United Kingdom Most Popular Travel Destination in 2011

2011 is over and 2012 has begun! The old year went out with a bang, the same way the new year started, but just because 2011 is over doesn't mean that it is forgotten. Citizens of Planet Earth did a lot of traveling last year to places all over the world but only one place could top the list as the most popular travel destination of 2011. While you may think that places like the Caribbean, the Bahamas or some other tropical place would be the most popular, it seems most travelers disagree because the most popular travel destination of 2011 was Britain, according to a study done by Expedia.

Travel to Britain saw a 10% increase in 2011 over 2010 and it appears as if the trend of domestic breaks is poised to continue strong in 2012 as well. Lots of new things to do in the region, like local culinary tours and cooking classes, as well as the increase in local bicycle shops, like Boris Bikes in London, are encouraging people to explore the country in new and exciting ways.

Andy Washington, Managing Director of Expedia UK and Ireland, stated, "It has been an eventful year for the travel industry and a tough year for certain popular travel destinations, but we've noticed time and time again that people tend to forego their annual holiday. It's encouraging to see that Brits are taking advantage of the multitude of attractions closer to home in the UK and embracing 'staycations'. 2011 has highlighted the mixed approach to holidaying taken by Brits in troubled times."

Washington also added, "As some are drawn to holidaying at home, others simply look for alternative destinations - with Spain and Turkey particularly growing in popularity during the Arab Spring. The other notable trend was deal hunting - with savvy travelers taking advantage of the great deals to be had in destinations like Egypt and Japan as these destinations recover. Yet what's absolutely clear is our determination to keep our holidays."

Expedia's study listed the top 10 traveling destinations for 2011 as:

1. Southern UK regions


2. London


3. New York


4. Paris


5. Las Vegas


6. Rome


7. Amsterdam


8. Barcelona


9. Regional Northern France


10. Edinburgh

Trends are supposed to continue strong into 2012, maybe because a vast majority of the population believes that the world is going to "end" this year. It seems that all these doomsdayers are trying to accomplish what they can before the Mayan calendar wipes us all out.

Source: Travel News - The UK topped most popular destination for travelers in 2011

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Top 10 Destinations for St. Patrick's Day Celebrations

The search engine HotelsCombined.com, based out of Australia, helps travelers find hotel availability and rates, and compares prices from thousands of hotels, all over the world. This year, after consulting with tourism bureaus and international travel resources, the travel website determined and put together a list of hotels for the Top Ten St. Patrick's Day Celebrations from all over the world. Here is a look at what they found.

1. La Stampa Hotel and Spa in Dublin, Ireland - It's no surprise the top St. Patrick's Day celebration in the world is located in Ireland. This luxurious boutique and stylish townhouse is located in the center of town and offers you the experience of a lifetime - the largest St. Patrick's Day Festival in Ireland.

2. Fitzpatrick Grand Central Hotel in New York City - You can't get more Irish than that; the name says it all. The hotel is home to the Wheeltapper Pub, which is decorated decorated with authentic turn-of-the-century memorabilia from Ireland's railroad system. Unwind here after the United State's largest St. Patrick's Day parade.

3. Drake Hotel in Chicago - This luxurious, full-service hotel is located at the top of the Miracle Mile. It's said to be the "perfect compliment" to the city's historic St. Patrick's Day celebration.

4. The Lenox Hotel in Boston - Boston is home to one of the oldest American St. Patrick's Day celebrations and in true St. Patrick's Day fashion, this innovative hotel knows all about being "green." It was named one of the top five greenest luxury hotels in America by U.S. News & World Report. Enjoy the celebration and clear your conscience at the same time.

5. Hotel Le Crystal in Montreal - This peaceful and cozy hotel is located just blocks away from Montreal's St. Patrick's Day parade route.

6. Bohemian Hotel Riverfront in Savannah - Savannah's most luxurious hotel sits above a 18th century cobblestone street, overlooking the Savannah River. Savannah is home to the United States' second-largest St. Patrick's Day celebration

7. Tropical Mansion Suites in Montserrat - This British island located in the Lesser Antilles puts a unique spin on St. Patrick's Day. Combing the Irish tradition with its Afro-Irish culture, enjoy not only the celebration, but the island's natural beauty as well.

8. Arlington Resort in Hot Springs, Arkansas - Arkansas may not seem like one of the top places in the world for St. Patrick's Day, but the Arlington Resort features a one-of-a-kind celebration, with its Irish Belly Dancers and Irish Order of Elvis Impersonators.

9. Heritage Hotel in Auckland, New Zealand - This hotel is located just above the Muddy Farmer Pub. The Pub brings Ireland to New Zealand with authentic relics and memorabilia from real Irish pubs.

10. Hotel Metropolitan in Tokyo - Tokyo is another place that may not be high on your list of St. Patrick's Day destinations, but the city's parade is one of its most popular international events. The hotel is near the festivities but also allows parade-goers to unwind in its peaceful atmosphere afterwards.

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Google Store View Coming to Google Maps?

With Google Maps' Street View, you can view almost any street in America or almost any major city in the world, but what if you can go inside the buildings? That possibility may become a reality with the rumored Google Store View.

The blog Search Engine Land received an email from a New York city candy shop, Oh Nuts, which claimed a Google representative came inside and took pictures of the store and its products. The reason is supposedly because Google is working on a new feature, which is tentatively being called Google Store View.

While no one will confirm whether or not this really happened, the store did send in photos from store security cameras, which show someone walking around the store with a camera and tripod, taking pictures. When contacted by Switched.com, Google would only say, "We are always experimenting with new features for Google Maps. We have nothing further to announce at this time."

If this really happens, it could change a lot of things about the way we shop. Customers could browse stores without leaving their homes, which is good for customers, not so much for businesses. Also, it would allow people to browse stores in locations they aren't familiar with or plan to travel to ahead of time. The other problem is the privacy concerns that often pop up with Google Maps. If people are worried about views of themselves outside of various places, you can bet they're going to be upset that they're being followed inside. Never mind the fact that it would take a lot of work on Google's part to get every store in the country to allow the photography.

While it's quite possible Google is experimenting with the idea, don't expect it to happen anytime soon. If the woman taking pictures inside the store really is with the company, her equipment doesn't really look like something they'd use for this type of venture. Also, it's a long road between one little candy shop in New York and the entire United States or even the entire city of New York.

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HostelWorld.com Launches "How To" Videos

Last week, HostelWorld.com announced that they were expanding their website's video content to include "how to" videos. Each video gives five tips on how to save money in cities around the world, London, New York, Paris, Amsterdam and Edinburgh, with more cities to come. Hostelworld.com editor Colm Hanratty, who also produces and stars in the videos, says he hopes the video will increase the company's presence on popular "how to" video sites such as HowCast.com and 5min.com.

The website also features new videos called "city postcards" which give viewers a glimpse into the cities they feature, listing top attractions, restaurants and bars. Each video is short - three minutes or less - and the postcard videos are currently available for Cork, Stockholm and Zurich. More videos should be available in 2010.

HostelWorld is no stranger to online videos. Their "10 Things You Need to Know About..." city guide videos won the company a Webby Award. They also feature videos on 200 of the top hostels in the world.

"After the success of our city guide videos, we felt we needed to give our users a new type of video. As 'How to…' video sites are increasingly popular, and everybody likes finding out how to save money due to the current economic climate, videos offering people invaluable tips on how to save money in the world’s top cities seemed like the perfect option,” Hanratty said of the new videos.

He is currently in South America filming more videos and putting together more content for the website. South America is said to be a hot destination for backpackers and gap year students in 2010 and HostelWorld is hoping the new information will help prospective visitors to the continent.

Check out one of HostelWorld's videos on "How to Save Money in New York" below: