The local tourism board have urged fans to avoid cancelling their trips to Swansea and attend the south of Wales city anyway.

Stag weekends in Swansea often come second to that of Cardiff, but with the Swansea Bay and Gower Peninsula on offer it is a fantastic place to visit for an activity-filled weekend and while there might not be rally driving to watch it will still be possible to try your hand at some 4×4 driving or go-karting.

The capital cities of England and Scotland are understandably top of the list for holiday visits, but the top five holiday destinations in terms of numbers are Birmingham, Manchester and Glasgow.

Patricia Yates, communications director for Visit Britain said: ”This survey confirms an astonishing transformation of our industrial heartlands has taken place. They have become dynamic, stylish international destinations that are increasingly beloved of foreign visitors.

“Manchester has become the home of Brit Cool, Birmingham wows people with its world class cultural scene, Liverpool pulsates as the home of the Beatles and Liverpool FC, and Glasgow with its unique architecture, countryside and coastal views has become Scotland’s style capital. They have become a joy for tourists to discover.”

These destinations are also incredibly popular with stag groups, who flock to the big cities for their last weekend’s of freedom.

The new set by by-laws, the first of their kind in Spain, could result in fines ranging from €100 (£81) and €300 (£245) being given to anyone who dresses inappropriately.

The resort of Salou on the Costa Daurada, is popular with lads on a stag weekend in Barcelona as it is found just south of the Catalan city. It is home to the festival Saloufest, which attracts thousands of British students each year.

“One shouldn’t be allowed to walk the streets or enter public buildings in unseemly apparel. It gives the city a low-class look,” explained the local Mayor.

Those caught drinking alcohol on the streets or having sex on the beach could also be prosecuted.

By Nancy Brown

From the very heart of Riga at the Town Hall Square it will be possible to get on two wheels at a moments notice thanks to the initiative that has been launched by airBaltic.

Bertolt Flick, airBaltic President and CEO: “Every decent European city has bike rental stands. We are glad to launch the first BalticBike stand in Riga following the successful launch of BalticBike rental service in Jurmala. Now residents and guests of Riga will also have a chance to enjoy summer in the city by using rental bikes.”

The scheme is very simple. You pick up the bike in one stand, use it as long as you wish and then return it to any BalticBike stand. The rental prices will be charged for every ongoing hour and the payment shall be made with a credit card.

Riga is one of the most popular stag weekend destinations and while riding a bike wouldn’t be advised during a night on the town this is a great way to see this stunning and historic city during your stag do in Riga.

It is, according to Tesco Travel Money, cheaper to take a holiday in Bulgaria or Cyprus than to to have one in Brighton. This was calculated by takign the holiday expenses including accommodation, car hire, eating out and family entertainment.

The cost is based on what a family four would expect to pay, so if you are considering a stag do in Brighton do not let this survey put you off as a party weekend on the south coast can be arranged to suit all budgets.

However, the survey reports that a week spent in Bulgaria would cost a typical family of four £1,221 compared to £2,209 for a week in Brighton.

Trips to Budapest in Hungary and Limassol in Cyprus also came well under the cost of a UK holiday. This will catch the attention of lads considering a trip abroad, as Budapest stag weekends are very popular.

Locations that proved more expensive than the Brighton test case were in Spain and Greece, but the fluctuations in the currency the advise is to change your money wisely to get the most out of your cash.

As John Howells, Head of Travel Money at Tesco Bank comments “Getting a good rate on your foreign currency can make your holiday money stretch a lot further, and ensure you don’t lose out on any savings you might have made by picking up a cheap break.”

By Mike Shepherd

The proposal, which would have seen the HMS 69 take private parties of 30 punters on 3 hour trips up and down the Taff and Ely with strippers on board, was rejected on safety grounds.

The boat has been used for parties since 2008, but its owner was hoping to add the option of lap dancing, but anyone planning a Wales stag weekend will have plenty of alternatives on land to see a flash of flesh.

The boat’s owner said: “I’m disappointed with the decision, as the people of South Wales had been asking for this. We’ve had over 7,000 customers since we launched and of those 75 per cent have been women and they were the ones who were asking for strippers. They wanted a bit of flesh on their hen nights.

“We take our security obligations very seriously, we have four CCTV cameras onboard and two security guards, plus four other staff members.”

Cardiff City Council’s Chair of licensing committee, Ed Bridges, explained the decision, saying: “We were worried about the size of the premises, being too small, and issues of crime and disorder. In the interest of the public we thought it better to reject the application.”

The world travel guide Lonely Planet chose Iceland as its best value destination for 2010, which is great news from guys considering a stag weekend in Reykjavik – Iceland’s capital.

The impact has seen Iceland’s leading airline, Icelandair, experience an increase in UK sales over the past year. This is seen partly due to the country’s near bankruptcy leading to an increase in interest in it as a holiday destination.

Birkir Holm Gudnason, CEO of Icelandair, said: “It seems that in the middle of the media interest we have been able to communicate the fact that this is a great time to visit Iceland, because as a traveller you simply get more for your money than ever before.”

While the airline’s GM, Hjorvar Saeberg Hognasson, added: “If you compare what a pound got you on 1st February 2008 to 1st February 2010, you see an increase of 57 percent, so you can see why UK passengers are heading to Iceland in droves to experience the breathtaking nature and enjoy activities like searching for the Northern Lights.”

Reykjavik offers lads on a stag weekend the opportunity to experience outrageous adrenaline packed activities, including quad biking on lava fields, while the nightlife is anything but cold.

September 1st is known as Knowledge Day in Latvia as it is the first day of school, so to prevent students from drinking rather than gaining knowledge a ban on alcohol sales has been passed.

“I’m convinced many parents will support a day without alcohol and will provide an example for their children,” said Latvian MP Sarmite Kikuste.

Latvia has a strong drinking culture, which has made its capital Riga so popular with travelling stags who head over to the Baltic state in their thousands each year.

However, for lads on a Prague stag weekend they may struggle to keep up with the locals, as the Czechs continue to be crowned the biggest beer drinkers in the world.

Of course beer is one factor that lures stag groups over from England as it is not only cheap, but also lovely. Budvar is a very popular import and there are lots more like this over in the Czech Republic.

The latest annual list states that the average consumption per capita was 276.1 pints, putting it well ahead of Ireland in second place on 230.7 pints. The UK is way back in sixth place on 174.3 pints, so there goes our self belief that we’re the masters of beer consumption.

Glasgow is the first city in the UK to offer the German beer, which measures a head-spinning 40 per cent.

However, drinkers will be urged to try this super brew responsibly with the pub restricting the brave to just one 25cl measure of the beer named Schorschbock.

Schorschbock is on offer at the independent WEST bar in Glasgow, which is run by Bavarian Petra Wetzel.

She said: “As a Franconian, I’m delighted to introduce Schorschbock, the world’s strongest beer, to the UK to show my support for the tremendous work done by my fellow countrymen and brewers.

“The Schorschbock has a totally unique flavour that will appeal to any beer connoisseur and sits well alongside our own range of award winning premium quality lagers brewed right here in Glasgow.

“Due to its exceptional strength and rarity, we are restricting sales of Schorschbock to one measure per customer.”

Scotland is no stranger to strong beers after an Aberdeenshire brewery hit the headlines last year with its controversial 32 per cent BrewDog.

The Stag Company urges everyone to drink responsible on their stag do.