Cambridge enjoying a tourism revival thanks to the new Duke and Duchess

Our friends over at VisitBritain, the fine tourism arm of the British government, confirmed a few days ago what I predicted would happen the day Prince William and Kate Middleton were named the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge - that historic Cambridge would quickly become a must visit for tourists.

You didn't have to be a Cambridge professor to figure that out.

And so, just after two months of their marriage, Cambridge's tourism officials say guided tours of the city are up 25 per cent over the same period last year.

And it's all because of two people who don't even live in Cambridge - Prince William is completing his training as a helicopter pilot in the Royal Coast Guard and the couple are living in a quaint Welsh village near his base.

However, that's not stopping the tourists from arriving.

“We’re delighted that Prince William and Kate Middleton were issued the titles of Duke and Duchess of Cambridge,” says Emma Thornton, Visit Cambridge's head of tourism. “William and Kate are a modern and dynamic couple who we believe have and will broaden the appeal of Cambridge as a visitor destination.”

A VisitBritain-commissioned report released earlier this year revealed that history and culture – particularly when linked to the monarchy – contribute significantly to the country’s unique appeal as a holiday destination. More than 10,000 foreign tourists were given a list of 18 things that can only be done in Britain and asked to pick the ones they’d like to do most. The top three choices were, in order of importance:
- To go on a tour of Welsh castles;

- Visit Buckingham Palace;

 - Stay the night in a Scottish castle.

Here's some royal facts you might like to know about Cambridge:

- Two years after his conquest of England, in 1068, William of Normandy built a castle on what is now Castle Hill, Cambridge.

- The city's famed King’s College was founded by Henry VI in 1441 and the college’s chapel, completed during the reign of Henry VIII in 1544 boasts an elaborate interior.

- Trinity College is considered a favoured place for successive generations of royals to be educated – including the late Edward VII and Prince Charles, the new Duke of Cambridge's father.

- The Queen’s mother received an honorary degree from the university in October 1948 making her the first woman to receive one from the University.

- The husband of Queen Victoria, Prince Albert, and a number of other royals have graced the University of Cambridge as its chancellor over the years. This honour is currently held by Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh, who has been Chancellor of the University of Cambridge since 1976. He is due to step down from the role this year.

Low class Ryanair ups fees again

The day budget airlines in Europe started charging to use bathrooms aboard flights – I’m not kidding – that’s the day they went from being “low cost airlines” to “low class airlines” in my opinion.

And the sky is the limit with these low class carriers when it comes to passing along fees to you.

The latest is what amounts to a $3 (U.S.) levy Ireland’s Ryanair is charging passengers on all flights in order to cover costs of flight cancellations, delays and to meet obligation guidelines set down by the European Union for “force-majeure” incidents.

That’s on top of the fuel surcharges, extra baggage fees and of course the bathroom usage levy that Ryanair is already taxing passengers with.

The low class carrier has endured 15,000 flight cancellations and delays over the last year and Ryanair says that’s cost them almost $200 million.

Hey folks, when it comes to low class airlines, you get what you pay for and with Ryanair that’s not much. Next they’ll be charging for seat cushions – oops, I hope I haven’t given them another money-making scheme to sit on!