Posts Tagged With 'Travel'

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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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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Cheap Travel Insurance: How To Save Big Time On Coverage… Starting Now!

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Cheap Travel Insurance: How To Save Big Time On Coverage… Starting Now!

When you plan to travel abroad nowadays, you might be totally surprised how abundant cheap travel deals are being offered both online and offline. That is, if you haven’t contacted your travel agents lately or if you have been hibernating in your own country for years or simply don’t feel the need for traveling. Anyway, the bottom line is that traveling abroad today is not very expensive as it was before.

Surely, it can be the reason for a celebration. But before you start contacting your travel agents for a quick booking of your trip, you have to realize that when travel is being offered at cheap prices, more and more people are traveling. And when people travel, it increases the risk for people getting involved in an accident. It should not be a problem if these traveling population buy travel insurance to protect them in case things would not go as planned. But the bad news is, travel insurance is neglected – the very reason why people lose their appetite for traveling in case something happen.

Normally, when people talk about travel insurance, they are speaking about wings falling off in mid air or plane unable to properly secure its landing gear. Although these kinds of scenarios are possible during travel and need to be taken into consideration for buying travel insurance, there are more minor incidents where you need to be prepared with and be covered like trip cancellation, trip interruption or delay, medical emergencies including doctor’s fee, hospitalization, and emergency evacuation, and property damages and losses.

In addition, the general perception of the travelers with travel insurance is that it is expensive. This causes travel insurance to loose its appeal to travelers. But this thing would stop because like travel fares becoming cheap, insurance are getting the right price it deserves.

And to know more on how to maximize you trip while providing you with peace of mind here’s how to get cheap travel insurance you need:

1. Check online for your cheap travel insurance. Usually, the Internet has more to offer when you are looking for cheap travel insurance. One great advantage of searching here is that you can compare instantly the quotes, different cheap travel insurance sites offer. You can check all the available coverage and single out your best choice. With a little time and work, getting cheap travel insurance is not a hard task.

2. Avoid buying cheap travel insurance directly to travel agents. Instead buy it directly from insurance company. Since travel agents earn big commissions, the cheap travel insurance you though was cheap, it not cheap at all. One more point: you can get travel insurance from travel agents twice as high compared to travel insurance companies.

3. Check your existing insurance. Usually, your home insurance would cover your trips abroad. If it does, identify the coverage you need to have that is not included in your existing insurance. This would give save you a lot.

4. Ask for the cheapest rates. Oftentimes, people tend to settle for the insurance that is suggested by the representative of the company. To get the cheapest rates, all you have to do is ask for it, chances are it would be given to you.

These are some of the best ways you can do if you are shopping for cheap travel insurance. But of course, there is no better way to save is to be careful all the time.

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Travel Deals

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Travel Deals

The world is full of stunning and charming locations which every traveler wants to explore. People generally love to travel with their families, friends and other near and dear ones. So they always put prime importance on the cost of the travel as they always seek to cover a lot of places with a limited budget. Many of the online tour operators arrange discounted travel packages for the benefit of the tourists, especially for those who travel in groups.

Getting information about various tourist spots, tourist operators and their tour packages is very essential. Website like vacationsbesttraveldeals.com facilitates this task. It provides extensive information regarding important scenic locations in Europe, Asia and Africa. Tourists can also gather information about traveling on cruises to various locations which are very cost effective now.

In their quest to earn livelihood, people are hardly getting any spare time to rejoice. Whenever they get any leisure time, they want to utilise it properly by leaving for a trip to tourist destinations. Destination holidays are the perfect one to bring joy and solace to your minds. But sometimes planning and affordability play a major role while determining a place for your destination holiday. There are many destinations all around the world to fulfil your desire. No matter which country you belong to, the communication was no more a problem for you. English is now a global language and is understood and spoken by a large proportion of world population. Till now, people undertake their travels by air.

But we can’t deny the significance of cruises while going from one place to another for our purpose. Many of us love to glide through the ocean on a cruise for their destination holiday when time is not a constraint. On one instance, you may feel that it’s wastage of time to travel for places on a cruise. But on the other hand you enjoy the nature’s real beauty and can enjoy your time while cruising along a luxurious ship.

Many of the shipping companies have introduced their luxurious cruise to the world. These machines are perfect for someone to enjoy the holiday time in a secure and inexpensive manner. You can access those websites online and book your tickets through safe Internet Payment Gateways.

The vacationsbesttraveldeals.com contains guidelines about group travels particularly in Asian regions. Certain groups contain people from different cultural backgrounds. They are unknown to each other at the beginning of the travel. At the end of the trip, you will not only understand a whole new culture, but you will also make new set of friends. Other people choose to travel to Asia in groups of friends. This is especially true of backpackers, where groups of friends travel together. As Asia has so much to offer in terms of learning and traveling, it is a hot spot for group travels.

The website lists some of the important places in Asia for those group travelers. The list includes Tokyo, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong and Shanghai. Other less popular areas, like Vietnam and Cambodia, are beginning to climb up the popularity scale with many travelers, including groups.

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Opportunities for Youth Group Travel Tours with Prep Traveler

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Opportunities for Youth Group Travel Tours with Prep Traveler

The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.
~St. Augustine

Travel can bring you the most memorable experiences, regardless of whether it is just a church outing or a boy scouts romp; or a student tour, and sporting event. Travel is a learning experience, and the best thing to be found in our expeditions, is an honest friend to share it with. Traveling is a quest, which you wouldn’t want to accomplish all alone. Travel, especially for young students, is all about exploring the world together!

Youth group travel fulfills the need felt to isolate oneself from family and companions and go to new places, to be open to new influences and changes. Group travel is all about tapping into the collective intelligence of other like-minded travelers, to take truly memorable trips. However, for a group travel experience that you want to cherish for a lifetime, vacation-planning is necessary. To do all the arrangement and scheduling for your travel group, Prep Traveler is a great pick!

Prep traveler is an online community that acts as your guide, a comprehensive one stop resource for destination information; an open-source portal, where travelers can edit and add information about different destinations, according to their personal experiences. Have a favorite sight, restaurant, or hotel? Irked about long lines, lousy food, or bad service? Express yourself or find out what others think before you go.

Prep traveler tells you about the not-to-miss attractions, facilities, nature trails, adventure spots, shopping arcades to get best deals, cheap travel and accommodation, restaurants and clubs, and anything else, a youth group would be interested in. Prep Traveler will also work with you to structure a fundraising program to make sure that your group receives an excellent value, and achieves desired results. Prep Traveler offers personalized version of travel planning, which is becoming increasingly popular!

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Taking A Vacation Without Being Taken In By A Travel Agent

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Taking A Vacation Without Being Taken In By A Travel Agent

The travel industry reports profits in excess of .4 trillion worldwide. Travel agents earn a large amount of this money by receiving commissions on flights, hotels, cruises and even rental cars from coastal vacations. Consumers pay these travel agent commissions through hidden fees or other costs for their coastal vacation.

The high costs of travel ground many people who dream of taking a coastal vacation to forget their troubles and everyday life.

Eliminating the commission paid to a travel agent can make a vacation more affordable and attractive to almost anyone. A consumer can save 10 to 25 percent on a coastal vacation if they do not use a travel agent.

Most major airlines eliminated travel agent commissions in recent years. Many travel agencies now make money by charging for their advice for coastal vacations. This “advice” costs anywhere from to an hour.

Yet most consumers still choose this costly option when planning a coastal vacation. According to the American Society for Travel Agents, travel agents book:

* 87 percent of cruises
* 81 percent of tours
* 51 percent of airline tickets
* 47 percent of hotels

Consumers seeking coastal vacations can find an affordable option on their own, without using a travel agent. With money and time, consumers beat travel agents at their own game and enjoy a great coastal vacation!

1. Good research equals good coastal vacations. The adage, “Location, location” rings true when traveling. A room with an Oceanside view means different things at different hotels and travel agents know this. A travel agent knows the best hotels for travelers seeking coastal vacations.

The consumer who looks out his or her window with a clear view of beautiful beach during his or her coastal vacation will return to the hotel annually.

If litter, nudist, dirty water or other unsightly views cloud the vision from the hotel, the consumer remembers this about their coastal vacation (and not too fondly) and will tell the travel agent. Travel agents do not want to hear this kind of news.

Consumers can research their destinations for their coastal vacation and their hotels without paying a travel agent. Online travel sites provide detailed information about destinations, hotels and attractions and these sites do not charge consumers. Consumers act as their own travel agents for their coastal vacations save money.

2. Money means everything! Unfortunately, most people lack the resources to take the coastal vacation they really want and should not give any of their money to a travel agent. Many airlines, hotels and online travel sites list great deals on vacations around the world on their websites. Anyone can take advantage of these coastal vacation deals without calling a travel agent.

3. Travel agents do not know consumers as well as consumers know themselves. Would a conservative Christian want to visit a nudist beach for his or her coastal vacation?

Would an avid angler prefer a beach where that prohibits fishing? Travel agents often make crucial mistakes when booking coastal vacations for consumers because they do not know their clients.

4. Consumers can take advantage of travel agent business opportunities. Consumers with a home-based travel agent business receive discounts they pass on to friends and family.

This gives the consumer the opportunity to take a dream coastal vacation and explore a new career. A home-based travel agent business gives a consumer financial and personal freedom to take as many coastal vacations as they like.

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Real Travel: The Difference Between Traveling And Going On Holiday

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Real Travel: The Difference Between Traveling And Going On Holiday

Now, more than ever, we travel. We pack our suitcases, make sure we haven’t forgotten the sunscreen, stick our passport in our back pocket and head for the door. But so often we take our own little world with us. Working all year round for those precious couple of weeks in the sun, we barely leave the poolside at the hotel where a scrambled egg breakfast is a must and all the other guests speak with the same “normal” accent as we do. What, I ask you, is the point of crossing continents to live life exactly as we do at home?

So what does it mean to really travel? What is the difference between going on holiday and traveling? More than anything it comes down to your state of mind and the reasons you are going in the first place. To travel is to experience, and to have new experiences you must be open to them, invite them. Sometimes this can be difficult, frightening even, as it means stepping out of your comfort zone. It means awkward moments, strange places, strange food and customs and ways of life that seem odd, and often the complete opposite of your own belief system. But isn’t that what makes the world interesting?

So why do it? What is the reward for making all this effort? Why do people go out of their way to travel to strange, hot, dusty, freezing or rainy places to taste odd delicacies made from parts of animals they’ve never heard of, put themselves in uncomfortable, sometimes even dangerous, situations, dealing with the jet lag and the culture shock? The reward is education. The reward is life itself. You might decide you like some of those odd delicacies. You might make some new friends. You will no doubt have some stories to tell, and you will definitely learn something. Your reward will be self discovery, growth, and knowledge. It will be the fact that you braved the world and found out it isn’t so scary after all.

Lonely Planet estimates that by the year 2020 1.5 billion people will be on the move each year. That is over a 6th of the world’s population. The world has shrunk to the point of being a single global suburb. For the more adventurous, this can make travel more difficult, in that cultures are blending at a rapid rate. Countries import not only goods and services, but customs and beliefs. Therefore the human race might eventually become just that: a single race. Great for tolerance, but it would be a less interesting world. So before this happens explore, learn, experience. As the late author James Michener once said: “If you reject the food, ignore the customs, fear the religion and avoid the people, you might better stay home”.

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Travel Information

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Travel Information

Human beings are always curious to acquire new information by reading books, newspapers and magazines, watching television, browsing through Internet, traveling to various parts of the world and socializing with other people. But, making extensive travels to different locations has its own attraction and is a popular mean of acquiring new information as well as relaxation. Spending some memorable moments with your near and dear ones at picturesque locations far away from your busy life is a burning desire for every human being.

But, before embarking upon your journey, you must have some important travel information and guidelines about the place of your visit so that you and your companions can enjoy the travel to the fullest. In the era of World Wide Web, getting useful travel information is just few mouse clicks away. Websites like vacationsbesttraveldeals.com is providing detailed information to tourists around the world about popular holiday destinations across the continents. It not only guides you about the tourist spots, but also provides an easy and affordable solution of getting there such as travel on a cruise.

Europe is the hub of world economy. But, it is equally famous for its tourist centers. Located in the Central Europe, Germany occupies a special place in the world travel map. It has a perfect mix of rich cultural heritage and modern architectures. It has left its past political, social and financial turbulences far behind to induce a new lease of life. Berlin, the capital of Germany, has everything you look for in a particular tourist spot. It has nicely transformed itself from an ancient city to a modern city full of clubs, bars, restaurants and art galleries. The best time to visit Germany is between May and September.

The rich diversity of Greece makes it one of the most popular places to visit in Europe. Greece is famous for its ancient Greek civilization and mythology. Greek Gods and Goddess like Zeus, Nike and Athena are very popular worldwide. Athens, the capital of Greece is the birthplace of Olympic Games. It is a favorite holiday destination for young travelers due to its diverse culture, clean and beautiful beaches and resorts.

Like Greece, Italy is well-known for its cities full of hustle and bustle like Rome, Milan and Florence and its world famous cuisines containing lots of chicken, vegetables, seafood and of course, pasta. The friendly and colorful nature of Italian people makes outside tourists feel like at home.

Tourists have now started thinking beyond European countries. Of late, continents like Asia and Africa are drawing the attention of people. Many multi national companies have their operations in countries like India, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan and China. As their economy is growing, they are now more aggressively marketing their unique cultures, historical monuments and structures, food, dance and scenic locations.

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