This will be my last column here before, appropriately, travelling elsewhere, and it seems an appropriate time to look back on the last twelve months in the world of travel.

The first thing to say is that, despite amazing electronic communication advances, people are still travelling. Whether for the thrill of the new (and the rediscovery of the familiar) in leisure travel, or the human contact for the business traveller, there is still a huge market out there. It's also true that, despite the horrific events in the USA two years ago, most people accept that if you feared every risk, you'd rarely step outside your front door, never mind go to London or New York.

When you are looking for the best and the worst as it affects the North East Traveller, the rail industry is the place to be.

We are blessed as a region to have GNER as our mainline carrier. Despite the challenges set by a still under-par rail infrastructure, they produce a service which is mainly punctual, well equipped, and, above all, staffed by people who could run courses for many parts of the service industry. They don't relax in customer service, and plans are well advanced on several aspects, including a major refit of carriages and the real business bonus of wireless internet access. Perhaps the best indicator of how much things have changed is the top class facilities in their restaurants and buffet services. If you still have a vision of railway food in the music hall days, give yourself a real treat of enjoying a meal on the way down to London and prepare to be amazed. It's good to see, too, that GNER have embraced local produce and talent, whether it be the McCoys of Cleveland Tontine fame or regional beers.

There must be some very aware commercial and marketing minds in the organisation, proved by the way they try to make the journey to London or Glasgow full of benefits which the low-cost airlines can't match. Even their pricing is staying sharp, and a bit of flexibility in your plans will give you a £59 First Class return from the North East to London.

The only pity is that GNER are still restricted to short-term franchises, and it's high time they were given a long run at showing that railways really can do the business.

If our East Coast Mainline is the bees' knees, I'm afraid that our local set up is still the beaver's bum. If I were the cynical type, I'd suspect that the operation "serving" the Tees Valley was being run down so it could be closed down with "justification". Residents of Darlington and Durham are lucky to have the main line running through their towns, because the good folk of Middlesbrough and Hartlepool for example can forget a train link. The route which limps through Thornaby is so poor that road transport is the only option. Even lines which are doing well locally are attacked. Passengers travelling from my home patch in Hartlepool to Newcastle and the Metro Centre have risen substantially, so there's a serious proposal to halve its frequency! Even now the last train back is early evening, and Government's sensible aims of good transport for those without the luxury of a car are being ignored.

Back to the good news, and the growing success of Teesside Airport (another place with no sensible train link) is really good for our region. The success of Ryanair on the Dublin route has been phenomenal, and that has encouraged British Midland to introduce more low cost routes this autumn. Add that to the rise in summer holiday destinations from Teesside and the case for stronger regional airports, as opposed to non-stop expansion in the south east, gets better every day. It also means, of course, that people are travelling a few miles to fly, instead of a combined enormous mileage total to Manchester and London.

Talking of setting off from our own doorstep, after the trains and planes come the boats - well the ships - of DFDS Seaways. Like GNER, their facilities are a league above the competition, and crossing the North Sea is a cruise experience rather than a chore. They also open up real jewels in nearby Europe, easily accessible in your own car, and this year this column enjoyed, and would heartily recommend, the south east of Sweden, the forests of the East Netherlands, and the town of Haarlem near Amsterdam. DFDS have recently reported record figures for sailings from North Shields and they deserve their success. As they and GNER will tell you it's dead simple - you give customer-focussed service with very good facilities at reasonable prices. The only flaw in my argument is that, if it's so simple, why can't other companies copy them.

On the international holiday front, Spain will have to look to its expensive laurels because sunshine competition is hotting up. With the Iraq situation in mind, many people shy away from the Middle East, but it's short-sighted in the extreme. If anything, security is tighter in Luxor than London, and the beer prices for a champagne holiday are well worth investigating. I'm off to Dubai and Abu Dhabi again later this year, and that is one of my favourite regions in the world. The regional development experts in the North East, or anywhere else, would faint with jealousy at what's going on there. In addition to the delights of the wonderful Burj Al Arab hotel, the development of the Palm project is simply stupendous. These man made islands, in the shape of a palm tree, are already visible from space and represent magnificent vision and execution. Perhaps more than anything, they represent visible faith in the future of the Middle East and its potential for business, and residential and tourism development. By the way, I'll be practising what I preach, and setting off for Abu Dhabi from Teesside. Because BMI and Gulf Air are partners, it's easy to check luggage in at Teesside and relax until you see it again in a rather warmer temperature.

Talking of faith in an area, the nearly completed Newcastle/Gateshead Hilton Hotel, unmissable as you cross the Tyne Bridge, is looking superb. Just look at the cluster of high quality hotels as you cross the river, and think back to only twenty years ago. Belief in places, and the future, is a key component of the travel industry, and they usually get it right.

Thanks for reading these columns, and your feedback and competition entries, and I look forward to our paths crossing again - in print, on the airwaves - or on your travels.

Safe journey.

Published: 11/09/2003