islands

IT doesn’t get more exciting than sailing in style to a paradise Caribbean private island.

And even more cruise lines are now going all out to host passengers on their own islands.

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Royal Caribbean last week announced its second Perfect Day destination off Mexico, opening in 2027, which will include a waterpark with 30 slides, the longest lazy river in the world, adults-only beach clubs and a host of bars and restaurants.

Lisa Minot looks at existing private islands you can cruise to.

ROYAL CARIBBEAN

IT was Royal who upped the ante with the launch of its revamped Perfect Day at Coco Cay in 2019.

The £185million transformation of its Bahamas island included a new pier, thrill rides and chill zones.

There are seven beaches to laze beside the warm waters and six pools, including Oasis Lagoon, the largest freshwater pool in the Caribbean with swim-up bar and in-water loungers.

The Thrill Waterpark has 14 slides including the tallest in North America while Splashaway Bay and Captain Jill’s Galleon are perfect places for the kids to play.

There’s complimentary food at four restaurants as well as a host of bars and shops.

The adult-only Hideaway Beach opened in January last year and, for an extra charge, over-18s can enjoy a private beach, two pools, seven bars and two restaurants.

Also available to book for an extra charge are overwater cabanas, a zipline and tethered hot air balloon as well as kayak tours and snorkelling excursions.

GO: A week full-board on Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas is from £1,064pp, sailing from Miami on November 8 and calling at St Maarten, St Thomas and Perfect Day at Coco Cay.

See royalcaribbean.com.

MSC CRUISES

WITH its signature stripey lighthouse and two miles of white sand beaches, Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve in the Bahamas is a regular port of call for MSC cruise ships.

They sail from their new private terminal in Miami as well as Port Canaveral in Florida and New York, including MSC World America, which made its debut in April.

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The Italian cruise line has transformed a former sand excavation site in the last ten years, planting more than 75,000 trees and bringing back marine life and birds.

A newly-opened conservation centre on the island allows guests to discover their achievements and includes a land-based coral nursery and fully-equipped bio-lab.

But cruise guests will also appreciate the island’s laid-back vibe with food trucks and restaurants offering Bahamian specialities, barbecue classics, snacks and oodles of ice cream and beach bars serving tropical cocktails.

There’s a chance to explore the underwater wonders with snorkelling, kayak, paddle board and windsurfing excursions.

For a bit of luxury, you can relax in a cabana or take a sunset champagne cruise.

GO: Seven nights’ full-board on MSC World America is from £649pp.

Sailing from Miami on September 13, the cruise calls at Ocean Cay MSC Marine Reserve, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico.

See msccruises.com.

HOLLAND AMERICA/CARNIVAL

ONE of the original private island pioneers, the Holland America line first started calling at RelaxAway at Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas in 1997 and it has been expanding its presence there ever since.

In summer next year, a major upgrade will see a new beach club and lunch venue on its original facilities on the south of the island’s stunning two-mile crescent of powder-soft white sand as well as a new pier at the north end of the beach that will be used by both Holland America and its sister cruise line Carnival.

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Thrill-seekers can enjoy horseback riding along the shore, snorkelling, jet skiing, and stingray encounters.

Families will love the Half Moon Lagoon Aqua Park, while nature enthusiasts can explore eco-tours and birdwatching.

Unique experiences include glass-bottom boat tours and a pirate ship-themed bar.

With beach sports, shopping and complimentary barbecue lunches, this is a high-end island escape for cruisers.

GO: A 14-night full-board Western & Eastern Caribbean cruise on Holland America’s Zuiderdam is from £1,379pp, departs Miami on November 8 and calls at Half Moon Cay, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Cozumel, Mexico, Miami, Bahamas, Amber Cove, Dominican Republic, Turks & Caicos.

See hollandamerica.com.

DISNEY

MICKEY Mouse and pals now have two private islands to enjoy in the Bahamas.

Their original, Castaway Cay, opened in 1998 as part of the launch of the new cruise line.

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And last year, they opened Lookout Cay.

As you would expect, there is a huge amount of fun activities for kids including kids’ clubs for three to 17-year-olds.

The family beach features plenty of umbrellas, chairs and hammocks plus tube and float rentals and an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet.

Water babies will love Pelican Plunge, a huge floating platform featuring water slides and cannons.

Spring-a-Leak is a water play area with freshwater jets.

Adults get their own Serenity Bay stretch of pristine sands as well as a restaurant and bar.

The island features a 12-acre snorkel trail dotted with sunken treasures including the submarine from the classic Disney attraction 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and there are miles of paths to explore on foot or bicycle.

Over at Lookout Cay, there’s more of a focus on nature and celebrating the island’s Bahamian location with a cultural centre where you can learn about traditions and crafts.

GO: A four-night full-board cruise on Disney Wish to the Bahamas, including calls at both Castaway Cay and Lookout Cay is from £920pp, based on two adults and two children sharing.

The cruise departs August 17.

See iglucruise.com.

UK tourists have been warned to look up locals rules before jetting off on holiday this year, as four Spanish hotspots still have a strict drinking cap in all-inclusive resorts

Brits have been urged to brush up on local rules – or risk getting caught out by strict drinking bans. Once upon a time, all-inclusive holidays meant you could guzzle down unlimited spirits (which, were likely watered down), and indulge on endless plate fulls of food.

However, following a sharp rise in drunk and disorderly behaviour, the Balearic Island Government introduced a strict clampdown on boozy Brits last year. It marked an end to the iconic happy hour promotions, and stung all-inclusive holidaymakers wanting to drink themselves silly.

Despite being touted as two of Europe’s best party resorts, the Spanish islands of Majorca and Ibiza both implemented a six-drink cap for guests. Under the rules, which will last for at least two more years, Brits will only be allowed three alcoholic drinks during lunch and a further three alcoholic drinks with their evening meal.

However, contrary to popular belief, this only applies to select regions that have been struggling with rowdy guests. This includes one area of Ibiza and three areas of Majorca – but the strict ban doesn’t apply to the entirety of Menorca.

• Playa de Palma, Majorca
• S’Arenal (El Arenal), Majorca
• Magaluf, Majorca
• West End of San Antonio, Ibiza

So, if you’re planning a booze-filled trip at an all-inclusive, check out destinations such as Alcudia, Santa Ponsa, Santa Eulalia, and Es Cana. Alongside the cap, government rules dictate that any advertising that encourages alcohol consumption (such as open bars) is prohibited – and off-licences will close no later than 9.30pm.

“If you envisioned yourself bar hopping along Magaluf’s famous strip, think again!” travel firm Thomas Cook warned. “Any participation in organised pub crawls is now banned. You can, however, still attend a party boat excursion but they’ll no longer be advertised in the affected areas. Nor will they allow pick-ups and drop-offs in those resorts.

“Plus, keep your eyes peeled for the new no-drinking zones, where swigging in public is now banned. We don’t want you facing a fine for a sneaky sip in the street! Don’t worry though, bar terraces are open as usual, so you can still enjoy that alfresco cerveza.”

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If you’re undeterred by the strict rules, you can fly to Majorca or Ibiza from most major UK airports, including Birmingham, Glasgow, London, and Manchester. If you’re flexible with dates, you can grab return fares in June for as little as £28.

Accommodation on both islands is relatively affordable, which is great for those travelling on a tight budget. For example, a week’s stay (Monday, June 9-16) at Coconut Apartments costs just £779, based on two adults sharing. However, those wanting a more luxurious stay can opt for the Cooks Club Calvia Beach hotel – located just 400yards from Magluf’s centre – on the exact same dates for £1,028.

*Prices based on Skyscanner and Booking.com listings at the time of writing.

Is Spain’s anti-tourist clampdown putting you off from visiting? Email [email protected] for a chance to share your story

Thousands of hotel, bar and restaurant staff are planning industrial action in the Balearics. The UGT union says there will be a mass walkout on June 6 followed by several days of strike action in July, the height of the busy tourist season

Chaos is due to befall hotels Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca as workers prepare to strike.

The holiday islands could face significant disruption in June and July as thousands of hospitality workers plan further strike action. Unless a last-minute agreement is reached, a mass walk-out is planned for June 6, followed by several days of strikes in July, during the height of the tourist season.

The UGT workers’ union has warned strikes are nearing as no progress is being made regarding their demands for improved pay and conditions. The union warns the industrial actions will greatly affect holidaymakers and urges hotels to do everything possible to prevent it.

“If we don’t see the possibility of an agreement in principle, we will call a strike lasting several days,” declared the general secretary of its Services federation on the islands. The union has made it clear that their goal is to exert maximum impact on tourists.

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READ MORE: Brits heading to Spain should make four checks now after Airbnb crackdown

At the same time, overtourism protests are due to break out across major resort cities. They include plans to occupy beaches and super-glue apartment locks.

Protests are set to take place in Platja de Palma and Palmanova-Magaluf. The UGT, the largest union in the sector, is playing a key role in negotiating the Collective Agreement of the Balearic hotel industry.

A strike involving thousands of hotel workers, including restaurant and bar staff and cleaners, already took place on May 1. On June 6, the first of the new protests will occur outside the headquarters of the Mallorca hotel federation.

Demonstrations are scheduled for the end of June in Platja de Palma and Palmanova-Magaluf, with the peak planned for July, featuring several days of strikes over alternate weeks.

On June 6, a protest is planned for 10am at the UGT office in Palma. Following the update on negotiation progress, attendees will hold a midday rally outside the Mallorcan Hotel Federation building.

Another demonstration is set to take place at Platja de Palma at the end of next month, with a worker’s march culminating in a rally in front of the local hotel association headquarters. A similar protest will target the Palmanova-Magaluf area, highlighting the workers’ unrest in key tourist hubs around the Bay of Palma.

READ MORE: Balearic Islands ban influencers after cove is swamped by 4,000 touristsREAD MORE: Police intervene as protesters target tourists with new tactic in Spanish hotspot

The unions are fighting for adequate housing and addressing issues such as tourist overpopulation without life quality improvements for workers, increased job demands, salaries not matching living costs, and pay inequality for identical work.

The union wants wages to rise by 19 per cent across the three years to 2027, while the offer from employers flags at 8.5 percent.

In other recent protest news, the CEO of Jet2 Steve Heapy expressed fears that tourist levies could rise in response to overtourism protests in Spain, which have been rumbling on for years and are due to disrupt key destinations this summer. The CEO told a roundtable event at the Spanish embassy in London that he opposed tourist taxes, but feared rises would prove “irresistible”.

May 22 (UPI) — A signing ceremony ceding the British Indian Ocean Territory of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius on Thursday was called off at the last moment after Britain’s High Court granted an injunction in the middle of the night to islanders opposing the deal.

“On-call” judge, Justice Goose, granted the temporary stay at 2:25 a.m. local time to two Chagos petitioners, ruling that the defendant, the Home Office, must “maintain the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom over the British Indian Ocean Territory until further order,” pending a further hearing during working hours Thursday.

The 11th-hour legal action forced the ceremony with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Mauritian government representatives to be put on hold.

Stuart Lake, legal counsel for Beatrice Pompe, one of the claimants, told the Financial Times that his client was “deeply concerned that the government has chosen to give up sovereignty of the Chagos Islands without any consultation or protections for those that are indigenous to the islands.”

A British government spokesman declined to comment but insisted the deal with its former colony was “the right thing to protect the British people and our national security.”

Under the agreement, Britain will transfer sovereignty to Mauritius of the archipelago, home to a giant U.K.-U.S. military base on the island of Diego Garcia, but retain control of Diego Garcia by leasing it back on a 99-year, multi-billion dollar deal.

The United States pays Britain for use of the base, but the figure has never been made public.

Diego Garcia inhabitants have been engaged in a decades-long legal battle against their forcible displacement during the construction of the base throughout the late 1960s, mainly to Mauritius, the Seychelles and Britain, with the Chagos Islands split off from Mauritius when it became independent in 1968.

Joining a protest by Chagos people outside Parliament, the opposition Conservative Party’s shadow foreign secretary Priti Patel called Thursday’s legal intervention “a humiliation” for Starmer and Foreign Secretary David Lammy.

“Their rights, views and voices over the future of Chagos have been ignored by Labour which continues to cause distress and uncertainty for this wonderful community,” she wrote in a post on X.

“Labour’s Chagos Surrender Deal is bad for our defence and security interests, bad for British taxpayers and bad for British Chagossians,” said Patel.

The deal has also been condemned by Human Rights Watch, which has demanded Britain and the United States pay reparations after a 2023 report alleged the “forced displacement of the Chagossians and ongoing abuses amount to crimes against humanity committed by a colonial power against an Indigenous people.”

The United States initially welcomed the deal when it was struck in October and will see the other 57 currently uninhabited islands in the archipelago opened up for settlement. Diego Garcia, however, will remain out of bounds to its former residents and their descendants on “security grounds.”

U.S. President Joe Biden called the deal “a clear demonstration that through diplomacy and partnership, countries can overcome long-standing historical challenges to reach peaceful and mutually beneficial outcomes.”

But the deal was delayed after Donald Trump won back the presidency in November, pending his approval, and after the elections days later in Mauritius over the value of the lease.

Trump gave his backing in February during a visit to Washington by Starmer, despite warnings from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other senior Republicans who said Mauritius’ links to China posed a “serious security threat” to U.S. national security.

Decision comes after two British nationals born on Diego Garcia, the largest island in the archipelago, claimed the islands should remain under UK control. 

A British High Court judge has temporarily blocked the government from transferring sovereignty over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.

The last-minute injunction on Thursday morning came hours before the agreement was expected to be signed at a virtual ceremony with representatives from the Mauritian government.

The High Court decision was granted after action was taken by Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, two British nationals who were born at the Diego Garcia military base on Chagos and claimed that the islands should remain under British control.

High Court judge Julian Goose temporarily blocked the British government from taking any “conclusive or legally binding step to conclude its negotiations concerning the possible transfer of the British Indian Ocean Territory, also known as the Chagos Archipelago, to a foreign government”.

“The defendant is to maintain the jurisdiction of the United Kingdom over the British Indian Ocean Territory until further order,” he said.

Another court hearing is set for 10.30am (09:30 GMT).

Earlier this year, the lawyer for the two nationals, Michael Polak, said on his chambers website that the government’s attempt to “give away” the islands without formal consultation with its residents is a “continuation of their terrible treatment by the authorities in the past”.

“They remain the people with the closest connection to the islands, but their needs and wishes are being ignored,” Polak said.

The UK, which has controlled the region since 1814, separated the Chagos Islands in 1965 from Mauritius to create the British Indian Ocean Territory.

In the early 1970s, the government evicted about 1,500 residents to Mauritius and Seychelles to make way for the Diego Garcia airbase on the largest island.

In October, the government announced a draft agreement to hand the islands to Mauritius and allow Britain and the United States to continue using the Diego Garcia base under a 99-year lease.

US President Donald Trump’s administration, which was consulted on the deal, gave its approval. However, finalising the agreement was delayed by a change in government in Mauritius and reported last-minute negotiations over costs.

GREECE has been struck by a horror 6.1-magnitude earthquake with tremors being felt across Turkey and Israel.

Fears are now growing that a major tsunami could hit the popular Brit holiday islands of Crete and Santorini.

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The Greek government has issued a national directive ordering people to stay safe as they continue to asses the quake and any potential aftershocks.

The national fire brigade are also now on high alert for any casualties, major damage or rescue operations which need to be carried out.

As of yet no injuries have been reported.

It comes just over a week after terrified Brits were told to immediately evacuate coastal regions of Greece amid tsunami fears.

A 6.3-magnitude quake struck both Crete and Rhodes overnight and quickly sparked panic among holidaymakers and locals.

More to follow… For the latest news on this story keep checking back at The Sun Online

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The surge in tourism has been primarily driven by holidaymakers from the UK, with Great Britain overtaking Germany as the island’s leading market in the first quarter of 2025

The Canary Islands have been a firm favourite destination for sun-seeking sightseers from the shores for decades, but one isle in particular is witnessing a significant increase in tourism this year.

While Lanzarote has been lauded for its measured and sustainable approach to managing visitor growth, Fuerteventura has experienced the highest surge in tourist arrivals among the Canary Islands during the first quarter of 2025, sparking concerns about the island’s capacity to cope with the rapid influx.

According to official figures, Fuerteventura welcomed a staggering 758,195 tourists between January and March, marking a 7.8 per cent increase compared to the same period last year. This translates to an additional 55,120 visitors in just three months — a substantial jump that far outpaces the growth seen on neighbouring islands.

In contrast, Lanzarote recorded a rise of 1.9 per cent, while Gran Canaria and Tenerife experienced increases of 2.8 per cent and 2.1 per cent, respectively.

READ MORE: Canary Islands declares ‘pre-emergency’ as warning issued to British tourists

Fuerteventura’s growing tourist numbers have been primarily driven by British holidaymakers, with the UK overtaking Germany as the island’s leading market, with 243,181 British tourists arriving in the first quarter — a 13.2 per cent increase from the same period in 2024. Meanwhile, German visitor numbers declined slightly by 1.3 per cent, from 239,500 early last year, to 236,398 in 2025.

Fuerteventura’s tourism boom is somewhat of a double-edged sword. The increase in visitors boosts the local economy, supporting jobs in hospitality, retail and transport, but the rapid influx raises serious questions about the island’s infrastructure and environmental sustainability.

Unlike Lanzarote, which has been praised for its strategic tourism management, including controlled development and investment in sustainable infrastructure, Fuerteventura seems to be struggling to keep pace with demand. The island’s roads, water supply, waste management systems and accommodation capacity are all under mounting pressure.

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Local authorities and residents have voiced concerns about overcrowding, environmental degradation and the strain on natural resources, particularly in popular beach areas and protected natural parks — there have even been anti-tourism protests.

On Sunday, May 18, residents from all over the Canary Islands took to the streets in coordinated mass demonstrations in 15 locations — including in Fuerteventura — to demand an end to what organisers called an “unsustainable and exploitative economic model”.

The Canary Islands have long been a model for balancing tourism with environmental preservation, but Fuerteventura’s current trajectory could threaten this stability. The island’s unique landscapes, including its dunes and marine ecosystems, are vulnerable to overcrowding. Without careful planning and investment, the very attractions that draw visitors to the isle could be harmed, undermining long-term tourism prospects.

Experts suggest that Fuerteventura needs to adopt a more sustainable tourism strategy, similar to Lanzarote’s approach. This could include measures such as limiting the number of new hotel developments, enhancing public transport options to reduce traffic congestion, promoting eco-friendly tourism activities, and investing in renewable energy and water conservation technologies.

In November 2024, Jessia de Leon, the Canary Islands’ Minister of Tourism, announced that the archipelago intends to improve on the previous concept of ‘sustainable tourism’ after unveiling a groundbreaking new approach, which focuses on three main areas: new regulatory framework, transforming tourist spaces and climate action. She said: “It’s about erasing or at least compensating for the footprint left by those who visit the Canary Islands.”

Fuerteventura remains a vibrant destination beloved by Brits, but one that stands at a crossroads. It must urgently address the pressures of its newfound popularity to ensure a sustainable future.

Has rising anti-tourist sentiment put you off from visiting the Canary Islands? Let us know in the comments section below

The theme park rivalry in Orlando, Fla. is heating up.

This week, Universal will open its latest park, Epic Universe, a reportedly $7 billion bet for the Comcast-owned company and the newest salvo in its ongoing push to expand its tourism and entertainment empire.

That puts pressure on Walt Disney Co., whose Walt Disney World Resort has long dominated the Orlando vacation landscape, but is now seeing increased competition, particularly from Universal.

Sprawled across 750 acres, Epic Universe represents the biggest Universal theme park expansion since the opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter 15 years ago.

It touts five different themed areas, four of which are tied to well-known franchises: “Harry Potter,” “How to Train Your Dragon,” Universal’s Dark Universe of classic movie monsters and Nintendo video game properties, in addition to a cosmic central Celestial Park hub.

The resort, which also includes three hotels, features technologically-advanced animatronics and detailed rides like Monsters Unchained: The Frankenstein Experiment, which showcases many of Universal’s monsters. Reviews of the park have been largely positive, with critics highlighting the immersive nature of the attractions.

“Comcast has come on so strong with what they’ve developed and brought forth in the Orlando market,” said Dennis Speigel, founder and chief executive of Cincinnati-based consulting firm International Theme Park Services Inc. “Over the last 15 years, they have brought that distance between Universal and Disney much closer, and it has really become a prize fight. It’s the most intense and competitive situation in the industry.”

Disney was the first of the two to the Orlando market back in 1971, when it opened the Magic Kingdom at Disney World. It wasn’t until 1990 that Universal opened its own Orlando park, giving Disney a nearly two-decade head start.

By then, Disney had already opened the Epcot and Disney-MGM Studios theme parks (which would later become known as Hollywood Studios). Also in the mix in the Sunshine State: SeaWorld Orlando, which opened in 1973, and what’s now known as Busch Gardens Tampa, which debuted in 1959.

Today, Disney World has four theme parks and two water parks, while Universal Orlando will have three, including Epic Universe and Islands of Adventure (opened in 1999), and a water park, Volcano Bay (2017).

Though Universal was late to market, its 2010 opening of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter land across Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure in Orlando pushed the theme park competition to new heights. Building a land solely around a specific intellectual property — instead of a general theme — was novel at the time, and the concept would later show up in Disney parks, such as Cars Land in Anaheim and later, “Star Wars”-themed lands in California and Florida.

Demand at the time for the “Harry Potter”-themed land pushed Universal’s attendance up 36% compared with the previous year, Speigel said.

“They realized after ‘Harry Potter’ that it was a new world order,” he said. “They’ve just kept the pedal to the metal on everything they’ve done in terms of growth and internal experience.”

There’s good reason for that.

Both Universal and Disney have honed in on theme parks as a profit-generating part of their business that is less volatile than the ever-changing media, television and film markets. Disney’s experiences division, which includes its theme parks and cruise lines, has long brought in the lion’s share of the company’s profit, particularly as pay TV shrinks.

“Disney has been pretty steady and consistent, but Universal is very rapidly expanding,” said Carissa Baker, an assistant professor of theme park and attraction management at the University of Central Florida’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management. “They’re highly encouraging their theme park sector right now.”

Both companies have recently announced new properties — Disney in Abu Dhabi and Universal with a smaller kids resort in Texas, a theme park in Britain and a year-round Halloween Horror Nights-esque experience in Las Vegas.

“The plan is to keep driving growth in a business that we think we’re one of two players in a market that is, within media, not at all exposed to the shift in time on screens from one venue to another,” Comcast Corp. President Mike Cavanagh said during the company’s fiscal first quarter call with analysts last month. “Live experiences, parks experiences have been thrilling to people, and we think we lean into that and continue to do so.”

So far, he said, advance ticket sales and hotel bookings are “strong” for Epic Universe and the other Universal parks in Orlando. A one-day ticket starts at $139.

That’s why analysts have consistently flagged the upcoming park during earnings calls for rival Disney, querying executives about the potential pressure on Disney World and how the company plans to compete.

But if Disney is worried, it has shown little sign of it. Last week, Disney Chief Financial Officer Hugh Johnston said hotel bookings for the fiscal third quarter are up 4% compared with last year, with about 80% of available nights reserved. For the fourth quarter, bookings are up about 7%, with about 50% to 60% of capacity filled, he said.

That’s despite broader worries that concerns about a potential recession — spurred by President Trump’s tariffs on foreign goods — will dampen travel and consumer spending.

“Experiences is obviously a critical business for Disney and also an important growth platform,” company Chief Executive Bob Iger said on a recent earnings call. “Despite questions around any macro-economic uncertainty or the impact of competition, I’m encouraged by the strength and resilience of our business.”

The company has previously announced it is investing $30 billion into its parks in Florida and California, which will fund such additions as a “Monsters Inc.”-inspired land and a villains land in Disney World. The parks have also added attractions throughout the last 10 years, including the revamped Tiana’s Bayou Adventure ride (which replaced Splash Mountain).

Disney is betting that the influx of visitors coming to Florida for Epic Universe will still make a stop at its parks. Last year, Orlando tallied more than 75 million visitors, up 1.8% compared with 2023, according to the Visit Orlando trade association. Josh D’Amaro, chairman of Disney Experiences, said at an investor conference last week that Disney gets more tourists any time something new opens up in central Florida — even if it’s not a Disney property.

“If we just go back five or 10 years, and you think about what’s happened at Walt Disney World, we’ve always been on the offensive,” D’Amaro said. “If something is built new in Central Florida, like Epic Universe, and if it brings in additional tourists, I can almost guarantee you that new tourist coming into the market is going to have to visit the Magic Kingdom.”

LOVE Island’s Casey O’Gorman has turned to his mum for support after his split from Gabby Allen, while she hit the gym.

The Sun were first to reveal the All Stars winners had called time on their romance – weeks after they made it official.

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The former couple both spent the afternoon trying to keep themselves occupied as they get over their break-up.

Fitness fanatic Gabby, 33, posted on her Instagram story that showed her at the gym lifting weights.

While her ex-Casey, 28, spent time with his mum, who helped him pick out a suit for his brother’s wedding.

In a short clip, he showed his mother sipping on champagne in a posh shop.

THE BREAK-UP

Earlier today, fans were left shocked when Casey and Gabby announced they had broken up.

They said in a joint statement: “After much thoughtful consideration, Gabby and Casey have decided to go their separate ways romantically.

“This decision was mutual, and they both remain on good terms as friends with a shared respect for each other.”

“Gabby is grateful for the memories they’ve created together and wishes Casey nothing but the best as they both move forward on their individual journeys.

“She’s excited for what the future holds.”

Insiders told The Sun the split won’t have come as a surprise to their friends and family.

A source said: “Both have confided in quite a few friends about this and so it’s not really a secret in their circles, but they’ve made the decision to part ways this week.”

They added: “They had a really good relationship and enjoyed each others’ time but the reality is that they are focusing on different things and they both have realised that.

“Neither of them have parted ways badly but they just knew it wasn’t going to work anymore.”

SPLIT RUMOURS

It comes as Gabby and Casey tried to make a go of things, with the blonde beauty supporting him just a few weeks ago at the London Marathon.

She later denied break-up speculation after jetting away without him.

Gabby told fans: “Yes believe it or not, a girl can go on holiday with her family without it meaning her and her fella have ended.

“He’s flying out on Sunday to see me.”

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