Hot air balloon flights are popular for short breaks in 2013

Travel Weekly, one of the UK’s leading travel and tourist magazines, has predicted that growth areas in 2013 are likely to be good-value short breaks and all-inclusive family holidays. Short breaks encompassing adventurous, challenging or unusual activities like hot air ballooning, mountain climbing or white water rafting look particularly strong as travellers and holidaymakers try to beat the squeeze on family finances. The perennially popular destinations of Spain, Italy and Greece continued to hold up well and all-inclusive holidays across the range of prices showed strength in 2012, as families find it easier to budget if the total cost of the holiday is known in advance. In a boost for domestic tourism, the bi-centennial of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice promises to stimulate heritage and cultural breaks. Short breaks will include tours around those places familiar to Jane Austen and her readers, like Bath, Hampshire and Chatsworth House. For holidaymakers for whom cost is not an issue, 2013 is set to see the first consumer space flight. Operated by Virgin Galactic, over 500 passengers have already booked for the two hour flight at a cost of $200,000. A hot air balloon ride offers the chance to see some of the most spectacular English countryside from a different perspective. Furthermore, the experiences come at a much more affordable price. Hot air balloon flights are among the most exciting and relaxing experiences imaginable, even for passengers who know the area from the ground very well.