Travel Asia

Traveling Asia is something that everyone should experience at least once in their lifetime. When you travel to Asia, there are so many things to see and do; make sure that you plan your trip in advance. However, remember to leave some free time in you itinerary, because when you travel Asia, you want to make sure that you have the flexibility for an occasional adventure.


As the largest continent on earth, Asia offers travelers a huge variety of places to visit, things to do and, cultures to see. For first time visitors who travel Asia, we recommend the following:


Island Nations-

Indonesia:

One of the most diverse destinations for travelers to Asia, the Indonesian archipelago can provide enough exciting destinations for a complete trip. Whether you are seeking relaxation, natural beauty, cultural diversity or all of the above, Indonesia will show you an exciting and wonderful Asian travel destination.


Philippines:

Comprised of over 7000 islands, the Philippines has become on of Asia’s forgotten travel destinations.

Due to a recent history that includes martial law and economic corruption, the Philippines has lost much of its previous tourist activity to its more stable neighbors. Those who do visit will enjoy beautiful spots like the Boracay beaches and Lake Sebu.


Japan:

For decades, the island nation of Japan has been a favorite destination for travelers to Asia. From amazing Zen temples to kitschy reproductions of western monuments like the Eiffel Tower, Japan has something for every traveler who visits. The hardest thing is fitting it all in.


Southeast Asia

Thailand:

The Kingdom of Thailand is the most popular tourist destination in Southeast Asia drawing more visitors than its neighbors. With both mountainous regions and a beautiful coastline dotted with amazing islands Thailand is one a must see for those who travel to Asia. The city of Bangkok, the largest in Thailand is one of the most popular in all of Asia, as well.


Vietnam:

A quickly emerging destination among travelers to Asia, Vietnam is reshaping its image among world travel destinations. From the beaches along the coast, to its soaring inland mountains, Vietnam offers travelers to Asia with a sublime experience.


Mainland Asia-

China:

Too vast for words alone, China is rapidly emerging as the top destination for travelers to Asia. As China continues to modernize both economically and socially, it is becoming easier for those who travel to Asia to visit one of the largest and most populous countries in the world. If you travel to China, follow a loose itinerary and try to see as much as you can.


Korea:

South Korea is one of the most westernized of all Asian nations. Travelers to Korea can enjoy the modernity of the capital city, Seoul; or they can try visiting beautiful natural wonders like Songnisan National Park.


India:

Another of Asia’s largest and most heavily populated countries, India is a complex and diverse nation unlike any other you will experience when you travel throughout Asia. Visitors to India will be enchanted by its unpredictability and surprising cultural dramas that exist among its inhabitants.

Libya Travel

The capital city of Libya is Tripoli with the temperature that can get up to 46C in summer while other parts of Libya can be below 25 at the same time. But the climate is generally Mediterranean along the Libyan coast with dry and extreme desert interior.

There are many services available regarding travel to Libya including arrangements to get domestic services to visit different places in Libya. There are flights every day to and from Libya, mostly to Tripoli International Airport, from the major airports like Heathrow, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Rome, Cairo and several flights during the week from other European cities like Milan, Manchester and Vienna.

Like Cubans with Castro, most Libyans have only known Gaddafi as their leader. You are accosted with this knowledge at every turn as roadside banners and billboards proclaim "38". This signifies the number of years he has been in power. Marry this to the fact that 50% of Libyans are under age 30 and you have an interesting population. Our guide explains that they are used to him and know how his mind works so they are anxious about who and when he will be replaced. The other posters of him state 1999.9.9 which is the date of the first Africa Unity Organization meeting - another landmark for Gaddafi on his march to "high priest" if you will. Can you imagine Stephen Harper putting up posters of the date of his election to office?

One of Gaddafi's ideas back in 1998 was to offer 0,000 USD to any Libyan who was interested in going to West Africa to help populate the area. You had to go and set up a business there and the local Libyan officer would check your papers and dole out the loan. You did not have to pay it back for 5 years. So our tour guide, Tarek, went to Burkina Faso and met up with another Libyan who had taken the loan. He owned 2 restaurants - one in Ouagadougou and one in Accra - and so Tarek became the manager of both restaurants. It was also a good way to get away from his mother who was bugging him to get married. So life was quite good for 2 or 3 years but then the world changed in 2001 and he moved back to Libya.

The port came as a gift from Septimius Severus. Born in Leptis in 145AD, this local boy made so good that he became an emperor, the only African to have reached that level. (While on the subject, he died in York.) Leptis, by now rich from olive oil, greatly prospered further from his benefaction, a relationship celebrated in the triumphal arch.

The arch is still there, almost intact. You can see its obsequious marble fresco in the National Museum. Like many other colossal buildings, it has been rendered to its present state initially by the desert and much later by the Italians. Shattered by earthquakes, Leptis lay buried in sand till the 1920s, when the Italians excavated and meticulously restored it during their colonization of Libya.

Apt travelers love travel deals

 

Nearly half of the US online leisure travelers give high importance to their monthly incomes or savings in hand while planning vacation trips, said Forrester in one of its surveys.

The survey reflected the perception of travelers spending online and their leans towards daily deals.

Although the independent researcher found out that only eight per cent of the travelers approached deal of the day websites for travel deals, it expected growing numbers of ‘bookers’ for internet travelling agents because of “new internet-focused travel pricing and planning tools and models”.

Not general but it is a fact that US citizens like to visit daily deal websites to get the far-fetched savings on what they buy.

For a business or leisure trip, deal of the day is a best tool to whittle down the cost of main component that is travelling.

It is really a solace for them when Virgin America sells a 0 air ticket for , Frontier’s coupon requires payment instead of , or a travel deal by Southwest is available at rather than original .

Until recent past, flash sale websites and online travelling agencies were the sole discount houses used to offer off-fare air tickets to trippers besides holiday packages and night stays.

Leading daily deal players like Groupon and LivingSocial challenged the monopoly by publicizing travelling dedicated deals.

Chicago-based Groupon partnered with Expedia, the global leading internet traveling agency, to economize business or leisure trips while Washington D.C.’s LivingSocial also comes up with money saving expedition plans on and off for, what it claims, its 47 million customers in 25 countries.

Adding convenience further, mobile apps also become windows to unbeatable discounts.

Daily deal sites enrich the deal grabbing experience of discount seekers by replicating desktop’s environment for mobile platform.

Let alone couponing websites, deal aggregators are also introducing mobile apps for their subscribers so that they can catch the best deals on the go instantly.

Big names including Groupon and LivingSocial have launched mobile apps while Yipit, a deal aggregator, has also not left behind in the race of hooking up mobile discount seekers to its aggregation service.

Unquestionably, increasing mobile usage is prompting daily deal companies to keep abreast with the palpable shift to mobile from desktop environment after the advent of smartphones. 

“Apple has sold almost 60 million iPhones world wide, while Google’s Android OS is growing at 886 per cent year on year and now activating over 160,000 devices a day, across 60 devices in over 40 countries,” Business Insider reported digitalbuzz in a November’s story.

Handheld devices are liked by online shoppers for their modern services dolled up by an introduction of zip code-induced deal tracing technology of daily deal sites.

A code will pull nearby deals up on the screen.

That is a progressive value addition.

While laying hands on the hot deals through mobile phones during mobility is a kindling experience, fishing out last minute deals is incomparably exciting.

Daily deals help airliners to optimize occupancy rates and score new passengers

 

Travel Planning

"A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step." Also, a journey of a thousand miles needs to be well planned in order for you to enjoy it thoroughly. Whether the travel involves adventure, exploring nature, a leisurely stay at a resort, or a series of business meetings, if the intricacies of travel planning are overlooked it can quickly become a nightmarish experience. This especially holds true for vacations when the last thing you want on your mind is work!!
Each kind of travel has its own specific requirements. Depending on your reason for travel, you need to plan accordingly. Travel planning is even more essential when it is with your family, as those are the times when you want to extract the most memorable moments from your vacation. Once your destination is chosen, the next things to work out are logistics. The gear you pack can vary from casual clothes and swim suits for adventure, to formal attire, for business travel. The need to take along your personal gadgets could also differ from a camcorder for capturing those fun filled pictures, to a laptop, essential for your board meeting. It is necessary to preempt the luggage you would be carrying along as there are weight restrictions specified by various airlines for luggage. Similarly, every country has different regulations/ constraints for carrying foreign currency. If youre visiting a place for the first time, it makes sense to use the services of a professional travel agent who can not only get you a good deal but also to suggest ways to go about preparing for your travel and what precautions to take to safeguard your belongings in a foreign land.
If you are planning to drive, ensure that you carry the requisite documents along with you. License, auto insurance papers, rental/ registration papers etc. For other means of travel, youll need booking confirmations and boarding or travel tickets, at all times apart from passport, visa (if needed) and any other proof of identity.
Here are some practical tips:
1.Register your travel plans with your state department, so that you can be contacted in case of an emergency.
2.Leave a copy of your itinerary, passport page, travel insurance and visas with your family or friends.
3.Ensure you have sufficient overseas medical coverage. You dont want to blow up all your holiday money on treatment/medication incase you need medical treatment.
4.If you plan to drive abroad, ensure you are familiar with the weather and road conditions as also with the car youre driving and have the documents you need to carry along handy at all times.
5.Familiarize yourself with the foreign countrys laws, culture and common customs. The more at home you are, the lesser are chances of you being cheated at any point.
6.Subscribe to country specific information, travel warnings and alerts, if necessary.
7.Know the countrys import restrictions.
8.Get yourself a vaccination, if necessary.
9.Senior travelers consider the following:
a.Pack light for a comfortable journey.
b.Make sure you keep extra copies of all your important documents at a secure place. Medical insurance is an absolute necessity!
c.Check the weather conditions of your destination beforehand. Dont experiment at a new place which might be uncomfortable.
d.Do not over plan. Keep your schedule stress free.
e.Travel in groups. That way not only do you have great company of like minded people but also a strong support system.
f. Look out for senior friendly travel deals and discounts. Organizations like AAA, AARP and a host of senior related websites will be able to offer you good deals and advice on ideal places for vacation.

A little travel planning in advance can leave you with wonderful memories of your trip. Take out the time beforehand to research and prepare. Its time well spent!

Udaipur Travel

About Udaipur:
Udaipur is one of the most beautiful cities of Heritage state of Rajasthan. This beautiful city is famous all over India for its lakes, this is why the city is also known as ''Lake City'' or ''City of Lakes''. Just because of its picturesque sights Udaipur is also known by several names like, 'Venice of the East', 'Kashmir of Rajasthan' and 'The Most Romantic City of India'. This amazing city was founded by Rana Udai Singh, father of Maharana Pratap. Then it was the capital of Rajputs kingdom of Mewar.

Attractions of Udaipur:
Set amidst the gorgeous Aravali hills, having a number of beautiful lakes in its lap Udaipur city is one of the best tourists destinations of Rajasthan. The city has numerous palaces, lakes, temples and monuments, that leave an everlasting impression in the minds of visitors.

City Palace:
This massive structure is a complex of palaces, situated in the east of the bank of lake Pichola.

It was built by Maharana Udai Singh and afterwards several extensions were made. This palace complex has a series of small and big palaces along with museums and gardens. This wonderful palace is the rich fusion of Rajasthani, Mughal, Medieval European and Chinese Architecture.

Lake Palace:
This white palace is located in lake Pichola, hence it seems to float on the still water of the beautiful lake. The palace is counted not only amongst the best architectures of Rajasthan but also counted among the most beautiful palaces in the world. This splendid building reflects the royal and lavish life style of Maharajas of Rajasthan.

Lakes:
Udaipur is primarily known for its magnificent lakes, the most famous lakes of the city are:

Fateh Sagar Lake: This artificial lake is situated in the north of Lake Pichola, which was constructed by Maharana Jai Singh in 1678 AD and was further reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh. This lake bounds three awesome island, among which Nehru Park is the largest island. The second island has a wonderful public park, while the third one is the destination of Udaipur Solar Observatory.

Pichola Lake: This artificial lake was constructed in 1362 AD, which is surrounded by several islands, marble temples, palaces and bathing ghats. The fascinating Lake Palace is also located in the middle of this lake.

Temples: The famous temples of Udaipur are Jag Mandir, Jagdish Mandir, Eklinga ji, Bohara Ganesha ji Temple and Neemach Mata Temple, where tourists feel the essence of spiritualism.

Saheliyon ki Bari: Saheliyon ki Bari means 'Garden of Maids', which was built by Maharana Bhopal Singh. Beautiful fountains, kiosks, lotus pool, marble elephants and small museums are the attractions of this garden.

Udaipur Solar Observatory: It is one of the largest observatories of Asia, situated on an island of Fateh Sagar Lake. It was built in 1976, based on the model of Solar Observatory at Big Bear Lake of California.

Other Attractions:
Gulab Bagh & Zoo, Doodh Talai, Bagore-ki-Haveli, Ahar Museum, Nehru Garden, Sukhadia Circle, Shilpgram and Moti Magri are other major attractions of Udaipur.

Active Travel

There seems to be a whole vocabulary for those who sell travel. Active travel, adventure travel, leisure travel, eco-tourism. Do you really need to know what it all means? Not really. In the grand scheme of things you define your own travel style, and it may change from day to day.

You may go to an island and choose to sit on the beach one day, and go scuba diving the next. You may spend a day in the spa that resort has down in a palm grove and go bike riding the next. You're active one day and quiet as a slug the next.

But if you are signing up for a tour, you should find out what that particular tour operator means when they say active travel. In general, an active tour will focus more on travel and transportation that requires physical activity... walking or cycling as opposed to riding along in a van or bus.

Most tours that fall into this category have a lot of outdoor activities.

OK, you say, but you can do a lot of walking if you're sightseeing in a big city.

You're right, even museum tours or garden tours can give you a workout, but active travel sort of indicates that you will be outdoors and biking or hiking or rafting or even horseback riding.

Some companies spell it out for you pretty well... they'll tell you the activity level that will be required for the whole tour...

Will there be a lot of hiking or walking? For how many hours or how many miles or kilometers. Will there be lots of stairs or hills to climb? They may even have a "scoring" system all the way from easy to difficult... of course, you need to know what their definition of easy is!

A trekking company, for instance, might say Level One, or Easy is 3-5 hours of walking up to six miles a day with low altitude.... While Level Four or Strenuous is 5-8 hours of hiking in mountainous terrain at higher elevations.

Will you be staying in hotels? Or mountain huts where you share a bunkhouse arrangement with other travelers? Or will you be camping.... sleeping in tents? Your tour operator should give you an idea of the type of accommodations you can expect from rugged or spartan to luxury. You could be going on an African safari in the middle of the Kalahari, but if you stayed in a tent at Jack's Camp, you would definitely find yourself reveling in the luxury category... and still be active in your travels.

You may even find that you relieve more "workaday" anxieties and frustrations with active vacations than you would just sitting on the beach, eating and drinking the night away. Activity is good for you, and sometimes it leaves you just a little tired and more relaxed at the end of the day.

Brochures may use the terms active or adventure travel interchangeably. We think of adventure travel as a little more of a reach.... something that is more apt to get you a little out of your comfort zone. Active travel doesn't necessarily do that.... but it may make you break a sweat.

And what's wrong with that?

Traveling to Africa ? 3 Important Travel Tips

Africa is more than just an exotic travel destination. Its a world apart and one of the most unique and special travel experiences you will ever have. The continent has so much to offer and with the rich and diverse natural beauty you are bound to end up in some rural parts that is not always as safe as what you may be used to in a first world country. There are a lot of things you need to be careful of when traveling to Africa and although there is no need to be paranoid, being cautious is very important to ensure a safe and enjoyable trip.

Here are 3 things that you must pay particular attention to.

1. Medical Precautions

Before you travel to any part of Africa you need to check which pills you need to drink before you leave. Malaria is a very real and present danger all through the continent and if you are traveling to certain parts you are required to finish certain courses of prescription pills well in advance of your travel.

This is crucial to keep you safe from the treat of diseases that can be life threatening.

2. Personal Security

In Africa, local police and security is not at all what it is elsewhere in the world. There is a lot of issues with tourists being targeted for petty crimes and sometimes even more serious attacks. In most cities you will be fine, but when you go off the beaten track into more rural areas you need to pay particular attention to never walk alone – especially in deserted areas. Always check with your local embassy on the current political climate of any region you are traveling to and make sure that you avoid areas where there is conflict.

3. Insurance

When it comes to security at airports and hotels, then you’d be surprised at some of the stories. At certain airports and in certain countries airport personal routinely raid passenger’s luggage and help themselves to whatever they feel like. Its really important that you have adequate insurance – especially for stuff like cameras, laptops and other valuables. Its also good practice to keep your travel documents on you at all times and try and carry as little cash on you as possible. Keep valuable jewelery at home as it will only attract pick pockets.

Read more about Kenya vacations at http://kenyavacationsite.com.

Travelers Constipation

The flip side of travelers' diarrhea is constipation. While the old scourge of "tourista" gets most of the publicity, so to speak, constipation is almost as prevalent among travelers... and for some of the same reasons. No, it probably won't be the water, but it can be the jet lag and the diet that bind you up.

Being tired from not sleeping well on the plane, being dehydrated, the stress of travel... all of these may add to your problem. But wait, you say, I thought those caused diarrhea! Yep, they can cause both, depending on all the other circumstances, and depending on your body. What gives some people the runs, clogs up others.

It may be that you traded off your usual fiber-fortified morning cereal for a fiber-free continental breakfast... Too much refined bread and the cheeses that go with it maybe? My grandmother used to say, "Eat cheese, it's binding."

I used to love all those new breads and cheeses to sample for breakfast when we travel, but now I try to eat those "active enzyme yogurts" before we travel, and I look for yogurt and fiber rich foods at the breakfast buffet.

Our bodies are conditioned to the clock, and your body clock is all off if you've passed over several time zones....

so for a couple of days, your body (and your bowels) can't figure out when it's supposed to work.

When it comes, don't ignore the urge... you may be walking down the street in a foreign city and think, "Oh no! Not now!" Well, not going will just block things up more later, so do your best to find a toilet. Eventually your body will get on a schedule in your new time zone.

Remember to call it a toilet or WC. Calling it a restroom will only confuse people in many countries. And speaking of the facilities... Sometimes it can even be the strange bathroom facilities that cause travelers' constipation in some people.

Those facilities may not be as clean as you're used to... or you could encounter one of those "hole-in-the-ground toilets" instead of "the porcelain throne". Some people just can't go when the facilities are so different. I guess you'd better be looking for higher end (so to speak) hotels where things are more apt to be what you're used to.

When you go on vacation, you probably drink more alcohol than you do at home. Alcohol can dehydrate you, and that can make you more apt to suffer irregularity.

Drink plenty of water and fruit juices. Try to keep meals on a regular schedule, and try to eat plenty of raw fruits and leafy vegetables. Go for the prunes, granola, and yogurt if you get the chance at breakfast. You might want to try taking packets of a fiber supplement like Metamucil along.

And get plenty of exercise.... it'll help get things moving again.

Jaipur Travel

Jaipur also known as the Pink City is the most popular tourist destination of the state of Rajasthan. It is the capital city and also a famous hub for the holiday-makers. The cultural heritage and the magnificent palaces and the forts of this city attracts travelers from every part of the world. In earlier times it was the stronghold of the Rajput rulers who made the majestic palaces and forts.

Location: It is located in the colorful state of Rajasthan and is approximately 258 km from Delhi. It is also a part of the Golden triangle tour besides Delhi and Agra. It is very well-connected with the other cities of India and one can easily reach here by the railways, roads and airport.

Climate: During summers the weather of Jaipur is very hot and humid. In summers the temperature can go up to 45 degrees. In winters the climate is extremely cool and sometimes it can also be very freezing. The best to visit this city is in the months of October-March.

Famous tourist attractions: Jaipur is a city of beautiful palaces, havelis and forts. They are the most popular tourist attractions of this city. The amazing architecture and the magical aura of the these buildings casts its magic on every traveler. Hawa Mahal, City Palace, Jantar Mnatar, Amer Fort, Ram Bagh Palace, Nahargarh Fort and Laxmi Narayan temple are the most visited destinations of Jaipur. The train journey of Palace on Wheels and Royal Rajasthan on Wheels takes you on a luxury tour and completes the Jaipur travel.

Shopping Spree: While in Jaipur tourists can buy some wonderful artefacts and hand-made craft items. It is a paradise for shoppers. They can also purchase beautiful and traditional Rajasthani dress material.

Places to stay: There are many luxury and budget hotels available in Jaipur to suit the pocket of every traveler. Rajvillas, Ram Bagh Palace, Tal Mahal Palace are the famous five-star hotels. Hotel Maurya Palace and Holiday Inn are budget hotels. Beside these Ramgarh Lodge, Royal Castle and Raj Mahal Palace are some of the heritage hotels of Jaipur. They have all the modern facilities to make the stay of their guests comfortable.

Discount Travel

Discount or budget travel involves a good deal of groundwork, planning and collating relevant information. Some of the best ways to get that great air deal are searching the Internet and visiting airline agencies. Airline companies that have just entered the industry offer a great deal of promotional fares. However, it is advisable to check different promotional offers and find the cheapest, instead of settling for the first that you chance upon.

Frequent flier miles, student fares and senior citizen discounts are other options. Discount travelers should keep a flexible travel schedule. If the promo of an airline states that they only give discounts on a certain day of the week, departure dates should coincide with the same. Monday is usually the busiest day of the week in the airline industry; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays are the days that have fewer reservations, so tickets are sold cheap on these days.

Some airlines offer travel packages such as car rental or hotel room discounts along with the air ticket.

Another option is approaching consolidators or discount travel agents who buy blocks of tickets and sell them at reduced prices.

Budget travel guides can prove pretty useful in planning your trip. The Internet is a great resource for online budget travel guides. Some of the old, trusted methods of discount travel are heading out in the off-season, advance booking, visiting ticket consolidators (discount travel agents) and finding combination deals. The online travel guides offer these and more tips.

The popular online budget travel guides are lonelyplanet.com, iexplore.com, frommers.com, hobotraveler.com, sleepinginairports.net, bargaintravel.com and budgettravel.com. 10best.com offers the best travel guides for select destinations, and recommendations and deals on hotels and vacation packages. Budgettravelonline.com is another great site for finding the best deals for your budget vacation. They offer free email newsletters, and you can also subscribe to their magazine, Budget Travel, for a price. You can also find information on discount deals and tips in budget travel magazines.

Discount Air Travel provides detailed information on Discount Travel, Discount Air Travel, Discount Travel Agents, Discount European Travel and more. Discount Air Travel is affiliated with Discount Hotel Rates.

Travel lightly

The idea of waiting for a flight to depart or arrive has always been in the bottom of anyone's list. Many find the experience tiring, discouraging and waste of time.

 

As travelling by airplane is never simple but complex, many people often missed out or forgot some things which bring them various inconveniences.

 

Often, no matter how good your memory is, you may however missed out of forget some things. Therefore, you are encouraged to planning your to-do lists so that you will have all the important things with you and enjoy a pleasant flight.

 

Here, I would like to share with you two useful tips that can minimise your headaches and frustration that are linked with air travel. These two useful tips should be taken at your planning stage.

 

Firstly, you should travel lightly so that all your necessary items can be fitted into the standard size hand carry.

By travelling lightly, you will get avoid the need to check-in any luggage with the airline as well as the need to travel around with a heavy luggage.

 

Accordingly, you can also avoid spending your precious time at the luggage counter waiting your luggage bag to appear at the conveyor belt. In other words, can you save time and leave the airport almost immediately after the flight.

 

If you are having long hours flight, you are encouraged to bring along some snacks while you depart. This is because the airlines no longer serving complimentary meals and you may be hungry during the flight. By having some snacks with you, you will no longer have to stay in hunger.

 

Nowadays, you can easily find premium food and snacks at the restaurants and convenient shops at the airport. Therefore, you should allocate a few minutes to pack some food either from your home or buy them conveniently at the airport.

 

Business Travel

 

Business travel is probably the oldest form of travel known to man and perhaps the single most influential reason behind the development of the travel industry. A few millennia ago traders and sea farers undertook arduous journeys across the seven seas and the five continents in the name of commerce. Today company executives undertake the same journeys, sometimes even visiting the same cities in the name of corporate travel.

With the globalization of international trade and emerging markets, business travel has grown exponentially. Following the post Second World War era and the expansion of trade and commerce many corporate organizations looked towards expanding their horizons and spreading beyond their homelands. This concept is not entirely new, for example the colonial eras preceding the 20th century saw certain European companies expanding into Asia, Australia and Africa.

Following this phenomenon and the emerging markets in Asia and Latin America fuelled the growth of business travel.

Especially with the current lull in the global economy, increasing inflation, high oil prices and the specter of terrorism leisure travel has seen a decrease. However, by stark contrast business travel has been increasing rapidly. Many attribute this to North American companies outsourcing production to emerging Asian players such as China, Vietnam and Thailand. Also the booming economies of India and China have made it the place to be as far as trade and commerce is concerned.

With a number of factors fuelling the growth of business travel, many airlines, hotels and other travel related service providers have been quick to explore this vibrant market segment. Business travelers are mostly affluent and demand a certain level of sophistication. They also require tools to facilitate their business transactions such as meeting and conferencing facilities, the latest communications technology and most importantly a serene environment at the hotel they chose to stay in.

For business travellers to treading all around the world, Langham Hotels offer a luxurious gateway. Langham International, a reputed luxury hotel chain offers great comforts to business travelers from around the world at its numerous properties.

BCD Travel?s 2011 Review / 2012 Preview

2011: The Year in Review

 

 

Higher prices
Managing increased airfares and hotel rates. Airlines have remained disciplined in their capacity, helping them to regain some of their pricing power, while higher occupancy rates have pushed up average daily hotel rates, too.
Rose Stratford, senior vice president, Global Supplier Relations

Asian event shocks
There have been numerous natural disasters, including Japan, Australia and, most recently, Thailand. We’ve also contended with crises caused by the financial woes of Indian airlines and the Qantas strike in Australia. All of these events mean that we, like our clients, have needed to remain vigilant and flexible, and constantly plan for the unknown. Flexibility has also been tested by phenomenal growth (a 30 percent increase, year-over-year, in bookings for BCD Travel in Asia-Pacific). Skill shortages, low unemployment (only 2 percent in Singapore) and rising salaries and costs are familiar challenges for all companies in the region. A great example of the APAC boom: Four of the world’s 10 most expensive cities are in China.
Greg O’Neil, president, Asia-Pacific region

The new normal
Steering travel programs successfully through the new normal of major incidents like the Arab Spring and Japanese earthquake and tsunami means being ready for more — and more frequent — interaction with potentially affected travelers.
Torsten Kriedt, vice president, Product Planning & Intelligence

Lack of technology investment
Uncertainty inhibited innovations in technology because companies are still tapping the brakes on investment, even though this is an ideal time to leapfrog competitors as they cut costs.
Miriam Moscovici, senior director, Emerging Technologies

Confused outlook
The euro crisis is causing some companies to worry we are on the brink of economic meltdown, and we are seeing some stagnation as a result. It is making forecasting, planning and budgeting very difficult. With my ACTE president’s hat on, I also am concerned about finding, training and keeping young talent for the travel industry. The average age of employees in many travel management companies is early 40s.
Chris Crowley, senior vice president, Global Client Management and president, Association of Corporate Travel Executives

What was the biggest breakthrough or most important development?

Mobile matters
Mobile technology has continued to expand as more and more travelers adopt smartphones or tablets. With travelers becoming more IT-savvy, companies are having to modify travel policies to address the expanding technology of apps and offerings outside their traditional booking channels.
Rose Stratford

APAC in the driver’s seat
Asia-Pacific is becoming a driver market in global bids. In 2011, BCD Travel saw a sharp jump in bids being generated from within APAC. In more developed markets, like Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines, customers are asking for stronger centralization of services. Business intelligence, profile management and travel risk management are in demand across the region.
Greg O’Neil

Putting travelers first
The renaissance of traveler-centric programs, but this time with a twist: aiming for better-than-policy compliance.
Torsten Kriedt

Improved communication
The modernization of the client enterprise is enabling the travel program to reveal itself in ways that are more natural to the traveler. Clients are investing in mobile strategies and sophisticated communication and collaboration tools that, when leveraged to the fullest, can take the influence of the managed travel program to a whole new level.
Miriam Moscovici

Understanding the value of travel
Buyers have reassessed the value of what travel brings to their company through key performance indicators such as travel spend against sales. I have also seen a genuine integration of meetings and travel management, sometimes consolidating to a single P&L or charging methodology.
Chris Crowley

2012: The Year Ahead

Name an important issue travel managers have to watch out for next year.

Airline headaches
Airlines are cautiously optimistic about the year ahead and have already begun cutting capacity.  This will continue to drive higher fares unless demand slows. U.S. buyers, especially, should keep an eye on the outcome of the disputes between American Airlines and global distribution systems, which may be determined by court rulings. Airline credit card surcharges will continue to proliferate as carriers have been successful in introducing them in Europe in 2011.
Rose Stratford

Consolidation in Asia
Distribution channels in Asia will remain fragmented, mainly because of government regulation and ownership in countries like China and Japan.. I anticipate continued focus on regional consolidation of telephone-based reservations, although this could attract considerable local resistance. On a separate note, crisis management and disaster recovery will become increasingly important responsibilities for travel managers.
Greg O’Neil

More accessible data
2012 will be the year that interactive and visual spend analysis across different data sources will be adopted as a new standard in progressive program management.
Torsten Kriedt

Talk to your travelers
Next year is going to be all about strategic communication and traveler engagement. Influencing the traveler to make the best buying decision throughout the trip life cycle, for any reimbursable expense, is the final frontier — and now you can reach them at the right time, and wherever they may be.
Miriam Moscovici

Power to the people
If we can avoid an economic crash, we will see a move from rigidly established travel programs to giving budgetary control to cost-center owners, provided they live within the supplier framework. I also think there will be a huge argument about ownership of data and that the ability to control commercial situations through alliances will be tested by corporate clients.
Chris Crowley

What one thing would you really like to happen next year (even if you think it is unlikely to happen) that would improve business travel/travel management?

A healthier business environment
Economic growth and financial stability top my wish list. There is still a lot of uncertainty, particularly in Europe and the United States. In the year ahead, we need a healthy economy to build consumer and business confidence, which will stimulate more travel demand.
Rose Stratford

Improved GDSs
More alignment of the GDSs, including better transparency of content and more parity between fares in different distribution channels.
Greg O’Neil

Better IT connectivity
Open APIs (application programming interfaces) to help inter-connect all systems in the travel planning, booking, payment, expense and tax process so companies and travelers can decide for themselves how and with whom to share which data, and enjoy the fruits of emerging innovations.
Torsten Kriedt

A rail revolution
I’d like to see rail in Europe tied up with a nice bow: shoppable, bookable, serviceable, the whole deal.  The good news is that the industry is making a lot of progress on that front.
Miriam Moscovici

Open dialogue
I would like to find a way for a more transparent, open dialogue between the fixed positions of distribution systems, suppliers, clients and intermediaries. It doesn’t sound to me like everyone is trying to find a solution that genuinely meets the needs of travelers. If we don’t self-regulate soon, someone is going to come in and regulate us.
Chris Crowley

Related Posts
BCD Corporate Travel Wins Innovation Award at Business Travel Show
Mobile mandate
Corporate Travel Management Navigating Economic Volatility
The rise of corporate travel in Asia
BCD Travel signs with online technology solutions partner, Sabre Pacific

Ensure You Travel With Travel Insurance

There are a lot of people who make travel plans. Unfortunately some times the plans fall through. A flight could be cancel with no refund giving. A hotel could cancel your stay for some reason or another. There could be an emergency with family that prevents the person from traveling.

There is a way protect a person in case something happens. You can take out Travel insurance to cover medical expenses and financials or other losses while traveling. It could come in very handy. If a person has cover and they can not go on the trip then they get a full refund back providing certain conditions are met. There are many different kind of cover including business, student, and leisure travel. There are many other coverage options too including cruise, travel, and international travel. No matter what the person is traveling for the it is a very good investment to make.

Travel insurance is very affordable. The coverage type is what determines the price and it is usually offered at the time of booking a trip. If the trip is being booked online through a web site then usually right before the payment section that is where it is offered. Some travels web sites even give it to you at no extra charge. If the person is booking through a travel agency then they usually try and upsell it to you and is usually much more expensive than when booking the trip online.

There are travel insurance web sites that have very affordable options. These web sites have twenty four hour customer service ready to help a person out. One of the most important things to do while researching is to compare coverage and prices.

The most important thing to remember about traveling is to always be prepared. Traveling with travel insurance helps to keep a person mind at ease and it helps to protect the trip and having it is a very smart decision.

Traveller?s Diarrhoea Traveller?s Enemy

The place is ideal for your preference, all the things you need are packed and with you, camera is full-charged and so ready to capture special moments and other important events, and the whole vibe is great, but the only factor in bad shape is YOU. Travelling is a great experience for anyone; it can be a venture to be audacious and discover new things, get in touch with new environment and people, a very important affair, or anything that is worth spending your time for, but in the event that there a big wall of hindrance blocks your productivity and enjoyment, it will surely ruin everything.

Say for an example, the traveller’s diarrhoea, it is the most common illness attacking backpackers from developed countries spending a matter of days or weeks in developing parts of the world, and regarded as every traveller’s enemy, thinking that the risk is very high (estimates vary from 30 to 80% of travelers).

So, what is diarrhoea or traveller’s diarrhoea in the first place? Well basically, this condition is characterized by increased frequency of loose bowel movements or stools in 24-hour period matched with abdominal cramps, bloating, toilet urgencies, nausea, vomiting, mild fever and even blood in stools for some serious cases (or dysentery). It is acquired through ingestion of contaminated food or drinks that is spread by poor hygiene. The microorganisms responsible for traveller’s diarrhoea range from bacteria to viruses to parasites, and they are the following: Escherichia coli (E. coli)—which is the primary cause of this illness approximates 40% of all cases, Salmonella, Shigella, Campylobacter, Rotavirus, Norovirus and Giardia.

The reason why travelers from industrialized or developed countries are more prone to this illness is because of the drastic and rapid change in the type of organisms in their gastrointestinal tract, wherein these organisms responsible for TD is basically alien to them since they are not present in the environment they are used to. Meanwhile, developing countries, which are the high-risk areas, such as Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Central and Southern America find these organisms harmless, which can be presumably because they have gained immunity on them.

Because of this kind of case, remember that prevention is your best weapon. Equip yourself with enough knowledge you’ll need to protect yourself, practice the basics yet important principle of good hygiene, and see to it to cook your food properly especially the meats, poultry and seafood, handle and prepare the foods properly, and avoid risky foods and risky areas to eat. It is also important that you pack antimotility medications, oral rehydration solutions and antibiotics along with you just to prepare when the sudden onset of traveller’s diarrhoea occurs.

International Travel Insurance: A Must For Travelers

International travel insurance has been a catch phrase for people who have taken trips abroad and have visited different places across the globe. All the trips of people have normally been accompanied with travel insurance to cover the said trip and protect the individual. But the question remains as to what these travel insurance policies really are and if these are truly justified with the welfare of the traveler.

As a matter of course, these insurance policies are very important to say the least. There are explanations of course, as to why such insurance is very important to the tourist or the traveler. It is worthy to note of several reasons in making the acquisition of travel insurance an important exercise.

When it comes to international travel insurance, there are many choices and alternatives to take. There is an inventory of choices for you to take and there are different plans which may be tailor fit to suit your requirements and cover you for any accident which may happen in the course of your traveling.

There are basically four types of insurance coverage terms.

1) Emergency medical insurance. This provides full coverage for diagnosis and medical attention to an injury or illness which happens during travel.

2) Trip interruption or cancellation. The reasons for trip cancellation are varied and may range within the following reasons: illness, forfeiture of assets, traffic accident along the way, termination from employment, crime, terrorist attack, inclement weather, strike, or other civic duties.

3) Misplaced luggage insurance. This insurance answers the costs of lost, stolen, damaged or delayed luggage for more than 12 hours against personal items and expenses.

4) Trip accident coverage. This basically provides insurance coverage during your flights abroad.

You should take extra care to plan ahead and prepare enough for you and your family when considering which worldwide travel insurance to take. While opting not to take insurance for yourself, it is best to realize that saving a few dollars might not be worth it compared to the potential risk you take when you do not have a comprehensive insurance coverage.

For a miniscule amount of money, you can afford good and adequate protection for you and your family with travel insurance for any unforeseen circumstance or emergency situation. It is better to be insured comprehensively, with provisions for insurance that is wide-ranging, from delayed luggage to flight cancellation. Remember that the few dollars you save from not getting insurance may not be worth the risk you are exposing yourself.

Similar to other insurance coverage policies, the travel insurance functions by taking into consideration all the possible risks and untoward circumstances which may happen to you and your family. While the insurer would present you with the different insurance coverage proposals, it is up to you to select which program or coverage would best suit your needs.

India Travel,India Travel Tours

Indian Furniture industry is seeing a very good boom and is considered to be an ever growing industry. Our country is manufacturing and exporting high level of quality furniture in terms of design, fashion and technology. Indian furniture has built a strong image all across the world. Furniture industry requires the employment of a wide variety of raw materials in quite large proportions. The range of these materials includes wood, wood base panel, leather, glass, plastic, metals and textile etc. Different furniture such as sofas, chairs, wardrobes, mattresses, kitchens etc are manufactured in various types, size, shapes, and color combinations to meet the requirements of different places like schools, institutional, offices and residential.

There are a good bundle of factors contributing towards the growth of the Furniture Industry.

These factors are-
- Change in Life style: The concept of good living and better lifestyle has change for the middle class Indians. Interior designing is not only confined to rich and wealthy Indians. The middle class people now do not mind paying an added buck in getting their homes decorated with modern and designer furniture.
- Increase in Disposable Income: The disposable income available to the people has quiet increased, and this increase in disposable income helps people to spend for the betterment of lifestyle and so the other way to the growth of furniture Industry.
- Globalization: It has also lead to the increased demand of the Furniture and so contributed towards the good scope for Wood Furniture Exporters.
- Media: Medias play a vital role in making people learn about the betterment in lifestyle and the lots of available options.
- Interior Designers: Interior Designers also play a very important role in the growth of Furniture Industry. They utilize the wooden furniture to fix in the area getting decorated.
- Furniture Trade Fairs: Furniture vendors participate in the International Furniture trade fairs for increased exposure and thus these contributes towards the growth of Furniture Industry.

The Indian Furniture whether be it Wood Home Furniture of Oak, Mahogani, Shisham, Devdaar woods, or Wood Garden Furniture which creates a cozy seating nooks all plays a crucial role in creating a classy n stylish interior at home. The current scenario shows a good growth in Furniture Industry. The market of wooden furniture alone contributes to the share of nearly Rs 60 crore. According to a recent study, the industry is expected to grow by 20 per cent in near future.

 

Travel Assured With Travel Insurance

Traveling around the world is one the biggest dreams of most people. Traveling also gives people the opportunity to learn more about other people, places, cultures, and more. However, traveling is also tiring and has risks involved. This is why some people are scared to travel much. You should take note that accidents do happen during unexpected times and they may also happen during travels. But traveling is worth the risk when you will get to learn more than what you might be able to by being stuck in one place all your life. Traveling will expose you to things that you will never see within the four walls of your house, of your school classroom, and of your office.

To be quite certain and to put yourself at ease while you enjoy and take in all the pleasure from traveling, you have to cover yourself under travel insurance. Travel insurance will grant you the assurance that even if you are not at home and you are not near your favorite clinic, you will still be well-taken cared of in cases when you might get sick, hurt, or injured in any way while traveling.

Even if you are already grown-ups, you should still apply your camping motto and mode of "always being ready." An ever ready mode means that you must take the proactive measure of insuring yourself against future expenses. Medical expenses vary from one country to another. If unfortunately, you will get sick in a country that charge expensive bills for medical care, you will not be too burdened with the bill.

Another thing is that when you travel, you would more likely try out the activities that a particular place offers. For example, you might want to try the sand dune rides. However, you might also be exposed to sandstorms, or your car might accidentally overturn while you drive it fast. When you meet accidents like these, you need not worry about your medical expenditures.

If you have travel insurance, you will also be assured that if you might accidentally lose one of your plenty baggage upon flight transfer from one plane to another, you will be able to recover the amount of those things inside the lost baggage. This will help you endure the unfortunate loss of some of your necessary possessions. This will also allow you to buy new replacements so as to continue your travel without taking your loss to the heart.

If you have travel insurance, you will also be assisted with the amount of money that you have spent on tickets that you may not be able to use especially if you have decided to cancel out your booking schedule due to an emergency.

Chardham Travel

Chardham Offers is the Travel Agency having various Travel Packages and services for the clients. Chardham India Pilgrimage Tour is promoted by the Advenure Pilgrimage India Tour. There are several Tour Operates provides all types of Pilgrimage services and packages to the clients. We provide the Travel Packages according to the budget of the clients. Some people come with the large groups and some are with small groups. Some clients need luxury facilities like luxury cars and luxury hotel accommodation. So according to the facilities to the clients the budget of the package is either increased or decreased. We have also some economical Chardham Tour Package  for the general level clients who can’t bear the expenditure of the costly Travel Package.


All the Travel Tours of India, Chardham Travel is the most famous Travel Tour.

It covers all the four famous Pilgrimage Dhams of Hindu religion. Chardham Tour contains four Dhams, these are Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath and Badrinath. Each Dham has a Temple devoted to the God like Gangotri devoted to Goddess Ganga , Yamunotri devoted to Goddess Yamuna , Kedarnath devoted to Lord Shiva and the last Badrinath is devoted to Lord Vishnu.  These Pilgrimage destinations are located at Uttrakhand, state of India. Chardham Pilgrimage Tour starts at the month of May to October of every year. The weather and climate of these Dhams is very nice and cold throughout the whole year. So people get memorable enjoyment from this Yatra.


Chardhamoffers is a Uttrakhand India baesd Travel Agency offers Tours to all Pilgrimage destinations in India. We provide complete Pilgrimage Tour Packages having accommodation facility and Transport facilitities. This Chardham Yatra must be visited from left to right, starting from Yamunotri then Gangotri, Kedarnath and the last to Badrinath. This Agency has some Tourist Packages are available for the upcoming  Chardham Yatra 2012.  Peoples can book your Tour according to their budget online from our website (chardhamoffers.com). The Hindu Peoples believes that after visiting these Chardham we acquire Moksha in our life because this Yatra has a religious significance in our life. Some people said about Char Dham that heaven and earth converge in these holy spots.