Travel

Travel To Russia - Vladivostok, Russian "Lord of the East"

To many world-wide travelers seeking adventure, the Russian Far East is a very desirable place to visit, and of course if you are going to visit this region, you do not want to miss seeing the famous sea port, Vladivostok.

Vladivostok, meaning the "Lord of the East" in Russian, is located just across the Sea of Japan but a very distant 6,200 miles east of Moscow.

Interestingly, this beautiful sea port city was so far from the center of communist rule, when Russia was better known as the Soviet Union, that it was not until 1954 that a leader of the USSR visited this city.

I am talking about Nikita Khrushchev, a man who became famous, worldwide, for his eccentric statements and actions. He was the first one to call Vladivostok the "Russian San-Francisco" which in many ways is a fairly accurate comparison.

Like San Francisco, the city of Vladivostok is located on a hilly region surrounded by a bay, in this case the Gold Horn Bay Visitors who arrive to this city enjoy the spectacular view, which is surprisingly similar to San Francisco.

Vladivostok is also the home port of the Russian Navy's pacific fleet, and there are hundreds of military ships and submarines located in the Gold Horn Bay. As a result of this, the city of Vladivostok was a closed region for more than 70 years.

Vladivostok was city for a military installation, and even Russian citizens wanting to visit relatives, were forbidden to travel to this city without special permits and passes. It was not until the year of 1992 that Vladivostok was officially opened for foreign visitors as well as the rest of the Russian population.

Today thousands of tourists from all over the world travel to Vladivostok. Some take the wonderful 7 day journey from Moscow on the Trans Siberian Railway, while others prefer to travel to Japan or China, and finally finishing their adventure by arriving at the Russian "Lord of the East". Many travelers make the exciting journey by the ship, going to every worlds' major sea port including Vladivostok.

Vladivostok attracts many tourists' attention not only because of its'beautiful location, but also for its' very rich history:

There are quite a few historical buildings and monuments still standing that hold the memories of many events from the 1860, when this city was founded, to present day.

These historical buildings remember the times when Vladivostok was given a free trade status with the purpose of encouraging foreign trade in 1878.

There are still building standing that, if they could speak, could tell you about the times of the Russian-Japanese war, when a squadron of Japanese warships attacked the city firing over a hundred shots.

Vladivostok's hills saw the Japanese, British, and American cruisers entered the Golden Horn Bay in 1917, and the supporters of the Bolsheviks conducted a partisan struggle in the city.

From 1917 to 1922 Vladivostok became a cultural bastion. During the ensuing years, beginning in 1917, Vladivostok became a haven for many Russians trying to escape from the clutches of the new Soviet regime, settling in the port city while retreating to the east together with the White Army.

Among them were many Russians, the creative intelligentsia from Moscow and St Petersburg. They established conservatories, theaters, symphony orchestras and art centers in Vladivostok before escaping to countries such as Australia, China, the USA, and other lands after the Bolsheviks, in 1922, achieved victory in the Far East.

This city can still remember the 1930s when the Stalinist repressions began and the transit camps were constructed housing political prisoners from the Western regions of Russia to Kolyma, and to the new camp in Vladivostok.

This city remembers when it was Russia's biggest military port during the cold war and the beginningof "Perestroika."

Now, Vladivostok is filled with businesses from all over the world coming to take advantage of the city's position as the gate to modern Russia, Japan, China, and Korea.

About the Author

Marina Smiley is the author of the popular eBook
"Cheap Ticket To Russia" - tips for budget travelers to Russia

Written by: Marina Smiley

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travel to Turkey for the 2006 Total Solar Eclipse

Wednesday March 29th 2006 will be a very special day in Turkey. Shortly before two o'clock in the afternoon local time an eerie darkness will descend across the land. Birds will begin to roost and streetlights will flicker on as the sun slips behind the moon in the first European total solar eclipse this millennium.

Standing in the path of a total solar eclipse is a dramatic and awe-inspiring experience. To watch the light fade from the sky and to see the last fiery wisps of the sun's disk be engulfed by the black moon is a stunning spectacle that stays with you forever. Adding to the thrill is the fact that the path of a total solar eclipse beats a track through Europe very rarely. The last was in 1999 when the path of totality passed through Cornwall (SW England); the next will be in 2026 when totality touches Northern Spain.

The eclipse begins across Turkey at around 12:45 in the afternoon, more than an hour before totality is reached. These early stages of the eclipse will go largely unnoticed. It is not until some 25 minutes before totality, when the sun's disk is more than half-covered, that it becomes noticeable that the light is fading. The ensuing half an hour is then nothing short of magical.


At t-minus 20 minutes the air is filled with the sounds of birds settling down for the night. A chill starts to circulate in the air and although the sun shines high in the sky, an eerie gloom reminiscent of a dull winter's afternoon establishes itself. The light only fades slowly at first, but with 5 minutes to go the onset of darkness becomes ever more apparent. By this time the birds have gone quiet and little in the way of daytime wildlife stirs. In the last minute the light falls more rapidly as if it were late twilight, and with only seconds to go a huge dark shadow sweeps in at speed engulfing you in almost complete darkness, although the horizon all around you appears lighter. Looking at the sun, wisps of fire can be seen around the dark disk; close-by stars shine out from an ink-black background. Then, all too soon, the sun reappears in a dazzling display and totality is over.

For the best views of the total solar eclipse in Turkey, you'll need to locate yourself in the path of totality - a 100-mile wide swathe of darkness that runs northeastwards from Antalya on the Mediterranean coast to Samsun on the Black Sea. Outside this zone the eclipse will still be visible, but it will never reach totality.

International travelers should arrange their flights into Istanbul from where internal flights to Ankara and Antalya can be caught. The path of totality crosses the land to the south of Ankara and can be reached in less than an hour by hire care from the airport. Car rental can be booked in advance for pick-up at Antalya, Ankara or Istanbul airport through http://www.your-carhire.com

About the Author

Seb Jay is a professional copywriter specializing in the creation of original web content for http://www.your-carhire.com

Written by: Seb Jay

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travel Wallet Checklist

A travel wallet can be pretty handy when you´re on the move, especially on international trips. It keeps all your travel documents and currency in one place for easy access. Following is a checklist of items you may want to keep in your travel wallet.

• Passport
• Photo ID
• Airline, Cruise and Train Tickets
• Boarding Pass
• Insurance Cards (medical and car)
• Itinerary with important telephone numbers and addresses (hotels, airlines, etc.)
• Travel Coupons or Certificates
• Some one-dollar bills for tipping
• Credit Cards
• Travelers Checks
• Foreign Currency
• Calling Card

About the Author

William Manor is the owner of U.S. Passport Service Guide, a very useful and comprehensive resource for U.S. citizens who travel internationally. http://www.us-passport-service-guide.com

Written by: William Manor

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travel Web Sites – 5 Dirty Little Secrets

Travel web sites are big business, and a lot of power has been placed in the hands of the consumer… or has it? Does your urge to always look for a better deal play into somebody else’s greed? A travel web site is a great tool but before booking online you must know these 5 dirty little secrets.

1. ALL TRAVEL WEB SITES ARE CREATED EQUAL – RIGHT?

Afraid not. These days there are really two types of sites for booking online travel. The more traditional travel web sites like Expedia, Travelocity, and Travel Now… and the new kid on the block known as travel search engines, which include sites like SideStep and Kayak.

A travel web site only searches its own database of available flights, and rooms, and car rentals. So the search is limited. On the plus side you’ll get more search features and booking services offered.

At travel search engines, the results will be more comprehensive than at a travel web site. These engines will include results directly from airline sites, travel web sites, and other databases containing flight and room availability. But you’ll find a more restrictive search capability, and you won’t get the “bells and whistles” of a travel web site.

2. IT REALLY DOES PAY TO COMPARE AS MANY AS YOU CAN

A travel web site will negotiate and purchase blocks of fares and rooms directly from airlines and hotels. They can then set their own reduced rate. Because of this the same seat on a flight, or room in a hotel, can vary between travel web sites. So if you want the cheapest fare or room always check out at least two or three before booking online travel.

3. TRAVEL WEB SITES DON'T ALWAYS GET THE BEST DEAL

And just before you press that “submit” button at your chosen online booking site… hop over for a final check at the airline or hotel web site for any special offers or lower rates you may get if you book directly. Sometimes the best deals are reserved for their own online customers or preferred clients, and you’ll even avoid fees.

Speaking of fees…

4. BEWARE OF TRAVEL WEB SITE SERVICE AND TRANSFER FEES

The travel web sites may be complimentary to search but they charge to book, and if you have to change itinerary then it can be frustrating and costly. On the good side the service fees are not usually outrageous – around $5 per ticket. But I’ve seen some creeping up to around $20 and there’s no need to pay that price.

Now transfer fees are another kettle of fish, and it can cost you $100 or more to change after you’ve booked a flight. And if you want a refund… be prepared to spend hours on the phone to get to somebody who can authorize it.

The travel search engines make money from paid advertising and a referral fee from the airlines or hotels, so usually you don’t pay a fee when using them to book. But this is changing so check for fee disclosure before booking.

5. THE HIDDEN LINK THAT CAN SAVE YOU MONEY

Many of the travel web sites have a link on their page that allows you to become part of their affiliate program for no cost. The problem is it’s usually “hidden” at the bottom of the page in type point 7 invisible. By becoming an affiliate you can earn a small commission for everybody you refer to them that buys a ticket or room.

But before you rush out and quit your day job and set yourself up as a home-based travel agent, understand you’ll have to send them hundreds and hundreds of people hot to buy to make any money. But here are better reasons to become an affiliate…

These same sites allow you as an affiliate to purchase your own tickets and still get paid the commission. It’s effectively a discount. For the sake of spending a few minutes completing the form why not do it?

Now be sure to check the small print on the agreement just so you’re familiar with the restrictions if any, and how they’ll pay you.

Armed with these tips and secrets you’ll be better prepared to navigate through a travel web site. I use them all the time and continue to find new twists and gotchas. And there’s still that travel agent in the mall if you just can’t be bothered with the whole online game.

About the Author

Cliff Calderwood is the owner and contributing writer of www.new-england-vacations-guide.com . You can read other vacation articles and get a free travel report at his guide to New England vacations site.

Written by: Cliff Calderwood

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travel Will Create 144 Million New Jobs By The Year 2005!

This has in turn created one of the hottest and most lucrative business opportunities in the World!

John Naisbitt, the world's leading authority on trends, defines in his book 'Global Paradox', one of today's most important trends - Travel - currently at $4.9 TRILLION annually, the world's largest industry. It employs 10.6% of the world's workforce and is growing 23% faster than the world economy! Travel will create 144 MILLION new jobs by the year 2005. According to Opportunity Magazine in the January, 1998 issue the T.I.A. (Travel Industry Association of America) said travel sales hit an all time high and were estimated at over $4.4 TRILLION dollars (1998)! Vacation and Travel is now the third largest retail industry in America! Trends such as this lead to financial success and define our lives. We either make money or spend money on trends depending on where we position ourselves. A good example of this is Bill Gates, who maintains the elite status of being the richest man in the world because he positioned himself in front of one of these hot trends: The Computer Revolution!

To take maximum advantage of this amazing trend, over eight years ago a Board of Directors committed themselves to researching and building business relationships with travel companies that possess a proven track record of customer satisfaction and industry credibility. The result? Coastal Vacations.

Stability And Service

Coastal Vacations continues to offer Membership Benefits and Services that are unparalleled in the industry today. Offering an incredible Vacation Package that has unbeatable value to the consumer, as well as tremendous financial rewards for the marketing team.

Working with thousands of resorts and leaders in the field of travel and leisure, Coastal Vacations pursues this commitment by consistently seeking out the best

vacation and travel values in the industry and making them available to clients at rock bottom prices. The Companies chosen to fulfill the benefits and services in our packages are of the highest caliber. Most are publicly traded companies, licensed and bonded, with a track record of 12 years or more. Our Independent shipping facility has 25 years of proven experience in the industry. Is Room For You?

Regardless of your previous work experience, you have an excellent opportunity to be extremely successful with Coastal Vacations. Our commissions of $1,000.00, $3,000.00 and $7,000.00 can quickly replace an existing income or add to it nicely!

Our marketing program is truly "turn-key," in that much of the sales and training needed to build a large income is provided by the SYSTEM itself. From business professionals to homemakers, factory workers to executives: thousands are experiencing amazing results with this tremendous opportunity!

JOIN US TODAY!

Before you leave our site, make sure you print out their Free Report in the Printable Profile to take with you.

You can get it by going here: http://www.coastalincome.com/1homebusiness or call toll free for your free report at 877.213.9642

coastal Vacations is an association of entrepreneurs, professionals and home-based business owners dedicated to providing the highest quality vacation values and travel benefits on the market today, and making them available to their clients at rock-bottom prices. This has in turn created one of the hottest and most lucrative business opportunities in the World!

You will need Adobe Reader, a popular FREE program to view and print this form. If Adobe Reader is installed on your computer, the document automatically opens up to view and print from within your browser window. If it doesn't open, download and Install Adobe Reader by clicking the icon below.

About the Author

Coastal Vacations is an association of entrepreneurs, professionals and home-based business owners dedicated to providing the highest quality vacation values and travel benefits on the market today, and making them available to their clients at rock-bottom prices. This has in turn created one of the hottest and most lucrative business opportunities in the World!

Written by: Coastal Vacations

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travel With a Reliable Partner

Question of trust was always critical on the web and as generally known web today is one of the weakest place in regard to protection of someone’s privacy or rights. It affects almost all industries on the web and hotel reservation as well. This issue becomes more important while the industry expands. The percentage of internet-based hotel reservations was tripled in 2004 to 15.4 percent from 4.9 according to Andersen LLP. It is generally known that 85% of Internet users rely on search engines to find any information on the Web (e.g. MSN, Google, Yahoo, AltaVista, etc). But we have to keep in mind that being listed in the top search results at the major search engines mentioned above gives no guarantee at all that a certain company is really reliable. While search engines make their ranking rules more strict, there are still a good number of websites with false reputation that appear in the top search results at major search engines by using some tricks. To make it clear and help web-surfers to understand this issue from a professional point of view our team will give some major hints to which anyone should pay attention to find the right company. We will discuss some issues about travel industry, which can be helpful in understanding of major problems.

Most of the travel websites if not all of them provide only reservation service without giving any information or news about this fast developing industry on the web. According to the statistics, travel related websites generate a huge traffic on the web and of course it brings to a high competition in this industry. Every day thousands of new travel websites appear on the web but most of them after spending much efforts and finance, disappear from the web as easily as they appeared first. The reason - it is not an easy task to build quality, travel website able to provide not only quality service but also to present a wide range of products professionally.

There are many travel websites providing so many information, partly useful and partly not since they don't understand the market, its specific needs, needs of customers which finally brings to abundance of the information collected on the website thus making a trouble to a visitor to find easily what he needs. Other websites while having good hotel database still can't organize their website in a proper way. If you visit this kind of website you can hardly find information about the city that you need. You have to spend a few minutes trying to find what you need among huge amount of text links. Hotel search must be organized as easy as possible divided by cities, countries, type of hotels with good advanced search boxes for the best discount hotel deals.

On some websites when you start searching for discount hotel deals, the engine gives you only a few results leaving you almost not a choice. Or you have to visit each hotel link separately resulting in spending much time. That’s why the most important in any industry on the web and especially in travel service is to collect information about all discount hotel deals in the best way and put them in front of the customer professionally to make his reservation procedure as easy and fast as possible. To provide this service a travel website team must be knowledgeable first and experienced through years not just a few days or months.

In addition to the competition, another problem, a visitor is having on the web today is a trust. We have to agree that it is not an easy to pay your hard earned money on the web without knowing anything about website. It is another problem web visitors are having today. You have to be very careful when you choose a website on the web. The best solution is to choose a website which is the old experienced on the web. There are many young sectors on the web where it is hard to find an experienced website. There are a few websites in travel industry that exist on the web for the last 10, 15 years. It is a good criteria to choose the right website. Another advantage of the experienced websites is that they know how to serve their customers since they have a good experience, they know different types of problems that may appear during hotel reservation and they know how to solve these problems professionally. That's why the best choice is to visit this kind of websites or the ones that connected to them through affiliate links thus providing almost the same quality of service. When you visit a travel website pay attention to Customer Care section, Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, Cancel Reservation Policy, Confirming Reservation, Payment Issues and other Frequently Asked Questions section. Availability and detailed description of these sections gives another credibility to a website. Pay attention to the availability of the phone number with a live person to reply to any of your question. If you find subscription to a newsletter option that says that a website team builds a long and strong relations with their customers. A good website provides secure reservation thus protecting their customers from many problems on the web. BBB.org is a Better Business Bureau organization that provides information on over two million organizations and websites and it is advisable to check any website before you invest. When you visit a website and find BBB sign with a link taking you to the main base of this organization testifying that a website you visited has a long presence on the web and a reliable partner then you can stop this website and choose it as your travel provider. If this sign is not available it doesn’t decrease credibility of a website but its availability is preferable.

Have a good travel

www.AboutTrip.com

Research and latest news articles on hot issues about Travel and Hotel
Reservation Industry from AboutTrip.com

Have a good travel

www.abouttrip.com

info@abouttrip.com

Written by: Rufat Kuliyev

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travel Without Taking A Look At TeeTimeWatch.com

What has got to be the largest single challenge facing non-professional golfers anywhere these days is finding the time to play. This has been made even more difficult by the fact that many of these golfers are very busy business executives who seemingly hardly have a moment to spare.

To make matters worse, when somebody does get a moment to spare, finding a course close to where they happen to be at that moment is no easy task. It usually involves the time-consuming task of making a few calls to a couple of nearby golf clubs.

It was precisely to address these kinds of problems that sites like TeeTimeWatch.com have emerged in recent times.

All one needs to do is simply go to the site, decide how far they are willing to travel to reach the course and then find one that is available. What is more, you can also book the tee time online at the same site once you have your decision. It can all be done with a few clicks even as you are in the midst of your spreadsheets.

And incase you have to cancel at the last minute, which is bound to happen fairly often to a business executive these days, then all you need to do is follow the cancellation policy which is usually set by the individual course concerned. Again this can be done entirely online. A far cry from the old days when a cancellation would mean you having to place a frantic call or two.

The impact and convenience of such web sites to numerous golfers has been phenomenal. There is no doubt that it has allowed many busy executives to squeeze in plenty of golf into their hectic travel schedules. And if the saying, "all work and no play makes jack a dull boy" is accurate, then the site can even make a claim to contributing to sharper and more alert business executives on the job, all round.

About the Author

Glenn Michael is an author and avid golfer for http://www.teetimewatch.com - the lowest discount tee times on the internet.

Written by: Glenn Michael

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travel Writer Jobs, What Are They And How To Find Them

Travel writing jobs are few and far between. Getting into this field is hard to do and requires a lot of training and experience. But, there are many benefits to them. There are many individuals who would love to get employment opportunities in this field. And, because the world is faster and faster becoming accessible to more people, increasing employment availability can be found for travel jobs as well. But, how does a person get in and how do they do their job?

Travel writer jobs belong mainly to freelance authors, travelling far and wide. They learn about the amusements, the attractions, and the little secrets of the towns, cities, and countries they visit. Then, they provide this knowledge to the general public in the form of articles, books, or even transcriptions. It is amazing that many people go from location to location by simply learning about different areas and using this knowledge to write. But, this work is far from easy. It may be costly to afford to do this type of traveling. It often does not pan out as a worthwhile adventure anyway. It is often difficult to find publishers or employment vacancies in this area as well.

To get these types of jobs, it will often take experience in the writing field and the researching field. Freelance opportunities, in which the author will visit locations at his own expense, are necessary. In other, simpler cases, a breakthrough into the business can be done by working for the local newspaper or through a magazine. In any case, though, it will require time to develop the necessary knowledge.

When looking for vacancies like these, it would be wise to realize that it will take time to build up the reputation needed to get these opportunities. Perhaps working on less glamorous writing jobs will have to be taken in order to have stepping stones out into the travel writing world. If you have the funds and the talent it is easy to go out and find locations to write about without being commissioned to do so. But, there is no guarantee of any of this type of work paying off. Patience may be the only way to get into and maintain a career in this field of writing.

About the Author

Visit http://www.FreelanceWritingResource.com for more Articles, Resources, News and Advice about Freelance Writing Jobs.
Copyright © FreelanceWritingResource.com. All rights reserved. This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact.

Written by: Niall Cinneide

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travel Your Way To More Traffic

I am not a professional photographer nor am I in the travel business. However, I stay very busy these days taking scenic photographs and featuring them on my web site because my “not so” professional travel photos are bringing serious traffic to my web pages.

I consider myself a serious hobbyist when it comes to photography. It’s a hobby because so far no one is willing to pay for any of my pictures. I know it’s a serious hobby because I am never totally honest with my wife when she wants to know just how much I spend on photography. Over the years I have been privileged to see and shoot a few of the spectacularly scenic locations that exist in the U.S.

When I started designing web pages I was constantly on the search for fresh images. One afternoon my search for a waterfall took me into the basement of my home where my wife had stored dozens of shoeboxes filled with hundreds of ordinary vacation snapshots. I found the perfect scene for my project among the many photographs I had taken of Niagara Falls.

I scanned several of the Niagara pictures into my computer and tweaked them slightly with an image editor. I was very pleased with the results and decided to post the images on my personal website. I made a mistake when I typed the words and the file ended up as “NiagraFalls”. I didn’t think that much about it because I only planned to publicize the Niagara Falls pages to a few friends and relatives so they could enjoy the pictures also.

A few weeks later I was checking the stats for my website and noticed that a number of guests had surfed in through search engines. To my surprise 30% of my visitors had come through a search for “niagrafalls”. I went to one of the major search engines and keyed in that phrase and was amazed to see that my site was in the top ten returns.

I decided to see if other scenic hotspots might become “virtual” destinations of choice. I went through the same process with photos I had taken at Garden of the Gods State Park in Colorado Springs Colorado as well as a few other Colorado locations. I was pleased that “gardenofthegods” became another key search phrase that brings people to my site.

In the past I used my personal web pages to promote my web design and hosting business. Unfortunately, web design and hosting is not that relevant to my guests who come because of scenic interests. After some measure of trial and error I discovered that “entertainment” products market very well to the scenic seekers that visit my site.

I began a banner rotation on my photographic pages that link out to various entertainment sites which I affiliate with. So far the results have been very encouraging. In a future article I hope to explain what I discovered about keyword searches in the entertainment sector.

Let me summarize with these simple instructions. Get those vacation photographs out and upload them to your website. Build a separate page for each exotic location that you have been to. Be sure to enter the name of the place in your page title and in the keywords and description meta-tags. Set up a relevant banner rotation program and enjoy the traffic of virtual travel.

Ken Mowery's articles have been published in a number of magazines. He also writes a monthly column for the Greeley Tribune. He has been involved in web design and promotion for 8 years.

kmowery3@comcast.net

Written by: Ken Mowery

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travelcasting

Travelcasting is the commercial application of podcasting for the travel industry. Travelcasting is the distribution and publishing of audio and video feeds, that offer travel information delivered over the Internet, for on demand listening.

"This is a new step in the evolution of on-demand travel information delivery, making it accessible, informative, useful and appealing" says Ryan Hoback, CEO of What I Want POdcasting. This mix presents the travel industry with a very unique opportunity to reach its audience through this new medium. Those individuals, who are already seeking travel information actively, will use RSS subscription technology built into each podcast feed, to receive information immediately as it is updated by each organization. With one click of a button, a user can subscribe to a feed that may be interesting, and any related information that is ever updated to that feed will be automatically processed to their personal aggregator. An aggregator is able to subscribe to a feed, check for new content at user-determined intervals, and retrieve the content.

To take this process one step further, podcasting publishes each feed with the capability to be transferred to any portable audio or video device. So with the growth of the ipod and all the other portable media devices, you have the ability to grab travelcasts and place them on your portable player for listening or viewing. Most users attach their portable players to their computers daily or weekly, and once the player is attached they automatically receive the new travelcast updates.

The flexibility of this medium is what will drive the growth of Travelcasting tremendously over the next few years. There are a numerous formats that can be used in developing a travelcast. Virtual audio and video tours, give the power to the listener or viewer to receive on-demand travel tours for their destinations. In addition, podcasts are being placed on portable video devices to offer high-end guests tours of the property when they check-in.

The best thing about travelcasting is that the marketing opportunities are endless. With normal media, once a program is developed it only lives for a certain amount of time, and then it goes dormant and no longer exists in society. With podcasting, these feeds can be published to the web so that they will live forever, or until the organization request for them to be removed.

Here are some examples of how podcasting will affect the travel industry. The best sales associates for most resorts are travel agents and agencies. Travel agents and agencies rely on each resort to constantly update them with new deals and promotions, as well as supply them with the tools they need to promote the resorts, in order to keep clients satisfied. With podcasting, and its subscription based technology, you can put out audio or video updates of information that you would like the travel agencies to use, and they will receive as soon as it is posted on your server.

Another example of its use could be in coordination with existing web pages. Most resorts have numerous web pages which deliver travel information in text format. By providing an audio or video link on that page it gives the user a different and potentially more effective format for receiving the information. So not only can these audio and video feeds be placed on web pages where "one-click" lets you listen or view a travelcast, it can be sent to portable devices as well. This is also a great way to teach your existing users how to start utilizing travelcasting services by easing them into it, fusing your current website with new technology.

The options are wide open for the development of travelcast programs that are cutting edge, and highly opportunistic in terms of converting listeners into consumers.

The popularity of portable on demand information will grow even greater as wireless internet services continue to flourish across the country. These portable devices will no longer have to be connected to the internet; they will receive information wirelessly as it is updated. In addition, as cell phones and portable devices continue to merge together, the market grows larger.

For organizations that have members worldwide, the distribution of company information is very important, and once again this offers each institution a method of on-demand delivery which is convenient to all. Travelcasting can also be used as a direct line of communication, by recording video-casts of company messages from executives for company wide distribution.

There are numerous uses for travelcasting, and over the next few years it will explode in popularity. It is beneficial to organizations as well as the consumer, and it will be seen as a great tool in any travel organizations' operations.

About the author:

Ryan M. Hoback is the CEO of What I Want Podcasting, a full service podcast development firm.

They specialize in developing podcasts & nanocasts for a wide range of industries. Their development team guides each client through creating podcasts that incorporate brand integration and deliver the target message through a positive visual & listening experience.

www.WhatIWantPodcasting.com

Written by: Ryan M. Hoback, www.WhatIWantPodcasting.com

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travelcasting Offers On-Demand Vacation Sneak Peeks

What I Want Podcasting Introduces Travel Podcasting Services to the Tourism Industry

What I want Podcasting develops customized approaches towards turning company messages into professional podcast productions. Travelcasting is the commercial application of podcasting for the travel industry. Travelcasting is the distribution and publishing of audio and video feeds, that offer travel information delivered over the Internet, for on demand listening.

This is a new step in the evolution of on-demand travel information delivery, making it accessible, informative, useful and appealing. This mix presents the travel industry with a very unique opportunity to reach its audience through this new medium.

The best sales associates for most resorts are travel agents and agencies. Travel agents and agencies rely on each resort to constantly update them with new deals and promotions, as well as supply them with the tools they need to promote the resorts, in order to keep clients satisfied. With podcasting and its subscription based technology, you can put out audio or video updates of information that you would like the travel agencies to use, and they will receive them as soon as it is posted on your server.

"Every destination has a use for travelcasting; it allows resorts and hotels to give a sneak peek into the wonderful luxuries and amenities it has to offer its guests." Ryan Hoback says, Chairman of What I Want Podcasting.

"It also serves as a great on-site tour guide for large resorts and casinos. You could give audio and video self-guided tours of your entire property with this service." Hoback adds.

Most resorts have web pages which deliver travel information in text format. By providing an audio or video link on that page it enhances the experience, and leads to overall better online marketing. These audio and video feeds be placed on web pages where "one-click" lets you listen or view a travelcast, or it can be sent to portable devices as well.

The popularity of portable on demand information will grow even greater as wireless internet services continue to flourish across the country. These portable devices will no longer have to be connected to the internet; they will receive information wirelessly as it is updated. In addition, as cell phones and portable devices continue to merge together, the market grows larger. There are numerous uses for travelcasting, and over the next few years it will explode in popularity. It is beneficial to organizations as well as the consumer, and it will be seen as a great tool in any travel organizations' operations.

About What I Want Podcasting

About the author:

What I Want Podcasting is a full service podcast development firm that specializes in developing podcasts that implement brand integration. For more information please visit
http://www.WhatIWantPodcasting.com

Contact: Ryan M. Hoback What I want Podcasting, LLC

c/o Motivated Entrepreneur, LLC 305-670-0998 rhoback@whatiwantpodcasting.com

Written by: Ryan M. Hoback

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travelers Logon for Advice Before Booking Travel

Guidebooks and travel magazines are helpful when trying to choose hotels, excursions, or a destination for your next vacation. Travel agents are even better. But what could be less biased and more helpful than no-holds-barred, word-of-mouth comments and comparisons of trips made by other travelers just like you. This is the idea behind MyTripReport.com, a web site devoted to consumer reviews – called “trip reports” – that provides these honest assessments for destinations all over the globe, sometimes with dozens of reviews for a single hotel or destination.

At MyTripReport.com members post their trip reports in three easy steps, and can even include photos of their trip within their report. The site is simple, uncluttered and very easy to navigate. Members can then send their family a link to their report and share their vacation and photos easily with their loved ones, friends, and even with strangers on message boards and within newsgroups. And trip reports are just as easy to locate; searching can be done by destination, resort, vacation theme, cruise ship, or by member name.

MyTripReport.com also includes a photo gallery of many destinations, including photos of many Caribbean resorts. A number of travel tools are also available on the site, including Government travel advisories, currency converters, airline seating maps, plus many more.

Word-of-mouth is such an invaluable tool available to us, it’s nice not to be totally dependant on squeaky-clean hotel websites and travel brochures.

Leasa is from Vancouver, BC, Canada

leasa@inspiringweb.com

Written by: Leasa Hachey

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Travelers with Disabilities: The Untapped Market

When most people think about accommodating people with disabilities in their business they get a scared feeling in their gut and their mind scrambles to search for that all-important date when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) went into effect. It doesn’t have to be that way! When business owners open their eyes and start to realize that there are literally billions of dollars to be made in the accessible travel market, I believe we will start to remove the fear associated with the ADA.

There are currently more than 50 million people with disabilities in the United States and 180 million worldwide, representing the single largest untapped tourist market in the world. According to a recent Harris Poll conducted in conjunction with the Open Doors Organization and the Travel Industry Association of America, the 50 million people with disabilities in our country have a combined income of more than $175 billion. In 2002, these people took 32 million trips and spent more than $13.6 billion on travel ($4.2 billion on hotels, $3.3 billion on airfare, $2.7 billion on food and beverage, and $3.4 billion on retail, transportation, and other activities). This study suggested that these travelers would double their spending if some minor amenities were made available. Meet and greet programs at airports, preferred seating on airplanes, hotel rooms closer to amenities, and employees who go out of their way to accommodate guests with disabilities topped the list.

The current trends in adaptive travel show most of these travelers taking advantage of destinations that they know are already accessible such as cruise ships, Florida, and Las Vegas. The visitors bureaus and businesses at these destinations that have gone to great lengths to ensure their visitors that there will not be any accessibility issues during their stay. From personal experience and years of traveling in a wheelchair, I can guarantee that these locations have built and will continue to build strong relationships with travelers with disabilities. This group is a very loyal one, who will often return to the same city, hotel, or activity provider year after year if they have a good experience. If everyone were to catch on to this we would see growth in the tourism industry like we have never seen!

With this in mind, it is a wonder that more business owners have not taken steps to make their accommodations more accessible and even start marketing to these travelers. If the staggering numbers listed above aren’t proof enough, the U.S. Census Bureau recently stated that nearly 16.5% of all people with disabilities in the U.S. leave their home two days per week or less. That constitutes nearly 11 million people that are not traveling at all. Also keep in mind that there are millions of people in their golden years that are looking for accessible travel accommodations. Many of these people use canes or walkers, travel with oxygen tanks, or have other mobility impairments, and are not included in disability statistics.

With millions of people in need of accessible travel options, and with our Baby Boomers (almost 25% of our population) starting to reach retirement age as well now is the time to start thinking about improving marketing efforts to include people with disabilities and about better overall accessibility in general. By educating business owners on the benefits of marketing to people with disabilities and educating travel agents who are fighting a losing battle with the internet, we can begin to focus on this new target market.

If you want to take advantage of the rapidly growing adaptive travel market, get started now! I recommend hiring an expert to get your business rated and start removing barriers to access as soon as possible. Think about accessibility anytime you’re planning a remodel or addition. These improvements will benefit everyone, not just people with disabilities. For those of you who have already taken steps to improve accessibility, start bragging about it.

Craig Kennedy is a published adaptive travel author, accessibility consultant, and motivational speaker with almost ten years of adaptive travel experience and more than 15 years of tourism and service industry expertise. He specializes in resort business growth and customer attraction through better overall accessibility, education, and marketing, and works with businesses who wish to become leaders in accessible travel and accommodation.

Craig P. Kennedy, Steamboat Springs, Colorado, CK Consulting: Setting Standards for Accessibility
www.CKConsultingonline.com.
* Please visit our Web site to take a FREE accessibility quiz to find out if you are on the right track.

About the Author

Craig was born and raised in upstate New York in the Adirondack Mountains. He grew up an avid skier with a love for all kinds of outdoor activities such as rock climbing, camping, and fishing. After college, Craig moved to Colorado where a skiing accident in his second season left him paralyzed. He is still an avid skier, hitting the slopes more than eighty days per season, and spends the rest of his time bicycling, camping and traveling.

Written by: Craig P. Kennedy

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Traveling ! Be sure to have a valid passport.

Please be sure to have a valid passport when traveling.
Check your passport before your trip to be sure your passport is not expired or you need to change your name.
Be sure to apply for a visa if you intend to visit a country that requirez one.
For more info call us toll free 800-644-12642 or visit our website http://www.globalpassport.com

About the Author

My Name is Menashe Epstein I am the Founder of Globasl Passport & Visa Services, Inc.
In business since 1993, Located in Miami, Florida

Written by: Menashe Epstein, Founder

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Traveling Fitness

Whether you travel for business or pleasure, being on the road usually leads to one thing: weight gain. From missed workouts to large restaurant meals, travel days often become high calorie days. Next time that you go on the road keep the following tips in mind, and come home leaner than when you left!

TIP #1: STICK WITH CIRCUITS
When you find yourself in a poorly equipped hotel exercise room, make the best of it. You are not going to be able to get in a normal workout like you would at your local health club, so you will have to make do with the available equipment. A great way of doing this is to workout in a circuit. Most hotel exercise rooms will have at least one piece of equipment for each body part, and they are usually as empty as a ghost town, so a circuit will work well. Do one set on each body part, and then hop on a bike or treadmill for 10 minutes. Repeat this two more times, and you will find yourself sweating up a storm.

TIP #2: BURN CALORIES EVERYDAY
If your travels keep you too busy for a workout, or if your hotel does not have an exercise room, make a conscious effort to burn calories everyday. There are many different ways to fit some calorie burning into your day. Go on a brisk walk after your day’s activities. This is a great way to see a new city, and also a great way to burn off the rich dinner you just ate! Take the stairs instead of elevator in your hotel and any other buildings you visit. Go on a short jog in the mornings or evenings of your stay. If your hotel has a pool, swim a few laps each morning or evening.

TIP#3: WATCH PORTION SIZE
Eating out is a must when traveling. Whether you are visiting 5 star restaurants or fast food diners, you are faced with the same problem: large portions. While the easiest thing to do with a large portioned meal is to simply eat it all, that isn’t the easiest on your waist! When you order your meal ask the waiter or waitress to bring you a to-go box with your meal. This way you can take half of the meal and place it safely into the box before you even begin to eat. You will have no choice but to eat a healthy portion, and you have your next meal taken care of. If you would rather not carry around a to-go box then ask that your entrée be made into a smaller portion. If it is dinnertime ask for the lunch-sized entrée.

TIP #4: AVOID FRIED FOODS
While fast food restaurants are definitely convenient, with their low prices and quick service, this convenience is not worth the inevitable weight gain brought on by the burgers and fries. When you travel, keep this in mind: avoid fried foods. While this is always good advice to follow, it is even more important to abide by while traveling.
While traveling you are most likely to be burning less calories each day than you would normally burn at home, and you are consuming more calories due to your schedule of eating out. You are walking a fine line, and eating fried foods would throw you right over the edge of weight gain. A gram of fat contains 9 calories as compared to the 4 calories that proteins and carbohydrates carry, so you can see that consuming fried foods will drastically increase your calorie intake. If I still haven’t convinced you to pass on the French fries, keep in mind that heartburn and indigestion are never fun, but how about experiencing them on an airplane, bus, or train ride!

TIP #5: BODY WEIGHT ROUTINE
When your hotel doesn’t have an exercise room, and you still want to get in some type of workout, try this body weight routine right in your hotel room:

·20 Jumping Jacks: you remember these from grade school! Start jumping!

·20 Push Ups: Get on the floor, keep your back flat, and push!

·20 Jumping Jacks

·20 Crunches: Keep your hands behind your head and breathe out as you crunch up.

·20 Jumping Jacks

·20 Triceps Dip: Place your palms on the edge of a chair, bend at your elbows and push yourself back up!

·20 Squats: Stand in place, with your knees shoulder width apart, squat down!

·20 Jumping Jacks

·20 Lunges: Keep your hands on your waist, step forward keeping a 90degree bend in your knee, and press yourself back up!

Next time your work or pleasure takes you away from home, keep these tips in mind and be pleasantly surprised with your results! Have a great trip!

About the Author

Diana Keuilian, author, ACE certified Personal Trainer, and co-founder of HitechPersonalFitness.com offers online personal training and nutrition programs that fit your budget and schedule. Whether your goal is to lose weight, firm and tone, or to build muscle, HitechPersonalFitness.com will build a custom designed program just for you.
Visit: http://www.hitechpersonalfitness.com/ and begin meeting your fitness goals today!

Written by: Diana Keuilian

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Traveling for An Interview? 10 Tips to Get You From Here to There

You’ve just been granted an on-site interview in another town. Hurray!

This means you’ll be traveling to an employer’s location so that they can further evaluate you for a specific job position.

Before you make any travel arrangements, it’s a good idea to discuss who will be paying for your trip – you or the employer. If you’re paying, find out if you’ll be reimbursed. It’s a good idea to save all your receipts from the trip if you’re being reimbursed for expenses.

Here’s some things to keep in mind when traveling to interviews:

1) Let the employer know immediately if you have to cancel the trip or make any changes to your visit.

2) Unless the employer is reserving your flight and hotel room, you will need a way to make reservations in advance.

3) Get all directions and transportation instructions to your destination ahead of time.

4) Factor in your commute time when planning to leave for the interview destination. How long will it take you to get there in traffic?

5) Avoid late airplane flights. These can be cancelled or delayed at a moment’s notice.

6) Bring your interview clothes with you on the plane – just in case your checked luggage is lost or delayed.

7) It’s okay to wear casual clothes while traveling if there is no employer representative waiting to meet you when you arrive.

8) When you check into the hotel, ask the clerk if there are any messages or information for you from the employer.

9) Schedule a morning wake up call with the hotel so you don’t oversleep. Or, bring a travel alarm clock.

10) Bring extra copies of resumes, recommendation letters, transcripts, contact information, etc.

Copyright 2004

Donna Monday writes employment related articles for http://www.get-a-job-interview-quick-tips.com.

Written by: Donna Monday

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com

Travel

Traveling for Business in Comfort: The Right Wardrobe Is Essential

When you're traveling on business, whether by plane or automobile, you need to be able to dress for comfort while maintaining a professional appearance; additionally, since you have to transport everything with you for the duration of the trip, your wardrobe choices can mean the difference between being able to relax while traveling and feeling overburdened and ill at ease.

Make sure you pack as little clothing as you can get away with, but as much as you need. This requires some thought beforehand. If you're going to be participating in multiple business meetings with the same group of people, you need enough changes of clothing that you're not obviously showing up wearing the same outfit, day after day. If, on the other hand, your business trip consists of a series of meetings, each with a different client, you can probably get away with one or two easy-care business suits. Make sure that you have enough pairs of comfortable dress shoes to coordinate with the suits that you carry; or make sure that all of your suits match one or two pairs of shoes.

Your professional responsibilities may be largely the maintenance or repair of heavy machinery or equipment, rather than business meetings. If your work requires you to have a specific set of work clothes, make sure they allow you to function optimally - and safely - while doing your job. However, ask yourself this: Can you perform the work you need to perform in a business suit? If so, consider adopting that as your wardrobe. Just think of the Xerox repair person; he or she shows up in business attire, complete with white shirt and tie or scarf, peels off the suit coat and drapes it over the back of an office chair, secures the necktie / scarf, and repairs the photocopier in shirtsleeves. The result? Workers at the client company see the Xerox service representative as a professional rather than as a blue collar repairperson.

While wool and cotton are superb materials for a business suit, modern blends, many of which combine manmade wrinkle-resistant fibers with natural fibers, make more sense during a business trip; you can pack several business suits into a suitcase, then remove them when you reach your destination, give them a good shake, and hang them up, fresh, crisp, and ready to wear. Many of these fabrics are also easy care; in a pinch you can wash them in a hotel sink and hang them up; they'll dry, good as new, in hours.

You may also want to pack some casual clothing for off-hours; if you have layovers while traveling or some free time once you reach your destination, you may want to take the opportunity to explore the community you're visiting.

About the author:

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire and frequently contributes to Tips and Topics. She may be reached at amfredenburg@yahoo.com.

Written by: Aldene Fredenburg

News widgets and RSS feeds on Feedzilla.com