admin

Deals to travel to Hawaii

September 29, 2011 by admin 1 Comment

The current economic crisis has put a damper on tourism across the nation. Some areas are hit particularly hard, as their major economic growth and standard of living is based on tourism, such as on the Hawaiian Islands.

Since the early 1950s, Hawaii has been one of America’s top ten national getaways. The year 2008 brought many challenges for the Hawaii tourist industry. The number of visitors to Hawaii has sharply decreased, about 20% compared to 2007, and the amount of visitor spending has dropped by about 12% since March of 2008.

Although the 2008 third quarter economic outlook by the Hawaiian Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism (DBEDT) forecast moderate growth for most of Hawaii’s economy, visitor arrivals and visitor spending continue to decrease. [Read more…] about Deals to travel to Hawaii

Cheap Fall Vacation Deals

September 27, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

As I look around the travel sites it seems that the prices are falling and availability for family vacations is like no other time in recent memory. It seems that our recession or depression or whatever it is has had a real effect on the travel industry and there are definitly deals to be had.

The Guardian newspaper said the following today

As Americans evaluate and pare back their discretionary spending for the remainder of this year, the travel and leisure industries are feeling the squeeze.

Companies throughout the sector — including hotel, cruise ship, theme park and gambling concerns — have all warned in recent weeks that their businesses have slowed or that things could get worse next year.

“The deteriorating outlook for the economy is impacting travel habits and spending, and hotels are expected to experience reduced occupancy levels, and to a lesser degree, some room rate erosion through 2009,” said Scott Berman, principal at consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

For hotels, the picture looks particularly grim.

And Travel Weekly said the following:

The economic and financial crisis has dramatically altered the landscape for travel and tourism, says a report on future trends in the industry launched at World Travel Market on Monday.

The WTM Global Trends Report 2008, produced by market research firm Euromonitor International, warns: “Uncertainty hangs over the industry, especially as the full scale of the downturn is as yet unknown.

“Recession is expected in the world’s advanced markets and emerging economies are not immune to the slowdown.”

The report’s overview paints a gloomy picture, yet its conclusions are upbeat.

So if you are thinking of traveling this fall or winter this is a great time to book. Look at year ago levels and see what kind of deal that you can get.

The art of Budget Travel

September 27, 2011 by admin 1 Comment

Travel has been so cheap for so long that we have all forgotten how to get the very most from our travel budgets, whatever their size. Flights have been so cheap and package deals so easy to take that the art of budget conscious independent travel is all but dead; so how exactly is it done?

At first glance, there appear to be three major areas to consider;

1) Destination
2) Accommodation
3) Travel

Firstly; destination. Once you have decided what sort of holiday you are after, be it a ski break, gourmet tour, lazy beach getaway, family holiday or romantic escape, naturally, thoughts turn to destination. This is where a little research comes in. Eastern European holidays are notoriously good value for money, especially for ski holidays, although Andorra will always be a leading light for cheap ski holidays, especially for those that enjoy a good night out after a long day on the slopes. Generally though, resorts are expensive, and the more independent your holiday, the larger the possible savings. [Read more…] about The art of Budget Travel

Three reasons to have Travel insurance

September 26, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Though routinely ignored, travel insurance is and should be a vital part of any trip or cruise that you are (or are planning on) undertaking. This applies whether your trip is for personal, business or just leisurely reasons. But the type of policy will also depend on numerous factors, too. But even as obvious as it may seem, a lot of people still wont budget for it.

So, why should you undertake a travel insurance policy for your next trip? There are more reasons than could be included in this article, but let’s take a look at a few.

Replacement of Lost Items: While you may not wish that you should lose some very valuable items of yours during your business trip or adventurous tours, the reality is that it does actually happen. You may have your valuables stolen, lost or even damaged. Now, if you have ever been stuck in a far-off place with limited access to money, you know that this is an ugly situation to be in. But if you happen to have a travel insurance policy, your provider will cover you for these losses and replace or reimburse you for the items accordingly. [Read more…] about Three reasons to have Travel insurance

What to look out for in Travel Companies

September 26, 2011 by admin Leave a Comment

Travel companies of all types abound-from the local one specializing in some local tourist spot to the multinational corporation that regularly organizes and manages African safaris. But not all of them are created equal; some are more reliable than others.

But how do you know which is which? Here are three invaluable tips to help you avoid putting your next trip in jeopardy.

What to look out for in Travel Companies

Local Experience: In this day and age of the “everyman,” there are just so many Jacks of all trade, who think that they know and can handle anything and everything. So, the first thing that you could do to check is how much local experience this travel company has. This is not just about knowing where to visit around there. They should be able to advise you on local traffic and transportation options and systems, local laws that may be applicable to you, the best places offering the best deals and a whole lot more. But you get the idea: they should be your travel go-to company.
Past Records: Another thing you should try and find out before you hire any one of the tons of travel companies that may be clamoring for your bucks should be how well they have lived up to customer expectations in the past. Are their clients happy and raving about them? Have they had any major customer service issues that could potentially put you and your family or other co-travelers at risk? Their own local version of the “Better Business Bureau” and the Internet should be able to give you a clear idea of how well they service customers.

Bonded and Insured: A critical thing to also consider is whether or not it is insured. Most travel companies have (or are supposed to have) an insurance coverage, but there are always a few that you may run into which may not have one. But considering the amount of uncertainty that may be involved in your trip, especially if you are traveling internationally, you would want to be sure that any such risks are covered by the company. You should spend your time enjoying your trip instead of worrying possible unpleasant issues that may happen.

There are a bunch of travel companies out there, but they are not all worth trusting, especially if you are visiting very unfamiliar territory.

There are also so much more you should be considering with travel companies in addition to the tips already mentioned here.