Barcelona Insider

Brits keen to book a trip to Spain for their next summer holiday might want to head down to London to get a quick taster of the country.

London will showcase the best of Spain in a special festival next month.

A Taste of Spain will be held on London’s Regent Street on June 6th.

In a rare occasion when the street will be traffic-free, events, music and plenty of food will be on display to represent each region of Spain.

Sporty tourists who are thinking about booking a cheap hotel in Barcelona can try out a unique F1 simulator to get a virtual experience of the Montmelo FI track in Barcelona, or watch a golf demonstration in Madrid as the city bids for the Ryder Cup.

Music will also be a major attraction for the day. Spanish guitarist Paco Fernandez will headline on the main stage, but there will also be dance tunes from Ibiza and a brass band from Segovia.

See flamenco dancers in the Andalucia region, folk music in Aragon, while food fans can taste paella in Valencia or suckling pig in Segovia.

Passenger traffic in European airports increased towards the end of last year.

There was a rise in European passenger traffic in November 2009.

This has been shown in figures released by ACI Europe.

According to the statistics, passenger traffic at hubs in the continent increased by one per cent in November 2009 compared with the same month in 2008, which could have led to increased demand for breaks in Barcelona.

Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe, said that the sector is “finally getting back to a positive air traffic trend”.

Meanwhile, freight figures showed a 5.6 per cent rise in traffic during November in comparison with the same month in 2008.

Mr Jankovec added: “Passenger traffic keeps underperforming significantly compared to freight, reflecting the fact that the financial crisis is giving way to an employment crisis and low consumer spending throughout Europe.”

Those looking for a break in Europe could take flights to Barcelona, where they can find attractions such as the Barri Gotic, Barcelona Cathedral and the Nou Camp.

Barcelona was among the winners at this year’s British Travel Awards event, which took place in London last week.

Barcelona was voted the best city break destination at the 2009 Travel Awards.

The Catalan capital was voted the best city break destination, with Paris picking up the silver award.

People staying in Barcelona can see some of Spain’s most popular landmarks and attractions in the city, such as the Sagrada Familia and Parc Guell.

Why not take advantage of the city’s awarding winning status by booking a stay in a hotel in Barcelona today.

The US was voted the most popular country to visit for this year’s British Travel Awards, with Italy in second place.

Travel professionals and consumers alike submit votes for the event, which is the largest awards programme in the UK.

Singapore won the best overseas airport accolade ahead of Dubai, while Manchester was voted the UK airport of the year, an honour it has now received for two consecutive years.

Virgin Atlantic was named the best long-haul scheduled airline and British Airways picked up the top prize in the category covering European scheduled carriers.

The Barcelona tourist board has opened a new itinerary that combines a coastal walk with a boat trip.

A new coastal itinerary has been opened in Barcelona.

People staying in Barcelona can follow the route to learn about the mixture of historical and modern features that are located along the city’s coastline.

The guided tour begins at the Mirador de Colom and passes landmarks including the Drassanes Reials, Barcelona’s medieval shipyard.

Walkers will also be shown a tower that housed the lights of a lighthouse until the end of the 18th century and buildings that now define the city’s skyline such as the World Trade Centre.

During the boat trip, tourists will learn about the evolution of the Barcelona coastline over the years.

The route links up with four other walks that pass through various other parts of the city. Visitors can buy tickets online from the Barcelona Turisme website or at information offices and travel agents in the city.