Tune in to Holiday Home Sweet Home on ITV 1  to see an extra special Christmas episode which features Blue Chip Holidays!

The show, presented by Lisa Faulkner, follows holiday letting agents across the UK and takes a peek behind the scenes of a busy season.

The extended episode will showcase two of our luxurious properties – The Cwtch Barn near Paignton and At the Beach in Torcross.

Anybody wandering along Torquay’s seafront today would have been greeted by the peculiar sight of giant model gorillas steaming across the bay on the Greenway ferry.

The gorillas are part of a Paignton Zoo project to mark its 90^th anniversary, and they’ll be painted by local artists and displayed at various locations around the bay next summer.

The life size models will form a fascinating art trail around Torbay and Exeter, and their bright decoration will be sponsored by local businesses.

Internationally renowned and claimed to be the richest living artist to date, Damien Hirst is no stranger to controversy.

Visitors to the Spanish Barn, Torre Abbey, in Torquay, now have the rare opportunity to get up close and personal with his controversial 1995 Turner Prize winner “Mother and Child, Divided” featuring  a cow and calf suspended in formaldehyde.

Forming part of the TAMED contemporary art exhibition, this truly unique exhibit is certain to leave visitors literally divided and is open daily until the 30^th August 2010. Entry is free.

 If odd, unusual and entertaining Cornish customs are your thing, the annual Hurling of the Silver Ball held each year in St Ives, could be just the thing for you.

Held on Feast Monday, 08 February, the celebrations start at 10.30am when the silver ball is thrown from the wall of the Parish Church into the thronging crowd below. The ball is then passed from one person to another over the beaches and through the streets of the town, and at noon, the person in possession of the ball receives a traditional reward of five shillings from the Mayor at the Guildhall.

With that ‘back to work' feeling well and truly established this January, what better way to raise your spirits than a relaxing half term break in the South West. If its long stretches of sun kissed sand and lapping emerald waves, stunning expanses of countryside and brilliant nature trails aren't enough to convince you, then how about a ‘kids go free' offer at some of Torquay's finest attractions? That is exactly what the English Riviera is offering its visitors this February! Finding ways to keep the kids amused during the break is often hard work, so why not de-stress the week with a host of fun-filled attractions for you and your family to enjoy?

Over half of us are likely to take fewer overseas holidays in 2010 replacing these with UK breaks instead. The survey of 949 people undertaken by Blue Chip Holidays showed that 56 per cent of us would ditch the overseas holiday in 2010, while over two-thirds (69 per cent) will choose to holiday in the UK instead. Respondents said their decision was influenced by the combination of positive UK weather predictions for the next decade, continuing poor exchange rates, concerns over the environment and the impact of increasing Air Passenger Duty. These findings are supported by strong domestic self-catering bookings that are already on the rise for 2010.

You know the story; having been up since the crack of dawn wrestling suitcase after suitcase into the car, you finally take a step back and admire your tetris-esque juggling skills, only to realise you've forgotten something. Something space-consuming, unwieldy yet oh so vital: a pushchair. But don't despair, the geniuses at Holiday Buggies have come up with an ideal solution! Simply travel light and then have a top of the range buggy delivered to your door in time for your family break.

In June the International Passenger Survey* findings showed that 16% fewer overseas trips were made by Brits in the first four months of the year compared to 2008. Despite the recession, this trend has actually had a positive impact on luxury self-catering bookings in the South West, leading to a boost in ‘Stay-cationing'.

A survey of over 600 of our customers, conducted on 31 July 2009**, backed up this trend revealing that over 66 per cent booked a UK self-catering holiday to save money this year; over 43 per cent are taking more UK-based holidays this year; and 52.4 per cent confirmed that any significant savings made by booking a holiday in the UK would be used to upgrade to a more luxurious holiday home.

Commenting on this trend Alan Taylor, Managing Director of Blue Chip Holidays, said: "We have seen a healthy 65 per cent rise in bookings across our Cornish, Devon and Somerset properties compared to the same period last year. In June alone bookings rose by an impressive 109 per cent. This is in no small part due to the fact that UK travellers are increasingly looking for better value trips at home, influenced by factors such as the downturn in the economy and the poor exchange rate."

"We know from our research that once travel costs, taxes, airport parking and car hire are taken into account, a week spent in comparable luxury self-catering properties abroad can cost well over twice as much as they do in the West Country. And that's before the cost of living on the Continent is taken into account, which given the relative weakness of the pound, is now significantly more expensive than it has been in the past!"

Cornwall is looking forward to a bumper year for tourism in the region, as more people start to feel the effects of the recession and look for cheaper alternatives to travelling abroad for their holidays. Cornwall also has the advantage of a mild climate and predictions are that 2009 is going to be a much warmer year than 2008, all adding to the attraction of a holiday in this stunning part of the country.

The global economic downturn has hit the pound hard. Its value against the dollar has dropped by over 30%, from an exchange rate of over $2/£1 in 2008 to under £1.40 today. This means that the era of cheap holidays in the US is over for UK travellers. The pound has suffered against the Euro as well, making holidays in popular Eurozone destinations such as Spain and France more expensive as well. In response, UK holidaymakers are looking at destinations closer to home and Cornwall is on top of many people's lists.

Cornwall has a huge range of holiday options and is a perfect destination for families and couples alike. Its breathtaking countryside, sandy beaches and a sense of myth and mystery all combine to make this an exciting and beautiful part of the world. Holidays in Cornwall offer something for everyone. If you're into outdoor sports such as surfing, Cornwall has some of the best beaches on the north Atlantic coast. Newquay's Fistral Beach is one of the most popular destinations for surfers from all over the world, and its annual ‘Run to the Sun' brings thousands of people together for a weekend of fun and celebration. Rock-climbing, diving and many other outdoor activities make Cornwall a perfect destination for anyone with a taste for adventure.

Other ‘tastes' are catered for in Cornwall as well - the county has a superb reputation for its quality produce, fresh fish and organically produced meat. It's no surprise that some of the best chefs in the world have chosen to make Cornwall their base, including Rick Stein's restaurants in Padstow, which offer some of the most innovative and exciting fish dishes around.

Blue Chip Holidays were represented at last night's Tourism Excellence Awards as one of the winners in the Best Website category.  The prestigious annual event was held at the impressive Cadbury House Hotel in North Somerset, to mark the achievements of South West companies in a range of categories including Best Visitor Attraction and Best Customer Service.

Blue Chip Holidays were announced as a silver winner in the website category and were delighted to receive our award from Dr. Phil Hammond and Sam Gilson from E-Strategy.

Robin Barker of Services for Tourism, organiser of the award programme awards, said: "Businesses are recognising the benefit of awards, whether through increased public profile, staff motivation, the winners’ logo on their website or having something to help win over the bank manager. This year’s winners are absolutely outstanding and I congratulate them, whilst thanking the many sponsors who literally make the awards happen, and the panel of independent judges who gave freely of their time to select the very best".