Airline crisis 'among biggest travel events of 2008'

The Daily Telegraph has compiled a list of the ten biggest travel and tourism events of 2008, at the top of which is the crisis that has engulfed the aviation industry.

Many people have turned to ferry travel in response to the problems that have plagued airlines, which have seen operators such as XL Airways and Zoom Airlines go into liquidation.

More than 25 airlines worldwide collapsed this year in a downturn that marked the end of a decade of growth in aviation, according to the Daily Telegraph.

Another inclusion on the paper's list of noteworthy developments this year is the basic fact that ferry passengers and others are still travelling despite the credit crunch.

In a recent Telegraph poll of 25,000 readers, more than 90 per cent said that the economic situation will not have an effect on their choice of destination or type of accommodation.

Also ranked as a major tourism event this year was the return of the camping holiday, with many Britons showing a preference for staying close to home and getting back to nature.