Due to the ever-increasing and seemingly endless discussion of the ‘credit crunch’ in the media, many people are being careful when choosing their holiday this year.  Many are steering clear of the luxury holiday they may otherwise have taken and are searching for a cheap holiday instead.  Cheap is of course a relative term and despite the credit crunch hype, recent figures have shown that many Brits are still looking to take their two week holiday although some are understandably looking for weekend breaks or self-catering options instead.

One leading retailer this week has said that cruises are being overlooked as an option because there is still a popular misconception that cruises are purely for those with a lot of money to spend.  However, like many people have already found, by taking an all-inclusive holiday you can often afford to visit luxury destinations without the huge price tag.  All-inclusive cruises can be very cost-effective, particularly for families and fixed-price holidays are certainly appealing in the current economic climate.

Despite the credit crunch, the holiday market is not suffering as badly as one might expect, presumably because so many people realise the value of being able to get away from the daily grind and spend some quality time with their partner or family.

European city breaks are growing in popularity and make a real contribution to tourism figures, accordin got European Cities Marketing, an association representing more than a hundred cities, convention bureaus and tourist boards.  According to their figures, Europe’s top city destinations generated €540m (£426.5m) in 2006, substantially more than 2005.

The cities close to airports showed an increased demand for hotels, such as Dublin, Tallinn and Zurich.

Demand for city breaks is set to grow in the next few years because of changes in habits for travel and low-cost flights.

Reed Travel Exhibitions representative, Mark Walsh, said:

“The sheer size of the city break market is immense: city tourism nowadays accounts for almost 40% of the total European outbound trip volumes.  Based on these facts approximately 20% of international tourism receipts are generated in European cities. This all underpins the buoyant market of this rapidly expanding industry.”

The Blue Lagoon, is the swimming hole just outside Port Antonio in Jamaica where Brooek Shields was shipwrecked with Christopher Atkins in the film of the same name, The Blue Lagoon, in the 1980’s.

It is a large, beautiful cove with deep waters, of a gorgeous emerald-green and azure coloured water.  Rain is moderate throughout the year, falling fairly evenly and the temperatures tend to be around 38C (86F) in the day and 20C (68F) at night.

The waters are around 56 m (185 feet) deep and the cove was created by underground mineral springs fed from the Blue Mountains - you can even watch as the bubbles surface to the ground.  Whilst swimming you will feel streams of warm and streams of cold water and will feel like the only person on earth.

On the banks, sufficiently far enough away, there is a dive shop that rents out kayaks and scuba diving equipment and a restaurant.  You can also swim in the nearby Somerset Falls, which is a short stroll away.  You could even take a canoe trip down there.  Jamaica is a truly luxury holiday destination and the Blue Lagoon is one of its relatively unknown attractions, well worth a visit.

If you’re planning a luxury holiday to the state of Queensland in Australia, there will a new attraction to tempt you next year.  It is a museum dedicated solely to goats.

According to ABC News, they think this museum will be the first in the world.  It will even include a goat-racing Hall of Fame.  The town in the outback, Barcaldine, has set up a committee to lobby for government funding and to request sponsorship so that the museum can be opened in 2009.

Committee spokesman, John de Groot, said:

“I’m almost certain as well that there’s no goat racing hall of fame anywhere out there in the universe except for what’s proposed at Barcaldine.  It’s an acknowledgement of a wonderful animal that’s just been so important to so many people for such a long time.”

Barcaldine also hosts a Tree of Knowledge festival and last year they hosted a goat-race meeting to celebrate the animal.  The race organisers want to make the town the ‘goat-racing capital of Australia.’

This mountain is one of the most impressive views in East Africa.  Mount Kenya is home to many rare and endangered breeds of wildlife and attracts many mountain climbers.  It is also known as ‘Kere Nyaga’, which means ‘Mountain of Brightness’ and the locals believe it to be the home of the Supreme Being, Ngai.

Mount Kenya is the second highest mountain peak in Africa, standing at 5,199 m (more than 17,000 feet) high.

It was opened to visitors in 1949 and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1997.  During dry seasons, large animals will be in the high elevations, which is generally January to March and July to October.  During the rains in March to June and October to December, the birds tend to go down to lower elevations.

There are twelve glaciers still on the mountain, although these are receding rapidly.  The entire park has many lakes, glaciers, peaks and natural mineral springs and is a real nature lovers haven.  There are dry forests, cedar and podo trees, bamboo, high-altitude heath and shrubs and then miles of open moorland where you can see elephants, buffaloes, zebras and even eland.  All have been sighted as high as 4,000 m (over 13,000 feet).

Other forest animals include Sykes monkeys, black and white Colobus monkeys and buskbuck, amongst others.  Just some of the endangered animals here include Sunni buck, skinks, Mount Kenya mole shrew and bongos (a forest antelope).

Visiting Kenya is a real luxury holiday, so if you have the chance, don’t miss the opportunity to see this landscape for yourself.

Since the Iron Curtain lifted, the city of Budapest is longer a secret and many a family seek a bargain holiday in Eastern Europe. Budapest is actually two cities - Buda, the historic part, and Pest, the more commerical part. Each is on opposite sides of the river Danube and have been joined since 1872.

There is a lot to pack in whilst in Budapest, although you could easily while away the hours just soaking up the atmosphere. To start with, visit Buda as you’ll have great views of the whole city. You can visit the old Buda Palace and Budapest History Museum or the National Gallery.

In Pest, you will be able to see the neo-Gothic parliament building and behind it are some of the best shopping streets you could hope to find. There is also a fun fair for the children.

There is an island between the two cities called Margaret’s Island, once home to Roman nobility. Now it is pretty much traffic free with swimming pools and beer gardens. Budapest is on a site of thermal springs, so you can expect to find many a spa here in the many bathhouses.

For the evening, there is an opera house and dozens of bars and jazz clubs. The national dish is goulash, which you surely mnust try and the wine is good and very cheap.

Brittany is a gorgeous, windswept coastline of France, although the people there have kept their own ancient culture, language and cuisine separate from the rest of France, leaving Brittany a beautiful region worth a visit on its own.

Originally named Armorica by the Romans in 56BC, the Celts renamed it Britanny in the 5th century.  Britanny was passed from one royal family to another until it was finally integrated into France in 1532.  The French did try to ban the Breton language, but it still thrives and is alive and well today.

The capital of Brittany is Rennes, if any, and flights to Rennes airport take only 50 minutes from Gatwick, so it can be a cheap holiday.  Many people choose to go self-catering, although there are some delightful bed and breakfasts or local hotels.

There are many colourful and vibrant markets held daily or weekly in the historic town squares throughout the region.  In Rennes, there is an art gallery containing works of Leonardo, Picasso and other greats, as well as the Breton Museum, a good place to start your trip to the region.

A walk along the cliffs is exhilerating although there are many less breezy and just as beautiful walks available.  For the sandy beaches, a trip to Brest is a good idea, which also has an excellent aquarium and naval museum.

Be sure to sample the local pancakes, a sweet delicacy, and there are many festivals throughout the year if you can time your trip to see them.

Antwerp is a city in Belgium, close to the border with the Netherlands, close to the mouth of the river Scheldt and is one of the liveliest cities in Belgium.

The name has an interesting background. Legend has it that back in the days when the city was an important harbour, the area around the city was terrorised by a giant who cut off the hands of sailors who refused to pay their tolls. Their hands were then thrown away, which in the local dialect is ‘hand werpen’ and hence the name ‘antwerp’ came from this. The giant was slain by the Roman Silvius Brabo and you can see his image on the Brabo Fountain, depicting him throwing the giant’s own hand into the river.

Once in Antwerp, you can see diamonds being cut at the Provincial Diamond Museum, visit the busy docks area and sample a few local beers in the Oude Stad (the Old Town). All around you are beautiful art nouveau buildings.

You will find the Brabo Fountain in the town square, home to the Grote Markt, a market well worth a visit. The houses around the square are topped with golden statues and the Renaissance Town Hall is an impressive building. There is also the Cathedral of Our Lady that took 170 years to complete from the start date in 1352. The city was home to the famous artist Ruben and you can visit the Rubenhaus, where he lives for 25 years, and see a collection of his masterpieces in the Royal Museum of Fine Arts.

The shopping in Antwerp is excellent and there is a zoo complete with a planetarium and dolphinarium. Parking is not particularly great, so many prefer to arrive by train, which has the added bonus of being able to see the great old station, made of marble and gold, worth a visit on its own.

flights are just one hour from London to the Antwerp-Deurne Airport, which is just three miles from the city from where you can take your car hire, a bus, taxi or train.

If you were looking to visit Austria, you might think of Vienna or Salzburg or even the Tirol, but one area that is vastly overlooked, and yet well worth a visit all to itself, is the Danube Valley and what better base than the city of Linz, Austria’s third largest city.

This valley is green and lush, strewn with vineyards and full of medieval castles and brightly coloured abbeys to explore.

Linz itself has a few claims to fame in its historial markers. It was here, for example, that Adolf Hilter grew up and was also home to composer Anton Bruckner and the astromoner Johannes Kepler. Indeed, the city’s fountain commemorates his work and you can see all five of the known planets at the time represented on the fountain.

Linz is now quite an industrialised city, with plenty of gourmet restaurants and lovely hotels. The local speciality dish is Linzer Torte, a kind of Bakewell tart pudding that was first produced in the 1820’s.

You can visit the Schlossmuseum, the two striking cathedrals or the 8th century, tiny church called Martinskirche, which is possibly Austria’s oldest church. Take a ride on Europe’s steepest mountain railway or take a trip on the meandering Danube river. Cycling is a popular way to get around, although you might struggle to get back if you choose to stop at the free tastings offered by the local wine estates!

flights for the Danube Valley are about two and a half hours from London to Vienna and then you can either take a short internal flight of about 40 minutes or choose the more leisurely approach with a two hour train journey to Linz.

Bologna is a city in Italy, famous for its character, history and sightseeing and ideal for a family holiday.  It also has a wealth of events throughout the year, with which you may not be so familiar.

The year kicks off with the Carnevale dei Bambini in February or March time.  This carnival, as the name implies, is the ‘carnival of the children’ and really is a carnival dedicated to children, so it’s an ideal time for a family holiday.

The whole of the first half of the year is the Teatro Comunale Season, running from January to June, there are concerts and opera galore at the city’s famous theatre and nobody does opera like Italy.

From July to September, you can see the Bologna Est, the annual summer festival of music and dance, theatre and street entertainment wherever you go.

In October, children are celebrated yet again.  This time with the Children’s Song Festival, an annual celebration of the music of youth.

From the end of October until November is their antiques fair, called La Mostra Belle.

That leaves December for traditional Christmas celebrations and then it’s back to the start again.  Bologna truly is a city of celebrations.

flights take just 2 hours from London to Bologna airport, which is only 4 miles outside the city.