As incomes rose in the UK in the 1990′s and into this decade, so the expectations of husbands-to-be grew for their stag party celebrations.

Low cost flights changed party planning from the local pub and club with alcohol and girls to a bar or club with alcohol and girls in Spain, Greece and Cyprus.

In fact, such was the demand for stag parties abroad that a niche travel industry has sprung up, specialising in making sure the long weekend turned out to be all the groom and his friends expected it to be.

The areas in Europe that benefitted most from the high spending alcohol fuelled weekends include Barcelona, Cyprus, Tenerife and Ibiza. New areas that sprung up as top pre wediing party destinations included Latvia and Estonia.

The bad news for these areas and the companies who get a share of the stag weekends abroad business from the UK is that the credit crunch is changing where stag parties are being held – and it’s not abroad as much as it was before talk of a recession came about.

Five years ago an amazing 58 per cent of pre wedding parties were abroad. This year that has dropped by more than two thirds to just 16 per cent.

And the shift away from long weekends abroad to long weekends at home has seen London rise to be favourite destination for the party-goers, followed by Manchester and Newcastle, with each party-goer spending an average of 370 Sterling (around US $’s 740).

With the number of traditional family holidays abroad also likely to be down from the UK this year, some areas are bound to feel the economic winds that are blowing through the European travel industry, but oddly some of the previously popular stag party destinations seem to be doing well – perhaps it’s now the married couples with their children from the last decade who are returning to where they enjoyed their last holiday while single!

Cyprus for example did have a good June with an 8 per cent increase in visitors compared to June 2007, but that was after four successive months of falling tourist arrivals.

And Tenerife is on course to beat 2007′s tourist arrivals, with May figures this year showing a 20 per cent jump on the 2007 figures.

Los Cristianos, previously a small fishing village, is now one of the largest resorts on the island and favoured by some of the stag parties. Located in the southern part of the island, it is home to mass-market tourism. The architectural feel of the resort town is very typical Canarian. The town centre is never crowded with vehicles, as the entire area is pedestrian only. Both small and large boats share the large port. A wide array of boats can often be seen docking or parked in the bay. The resort has two large beaches and lots of cafes, restaurants, bars and shops to choose from.

Puerto de la Cruz, another favourite for stag weekends, is a large tourist resort on the northern part of the island. It is a mere 10 minute drive across beautiful countryside from La Oratava. The Puerto de la Cruz resort began as a port for La Oratava and the export of bananas from nearby plantations. La Oratava, Esperanza forest and Mount Teide offer amazing views from the variety of hotels in Puerto de la Cruz. Due to its volcanic origins, black sand beaches offer a very unique beach experience. It is not recommended that you swim in the ocean on the northern side of the island, especially in the small hours of the morning after a heavy drinking session, as there is no reef to protect the shores from harsh tides and sweeping currents. Instead, Puerto de la Cruz has a large open-air seawater swimming pool called ‘Lago de Martianez.’

But whether Cyprus and Tenerife ride out the travel downturn successfully or not, there will be clubs and bars on both islands who would welcome a new wave of stag parties!

Eastern Europe is the clearly the market leader these days for stag weekends, with Budapest, Krakow and Riga particularly popular. These cities offer a wonderful cultural backdrop to the weekend, with historic streets, monuments and plazas to watch the girls go by.

More importantly, they have a huge array of bars, restaurants and great nightlife, so they are ideal whatever you are planning. And the cost of everything is that much cheaper than back at home – the average 500ml lager in Poland is £1.13, in Hungary it is £1.25. Fantastic, but keeping your mates happy on a stag weekend abroad in a country where you don’t know the lingo, the locals, the ladies or the top locations is another matter. How do you know which hotel is nearest the town centre and isn’t a fleapit? How do you get there from the airport into town and, more importantly, back at the end of the weekend so you don’t miss your flight? How can you avoid getting ripped off if no one speaks the language? How do you organise activities like paintballing and go karting from Britain? Where do you find the hottest chicks that will make the stag blush in a town you don’t know?

These days, lads are often looking for a stag weekend with a difference rather than just 48 hours of boozing and strip clubs (although that is a big part of the weekend of course!) Extreme sports are all the rage, with 4x4s, caving and quad bike action in the summer, and snow rafting and snow mobiles in the winter.

The big night out meal must also fit the bill, so top-notch restaurants are vital to kick start the evening, as is knowing where to go next for the best beers and the liveliest club scene. A decent place to crash in the early hours is key and nowadays stag parties tend to be looking for better than average accommodation which, thankfully, cities like Krakow and Budapest have aplenty.

Finally, there’s the transfer into town and back to the airport at the end of the weekend to consider. Simply put, it is so much easier if all this is arranged in advanced, leaving you with the maximum time to enjoy yourselves.

All in all, if you haven’t been before and don’t know the language, the best option is to use an established company in Britain who know the area well and can arrange some great deals for you. A reputable firm will sort out the whole stag weekend package in Eastern Europe with you – look for a company that will not only arrange the airport transfers but will find you the best restaurants, a competitively priced hotel and help you arrange those all important activities. A good company will book your high-adrenaline activities and stag dinners for you, as well as offer you a personalised nightlife tour, all tailored to your drinking needs, so you get the best from your short visit.

If there’s one city in the world that knows how to party, it’s Manchester. This isn’t exactly news to the hip and the cool – Manchester has been the center of hip for decades now. Trendy music, classic style, the original Pub crawl capital of the world and home to the Curry Mile – not to mention the Hard Rock Cafe – what more could you ask from a city if you’re planning a stag do? Stag parties were made for Manchester – or should that be the other way around?

But there’s more to Manchester than night life. By day, the cheeky city boasts some of the best sporting and active pursuits any man would be proud to admit to indulging. Stag parties in Manchester tend to run to full stag weekends of non-stop rousing and Arousing fun. Whether it’s a spot of paintball (or a whole lot of paintball spots!), a round of golf, a jaunt around the course in an armored tank or a walk on the wild side in Manchester’s hottest nightclubs, a Manchester stag weekend can boast something for everyone.

So you’re the bloke that gets to plan a stag party in Manchester? Here’s a handful of helpful tips to make sure you send your mate off on his wedding day with a photo album full of memories. (And you can’t blame us if they’re the sort he’ll pay to keep hidden!)

Start with a THEME. In a city full of college pranksters and swaggering Mancunians, you’ll need a way to make the Stag stand out from the crowd. Who could miss him strutting down the street in the midst of a dozen toga-clad Senators? Or if togas are a bit too Greek for your lot, why not hit the clubs wearing pith helmets and monocles for a jolly old night on the town?

Don’t forget the PRANK – the lynchpin of any stag party in Manchester or anywhere else. The best we’ve heard is a direct steal from MAS*H – get your guest of honor totally soused… then encase him from neck to knees in a plaster cast. All right – that one might be a touch rough to pull off, but it’s a bit more imaginative than hiding all his trousers and leaving him nothing to wear but a pair of boxers stamped with bright pink ribbons.

Even if you decide to do away with the theme and the prank, you’ll still find a lot of benefit in some advance planning for your Manchester stag weekend. In fact, say many professional tour operators, you’d do best to start making your plans and reservations as much as six months in advance, especially if you want to include popular activities like quad bikes, five a side football or hovercraft racing. If you’re feeling especially organized, you might even arrange a full weekend of spy games to entertain the man of the hour in his final hours.

A stag weekend in Manchester is just one example of the unique stag parties that a professional tour operator can help you arrange. If you’re looking for more unique ideas for stag parties in Manchester or any other city, contact a tour operator that specialises in unique and unusual stag nights, bachelor parties and stag weekends.

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