Travel News Roundup: January 2014

January is nearly over, so it’s time to take a look back and see what has been making the travel headlines in the first month of 2014. Read on to find out the latest about the term time holiday fees, where most Brits fall short in geography and the most popular destination for foreign holidays…

ABTA suggest schools stagger term dates

We’ve spoken about this many times before, and it seems the hot topic of taking children out of school for cheaper holidays has once again come to the fore this month. With stricter regulations and fines coming into force, cash-strapped parents are being forced to take their holiday at peak times, often spending more than they initially intended for their getaway.

ABTA have suggested that British schools should follow the German authorities, staggering school holiday dates to relieve the pressure for such strong demand. With a shorter peak period, holidays would become cheaper and more affordable for families.

What do you think? Is it a good idea? Let us know in the comments!

When it comes to naming oceans, Brits are all at sea

According to a new survey, just 29% of Brits can correctly name all of the world’s oceans.

Even more worryingly, just over half (54%) were able to correctly state the number of oceans in the world. And no, it’s not four (according to 31%) or seven (12%) – it’s five.

Just in case you didn’t pay attention in geography class, here are the names of all five oceans:

  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Pacific Ocean
  • Indian Ocean
  • Arctic Ocean
  • Southern/Antarctic Ocean

Don’t worry too much if you didn’t get the last one, the Southern/Antarctic didn’t officially become an ocean until 2000, so it is a relatively new addition to the list!

The average Briton has visited only seven countries

New research reveals that the average Brit has only visited seven countries outside of the UK.

France is the most common country that we tend to visit, with over two thirds of Brits having been there at least once in their lifetime. Other popular destinations include Spain, the USA, Germany and Greece. Fancy going somewhere different from the norm? Check out all the destinations you can travel to with Holiday Hypermarket!

What do you think of this month’s news stories? Can you name all the world’s oceans? How many countries have you been to? Share your opinions with us in the comments section below!