A suspected outbreak of norovirus in British Columbia has left dozens of students in quarantine in their hotel rooms.

Around 60 of the 360 people at the student journalism conference in Victoria are in voluntary isolation at the Harbour Towers Hotel and Suites, one delegate reports.

A source said that paramedics attended the hotel early Sunday morning, with several students taken to hospital overnight with what is believed to be norovirus.

With millions of visitors travelling to British Columbia a year it remains as important as ever to get full cover and reliable medical travel insurance

when going abroad.

One student at the conference said that five out of 10 of the paper's staff at the conference have symptoms of norovirus, which include vomiting, diarrhoea, cramping, headaches and muscle aches.

Children are quite literally looking for something out of this world when it comes to holiday destinations, as a survey reveals nearly half of them want a trip to the moon.

The list of desired destinations, which names more regular (and easier to reach) hotspots such as a visit to Disney World in Florida, also features many fantasy worlds such as CS Lewis's world of Narnia, Hogwarts - the school in the Harry Potter stories - as well as the village of Hogsmeade from the same series.

The online poll found that children aged between three and eight in Britain also fancied trips to Hundred Acre Wood, home to AA Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh; Pride Rock, from the Lion King; and Lapland.

More realistic youngsters fancied a trip to Australia, which, like Disney World, parents would certainly find easier to get travel insurance

and tickets for.

The NHS has released advice for women wanting to travel while pregnant.

Although many women try to avoid travelling during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy due to nausea and exhaustion, for those that feel well enough there is no reason not to travel.

NHS consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist Sarah Reynolds says that while travelling while pregnant often worries women, if there are no complications and precautions are taken, travel can still be an option.

Restrictions for pregnant women do vary depending on how they are travelling. Ferries for example may refuse admission to heavily pregnant women such as those beyond 32 weeks, while cruises ships often have onboard facilities which can deal with pregnancies.

Before any journey, women should check with their travel operator to see if any restrictions are in place, and if they have any concerns they should always discuss them with their midwife or doctor.

While travelling, they should always check if tap water is safe. They are advised to try to avoid any food and water-borne conditions which can often affect travellers, such as stomach upsets, as some medicines for treating these issues cannot be taken during pregnancy.

Becoming ill while pregnant and away from home can be very stressful, so people should ensure they have good medical travel insurance

in place before they go.

A young jet-skier was lucky to survive after spending a night lost at sea, it has been revealed.

The incident happened when the 29-year-old Shepparton man's jet-ski broke down at Zeally Bay, Torquay just after 9.30pm (AEDT).

He was found more than eight hours later and three nautical miles south west of Port Phillip Heads off Point Lonsdale just before 6.15am (AEDT) the next day.

It had taken a team of police, volunteer rescuers and the coast guard all night to search for the man after friends lost sight of him.

For all travel involving sports it is important that sports travel insurance

is purchased to help pay for hospital bills in the event of an accident or mishap.

In a statement the water police senior constable Rob Heip said that the man was extremely lucky to survive as he was ill-equipped for the conditions. He suffered mild hypothermia from the ordeal and required treatment at Geelong Hospital.

Known to some as China's Big Smoke, Beijing's infamous pollution reached such high levels this week that more than 150 flights to and from the city's airport have been cancelled or delayed.

Official reports show that well over 100 flights arriving or departing from Beijing's Capital International Airport have been affected by a thick layer of smog lying over the city.

Despite the disruption to air travel, official data claims the air quality is still 'good'. However, the US embassy in Beijing (which publishes its own air quality figures) has said that it has not been able to measure the level of poisonous particles in the air at times because the proportions were so high.

The figures published on the embassy's Twitter feed showed pollution levels soaring past 500 on the Air Quality Index (AQI), the upper limit for the technology used. The AQI classes any reading over 150 as unhealthy, and any reading over 300 as hazardous.

Tourists travelling to Beijing, especially those with pre-existing medical conditions, are advised to check pollution levels before departing, and to arrange comprehensive travel insurance

for their trip.

The newly renovated Maki Golf Club at The St Regis Princeville Resort, Hawaii is offering golfers a variety of ways to experience the acclaimed course in 2012.

The club, which boasts two 27 hole courses that have received rave reviews since its reopening last year, has put together several packages to allow golfers to enjoy both the new course and the stunning beauty of the surrounding area.

When planning the perfect sporting holiday it is important to make sure you have the correct sports travel insurance

.

Priced at $110 the clubs' "Nine, Wine & Dine" package offers a round of golf followed by a chance to relax and unwind at the neighbouring St Regis Princeville Resort on Kauai's beautiful north shore.

If nine holes doesn't sound enough the "Makai Golf Pass" offers three 18-hole rounds for $435, a substantial saving over the standard 18-hole rate of $220, as well as the opportunity to add additional rounds for $145.

Avalanche warnings have been issued and hundreds of skiers have been trapped by heavy snowfall in the Alpine ski resorts of Austria, France, Switzerland and Southern Germany.

This follows on from fears that the region would not receive enough snow to sustain the ever-popular ski season. But now there has been so much snow across the Alpine resorts that many are completely cut off.

Holiday-makers travelling to make the most of the Alpine weather should always ensure that they have not only sports travel insurance

but adequate travel insurance

protection against freak weather conditions, which frequently disrupt tourist's travel plans.

Ishgl in Austria, where 1000 British holidaymakers are thought to be trapped, saw 10ft of snow fall in less than 48 hours causing road and railway closures and leaving holidaymakers trapped in their resorts.

Snow-drifts of up to 18ft have also been seen across the region, which combined with high alpine winds have lead to fears of snow slides or avalanches on the slopes.

More heavy snow is forecast to fall on the area in the next few days, which has led to several army helicopters being put on high alert in case of avalanches.

Officials in the county of Fulton in Georgia, USA, have had to take special measures to address the exceptionally high rate of asthma among its residents.

According to research by the American Lung Association, nearly one in twelve Fulton residents are currently living with the respiratory disease. Fulton county includes the Georgia state capital city Atlanta, which is a popular tourist destination among Britons holidaying in the USA.

The Fulton County Board of Commissioners has ordered local healthcare providers to take action against the huge disparity between rates of asthma throughout the county, with residents in some areas more than five times more likely to die of the illness than people living elsewhere.

The planned changes are aimed at tackling issues surrounding the condition, including asthma awareness, as well as improving air quality throughout the county in an attempt to reduce the suffering of those who are already asthmatic.

Asthma sufferers must take every precaution when travelling, especially to destinations where air quality is particularly poor. Those with the illness are advised to arrange medical travel insurance

before departure.

A website which offers snow forecasts has been improved to help ski enthusiasts plan and prepare for holidays in the Alps.

The Ski Club site has launched updated snow and weather pages that make it easier to track and compare the snow - something which is as essential as sports travel insurance

for those hitting the slopes.

Skiers can now use a snow comparison tool to compare data between resorts and use historical reports to track the amount of snow as far back as 18 seasons.

The webcam pages have been updated to make them easier to use, allowing people to have a real-time view of each resort's conditions.

Web developers also separated the weather section into its own area, and detailed forecasts are featured across the pages - making it quicker and easier to track the snow.