Beach-goers in Marbella will be issued specially designed ashtrays in an attempt to keep the beaches across the region clean and tidy during the peak summer holiday season. The initative which is being sponsored by Nestlé and Relusur will see 15,000 ashtrays given out throughout July and August.

The ashtrays will be issued at entrances to the beaches and by sunbed workers across Marbella. The project has two aims, firstly to keep the beaches clean and safe for visitors and secondly to make smokers conscious of the littering effect caused by not using one of the beach ashtrays.

When you go away and come back from a holiday with a couple of foreign notes and the odd coins left in your purse or wallet, do you take them straight to the post office, travel agency or bank to get them changed back into sterling, or do you hoard them away ready for your next holiday? Well it seems that most of us do the later and in fact it appears that many of us simply forget about it!

A recent study by American Express Global Foreign Exchange Services revealed that only 18% of UK holidaymakers make an effort to change back unspent foreign currency. The results also claim that up to £800 million worth of foreign currency is currently being held in the UK, that’s enough to pay for 1.5 million holidays to the Costa del Sol.

The main reason given for not changing holiday money back to sterling was due to high commission charges being charged, although in many cases this can be avoided by using buy back schemes that allow holidaymakers to sell back their unused currency back at the same rate at which it was purchased.

A recent report has suggested that Russians are the worst tourists. The survey carried out by Real Holiday Reports asked holidaymakers who they least get on with when on holiday, and the findings showed that Russians allegedly hog the sun loungers and “eat almost everything” when it comes to hotel buffets.

Real Holiday director Gary Hewit told of some of the shocking stories that the survey revealed “There was one report that a Russian family moved the sunbeds and parasols from the swimming pool into to their room every night, so they did’nt miss out the next morning”.

Recent reports suggest that flights to the Costa del Sol are amongst the cheapest from airfllghts.co.uk. Flights to Malaga are reported by ABTA as being down in price. It is believed that it is fuelled by people visiting the Costa del Sol looking to buy cut price apartments in the region. With great deals to be had such as two bedroom apartments reduced in price by upto 30% its no suprised that the area is again becoming attractive to property investors.

The Press and Journal reports that because exchange rates and mortgage costs have become increasingly favourable buying in both Spain and Portugal has become more competitive and this is backed by research undertaken by the money exchange firm Currency Index Ltd.