Planet DMC

Orchids are everywhere, in varying shades of flecked pinks and whites and greens, in clusters or dotted singly throughout the mountain slopes and fields. I count seven new varieties in a happy half an hour before our guides inform us that there are 42 varieties growing here in the Julian Alps and 84 different wild orchid types in the country.Allan Jenkins (The Guardian)

In five to ten years we don’t want to be seen as a guidebook publisher: we want to be seen as a dynamic tech company that provides tailormade trips. This is going to change the way people travel. If you think about the Airbnb model, it is connecting travellers with owners. We are cutting the traditional travel chain.René Frey (Rough Guides)

Tourist visits to Sri Lanka have increased dramatically since the end of the 26-year conflict, from 447,890 in 2009 to an all time high of 2.1 million last year, a figure the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority hopes to double by 2020.Antonia Wilson (The Guardian)

Currently in beta format, the new-style TripAdvisor will look to expand its community beyond travellers leaving reviews to include publishers, such as National Geographic, as well as brands and social media influencers. Travellers will be able to follow and connect with individuals or content creators who share information that is relevant to their interests and travel plans. […] Powered by what is claimed to be the world’s first “travel feed”, members will be able to discover more information when planning trips. As well as National Geographic, other publishers taking part in the scheme include Condé Nast Traveler, the Travel Channel, Business Insider and Insider Guides, PopSugar, Great Big Story (CNN Travel), Pandora Music, GoPro, Goop, NYC & Company (via its consumer-facing tourism website, nycgo.com), Nashville Music City, and The Knot.Rebecca Smithers (The Guardian)

The Great Train Comparison Report, commissioned by online train booking service Loco2, surveyed all but one of the European rail companies that offer high-speed, long-distance daytime trains, with journeys of at least 400km. Overall, Swiss Federal Railways came out top after taking first place in four categories; best for families, disabled passengers, cyclists and winter sports. It was followed closely by German rail operator Duetsche Bahn (DB) and ÖBB Austrian Railways, which came joint second with a strong performance across all categories.Will Coldwell (The Guardian)

Package holidays to Turkey are up 84% year on year, according to Thomas Cook – a growth being fuelled by families, who account for 61% of bookings. The country is also seeing the highest number of return customers of any of Thomas Cook’s destinations.Isabel Choat (The Guardian)

There are only so many times that Slovenia can be called a “hidden gem” and still claim to remain hidden. But those who come to this tiny country nestled between the Alps and the Adriatic seem to feel they’ve discovered a little-known paradise. While cheap flights from London have made it an easy weekend destination, and the capital, Ljubljana, is popular on the stag and hen circuit, the entire country boasts wonderland landscapes.Noah Charney (The Guardian)

More than 4 million passengers a year fly between London and Amsterdam, making it one of Europe’s busiest air routes as the Netherlands grows in popularity as a key business and tourism hub. The cross-Channel rail operator is set to challenge established airlines on the route, including British Airways, easyJet and Ryanair. It will target potential converts by saying a London-Amsterdam Eurostar journey emits 80% less carbon than the equivalent flight.Rebecca Smithers (The Guardian)

Meanwhile, the enterprising tourist board is on to its next stunt: campaigning to have Faroese included on Google Translate. Again, it started by creating a DIY version, Faroe Islands Translate, with locals translating live by video. An estimated 80,000 people speak Faroese worldwide – if the campaign is as successful as Sheep View, by this time next year, there could be a whole lot more.Rachel Dixon (The Guardian)

Two of Monarch’s biggest markets, in Egypt and Tunisia, were closed to tourists after terrorist attacks. The Foreign Office advised against travel to Tunisia and Egypt’s Red Sea resorts after the shooting in Sousse and the bombing of a Russian airliner in 2015, stopping charter flights from the UK. Unrest in Turkey also badly affected Monarch’s holiday business. A resulting flood of seats across airlines to its core business in Spain and Portugal meant cheaper fares, which were unsustainable for Monarch. The fall of the pound left Monarch paying £50m a year more for fuel and aircraft, purchased in dollars. In a letter to staff, its chief executive, Andrew Swaffield, said the airline was carrying 14% more passengers than last year for £100m less revenue. He said the “root causes” of its declining revenue were terror attacks in Egypt and Tunisia and the decline of its Turkey business.Gwyn Topham (The Guardian)