Pet passport changes introduced today

Taking your pet out of the country? Changes to the pet travel scheme are being introduced today by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.

Read guidance: pet travel: changes to the EU scheme

The pet travel scheme allows people to take their dog, cat or ferret in and out of the UK without quarantine, as long as they meet the rules of the scheme.

The changes are in line with new European regulations and are designed to improve the security of the scheme and traceability of the pet passport, whilst also clamping down on abuse of the system.

The changes include:

a new minimum age of 12 weeks before a pet can be vaccinated against rabies
new pet passports will include laminated strips and a requirement for more contact details to be provided by the vet issuing the document and certifying the veterinary treatments
a new requirement for all member states in the EU to carry out checks on their borders (the UK already checks all pets coming into the country through approved routes)
a tighter definition of non-commercial movement which will mean owners who cannot travel with a pet when they enter the EU, must do so within 5 days; owners can still authorise another person to travel with their pet, but again the pet and authorised person must travel within 5 days of each other

All pets are still required to have a microchip which confirms the animal’s identity.

Existing passports will remain valid for the lifetime of the pet or until all treatment spaces have been filled on the document.

All pet passports issued by vets from 29 December 2014 will be in the new format.

More information on travelling with your pet

Keir welcomes New York flights

Flights from Auld Reekie to Big Apple next summer

Colin Keir, the MSP whose Edinburgh Western constituency covers Edinburgh Airport, has welcomed the news that American Airlines will be launching daily flights between Edinburgh and New York’s JFK Airport.

Mr Keir said: “This is great news for Edinburgh Airport and more widely for Scotland. I congratulate the management of Edinburgh Airport for securing this direct service to one of the world’s leading financial centres. One of the benefits of direct flights is that the Air Passenger Duty (APD) is less for travellers who don’t have to fly to another UK hub airport such as Heathrow or Gatwick. It will be a huge boost for business and tourism and I am sure this will prove a very successful destination.”

The new service will launch next summer and run between May and September.

Health and travel advice for Hajj pilgrims

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office offers advice ahead of the Hajj

With thousands of British Muslims expected to attend this year’s Hajj pilgrimage, predicted to fall between 2 – 7 October, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is urging those travelling to Saudi Arabia to be fully prepared and follow up-to-date travel advice before embarking on their trip.

The Hajjis or pilgrims are advised to take out fully comprehensive Shariah compliant travel insurance and travel with a reputable tour operator. Cases of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus in people who have visited Saudi Arabia continue to be reported so getting the right vaccinations is critical as is travelling with the relevant vaccination card.

The Foreign Office, West Midlands Police and the Council of British Hajis are working together to support British Nationals undertaking the Hajj. Sher Houston from the Know Before You Go team at the FCO said: “The annual Hajj pilgrimage is one of the largest gatherings of Muslims in the world. Despite the vast numbers, there is relatively little disruption and most pilgrims travel trouble free.

“However, as with all overseas trips, we strongly recommend that the necessary precautions are taken and the trip is carefully planned. We advise all British pilgrims to check the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s travel advice and the requirements set out by the Saudi Government.”

Detective Sergeant Nadeem Hameed of West Midlands Police said: “We are pleased to support and promote this campaign and recognise the importance of this religious pilgrimage and seek to promote safety awareness and safer travel among all pilgrims.”

Rashid Mogradia, CEO of the Council of British Hajjis said: “It is imperative that pilgrims seek good travel tips before they embark on a Journey of a Lifetime. As a council, we are actively supporting and promoting the FCO’s Know Before You Go Campaign and urge travellers to consult its travel advice pages before travel.

“We wish the pilgrims a “Hajj Al-Mabroor – An Accepted Hajj” and would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to the FCO’s Hajj support team who will be present in Jeddah and Makkah should anyone require consular support while in Saudi Arabia.”

The FCO will provide the full range of consular services and will be sending the British Hajj Team – a team made of regional FCO consular staff – to Saudi Arabia during the Hajj.

Travellers’ checklist

In addition to the requirements from the Saudi government, the FCO recommends that all pilgrims use the following travellers’ checklist:

Check the FCO travel advice

Make sure that you are up to date with the current situation in Saudi Arabia atwww.gov.uk/knowbeforeyougo.

Travel with a reputable tour operator

make sure that you book your tickets through an ATOL registered tour operator to avoid unnecessary difficulties – for more information please visit www.atol.org.uk
have contact details for your tour operator in the UK and their representatives in Makkah

Get comprehensive travel insurance

ensure it covers all aspects of your journey
check health requirements
which vaccines do I need?
when do I need to get them?
is there anything else I need to be aware of?
if you require medication check that you have adequate quantities

Check passport and visa are valid

do I need a visa, or to renew an existing one?
copy passport and travel documents
take a copy with you and store online using a secure storage site
leave copies with family and friends, along with your itinerary and contact details
research local laws and customs
country specific laws and customs can be found at www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice

Pack suitable footwear

You may have to walk long distances and make sure you have all the necessary clothing and items as advised by your Hajj tour operator.

Make a note of Hajj Delegations contact details

The Hajj Delegation and local consulate will be based at the Makkah Hilton between 4 – 18 Dhul-Hijjah:

Tel: 00966 125 34 0000 (Hilton switchboard and ask for British Hajj Team)
Mob: 00966 501 00 4268 (Available 24 hrs a day)

Onwards and upwards: Edinburgh Airport’s flying high!

Edinburgh Airport has broken records yet again after seeing more than 1.1 million passengers travel through its terminal in July.

Following its record-breaking summer last year, Scotland’s busiest airport has eclipsed its previous July passenger total, making it the first airport in Scottish history to reach this milestone.

A total of 1,104,264 people passed through the airport last month – an increase of 1.8% on the same period in 2013. International passenger numbers saw an increase of 4.0% on the previous year with 661,220 passengers. Domestic passenger saw a slight decrease of 1.3% with 443,044 people.

These figures represent another step in Edinburgh Airport’s journey to continue growing by providing Scottish passengers with the very best choice of destinations.

July’s international traffic was driven by Scots flying off on their annual summer holidays to traditional sunshine destinations like Portugal, Spain and Majorca. A handful of Thomson charter services to Cancun and Florida also increased the international passenger flow.

Edinburgh’s successful summer began with the launch of a host of new long and short-haul routes to Crete, Zurich, Chicago, Doha and Philadelphia, plus the recent announcement that Etihad Airways will be launching from Edinburgh in June next year.

Edinburgh Airport first surpassed the one million passenger mark last summer where it welcomed over two million passengers between July and August.

Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive of Edinburgh Airport, said: “Breaking the 1.1 million passenger mark in July was another milestone for us and I’m delighted to be celebrating this with our teams across the airport who work hard to give passengers a great experience. To put it into context, the 1,104,264 airline tickets we processed in July could stretch almost twice the height of our air traffic control tower.

“The next few weeks and months will be hugely exciting for us as we welcome passengers from all over the world to Scotland for our famous festivals and the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. We’re also nearing completion of our brand new terminal extension which should be operational from October, offering our passengers a more efficient and enjoyable airport experience.”

July saw almost 10,800 aircraft movements at Edinburgh Airport which, when added together, carried enough passengers to fill 220 Sir Chris Hoy Velodromes and 4400 Boeing 787 Dreamliners!

The news has been welcomed by city leaders. Councillor Frank Ross, Economy Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Today’s figures come on the back of Edinburgh Airport’s busiest June on record and the equivalent of twice the population of Scotland using the Airport in just one year. The rise of international travellers using the Airport in July is great news for the city’s economy as more visitors enjoying the city will lead to the creation of new jobs.

“With trams transporting tens of thousands of passengers to and from the Airport every week and the new extension coming on well, this is an exciting time for the Airport, and for Edinburgh.”

Travellers: know before you go!

Don’t get caught out by local customs: advice to holidaymakers from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office:

Every year British nationals risk getting caught out by local laws and customs when travelling overseas. From driving a dirty car in Russia, to wearing camouflage clothing in Barbados, travellers could end up with a hefty fine or may even be arrested if they are caught unaware.

According to new research issued by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, while 70% of people believe that researching local laws and customs would make their holiday more enjoyable, less than half would actually make this part of their preparations when visiting somewhere new. For those visiting places they had been to before, just 40% said they would do this research, despite the fact that local legislation and even local customs can change at any time.

In 2014, the following changes in local law were introduced:

fines were increased to $500 for swearing publicly in certain parts of Australia
new requirements were introduced for parents travelling with children in or out of South Africa
e-cigarettes are now banned from being brought into the United Arab Emirates
from January 2015 tourists must have passport valid for at least 60 days from expiry date of their visitor visa when travelling to Turkey

FCO Minister Mark Simmonds said: “It’s easy to throw caution to the wind when on holiday but it’s important to be aware of the local laws and customs before you set off. We want people to enjoy their holidays so we encourage them to be prepared. Laws and customs vary widely from country to country and visitors should respect them to avoid causing offence or even being arrested. Spending five minutes reading our travel advice may save travellers a lot of time in the long run”.

Just last year, two British tourists were arrested for swimming in the Emperor’s moat at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. This might sound like a bit of harmless fun, but their actions were the equivalent of attempting to break into Buckingham Palace – and being arrested in Japan for even a minor offence can mean remaining in custody for 23 days while awaiting an investigation.

Jaywalking in the USA, the Czech Republic and Poland; entering churches or mosques with arms or legs uncovered in Italy or Turkey; and leaving the beach still in swimwear in Mallorca and Barcelona; are just a few examples of common laws and customs broken by foreigners who didn’t research their destination before going on holiday.

How many cigarettes can you legally bring into Thailand? What equipment should you carry in your car when driving in France? What is appropriate attire to wear in public in Saudi Arabia? Wherever you are going, the FCO’s travel advice pages have a laws and customs section for each destination and are a great place to begin your research. Also take a look at our Local Laws and Customs visual graphic (below) for some interesting examples from around the globe.

J3089_Local_Laws_and_Customs_Infographic_Final_AW

Win the trip of a lifetime …

… courtesy of mydestination.com/edinburgh

Edinburgh globetrotters are being given the opportunity to win the prize of a lifetime. Launching in Edinburgh this week, travel’s Biggest, Baddest, Bucket List competition offers one lucky winner a six month, all inclusive blogging trip around the world, taking in a minimum 25 international destinations and $50,000 (USD) prize money upon return to the UK.

The winner of the trip, which begins on 8 June 2013, can choose their own itinerary for the six months and will be expected to blog for website MyDestination.com.

Paul McGlinchey, Managing Director of MyDestination.com/Edinburgh said: “This is an amazing trip for anyone who has the travel bug. It is the chance to see all of those places you’ve always wanted to see – with all expenses paid. Scots are renowned travellers and I believe that people from Edinburgh can inject a real sense of passion for new places, so I hope many will enter our competition. Plus, there’s the life changing $50,000 USD to look forward to when the winner comes home.”

Throughout the trip, the winner will have the opportunity to meet new friends, see the sights and take part in various challenges. The challenges will be everything from trying out local delicacies to adrenaline pumping activities.

To win this trip of a lifetime, applicants must create a video application in English and up to three minutes in length talking about Edinburgh. Ten candidates from My Destination sites around the world will make it through to the voting list, five chosen by My Destination and five selected by public votes.

Ben Southall, winner of Tourism Queensland’s ‘Best Job In The World’ competition in 2009, will be judging the entries. He commented: “Winning ‘Best Job In The World’ was truly a life changing experience for me and I can’t wait to help pick out a winner for the Biggest, Baddest, Bucket List and help give someone else an opportunity that could very well be life changing for them. I haven’t looked back since winning in 2009 and I’m delighted to see an amazing travel blogging opportunity that really looks to get under the skin of so many destinations around the world.”

MyDestination.com/Edinburgh is part of My Destination, the global travel resource powered by a community of local experts. The competition is in partnership with a series of international associates including Hotels.com, Travelex and Viator, and closes on 31 March 2013 with the winner being announced on 7 May 2013.

Edinburgh is ‘Europe’s Leading Destination’

Forget Milan, London, Paris and Barcelona – Edinburgh has been named Europe’s Leading Destination at the prestigious World Travel Awards 2012. Speaking after Saturday’s ceremony, delighted City of Edinburgh Council Leader Andrew Burns said: “This is fantastic news for Edinburgh and a terrific endorsement from the people who work in the travel industry. Edinburgh is already a multi-award winning city and this is further confirmation that Edinburgh is a world class tourist destination steeped in history with a great atmosphere which hosts numerous world-renowned cultural events.”

Is Edinburgh really Europe’s leading destination? Let us know your views!