Next monday, a small plane will touch down on Montserrat, carrying with it hopes of a rebirth of tourism on the Caribbean island. Winair flight WM323 will be the first scheduled flight to Montserrat for a decade - since the volcanic eruptions in July 1995 that destroyed the airport and devastated the tourism industry.
The Soufriere Hills volcano had been dormant for 350 years, but the eruptions wrecked the capital, and covered much of the island with ash. Another eruption two years later left 19 dead, and since then the population of the 39sq mile British overseas territory has shrunk from 11,000 to 4,000. An exclusion zone has had to be set up around the volcano in the south to prevent casualties in future eruptions.
The economy used to be based on tourism, but since the eruptions visitors have only been able to reach the island by ferry or helicopter and numbers plummeted. Now hopes of a revival are pinned on the new airport which has been built at the town of Gerald's in the northern 'safe zone', and the island is trying to reassert itself as a desirable destination. Winair will operate four daily flights from Antigua, 27-miles to the north-east. The flights, on a 19-seat Twin Otter, take 20 minutes and returns start at £44. Antigua is served by direct international flights from the UK with several carriers.
'We're thrilled,' said Ishwar Persad, of the Montserrat Tourist Board. 'It will allow us to introduce the beauty, warmth and hospitality of the island to travellers that wouldn't have considered us in the past.'
For details on the flights, see www.fly-winair.com. Tourism information is available at www.visitmontserrat.com.
Surf's up in Bournemouth-cum-Bondi
Bournemouth could be reinvented as Britain's answer to Bondi beach if plans to build an artificial reef to amplify the waves for surfers are approved at a hearing later this month.
The reef, created by sinking hundreds of sandbags to the sea floor a quarter of a mile offshore, could create waves as high as 16ft in the biggest storms and 6ft in average conditions, making it the country's best surfing beach. The scheme would enable the resort to steal a march on Newquay in Cornwall, currently Britain's surfing capital. Newquay was planning its own reef, but the plan ran aground last month after protests from fishermen.
Bournemouth, traditionally seen as a haven for senior citizens, is keen to update its image. The reef is part of a regeneration package which includes turning beach bungalows into Californian-style surf chalets. The reef does not require planning permission, but will not go ahead immediately unless the rest of the scheme is approved at the planning meeting expected in the next fortnight. If granted, the reef should be completed by the end of next year.
Airlines to fight Africa aid levy
British airlines have vowed to fight plans to impose an additional levy on tickets which would be donated as aid to Africa. German officials have proposed that an extra $1 (55p) is added to the cost of each ticket, and the idea will be discussed at the G8 summit this week.
Gordon Brown last week said that Britain would not agree to an extra fee, but would ring-fence some of the existing departure tax for aid. However, tickets originating in other countries may attract the added fee, prompting anger from the airlines. They argue aviation encourages African development and is heavily taxed.
