easyJet to fly from Manchester to Alicante

A new winter sun flight route from Manchester to Alicante in Spain will start on September 29th 2008.

Flights will operate four times per week throughout the winter on Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays.

UK commercial manager for easyJet Carly Brear commented: "This is the first new route easyJet has introduced to its new Manchester base and we look forward to further expansion in the near future."

Cheap flights are "squeezing the life out of British tourism" ?

Travelodge accused Ryanair and easyJet of "squeezing the life out of British tourism" and causing a £18bn “tourism deficit” by drawing British holidaymakers away from Britain.

According to Travelodge, inward tourism has fallen by 16% between 1995 and 2002, while British spending abroad has risen by nearly 50%. Greg Dawson, Travelodge director of communications, said no-frills carriers were "the single biggest cause of decline in traditional tourism resorts and we urge the enquiry and government to investigate the airline's unfair grip on holidaymakers that is squeezing the life out of British tourism". Further, Dawson called on the Government to add VAT to air travel.

How would this affect Joe Bloggs’ interest, I wonder?