St. Lucia Villa Rental - Virgin Atlantic Gives St Lucia Thumbs Up

Good news for the tourist industry and all St Lucia lovers in the UK. Virgin Atlantic recently announced that they will be increasing the number of flights from the UK to St Lucia.

It is reported that as part of their 2013/14 schedule Virgin Atlantic will increase the number of flights from 3 to 5 per week. This is a big increase and a big vote of confidence in the island and everything it offers. It demonstrates that Virgin Atlantic believe more people from the UK want to come and stay in paradise. Furthermore, that more tourist from the UK are waking up to everything St Lucia has to for families, couples and honeymooners.

Visitors will also be pleased to know that they will be flown in the new Airbus A330-300 aircraft rather than some of the older aircraft Virgin Atlantic use on the route.

It is not all good news for the Caribbean as at the same time Virgin Atlantic announced they will be decreasing the number of flights to Barbados from the UK despite upgrading the aircraft that fly the route.

To improve your visit to Akasha, St Lucia’s Best Villa rental we recommend taking the helicopter transfer option from Hewannora (UVF) to George Charles (SLU) where you will be met by our driver and transferred to the villa. This is not only more relaxing than the car journey but also gives you an instant view of the beauty of the island. Once you are at the villa our local team will ensure that you and your party are looked after in style.

The tourism industry in St Lucia and the Caribbean have for a long time been trying to get the Airport Passenger Duty (APD) abolished in the UK. Now they have some support from the major airlines.

Virgin and British Airways (who both fly to St Lucia) and other airlines are trying to lobby the UK Chancellor to scrap the APD as they believe it affects jobs and the industry. George Osborne, the Chancellor, is putting together his budget for the year and is coming under extensive pressure to avoid a triple dip.

The UK was placed last (out of 139 countries) in the World Economic Forum report on ticket tax and airport charges. So this is cannot be good. The airlines hope to convince the Chancellor that by removing the APD the economy would be boosted with an extra 60000 jobs and the UK GDP would grow by 16billion pounds. These figures were calculated by PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PWC) using the UK Treasury’s own economic model – so there must be some truth in it.

It has to be remembered that this year that the APD will raise 2.9billion pounds – not a sum the Chancellor will want to give away easily.

As Caribbean’s premier luxury villa rental we are keen to support anything which increases tourism for the region and hope the airlines are successful in their lobbing. This will help to increase jobs in the UK and the Caribbean.

If you would like to book your holiday in St Lucia then just complete the form on the site for your quote from the owners of the villa.

Visitors to the Caribbean from the UK have had to pay Air Passenger Duty for some time now and Thomas Cook are offering to waive it.
The offer will last for three weeks so you need to be quick to book your flights. The savings for a family of four could be 500US$. You will need to book between August 24th and September 13th 2012 but travel can be anytime between 1st November 2012 and 31st October 2013. Sounds too good to miss out on especially if you book Akasha as we can offer you a free night if you book 7 nights.

Organisations like Thomas Cook and Virgin Atlantic have been lobbying hard to get the UK government to remove this duty and created a website where you can register your opposition to this “tax” on the web. Visit www.afairtaxonflying.org and there you can enter your details and it will generate a letter to your local MP – all the hard work is done for you. All you do is enter your details!

Fair Tax on flying is a campaign of like minded companies trying to reverse some of UK government’s aviation tax policies.

So when you have booked your flight to paradise you can stay at the best family villa rental in paradise – Akasha and enjoy a free night at the same time.

There are many reasons to take a vacation in St Lucia and according to Virgin Atlantic one reason is to mend your broken heart and repair your relationships or start a new one.

Foreign holidays are increasingly being used as a way of getting over failed relationships, according to VirginAtlantic.  The airline carried out a survey which found that nearly 10% of people on long-haul vacation were going away in an attempt to mend a broken heart.

These travellers have been dubbed ‘Elvis passengers’ by the carrier because they are jetting off to a heartbreak hotel.  A little corny is you ask us but that’s OK.  Renting a villa maybe just the perfect solution for those seeking the opportunity to move their relationship forward.

Destinations known for luxurious and indulgent holidays emerged as the top options for holidaymakers trying to forget their relationship woes in the British summer, with St Lucia the most popular choice in the Virgin Atlantic network, followed by Antigua, Jamaica and Las Vegas.

So why not rent the best St Lucia rental – Akasha, here you can mend not just your own heart but your partners because this is paradise.  The sunsets are amazing, sea is crystal clear and the local beach pure white sand.

Akasha offers something extraordinary for honeymooners and those looking for that special location for a wedding.  The villa has enough space to host your guests and gives you the privacy you will need.  We can arrange everything or we are happy to work with a wedding planner.

To try and help future guests at St Lucia’s most exclusive holiday villa, Akasha, we thought it might be helpful for UK guests to have some information of how to get to St Lucia.  The team in St Lucia are waiting to meet you at the airport.

St Lucia is becoming even more popular with the British and not so long ago British Airways recognised this and increased the number of flights to St Lucia from England. Virgin also fly from the UK and have been a big supporter of the tourism industry in St Lucia.

To check out the prices and schedules visit British Airways website  - easy to use.  Daily flight depart from Gatwick Airport.  Access to Gatwick could not be easier by road or by train from central London.

Virgin fly three times a week – on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday also from Gatwick.

Gatwick Express is a non-stop service between London Victoria Station (Central London) and London Gatwick Airport which runs every 15 minutes. The journey takes 30 minutes (35 minutes on Sunday).

The train is modern and comfortable, with air conditioning, spacious carriages, and drinks and refreshments being served in both Express Class and First Class. First Class passengers will also have the advantage of large, reclining seats with tables plus complimentary refreshments and newspapers.  Prices start from just £16.90 for a single ticket and £28.80 for an open return ticket. Tickets can be easily booked online at Gatwick Express.

If you are travelling from London Victoria station you can even track the status of your flight before boarding the train on the screens displaying Gatwick flight information, including the airline, flight number, departure time, terminal and the destination.  How helpful is that!  The rail terminal at the airport is located right below the South Terminal.

If you are coming by car then there is on site and off site parking.  Off site tends to be more reasonable with regular shuttles to the terminals.  Alternatively why not look for a local hotel or B&B and leave your car there for free – usually a good idea when you are catching an early morning flights and also if there are children travelling.  Its all part of your holiday so make it last and enjoy the journey.

Once you arrive in St Lucia and clear immigration our Taxi Driver will meet you and take you to the Best Holiday Villa Rental on the Island – Akasha.  During your journey north he will make a stop at local view point so you can begin to take in the beauty of the island – and perhaps sip on a cold local beer.  For those you have booked the helicopter transfer, you will be met by a representative from the firm and taken to the helicopter.  This is a really awesome way to start your stay at St Lucia’s most prestigious holiday villa rental.  On landing in the north of the island again our Taxi driver will meet you and take you on the short trip to Akasha.

Our team in the villa will have prepared the villa for your arrival and show you around when you get there.  All the luxury that are available will be shown to you.  During your stay at the villa you have the option to have the all inclusive meals, any combination of Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner can be booked.  This will truly be your holiday in paradise.

St Lucia is an island which has become more dependent upon the Tourism industry over the last two decades. Akasha, St Lucia’s most modern villa rental was built to service high end traveler who want to enjoy luxury while sampling the culture and beauty of the island of St Lucia not to mention its beaches, Pitons and everything else etc.

Not so long ago the UK government decided to introduce a Tax for holiday makers to St Lucia and other Caribbean islands. This was seen by all the island as a deterrent for the Tourism Industry. The island even sent over a representation to protest about it but to no effect.

The Caribbean has thrived on the tourism from the UK, receiving more than a million British visitors last year. So any impact as the result of additional taxes was not good news. Other islands like Barbados were also affected by this decision and as the main island for UK travelers felt the impact more than St Lucia.

Now the UK has decided to go some way to alleviate the tax and hopefully this will help the industry recover after the impact of the credit crunch. The UK government has announced their new budget will place a freeze on APD charges that were previously resulting in higher aviation taxes for travellers to the tropical islands. So airlines such as British Airways and Virgin were forced to increase their prices when consumers were already feeling the effects of the credit crunch and recession.

St Lucia’s most exclusive villa rental welcomes this news as it feels this tax did deter travelers to the Caribbean as there is no equivalent tax to other holiday destinations. Akasha offers you the option to go all inclusive or mix and match – the choice is yours. Luxury, Quality and Service is our aim.