annual Geoparks conference was held in Portugal this September, also helping Portugal to firmly establish itself as an up and coming world class geotourism destination.

Says Miguel Perestrello, Portuguese Director for Tourism in the UK, “Geotourism is an effective way of stimulating economic activity whilst promoting sustainable tourism. We want to want to offer a whole range of tourism products, starting from the typical sun and sea holiday to the Geotourism or Ecotourism nature breaks which encourage the preservation of our geological heritage and natural surroundings.”