Florida claims theme park crown

If it’s family fun you want, Florida is the place to be. The Sunshine State is home to seven of the world’s top twenty theme parks.

Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom is the most popular of all, pulling in 16.6 million visitors in 2006, according to the latest Theme Park Attendance Report, by the Themed Entertainment Association. Three others are in the top ten – Epcot, Disney-MGM Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom, all part of the gargantuan Disney World resort in central Florida. Disneyland Paris was fifth, with 10.6 million visitors.

North America remains the world’s theme park hotspot, drawing 120 million visitors, a rise of 1.5 per cent on 2005. More than half of those (66.3 million) were in Florida. California’s parks pulled in 29.5 million.

“The basic purposes of a theme park visit haven’t changed,” said Christian Aaen, who works for a consulting firm which helped with the report. “The simplicity of a family coming together in a safe, secure, attractive themed setting remains the fundamental magnet, whether it be to enjoy a thrill ride, see a show or simply amble and eat ice cream.”

A separate poll of top US attractions by travel website TripAdvisor saw Orlando, Florida, voted top.

“Between Universal Studios, SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and the home of a particularly famous mouse, Orlando is the Mecca of attractions,” said Michele Perry of TripAdvisor.

America’s welcome message to tourists

Holidaymakers heading for Florida can in future expect an easier ride through US airport security thanks to legislation signed by George W. Bush to create a more ‘welcoming message’ to international visitors.

The country's top 20 overseas inbound airports will display ‘welcome videos’, and an extra 200 Customs and Border Protection officers will be drafted in to help alleviate excessive wait times.

Tourism to the US is down ten per cent since 2000 but up 13 per cent in Britain and 20 per cent in France. It’s thought that more complex entry procedures and
the sometimes aggressive attitude of American airport officials since 9/11 is one reason behind the downturn.

While the airport experience may improve, it looks as if one thing US-bound passengers may soon have to do to hasten the security process is register online days before departure and give passport details and travel plans.

Spain cleaning up its property act

Changes in Spanish property law which will help fight corruption and rising property prices came into effect in July.

In the last two years, more than 60 local officials in the southern resort of Marbella have been arrested – including the mayoress and former mayor – for various allegations of fraud, money laundering, bribery and corruption, linked to housing projects. Since real estate speculation began in earnest in Marbella with the tourist boom a few decades ago, it seems housing rules and regulations have been violated by the same people who created them.

Now, if land is due for development, all of its owners in the previous five years must be publicly listed. Government officials should also declare any assets or links they have to the property industry.

The government hopes that reducing the number of speculators and the degree of corruption will slow the rise in property prices, which have rocketed by 150 per cent since 1997.

“With the instruments of this law we should put the brakes on exorbitant house prices,” said Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Isabel Perez Blanco, based in the Marbella office of law firm Irwin Mitchell Abogados, said: “If the law is adhered to then the levels of corruption which have gained the Spanish property market a bad reputation should be significantly reduced.

“It appears that, in the most part, the new law will alleviate many concerns that people have surrounding buying a property in Spain,” said Ms Perez.

Card fraud abroad

More than £118 million was stolen from British holidaymakers’ credit cards abroad in 2006, an increase of £36 million on 2005, according to the UK Payments Association (APACS).

More travellers are using credit and debit cards overseas – £23 billion was spent on them last year – and APACS has published an online consumer guide at apacs.org.uk with tips on how to avoid falling victim to fraudsters.

“As we use our cards more frequently abroad it is important that consumers are aware of steps they can take to ensure that they use their cards safely,” said Sandra Quinn, of APACS.

Give me credit

Does your plastic travel well? Price comparison website Cheapflights.co.uk has a useful table showing the different charges on 18 credit cards when used abroad.

What the table highlights is that credit cards are a very expensive way of getting cash abroad. The minimum ATM cash withdrawal fee on the credit cards listed varies from £2 to £5, with interest rates on cash withdrawals varying from 11.9% to 27.9% per year.

Far better is to use a debit card with no withdrawal fee and a genuine exchange rate, such as the Nationwide FlexAccount debit card.

When used for purchases, most credit cards charge a conversion fee in the region of 2.75%. The honourable exceptions include Liverpool Victoria (no charge in Europe) and Nationwide Classic and Gold cards.

Shop-till-you-drop consumers who want to delay paying for their holiday splurges will be happy with the Bank of Scotland One card’s 9.9 per cent Annual Percentage Rate (APR) on purchases – that compares well with the Marks & Spencer &MORE and Nationwide BS Classic cards’ 17.9 per cent rates.
www.cheapflights.co.uk/travel-tips

Montenegro rising

James Bond played poker there in the blockbuster Casino Royale, the Rolling Stones rocked there, and Catherine Zeta-Jones and Michael Douglas were spotted house-hunting. So is Montenegro the next Adriatic ‘hotspot’ after Croatia?

Last year the country became independent from Serbia following a national referendum. The euro is in wide use – though the country is not officially part of the eurozone – and Montenegro hopes for speedy entry to the European Union. Tourism has been increasing by 17 per cent a year and by 2014 Montenegro is expected to become the fastest-growing tourist destination in the world, according to the World Travel and Tourism Council.

Historic old towns and picturesque fishing villages are dotted down its 120-mile coast, which boasts 15 Blue Flag beaches, including Kotorska, where mountains tower over three bays. The Stones played their gig on a beach at Budva, and the coastal town of Kotor has Unesco World Heritage Status. The summer season is long thanks to a kind climate.

“It’s as beautiful as Croatia, but at half the cost,” says Justin Faiz, managing director of Pluto Developments, based in Kotor. “With the recent arrival of Tui, Thomson and Thomas Cook, we’ll see some movement on the rental front,” he says.

Brits are the largest group buying land and property there, and buyers can get a mortgage in Montenegro. Though property is still relatively cheap, prices are rising – by between 20 and 40 per cent in the last year, by some estimates. Pluto’s new upmarket 36 two-bed apartment Kotor Vista complex should be finished by 2008. Prices range from £155,000-£173,000.

It’s rumoured the airport at Tivat – an ancient port near Kotor, with a nice marina and plenty of cafes – is being considered by a budget airline for direct flights. In the meantime, flights to Dubrovnik in Croatia, close to the Montenegrin border, are available from BA and Croatia Airlines (from Gatwick), Flybe (Birmingham) and Thomsonfly (Luton and Manchester)

Good cause for foreign cash

Television travel presenter Amanda Lamb (left) is encouraging holidaymakers to donate spare foreign currency when they return home to Help the Aged’s ‘You Know it Makes Cents’ appeal to raise £10,000 for its charity work.

An estimated £100 million worth of foreign cash lies around UK homes, according to the Post Office. We recycle everything we can these days, so why not leftover currency? Even old money such as pesetas, francs, lira and Greek drachmas can be handed in.

“Every year thousands of us return from holidays abroad, our pockets jangling with coins that we can’t spend in the UK,” says Amanda, who presents A Place in the Sun, on Channel Four.

“Rather than putting these to one side, in the off-chance you’ll return to that far-flung destination, why not join me and use your small change to help make a huge difference to vulnerable older people?” she suggests.

Coins and notes can be handed in at Help the Aged shops – see helptheaged.org.uk to find your closest – or for information call 0870 7700446 or email transform@helptheaged.org.uk.