Prime Ways To Promote Your Travel Business

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Prime Ways To Promote Your Travel Business

Kick up some excitement about your travel business and help kick up some sales! No need to be hum drum about your promotional efforts. Crank things up a notch with these ideas:

1) Create a travel directory or travel tip guide and give it away to your prospects as a download, print guide and/ or offer it on your website. You can include travel tips, best places to travel with families, best places to travel with pets, cruise ships to choose from, hot vacation spots for singles and all other types of travel information. Brand your directory and save it in a zip file on your server. Then include the download link in an autoresponder message and set up a subscriber form for website visitors. That way your travel directory will be available 24/7 via automation.

Have print copies handy for mailings, functions and events where you are able to promote. Mail print versions out to prospects who call for more information and even those who email and ask for more information. Let people have something physical to hold and to keep handy to remind them of your travel business.

2. Package your travel with other travel goodies and use the package as give-aways, at fundraisers and on other promotions. Ideas on what to package with it are: other travel directories or travel tip guides on different themes (start a series), fun travel gifts that fit into your budget and are even branded with your business information like pens, stationary, postcards, water bottles, key chains, scratch pads, medicine carrying containers, candies, mints, gum, checkbook covers, travel vouchers, high lighters, fanny packs, small first aid kits, snack packs, and other fun travel accessories. For help finding fun goodies, look up “promotional products” on the web or in your local yellow pages under marketing subject headings to find dealers who have catalogues full of stuff for your promotions.

3. Team up with others in your promotions. Package something from travel-related companies with your special and try to work out a deal with fellow business owner / operators. For example, maybe you could package your goodies in a carrying case, supplied by another vendor who wants to cross-promote and help pay for ads. Be creative and open to joint venture ideas like these and see how you can team up to share costs in advertising and also share leads.

So put some prime time effort into your promotions. And kick up some excitement, new leads and sales!

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Discount travel – do you need the frills?

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Discount travel – do you need the frills?

Everyone wants to see the world, but few people have got the money to go everywhere they’d like to. What’s the solution? Do it on the cheap! Discount travel is an industry that is rapidly growing: it seems like every few years some entrepreneur comes up with another new way to get to nice places and stay there without hurting your bank balance.

The most important advance in discount travel has probably been the widespread availability of cheap flights, from companies like America’s Southwest Airlines and Europe’s Easyjet and Ryanair. They use a so-called ‘yield management’ system that allows prices to vary wildly depending on when you book your flight – meaning that if you book far in advance, you can fly for pennies.

Booking online makes it possible to look through all the dates available for months in advance and choose the one that will be cheapest for you. Third-party price comparison websites allow you to then compare the fares from different airlines that fly on the route you’re looking for, meaning that you can fly with the cheapest airline on the cheapest day with very little effort.

Once you’re there, you can stay in some kind of no-frills accommodation, like a youth hostel or a cheap hotel. Companies are starting to realise that many people want nothing more than a bed when they travel, and budget hotels are exploding in popularity all around the world, making it cheaper to stay abroad today than it has ever been before in history.

If you’d like to travel for longer than just a one or two week holiday, there are plenty of ways to do that at a very steep discount – in fact, if you work part-time when you’re abroad, you might be able to travel around and come out having made a profit. More and more students especially are opting for programs where agencies arrange jobs for them in lots of countries over the course of a few years, allowing them to see the world and work at the same time.

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ASTA’s Congress Highlights Theme of “Women in Travel:

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ASTA’s Congress Highlights Theme of “Women in Travel:

“There are so lots of wonderful, influential women in the travel industry & i am thrilled that ASTA is recognizing them through this important Congress theme,” said ASTA 2004 World Congress Chair-Hong Kong Bev Zukow, CTC. “Additionally, ASTA has been working hard to enhance Congress with some great old features this year.”

Hong Kong, April 21, 2004 -The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) announced today that the theme of its World Travel Congress in Hong Kong, Sept. 28-Oct. 3, will be “Women in Travel: Influencing, Leading, Empowering.” ASTA also announced other exciting developments occurring at this year’s annual conference.

Also old this year, the opening general session will be combined with the host night dinner. The event will be taking place on Sept. 28. The Hong Kong Tourism Board also is hosting a second all-delegate function. The second event will be held on Sept. 29 & will feature the Sunset Harbor Cruise.

In keeping with the theme of this year’s Congress, Women in Travel: Influencing, Leading, Empowering, each general session will feature a woman leader from a different segment of the travel industry.

ASTA also will be featuring seminar tracks grouped according to their subject matter, than by their target audience. This year’s tracks are: Luxury, National Tourism Organizations (NTO), relatives, Exhibitor, Business/Technology & Honeymoon.

The Congress also will include business appointments that are being scheduled during the trade show on Oct. 1. These meetings, during which time agents will meet with pre-selected vendors & vendors will meet with pre-selected attendees, will give both buyers & sellers the chance to meet one-on-one & make long-lasting business connections.

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Philippine Travel: When And Where

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Philippine Travel: When And Where

When you’re about to embark on a journey to the Philippines, the two most important questions to ask is “when” and “where”. If you’re traveling to the Philippines, do be aware that the experiences you’re about to encounter is unlike anything you’d encounter anywhere else in the world. Each and every country has its own unique experience to offer you and when you travel to the Philippines, you should expect the same.

When Is It Best To Travel To The Philippines?

Are you allergic to rain? If so, it would do you good to avoid traveling to this part of Southeast Asia during the months of June till November as that’s when the occasional typhoon or two makes time to visit the Philippines. Traveling during the rainy season of the Philippines can be quite a hassle, especially if you don’t have a car. But if you do, you could expect smaller crowds to contend with as most people tend to stay indoors.

If you’re unable to take the heat and still be merry, then you should not travel to the Philippines during the months of March till May because that’s officially the summer season of the country. Everyone heads for the nearest beach so if you don’t want to feel crowded when you’re sunbathing, set your travel date for another time of the year. The Easter season is always busy for everyone in the Philippines so expect a difficult time on reserving transportation when it’s Holy Week.

If you’re on the lookout for the world-famous fiestas that only the Philippines could offer, schedule your travel date for January, May or December. The flower season of Baguio – described as the summer capital of the Philippines because of its perennially cool weather – is something to look forward to. And then there’s the Santacruzan during May and which each and every town parades its most beautiful residents in a walk around town.

Where In The Philippines Is It Best To Travel To?

There are so many types of places to visit in the Philippines that it’s hard to enumerate each and every one of them. Beaches, however, are one of the most favorite travel spots of the country so if you want to enjoy your stay in a beautiful paradise of clear blue green water and cool white sand, you could check out Tali Beach, the world-famous Boracay or try surfing the secluded beaches of Surigao and La Union.

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Traveling Deals: Student Travel Packages

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Traveling Deals: Student Travel Packages

If you are a student looking to do some traveling this summer before another year of college starts back up then some of the best deals around can be found in specialized travel packages that are catered to young people and offer the chance to see various parts of the world at a low price, often with other young adults. Such package type deals are often popular with young travelers because it allows them to build their entire itinerary without having to worry about lodging, airline reservations or other details of the trip.

No matter where you might want to go in the world there exists a number of student travel opportunities that can satisfy your needs. Some arrangements allow you to travel for a very low-cost (usually only paying for airfare) in exchange for working with native people in foreign lands to help them build housing, assist with crops or teach young children different skills that they might otherwise not have access too. Other traveling deals let you visit a number of different countries staying in youth hostels and other arrangements at a very low cost while interacting with other students from around the world. This can be an excellent way to get to know foreign cultures and see differences in people from around the world all while having an unforgettable traveling adventure.

Many young adults find that by taking a summer off and traveling they can actually refresh their minds and be more prepared for college or a career once they return. The experience of going to foreign lands opens their eyes to differences in people and places and helps them understand how different parts of the world live and how they value different social and political systems outside of our own. It can be an experience that they will never forget and a valuable life experience they can use all throughout their own life.

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Homeless Youths Are Finding A Home And Hope

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Homeless Youths Are Finding A Home And Hope

A program committed to helping young people make the transition from homelessness and hopelessness to stability and success is celebrating its 20th anniversary.

Each year, more than one million young people under age 21 find themselves homeless in the United States. Many are runaways, throwaways (young people asked to leave home) or youths who have aged out of the foster care system.

For these homeless youths, life on the streets means not knowing where or when they will get another meal. Often, life on the streets can lead to more dangerous and damaging activities such as drug abuse, gang affiliation, prostitution and panhandling.

Fortunately for these young people, Covenant House administers a program called Rights of Passage that’s designed to assist motivated young people ages 18 to 21 who need a place to stay while they train for a job with a future.

Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the Rights of Passage program enables young people to live at Covenant House for up to 18 months while they learn a vocation, earn a GED, work a steady job or take college courses. When these young people graduate from the program, most are in a position to live stable and productive lives off the streets.

In 2005, Covenant House enabled nearly 60,000 young people throughout the U.S. to take their first steps toward a brighter future thanks to Rights of Passage and the many other programs offered by Covenant House-a nonprofit child welfare agency with 15 sites in the United States.

“For Rights of Passage to reach this historic mark is a very special moment for Covenant House,” said Bruce J. Henry, Executive Director of Covenant House New York and a Founder of the Covenant House Rights of Passage Program. “During the past 20 years, thousands of youths at Covenant House sites throughout the U.S. and Canada have graduated from ROP and entered the world as self-sufficient adults. Their individual stories of struggle and ultimate achievement are the reason Covenant House means so much to all of us.”

While some young people only went to a Covenant House site for short-term crisis care-such as a hot meal, a bed and new clothes–others worked with counselors and eventually enrolled in the Rights of Passage program.

Covenant House has ROP programs in Alaska, California, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, Texas, Toronto, Vancouver and Washington, D.C.

Approximately 85 percent of the funding for Covenant House programs comes from private donors. Their continued financial support is crucial. In addition, volunteers are needed to serve as mentors to young people in the ROP program.

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Making Your Hawaii Vacation Rental Reservations

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Making Your Hawaii Vacation Rental Reservations

Are you looking to book a stay at a Hawaii vacation rental? If you are, you may be in the process of making your vacation reservations. When it comes to doing so, you will find that you have a number of different options. A few of your options are below.

One of the easiest ways to go about booking a Hawaii trip is by using the services of a professional travel agent. Travel agents are nice options to have, as they do most of the work for you. Depending on the travel agent in question, your agent may research popular Hawaii activities, attractions, and vacation rentals. This can save you a considerable amount of time.

Although many vacationers prefer to use the services of professional travel agents, there are many more who don’t. Truthfully, no one, but yourself can plan the vacation of your dreams. While using the services of a travel agent can save you time, you may also find yourself spending large chunks of time on the phone or in meetings with your travel agent reviewing their finding and all of your options.

If you are looking to plan your own Hawaii trip, you will still find that you have a number of different options. One of those options involves making each of your travel arrangements individually. In terms of your Hawaiian vacation rental, you can book your reservations directly through the vacation rental owner. For many vacationers, dealing directly with the all vacation rental owners provides them with a certain level of comfort.

Although dealing directly with all vacation rental owners is an approach that is more than doable, it is one that you may find time consuming. A large number of vacation homeowners create online websites for their rental properties, but it can be difficult to find many of these websites. You may also find yourself presented with only one or two rental properties. While you may luck out and find a great Hawaiian vacation rental right away, you never know. It is important to remember that Hawaii is filled with beautiful, private, and affordable vacation rentals.

If you are interested in examining a large number of Hawaiian vacation rentals, including vacation homes, condos, villas, and cottages, you will want to examine online travel websites. Online travel websites are websites that enable you to search, browse, examine, and book your vacation reservations. When searching for an online travel website to do business with, there are a number of points that you will want to take into consideration. For instance, you may want to do business with those that specialize solely in Hawaiian vacations and those that let you book multiple reservations, such as those for airlines and vacation rentals.

As for booking your next Hawaii vacation with a travel website that deals specifically with Hawaiian vacations and vacation rentals, you will find that there are a number of benefits to doing so. One of those benefits is more tailored results. When an individual or a company focuses on a particular vacation destination, like Hawaii, they are able to give that destination their full attention. As a traveler, this means that you should have access to some of the best Hawaiian vacation rentals, as well as all other travel arrangements.

Speaking of other Hawaii vacation travel arrangements, you may want to look into booking your vacation in the form of a vacation package. Vacation packages are often designed to save you both time and money. With that in mind, if you decide not to purchase a vacation package or if they aren’t available through your preferred online travel website, you will still want to make all of your reservations at the same time. This may help to ensure that your vacation goes as planned. For instance, it is easier to verify that your Hawaiian vacation rental and airline reservations are all made for the same date.

Online, you can find a number of online travel websites to help you book your next Hawaii vacation. You will want to examine these online travel websites to find the one that can provide you with the best results, which should include a long list of beautiful Hawaiian vacation rentals. To get you started in your search, you should visit HawaiianBeachRentals.com.

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Don’t Settle Without Low Airfare

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Don’t Settle Without Low Airfare

If you are anything like me, than you love to travel. You see the world’s locations as nothing less than potential destinations for your next adventure. You undoubtedly have friends and family members that think you are crazy, yet you continue to travel the world with the wonder of a child and with the hope that you will become more like the people of the world that you meet in every new place you visit. I have been full of adventure and going on trips all around the world for well over a decade now, and one of the biggest things I make sure of for every trip is that I’ve found low airfare.

While it is true that world travel has become significantly more reasonable and doable for the average world citizen, it remains true that finding low airfare is something that not all world travelers have learned to do very well. In fact, I know countless friends who still call up the local travel agent or airline in their vacation planning. Smart world travelers know the importance of finding low airfare and they often know the best ways to do it.

After booking tickets to England’s annual Chelsea Flower Show fifteen years ago, a close a well-traveled friend of mine laughed when she heard the price I had paid for airfare. I was offended at first and rebuked her laughter by saying that I had found low airfare the best I knew how. That was exactly her point, she said, that I didn’t know where to even begin looking for true low airfare.

She began to teach me tricks of the trade for finding low airfare for all of my adventures. She and I were much alike in that we would go almost anywhere at the drop of a hat just to see and experience something new. So she knew that I needed to be instruced about how to find low airfare because I wasn’t about to let even the highest airfare stop me from seeing something I had sent my mind upon.

In the years since that conversation with my friend I have learned some techniques for finding low airfare. Actually, as a writer and reporter for a large travel magazine, it is now my secretary’s job to find me low airfare for all of my travels. Sometimes I can even convince her to find low airfare for the adventures I take my family on as often as I can.

The internet is by far the best resource for people looking for low airfare. Doing a simple search will enable you to find an overwhelming amount of sites that will try to sell you low airfare. Talk with other travelers and get advice on where to look and what to buy. Traveling can be amazing and low airfare can make it even better.

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Understanding the Rules of the Tour de France

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Understanding the Rules of the Tour de France

To the uninitiated, the world of cycing and specifically, the Tour de France can be a bit confusing. With all the talk of yellow jerseys, time trials, race leaders and feed zones, the Tour de France is sometimes a bit intimidating to new fans. And what in the world is with the teams? It’s an individual sport, right? Well, have no fear, cycling newbies: your initiation is here!

First, let’s discuss the whole team thing. Riders group up in teams as a part of their strategy, more than anything else. You might wonder how much strategy can be involved in riding a bike as fast as you can to a finish line, but you’d be surprised! Each team member usually has their own objective and role in the overall team strategy. The goal is for a member of the team to win the overall classification, or first place, in the Tour de France.

Teams must adhere to rules, just like individuals. First of all, team members all wear matching outfits. However, the jerseys can deviate from that of the team designation if a rider of a team has earned an honor that gives them a special jersey. These honors include being the overall leader of the race (yellow jersey), the best rider on climbing, or mountain stages (polka dot jersey), the best sprint rider (green jersey) and the best young rider of 25 years or younger (white jersey). These jerseys are updated as the race continues, and can change hands several times during the race, or even with every new stage.

Stage, you ask? What’s a stage? Well, long races such as the Tour de France, which typically lasts over three weeks, are divided into one-day portions called “stages”. The stages themselves are usually based upon a certain theme or type, of which there are a few. There are climbing, or mountain stages, sprint stages on flatter ground, individual time trials, where riders race alone for a great time, and others.

The stages are generally mixed up and spread out throughout the overall race, and are balanced so no one type of rider can dominate the race. Since most riders specialize in a certain type of racing (for instance, climbing), you can understand how important it is to balance the stage types within the race.

One of the newer requirements, or at least a requirement that is stricter than before, is the required use of a helmet in all stages of the Tour de France. It’s hard to believe, but there was a time when helmets weren’t required at all, even during 50 mile per hour descents down steep mountains! With injuries and even a rare death contributing to concern over rider safety, helmet requirements have stiffened over recent years.

The feed zone may sound like it’s from the world of cattle raising rather than cycling, but the eating and drinking of Tour de France cyclists is actually serious business. Tour officials closely monitor what goes into their competitors, and things like water bottles have to be approved by them before they can be used. The feed zone is just what it sounds like, an area where riders can grab some quick nourishment as they roll by on their bicycles. Sometimes, cyclists can also be handed water or snacks on other areas of the course by team officials in vehicles or motorcycles (no, seriously), but that’s also closely monitored by Tour de France officials.

One relatively sad, but necessary, evolution of Tour de France rules is reflected in the mandatory drug testing that takes place at every stage in the race. Every participant is tested before the race, and once the race starts, random cyclists are selected at each stage to be tested as well. The stage and race leaders are given a drug test at each stage automatically.

The Tour de France is a simple, yet complicated affair. In essence, it is simply a bicycle race, with riders trying to finish as fast as they can. However, the level of competition has made many rules and policies necessary to ensure fair and efficient competition. Knowing the rules can help you enjoy the Tour de France much more. Make sure to learn all you can before this year’s Tour de France kicks off!

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Travel To South America: How To Start

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Travel To South America: How To Start

You set your mind and you’re ready to travel to South America, a magical place of immense beauty where myth and legend continue to walk hand in hand. I’ve traveled 18 months in South America and can give you some tips on how to prepare yourself for an unforgettable adventure.

Common Sense

We all hear the unpleasant stories and South America has a fame of being dangerous. I traveled thousands of miles traversing cities, jungles, islands and mountains. I survived 6 weeks in a street child care center in the favelas of Salvador da Bahía (Brazil) and had the party of a lifetime during carnival. Nothing, I repeat, nothing happened. Use your common sense. Avoid badly lit streets at night and if your sixth sense is giving you the “something is wrong” sign then take a taxi to your destination.

Travel Guide Book

The first thing that you will need is a travel guide book. It will be your best companion in your search for adventure. I can highly recommend Lonely Planet´s South America on a Shoestring
to get you started. The book covers all you need to know to get the most out of your trip and is ideal to plan your journey ahead. I’ve used the guide extensively during my 18 month adventure. They offer excellent separate travel guides of all the countries (besides using the Lonely Planet Shoestring I’ve used their separate travel guides of Peru and Brazil). Their guides are the most popular among backpackers.

Other popular guides are The Rough Guide to South America and the South American Handbook. Ideal, but not practical because you want to travel light, would be to enjoy the adventure with a Lonely Planet and either the Rough Guide or the Handbook.

Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese

The most rewarding thing for me was the fact that you can travel in a huge continent like South America with only 2 languages. Spanish and Portuguese. If you plan to travel just for a few weeks you can invest in a Spanish and/or Brazilian Portuguese Phrase Book. English is not widely spoken and even a basic knowledge of Spanish and/or Portuguese makes the trip so much more rewarding (they’re extremely willing to help you, so don’t worry, be happy).

If on the other hand you’re planning to travel for a few months I can highly recommend taking a language course. Ideal would be in a school in South America (I took lessons in Quito, Ecuador, and had a private teacher for .50/h).

Walking Shoes

South America’s nature is overwhelming. You’ll walk for many hours day after day. It would be a shame to walk in the footsteps of the Incas with blisters on your feet. My biggest recommendation is to invest in high quality walking shoes with Gore-Tex.

Health Vaccinations

Yellow Fever (if you plan to go to the Amazon Basin), Typhoid (consists of two injections taken 4 weeks apart), Diphtheria-Tetanus, Polio, Cholera (only when necessary), Smallpox

Medical Kit:

Depending on what you plan to do you can include the following:
Antiseptic cream, aspirin, lomotil for diarrhea, antibiotics, throat lozenges, ear and eye drops, antacid tablets, motion sickness medication, alcohol swabs, water purifier, lip salve, foot and groin powder, thermometer (in a case), surgical tape, assorted sticky plasters, gauze, bandages, butterfly closures, scissors and last but not least, first-aid booklet

Note: malaria pills are required in the amazon basin, please be aware that those pills are very b and you should check with your doctor before departure

Traveling Gear

Backpack:

Obviously a high quality backpack is a must. Choose the type that has different compartments that can be opened separately. Very handy if you need something quickly. Travel as light as possible. A heavy backpack is destined to undermine your traveling pleasure.

Clothing:

Depends on where you go. If it’s the mountains and the jungle, get some quality clothing from home. If it’s the beach, buy your t-shirts there (cheap).

Camping and Climbing Gear:

You can rent camping and climbing material in South America but the quality may be questionable. Always check the material. Bring your own gear if possible. I traveled 18 months with my own tent and various camping utensils.

Photography

Pictures are something personal. Some people just want some snap shots, others want to publish in the National Geographic. All my pictures were taken with a cheap Nikon F50 camera. Have a look at some amazing photographs at www.travel-amazing-southamerica.com.

I had two zoom lenses, a 35-80 mm. and a 70-210mm. I also dragged a tripod and an excellent flash with me. I used FUJI slides (100 ASA) but you definitely need 200 to 400 ASA if you plan to go to the jungle. A polarize filter enhances the colours tremendously on sunny days.

Conclusion

South America will embrace you with open arms. It’s nature, people and history are overwhelming. With the right preparation and set of mind you’re ready for an unforgettable adventure.

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