EDINBURGH, Scotland–(BUSINESS WIRE)– In its new 2012 Travel Trends Report, Skyscanner has revealed that Estonia, Russia, Iraq and Cape Verde are all emerging destinations likely to see a significant rise in interest from UK tourists over the coming year.
The flight comparison website, which has over 15 million users a month, analysed its vast data on user flight searches to produce the report on global travel trends. Overall, Spain remains the most popular choice for British holidaymakers for a fourth consecutive year, however in the ‘Destinations of The Future’ section of the report, Skyscanner highlights a number of more exotic locations.
Where are we going?
Estonia is the highest climbing destination with a search increase of 90% year on year. This is largely attributed to the increased publicity the country has received following Tallinn’s stint as a European Capital of Culture in 2011, however other Eastern European destinations have also seen a significant rise in popularity. A 32% increase in interest for Russia suggests that the world’s biggest country will get a bigger share of tourists over the coming year. With major sporting events looming (Winter Olympics in 2014, and the World Cup Football in 2018), Russia’s profile as a tourist destination is set to rise substantially.
While Estonia, which adopted the Euro in 2011, and also Greece and Italy appear to be performing well in the global battle for tourists, other Euro destinations have not fared so well; Portugal, Ireland, Germany and Slovakia all saw minimal rises in searches, well below the Skyscanner site average.
Following years of conflict, Iraq looks to be gaining more visitors from the UK in 2012. Whilst search volumes remain low, the country saw an increase of 75% in interest, likely to be mainly Iraqi nationals visiting. However, the country has also been stepping up its marketing efforts as a destination for cultural and religious tourism with its second appearance at London’s World Travel Market. A number of travel companies are now also offering adventure tours to Iraq for trekking, biking and backcountry skiing.
With a rise of 51% year on year, The Cape Verde Islands, which lie off the west coast of Africa, are becoming an increasingly attractive winter sun alternative to other mid haul destinations such as The Canaries and Egypt, the latter of which has seen a 12% drop in searches from the UK .
Who’s coming?
It’s the Russian market which has grown the most in the last 12 months, with over 100% rise in searches to UK. However with London set to take the world stage for the Olympics in 2012 it is actually the Australians who top the table in terms of the number of visitors while it is the Japanese who are seeing the biggest increase in searches over the Olympic period with a 300% rise. Visitors from The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Denmark and Switzerland follow closely behind.
The full report is now available at: http://www.skyscanner.net/news/Skyscanner%20Travel%20Trends%202012.pdf
Ends
About Skyscanner
Skyscanner is Europe’s leading travel search site providing instant online comparisons for millions of flights on over a thousand airlines, as well as car hire and hotels
Follow Skyscanner on Twitter and Facebook
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
2011年12月31日星期六
2011年12月30日星期五
Help your pet prepare for air travel
Make sure you have proper travel gear to make air travel as safe as possible for your pet.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Before you book a ticket for your pet, do research about your destination and any scheduled stops along the way
- Buy the best travel gear for your pet, and then reinforce it for an even safer flight
- Seek pet-friendly airports and watch your pet board and de-plane
“They were very nonchalant about it,” says Lombardi, co-owner of The Trip Chicks travel agency, about the incident that occurred nearly five years ago. “I’m sure that’s not as widespread as it used to be. But, if at all possible, I feel more comfortable avoiding pets flying as cargo. If it’s drivable, and the person has to take their pet, that’s better.”
The American Pet Products Association estimates that more than 60 percent of U.S. households have pets. Those kittens, pooches — even snakes and gerbils — need to leave the nest, eventually. Some of those pets take family vacations, and commercial airlines have met that demand by opening their cargo bins and their cabins to our furry companions.
Most pets reach their destinations without incident each day. But horror stories — such as the pug that died in cargo during a trans-Atlantic flight or the baggage handler who lost her job over her refusal to load an emaciated dog on a plane — cause pet lovers like Lombardi to reconsider air travel. Before you book a ticket for your pet, do research about your destination and any scheduled stops along the way. Here are a few tips for a fun, safe and pet-friendly trip that includes airline travel.
MNN: Top 10 tips for flying with pets
Work the ‘Net
After struggling to find hotels that would accommodate his dog Ruggles, travel agent Jerry Hatfield created PetTravel.com. His team works with commercial airlines to deliver guidelines about travel-worthy crates, pet-friendly hotel listings and tips on clearing airport security. Also check BringFido.com and FidoFriendly.com for travel tips — and don’t forget to ask friends for recommendations. They may lead you to hidden treasures, like the fun, funky and dog-friendly Thunderbird Inn that I discovered in Savannah, Georgia.
Consider the season
Temperatures in the cargo hold can be dramatically different from passenger cabins. Some airlines even refuse to fly pets as cargo when temperatures hit extreme highs and lows. “Try not to travel with your pet in cargo during the cold winter or hot summer,” says PetTravel.com President Susan Smith. “Depending on where you are flying, you cut down risk to the pet.”
Get the best gear, and reinforce it
If your pet does fly in the cargo hold, purchase a sturdy carrier. The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which comprises about 230 airlines, offers online tips to select the right crate for your pet. Cable ties add another level of security. “At end of the day, you want to make sure your pet does not get out of that crate,” Smith says.
A cat named Jack gained international recognition after being lost — then found 61 days later — inside JFK airport in New York. According to the American Airlines incident report filed with the Department of Transportation, Jack escaped when a clerk placed the cat’s kennel on another kennel and it fell, opening on impact. He eventually was euthanized because he was so malnourished and dehydrated that his skin tore easily, making him prone to severe infection and organ dysfunction.
“A lot more airlines are requiring the use of steel nuts and bolts as opposed to plastic [crate] fasteners,” Smith says, adding that Boston Logan International Airport has a training program for its baggage handlers. “If you put on metal or steel hardware, the chances of keeping your pet safe are higher.”
MNN: How to prepare for an emergency — pets included
Watch your pet board — and de-plane
Pets are always boarded last, Smith notes. If at all possible, watch airport staff load your pet onto the plane. “If that’s not available, I would not get on a plane until I received word that my pet has been boarded,” she says. “Tell the captain you are traveling with a pet and say, ‘Please be sensitive about pressurizing the cargo hold.’ It’s good to be a squeaky wheel. It’s good that they know this is your pet.”
Seek pet-friendly airports
In 2009, the Department of Transportation required U.S. airports to provide pet relief areas that help service animals stretch their legs between flights. PetFriendlyTravel.com lists pet relief areas for airports across the country, including the Poochie Park at Hartsfield-Jackson International in Atlanta. Many airports and airlines have begun to upgrade these areas with fun features.
“KLM and Air France in Amsterdam have 24-hour-a-day service,” Lombardi says. “Airline personnel will take your pet from one carrier to another, and they have dog walkers that take the dog from the kennel, clean the kennel, put ice cubes in the dish and pet the dog.”
MNN: How to help elderly relatives keep their beloved pets
Stateside, Lombardi and Smith give Bush Intercontinental Airport high marks for its on-site kennel with more than 1,000 square feet of pet runs. Run by Continental, it’s the only on-site kennel run by a commercial airline. The facility charges $100 for the first night and $15 each additional night.
“You can take the dog around, or airline personnel can take the dog around, and then put the dog in a nice spacious kennel area,” Ann says. “It’s considered the cream of the crop.”
While pet relief areas typically exist outside the terminal, Lombardi also credits Washington-Dulles airport with providing a relief area inside, closer to departure gates. Overseas, carriers offer even more perks.
“The airlines have realized that the transport of pets is a very good thing for them in terms of the bottom line,” Smith says, noting that Baby Boomers fuel the pet travel trend. “Baby Boomers are a mobile society — and they are taking their pets with them.”
© Copyright 2011 Mother Nature Network
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Americans to travel farther, spend more in 2012
NEW YORK (Reuters) – Shaky economy notwithstanding, Americans intend to travel farther and spend more in 2012, according to a nationwide poll.
Long-haul bookings to Europe, Asia and Australia are up in 2012, comprising 11 of the top 20 destinations for U.S. travelers, compared to nine in 2011, the survey of 640 travel agents showed.
Over 90 percent said their clients will spend the same or more on travel in 2012. The top two international destinations for 2012, based on actual bookings, remain Caribbean cruises and Cancun, Mexico, as they were in the 2011 survey.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong, China, missing from the top 20 in 2011, made the list in 2012, and Sydney, Australia, ranked 19th last year just missed making the top 15.
“We are very encouraged to see the rise in popularity of such a diverse group of international destinations,” said Roger E. Block, president of Travel Leaders Franchise Group, which conducted the poll.
He said along with the expected list-toppers, such as London and Rome, it was nice to see Americans’ interests are diversifying and in large enough numbers to ‘bump up’ destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing in Asia, and Amsterdam and Barcelona in Europe.
Asked to pick the top up-and-coming international destinations, over a third of the agents chose Croatia for Europe, and one-half said Vietnam led in Asia. Panama edged out Ecuador and Brazil among destinations within Central/South America.
The luxury travel segment continues to thrive. More than half the leisure travel specialists polled reported upticks in small ship cruising, off-the-beaten path travel and international family travel.
Las Vegas, Nevada, heads up the domestic destinations for 2012 for U.S. travelers, as it did in 2011. Agents cite the lure of gaming and the ease of the getaway for its continued vitality; Orlando, Florida, the home of Disney World, ranked second.
Last-minute leisure travel is down. Eager to lock-in optimum pricing and driven by reduced airline capacity, leisure travelers continue to book further in advance of their travel date.
Domestically, more than 63 percent of leisure travelers booked their flights eight weeks or more in advance of the travel date; internationally, it was 89.5 percent.
Almost 40 percent of the agents reported higher bookings in 2012; 40.8 percent said bookings were even; and 19.7 percent reported lower bookings than in 2011.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Long-haul bookings to Europe, Asia and Australia are up in 2012, comprising 11 of the top 20 destinations for U.S. travelers, compared to nine in 2011, the survey of 640 travel agents showed.
Over 90 percent said their clients will spend the same or more on travel in 2012. The top two international destinations for 2012, based on actual bookings, remain Caribbean cruises and Cancun, Mexico, as they were in the 2011 survey.
Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and Hong Kong, China, missing from the top 20 in 2011, made the list in 2012, and Sydney, Australia, ranked 19th last year just missed making the top 15.
“We are very encouraged to see the rise in popularity of such a diverse group of international destinations,” said Roger E. Block, president of Travel Leaders Franchise Group, which conducted the poll.
He said along with the expected list-toppers, such as London and Rome, it was nice to see Americans’ interests are diversifying and in large enough numbers to ‘bump up’ destinations such as Hong Kong and Beijing in Asia, and Amsterdam and Barcelona in Europe.
Asked to pick the top up-and-coming international destinations, over a third of the agents chose Croatia for Europe, and one-half said Vietnam led in Asia. Panama edged out Ecuador and Brazil among destinations within Central/South America.
The luxury travel segment continues to thrive. More than half the leisure travel specialists polled reported upticks in small ship cruising, off-the-beaten path travel and international family travel.
Las Vegas, Nevada, heads up the domestic destinations for 2012 for U.S. travelers, as it did in 2011. Agents cite the lure of gaming and the ease of the getaway for its continued vitality; Orlando, Florida, the home of Disney World, ranked second.
Last-minute leisure travel is down. Eager to lock-in optimum pricing and driven by reduced airline capacity, leisure travelers continue to book further in advance of their travel date.
Domestically, more than 63 percent of leisure travelers booked their flights eight weeks or more in advance of the travel date; internationally, it was 89.5 percent.
Almost 40 percent of the agents reported higher bookings in 2012; 40.8 percent said bookings were even; and 19.7 percent reported lower bookings than in 2011.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Travel mag targets the ‘young, sexy and broke’
A popular DUMBO-based travel website for young globe-trotters on a tight budget is veering offline and onto the magazine rack.
Offtrackplanet.com – an online travel magazine geared toward the “young, sexy and broke,” – will sell copies of their magazine for the first time in more than 300 stores nationwide – including Barnes and Noble.
It’s an unususal step at a time when print publications are slashing budgets and even folding to go digital.
“Print still establishes some credibility. Anyone can slap together a website,” said company CEO and cofounder Freddie Pikovsky, 28.
The quarterly magazine – which will retail for $4.95 and hit newsstands on January 4th – is just as edgy as the site. The latest issue features stories on Paris’ finest sex shops; how to haggle with street vendors abroad and the best places to get tanked with locals in Madrid.
Pikovsky – who was born to Russian immigrants in Bensonhurst – said his life changed on a European backpacking trip in 2008 and hopes the website and magazine’s party atmosphere will inspire people to travel.
“I had all these misconceptions that traveling was reserved for people who were wealthy and that it was a waste of time,” said Pikovsky. “I want to inspire other people to experience something that could change their world.”
The site first launched in 2009 from Pikovsky’s Sunset Park apartment after he met his partner Anna Starostinetskaya, 28, in a Bedford-Stuyvesant hostel. Starostinetskaya – an immigrant from the Ukraine who grew up in Los Angeles – said studying abroad in Spain for six months in 2004 changed her life.
“We talk a lot about the partying and the sex culture but it’s not our job to give people a motive,” said Starostinetskaya. “It’s our job to inspire them.”
Officials for book giant Barnes and Noble said 200 of their stores will sell Off Track Planet magazine and will feature it in their top travel markets.
“We believe it’s a great quality magazine that meets our standards for sale in our store,” said newsstand vice president, Theresa Thompson. “We think it’s edgy and will appeal to a young traveler.”
Despite the foray into print, the tech-first company is working on a sophisticated mobile app that will allow backpackers to connect with experienced travelers and access content from the website. Pikovsky said the company is short about $800,000 to make the app work and is looking for donations from investors.
“We want to reinvent travel guides” said Pikovsky. “We like to say we’re creating movement around the world.”
for more information, visit www.offtrackplanet.com
mmorales@nydailynews.com
Twitter.com/NYDNMarkMorales
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Offtrackplanet.com – an online travel magazine geared toward the “young, sexy and broke,” – will sell copies of their magazine for the first time in more than 300 stores nationwide – including Barnes and Noble.
It’s an unususal step at a time when print publications are slashing budgets and even folding to go digital.
“Print still establishes some credibility. Anyone can slap together a website,” said company CEO and cofounder Freddie Pikovsky, 28.
The quarterly magazine – which will retail for $4.95 and hit newsstands on January 4th – is just as edgy as the site. The latest issue features stories on Paris’ finest sex shops; how to haggle with street vendors abroad and the best places to get tanked with locals in Madrid.
Pikovsky – who was born to Russian immigrants in Bensonhurst – said his life changed on a European backpacking trip in 2008 and hopes the website and magazine’s party atmosphere will inspire people to travel.
“I had all these misconceptions that traveling was reserved for people who were wealthy and that it was a waste of time,” said Pikovsky. “I want to inspire other people to experience something that could change their world.”
The site first launched in 2009 from Pikovsky’s Sunset Park apartment after he met his partner Anna Starostinetskaya, 28, in a Bedford-Stuyvesant hostel. Starostinetskaya – an immigrant from the Ukraine who grew up in Los Angeles – said studying abroad in Spain for six months in 2004 changed her life.
“We talk a lot about the partying and the sex culture but it’s not our job to give people a motive,” said Starostinetskaya. “It’s our job to inspire them.”
Officials for book giant Barnes and Noble said 200 of their stores will sell Off Track Planet magazine and will feature it in their top travel markets.
“We believe it’s a great quality magazine that meets our standards for sale in our store,” said newsstand vice president, Theresa Thompson. “We think it’s edgy and will appeal to a young traveler.”
Despite the foray into print, the tech-first company is working on a sophisticated mobile app that will allow backpackers to connect with experienced travelers and access content from the website. Pikovsky said the company is short about $800,000 to make the app work and is looking for donations from investors.
“We want to reinvent travel guides” said Pikovsky. “We like to say we’re creating movement around the world.”
for more information, visit www.offtrackplanet.com
mmorales@nydailynews.com
Twitter.com/NYDNMarkMorales
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Update: Travel & Adventure Show Explores New Territory for 2012
ROSEMONT, IL–(Marketwire -12/29/11)- The nation’s largest travel and adventure show returns to Chicago January 28-29 for its eighth consecutive year with new additions and returning favorites. Between well-known travel experts, adventurous activities, more than 120 world-class destinations on exhibit and non-stop cultural music and dance performances, guests will uncover unlimited inspiration and information to plan their next vacation.
New additions this year include appearances by travel insiders like Samantha Brown (host of multiple shows on The Travel Channel), Patricia Schultz (author of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die) and Marc Peyser (editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.) Travel Agency Partner AAA Chicago will be featuring seminars on personalized African safari tours, guided European vacations and cruising at the AAA Travel Theater. Also debuting is an audience “cook-off” hosted by Chicago native and Travel Channel star Mark DeCarlo, with the winner receiving a vacation to the Mexican Yucatan. Crowd favorites return, such as free scuba diving and rock wall climbing, along with non-stop music and dance and more than 120 exhibits of amazing destinations from every continent.
“Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Wisconsin or traveling to Tanzania next summer, the Travel & Adventure Show brings together an amazing array of travel ideas and expert advice,” said John Golicz, CEO for Unicomm, which produces the event in five cities nationally. “Chicago is always one of our largest events, and we’re looking forward to bringing great information and entertainment to our guests.”
Must-see stops on your itinerary at the show include:
The Travel and Adventure Show is the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., with shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Washington D.C. The national magazine sponsor is Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. For more information on attending or exhibiting in the event, please visit www.adventureexpo.com/Chicago or call 203-878-2577 x100.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
New additions this year include appearances by travel insiders like Samantha Brown (host of multiple shows on The Travel Channel), Patricia Schultz (author of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die) and Marc Peyser (editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.) Travel Agency Partner AAA Chicago will be featuring seminars on personalized African safari tours, guided European vacations and cruising at the AAA Travel Theater. Also debuting is an audience “cook-off” hosted by Chicago native and Travel Channel star Mark DeCarlo, with the winner receiving a vacation to the Mexican Yucatan. Crowd favorites return, such as free scuba diving and rock wall climbing, along with non-stop music and dance and more than 120 exhibits of amazing destinations from every continent.
“Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Wisconsin or traveling to Tanzania next summer, the Travel & Adventure Show brings together an amazing array of travel ideas and expert advice,” said John Golicz, CEO for Unicomm, which produces the event in five cities nationally. “Chicago is always one of our largest events, and we’re looking forward to bringing great information and entertainment to our guests.”
Must-see stops on your itinerary at the show include:
- Domestic and International Exhibitors — Representatives from Africa, Asia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines, Turkey and the South Pacific join domestic destinations from Alaska to West Virginia. Tour operators who can give you expert advice on countless other locales will also be on-hand. “Computer research is one thing, but there’s nothing like talking to someone face-to-face who has been where you want to go,” said Golicz.
- Fiery Foods Challenge — Local chefs representing some of the destinations you’ll find at the show will be on hand to cook traditional “hot” dishes. Audience members will sample these spicy creations and vote for their favorites, as well as take home the recipes to try them at home.
- Mark DeCarlo Interactive Cooking Class and Competition — The host of the Travel Channel show “Taste of America” and author of “A Fork In The Road” will select three lucky audience members at random to recreate a dish of Mark’s choosing — right on the spot. The winner (chosen by the audience) will win an all-inclusive Yucatan vacation!
- Scuba Do! — Scuba diving in the world’s largest mobile scuba diving pool (no matter HOW cold it is outside, this pool — all 15,000 gallons of it! — is a toasty 72 degrees, mimicking the temperatures of Bonaire in the Caribbean.) All equipment is provided, even hair dryers.
- Global Beats Stage — musical and dance performances will transport you to an exotic destination, running non-stop throughout the show
The Travel and Adventure Show is the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., with shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Washington D.C. The national magazine sponsor is Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. For more information on attending or exhibiting in the event, please visit www.adventureexpo.com/Chicago or call 203-878-2577 x100.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Travel & Adventure Show Explores New Territory for 2012
ROSEMONT, IL–(Marketwire -12/29/11)- The nation’s largest travel and adventure show returns to Chicago January 28-29 for its eighth consecutive year with new additions and returning favorites. Between well-known travel experts, adventurous activities, more than 120 world-class destinations on exhibit and non-stop cultural music and dance performances, guests will uncover unlimited inspiration and information to plan their next vacation.
New additions this year include appearances by travel insiders like Samantha Brown (host of multiple shows on The Travel Channel), Patricia Schultz (author of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die) and Marc Peyser (editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.) Also debuting is an audience “cook-off” hosted by Chicago native and Travel Channel star Mark DeCarlo, with the winner receiving a vacation to the Mexican Yucatan. Crowd favorites return, such as free scuba diving and rock wall climbing, along with non-stop music and dance and more than 120 exhibits of amazing destinations from every continent.
“Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Wisconsin or traveling to Tanzania next summer, the Travel & Adventure Show brings together an amazing array of travel ideas and expert advice,” said John Golicz, CEO for Unicomm, which produces the event in five cities nationally. “Chicago is always one of our largest events, and we’re looking forward to bringing great information and entertainment to our guests.”
Must-see stops on your itinerary at the show include:
The Travel and Adventure Show is the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., with shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Washington D.C. The national magazine sponsor is Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. For more information on attending or exhibiting in the event, please visit www.adventureexpo.com/Chicago or call 203-878-2577 x100.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1842618
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
New additions this year include appearances by travel insiders like Samantha Brown (host of multiple shows on The Travel Channel), Patricia Schultz (author of 1,000 Places To See Before You Die) and Marc Peyser (editor at Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel magazine.) Also debuting is an audience “cook-off” hosted by Chicago native and Travel Channel star Mark DeCarlo, with the winner receiving a vacation to the Mexican Yucatan. Crowd favorites return, such as free scuba diving and rock wall climbing, along with non-stop music and dance and more than 120 exhibits of amazing destinations from every continent.
“Whether it’s a short weekend getaway to Wisconsin or traveling to Tanzania next summer, the Travel & Adventure Show brings together an amazing array of travel ideas and expert advice,” said John Golicz, CEO for Unicomm, which produces the event in five cities nationally. “Chicago is always one of our largest events, and we’re looking forward to bringing great information and entertainment to our guests.”
Must-see stops on your itinerary at the show include:
- Domestic and International Exhibitors – Representatives from Africa, Asia, Canada, the Caribbean, Central and South America, India, Indonesia, Israel, Mexico, the Philippines, Turkey and the South Pacific join domestic destinations from Alaska to West Virginia. Tour operators who can give you expert advice on countless other locales will also be on-hand. “Computer research is one thing, but there’s nothing like talking to someone face-to-face who has been where you want to go,” said Golicz.
- Fiery Foods Challenge – Local chefs representing some of the destinations you’ll find at the show will be on hand to cook traditional “hot” dishes. Audience members will sample these spicy creations and vote for their favorites, as well as take home the recipes to try them at home.
- Mark DeCarlo Interactive Cooking Class and Competition – The host of the Travel Channel show “Taste of America” and author of “A Fork In The Road” will select three lucky audience members at random to recreate a dish of Mark’s choosing – right on the spot. The winner (chosen by the audience) will win an all-inclusive Yucatan vacation!
- Scuba Do! – Scuba diving in the world’s largest mobile scuba diving pool (no matter HOW cold it is outside, this pool – all 15,000 gallons of it! — is a toasty 72 degrees, mimicking the temperatures of Bonaire in the Caribbean.) All equipment is provided, even hair dryers.
- Global Beats Stage – musical and dance performances will transport you to an exotic destination, running non-stop throughout the show
The Travel and Adventure Show is the longest-running series of consumer travel events in the U.S., with shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco Bay Area, Dallas and Washington D.C. The national magazine sponsor is Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel. For more information on attending or exhibiting in the event, please visit www.adventureexpo.com/Chicago or call 203-878-2577 x100.
Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=1842618
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Win a Flight Anywhere in the World with Amble Resorts’ Travel Contest
CHICAGO , Dec. 29, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Hopeful travelers are invited to share a personal, life-changing travel experience on Amble Resorts’ travel blog, The Ambler, for the chance to win a flight anywhere in the world. The individual who posts the winning entry will be rewarded with a free trip to the destination of their dreams in the form of a $1,500 travel voucher, valid anytime in 2012, on the airline of the winner’s choice.
By launching this contest, Amble Resorts is encouraging 2012 New Years ‘ resolutions to explore the world in search of adventure and immersion in place. It was an experience of this kind that first inspired Amble’s president, Benjamin Loomis , to found the eco-development company in 2007. Amble helps adventurous spirits from all over the globe to discover the unique cultural identities and incredible natural attributes of their chosen destinations while creating a community of travelers who share a passion to protect these precious resources.
“Travel is an intimate endeavor,” says Loomis. “You come away from a meaningful travel experience with your own perceptions and opinions. It’s these profoundly personal responses that we’re hoping everyone will share through the contest.” The contest reflects Amble’s mission to bring travelers into closer communion with the earth, other peoples, and each other. By publishing the contest entries as comments on The Ambler, Loomis hopes to spark conversations between travelers and travel enthusiasts who share a passion for adventure, culture, and the environment. This format also invites entrants to join The Ambler‘s growing travel community and read new articles published daily.
Last fall, Amble Resorts expanded their travel blog of three years by inviting travel writers and photographers to join them in their efforts to inspire and enlighten today’s most culturally sensitive and environmentally conscious travelers. Through informative articles, stunning photography, and firsthand experiences of travel writers from around the world, Amble is pioneering a new online source for travel advice. Going beyond traditional destination guides, The Ambler provides insider tips on adventures off the beaten path, lesser-known natural and cultural attractions, and secluded pieces of paradise hidden in popular tourism destinations, all presented with the ease and intimacy of a personal travel blog. The Ambler hopes to give a voice to today’s most discerning travelers and feed their appetite for life-changing travel in a forum that’s accessible to anyone with an interest in learning more about the world.
President Loomis envisions a future for The Ambler as a trusted resource for travelers from all over the world who want to find new meaning for their lives with every journey they take. Accordingly, Amble Resorts’ current development projects in Panama and Belize are designed to give travelers an intimate connection with the extraordinary natural surroundings of the location. “We’re blazing the trail to provide travelers with something they can’t find anywhere else: a luxury travel experience connected to the true spirit of a place,” says Loomis. “Our travelers respect the environment and local cultures; they recognize what is most precious in our world. We build resorts founded on these values while recognizing that the traveler’s time is precious, too. They want to be as close as possible to these life-changing experiences without sacrificing their time or comfort.”
Submissions to the Life-Changing Travel Contest will be accepted through January 15th, 2012 . The top ten finalists, as chosen by Amble Resorts, will be posted to The Ambler on January 18th, 2012 for the public to vote on their favorites through January 31st, 2012 , when the voting period will close. The life-changing travel experience that receives the most votes will be announced as the winner on February 1st , 2012.
Photos:
http://www.ereleases.com/pic/Travel-in-2012.jpg
http://www.ereleases.com/pic/Amble-travel-contest.jpg
About Amble Resorts:
Amble Resorts is an ecologically sensitive resort development company focused on providing travelers life-changing travel experiences in places of spectacular natural beauty and cultural significance. Those who want more out of travel, amble with us.
Amble Resorts is the developer of The Resort at Isla Palenque in the Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama .
Media contact: Emily Kinskey , Marketing Associate, Amble Resorts, ekk@amble.com, 773-769-1145
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com/.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
By launching this contest, Amble Resorts is encouraging 2012 New Years ‘ resolutions to explore the world in search of adventure and immersion in place. It was an experience of this kind that first inspired Amble’s president, Benjamin Loomis , to found the eco-development company in 2007. Amble helps adventurous spirits from all over the globe to discover the unique cultural identities and incredible natural attributes of their chosen destinations while creating a community of travelers who share a passion to protect these precious resources.
“Travel is an intimate endeavor,” says Loomis. “You come away from a meaningful travel experience with your own perceptions and opinions. It’s these profoundly personal responses that we’re hoping everyone will share through the contest.” The contest reflects Amble’s mission to bring travelers into closer communion with the earth, other peoples, and each other. By publishing the contest entries as comments on The Ambler, Loomis hopes to spark conversations between travelers and travel enthusiasts who share a passion for adventure, culture, and the environment. This format also invites entrants to join The Ambler‘s growing travel community and read new articles published daily.
Last fall, Amble Resorts expanded their travel blog of three years by inviting travel writers and photographers to join them in their efforts to inspire and enlighten today’s most culturally sensitive and environmentally conscious travelers. Through informative articles, stunning photography, and firsthand experiences of travel writers from around the world, Amble is pioneering a new online source for travel advice. Going beyond traditional destination guides, The Ambler provides insider tips on adventures off the beaten path, lesser-known natural and cultural attractions, and secluded pieces of paradise hidden in popular tourism destinations, all presented with the ease and intimacy of a personal travel blog. The Ambler hopes to give a voice to today’s most discerning travelers and feed their appetite for life-changing travel in a forum that’s accessible to anyone with an interest in learning more about the world.
President Loomis envisions a future for The Ambler as a trusted resource for travelers from all over the world who want to find new meaning for their lives with every journey they take. Accordingly, Amble Resorts’ current development projects in Panama and Belize are designed to give travelers an intimate connection with the extraordinary natural surroundings of the location. “We’re blazing the trail to provide travelers with something they can’t find anywhere else: a luxury travel experience connected to the true spirit of a place,” says Loomis. “Our travelers respect the environment and local cultures; they recognize what is most precious in our world. We build resorts founded on these values while recognizing that the traveler’s time is precious, too. They want to be as close as possible to these life-changing experiences without sacrificing their time or comfort.”
Submissions to the Life-Changing Travel Contest will be accepted through January 15th, 2012 . The top ten finalists, as chosen by Amble Resorts, will be posted to The Ambler on January 18th, 2012 for the public to vote on their favorites through January 31st, 2012 , when the voting period will close. The life-changing travel experience that receives the most votes will be announced as the winner on February 1st , 2012.
Photos:
http://www.ereleases.com/pic/Travel-in-2012.jpg
http://www.ereleases.com/pic/Amble-travel-contest.jpg
About Amble Resorts:
Amble Resorts is an ecologically sensitive resort development company focused on providing travelers life-changing travel experiences in places of spectacular natural beauty and cultural significance. Those who want more out of travel, amble with us.
Amble Resorts is the developer of The Resort at Isla Palenque in the Gulf of Chiriqui, Panama .
Media contact: Emily Kinskey , Marketing Associate, Amble Resorts, ekk@amble.com, 773-769-1145
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com/.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
The 7th Annual Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show(TM) Packs Heat With an International Fiery Foods Challenge
LONG BEACH, CA–(Marketwire -12/28/11)- Any travel experience would be far from complete without exploring the destination’s cuisine. Accordingly, the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show ™, taking place at the Long Beach Convention Center on January 14-15, will feature delicious, interactive demonstrations at the Culinary Stage. The International Fiery Foods Challenge invites guests to take their taste buds to the limit, sampling mouth-watering recipes from around the world. Guests can also participate in a high-stakes cooking competition and learn travel tips for foodies.
The International Fiery Foods Challenge brings together local chefs representing destinations found at the show. From familiar cuisine to the exotic, all dishes will have a delightful kick. The demonstrated foods are Frikadelle (a sort of German meatball), Spicy Tequila Marinated Prawns, Rendang Padang (Indonesian Caramelized Beef Curry), and Medjool Dates with chorizo, mascarpone and Tunisian harissa (a chili sauce). Participating chefs are Kai Loebach of CurryWurst, Amir Thomas of Duo Dishes, SriAdriani ‘Jenny’ Martono of Indonesia Tourism, and Tracey Augustine of Cashmere Bites. After tasting, guests can vote for their favorites and take home the recipes to recreate them.
The Mark DeCarlo Interactive Cooking Class and Competition will follow the Fiery Foods Challenge. Three lucky audience members will be picked from a drawing to prove their kitchen skills right on the spot, recreating a dish of Mark’s choosing. The audience will vote for the best cook, who will win an all-inclusive Yucatan vacation.
The Culinary Stage has good eats for Sunday’s show-goers as well. The Taiwan Tourism Bureau will hold a “Taiwan Popcorn Chicken” demonstration with Chef Frances Lee of the Mighty Boba Truck. Then, Ventura based Chef Jason Collis will host “Farm to Table – Luscious Lemon and Avocado Taste Sensations from 120-year-old, Sustainable Limoneira Ranch.” And, see a top Herradura Tequila ambassador demonstrate Tequila pairing tips. Following this demo, attendees can meet the brand ambassador and taste samples at the Herradura Tequila bar next to the Los Angeles magazine booth. Also not to be missed is “Travel for Foodies – Tips, Trends, and Tools for the Culinary Traveler,” with food and travel experts Michael Cervin, Linda Kissam, Dr. Kathy Gruver, and Chef Allan Cragg.
In addition, the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show will feature talks by some of the world’s most beloved travel personalities, including Samantha Brown, Andrew Zimmern, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Mark DeCarlo, and Patricia Schultz. Attendees can enjoy cultural performances and participate in a variety of activities including scuba lessons from Beadiver.com, a 25′ rock climbing wall, zip line, and children’s activities area. The five-acre show floor will be packed with more than 400 destinations, tour operators and travel professionals providing one-on-one consultations on visiting destinations as near as Catalina Island and as far as Indonesia.
The 2012 Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show’s™ Presenting Sponsor is the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. Supporting Sponsors include Air Berlin/Visit Berlin, Guam Visitors Bureau, Indonesia Tourism, Turkish Culture and Tourism Office. Los Angeles Magazine, NBC4 LA, Los Angeles Consortium of Online Travel (LACOT), Press-Telegram, KABC-AM and KLOS-FM are the flagship Media Sponsors. The event, produced by Unicomm, LLC, will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center Saturday, January 14th and Sunday, January 15th, 2012, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; travel trade may enter the show on Saturday, January 14th at 9:30am for an advance preview or attend during regular show hours. Tickets are $12 at the door or $9 online in advance with Promo Code: LAPR; children age 16 and below admitted free with paid adult. Ticket purchase information, a current schedule of speakers and more details are available at www.latravelshow.com.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
The International Fiery Foods Challenge brings together local chefs representing destinations found at the show. From familiar cuisine to the exotic, all dishes will have a delightful kick. The demonstrated foods are Frikadelle (a sort of German meatball), Spicy Tequila Marinated Prawns, Rendang Padang (Indonesian Caramelized Beef Curry), and Medjool Dates with chorizo, mascarpone and Tunisian harissa (a chili sauce). Participating chefs are Kai Loebach of CurryWurst, Amir Thomas of Duo Dishes, SriAdriani ‘Jenny’ Martono of Indonesia Tourism, and Tracey Augustine of Cashmere Bites. After tasting, guests can vote for their favorites and take home the recipes to recreate them.
The Mark DeCarlo Interactive Cooking Class and Competition will follow the Fiery Foods Challenge. Three lucky audience members will be picked from a drawing to prove their kitchen skills right on the spot, recreating a dish of Mark’s choosing. The audience will vote for the best cook, who will win an all-inclusive Yucatan vacation.
The Culinary Stage has good eats for Sunday’s show-goers as well. The Taiwan Tourism Bureau will hold a “Taiwan Popcorn Chicken” demonstration with Chef Frances Lee of the Mighty Boba Truck. Then, Ventura based Chef Jason Collis will host “Farm to Table – Luscious Lemon and Avocado Taste Sensations from 120-year-old, Sustainable Limoneira Ranch.” And, see a top Herradura Tequila ambassador demonstrate Tequila pairing tips. Following this demo, attendees can meet the brand ambassador and taste samples at the Herradura Tequila bar next to the Los Angeles magazine booth. Also not to be missed is “Travel for Foodies – Tips, Trends, and Tools for the Culinary Traveler,” with food and travel experts Michael Cervin, Linda Kissam, Dr. Kathy Gruver, and Chef Allan Cragg.
In addition, the Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show will feature talks by some of the world’s most beloved travel personalities, including Samantha Brown, Andrew Zimmern, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Mark DeCarlo, and Patricia Schultz. Attendees can enjoy cultural performances and participate in a variety of activities including scuba lessons from Beadiver.com, a 25′ rock climbing wall, zip line, and children’s activities area. The five-acre show floor will be packed with more than 400 destinations, tour operators and travel professionals providing one-on-one consultations on visiting destinations as near as Catalina Island and as far as Indonesia.
The 2012 Los Angeles Travel & Adventure Show’s™ Presenting Sponsor is the Taiwan Tourism Bureau. Supporting Sponsors include Air Berlin/Visit Berlin, Guam Visitors Bureau, Indonesia Tourism, Turkish Culture and Tourism Office. Los Angeles Magazine, NBC4 LA, Los Angeles Consortium of Online Travel (LACOT), Press-Telegram, KABC-AM and KLOS-FM are the flagship Media Sponsors. The event, produced by Unicomm, LLC, will take place at the Long Beach Convention Center Saturday, January 14th and Sunday, January 15th, 2012, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; travel trade may enter the show on Saturday, January 14th at 9:30am for an advance preview or attend during regular show hours. Tickets are $12 at the door or $9 online in advance with Promo Code: LAPR; children age 16 and below admitted free with paid adult. Ticket purchase information, a current schedule of speakers and more details are available at www.latravelshow.com.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Weekly Travel Deals on VEGAS.com
LAS VEGAS, NV–(Marketwire -12/27/11)- The travel experts at VEGAS.com, the world’s number one city travel website with the top Las Vegas Hotels and Las Vegas Shows, have outlined some of this week’s exclusive and limited-time only travel deals.
Rio All Suites: Las Vegas Hotel and Casino — 20% Off Your Stay plus Two-for-One DealsBook a room marked with the 20% Off Your Stay plus Two-for-One Deals offer at Rio All Suites: Las Vegas Hotel and Casino for a minimum of two nights between now and Feb. 28, 2012, for stay dates between now and Feb. 28, 2012, and receive 20% off your stay. As an added bonus, guests will receive two-for-one deals to enjoy during their visit.
Details at VEGAS.com.
Trump International Hotel and Tower — Up to 25% Off Your StayBook a room marked with the Up to 25% Off Your Stay offer at the Trump International Hotel and Tower between now and March 30, 2012, for stay dates between now and March 30, 2012, and receive up to 25% off your stay. This is a nonrefundable rate.
Details at VEGAS.com.
David Copperfield — Save $22 Per TicketFor a limited time only, save $22 per ticket when you book select David Copperfield tickets on VEGAS.com.
Details at VEGAS.com.
About VEGAS.comVEGAS.com is the largest city destination travel website in the world with extensive, constantly updated information and a full range of travel products including Las Vegas hotels, Las Vegas Air & Hotel Packages, Las Vegas shows, tours and golf. A state-of-the-art contact center provides customer support, expert information and sales 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to complement the information on www.VEGAS.com. VEGAS.com, through its Casino Travel & Tours unit, operates retail and concierge desks at more than 50 locations including the Palms, Paris, Harrah’s, Bally’s, Excalibur, New York-New York, Luxor and more. The company also offers a variety of excursions including city tours, the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. VEGAS.com is a member of the Greenspun Family of Companies, privately owned and operating in Southern Nevada for more than 60 years.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Rio All Suites: Las Vegas Hotel and Casino — 20% Off Your Stay plus Two-for-One DealsBook a room marked with the 20% Off Your Stay plus Two-for-One Deals offer at Rio All Suites: Las Vegas Hotel and Casino for a minimum of two nights between now and Feb. 28, 2012, for stay dates between now and Feb. 28, 2012, and receive 20% off your stay. As an added bonus, guests will receive two-for-one deals to enjoy during their visit.
Details at VEGAS.com.
Trump International Hotel and Tower — Up to 25% Off Your StayBook a room marked with the Up to 25% Off Your Stay offer at the Trump International Hotel and Tower between now and March 30, 2012, for stay dates between now and March 30, 2012, and receive up to 25% off your stay. This is a nonrefundable rate.
Details at VEGAS.com.
David Copperfield — Save $22 Per TicketFor a limited time only, save $22 per ticket when you book select David Copperfield tickets on VEGAS.com.
Details at VEGAS.com.
About VEGAS.comVEGAS.com is the largest city destination travel website in the world with extensive, constantly updated information and a full range of travel products including Las Vegas hotels, Las Vegas Air & Hotel Packages, Las Vegas shows, tours and golf. A state-of-the-art contact center provides customer support, expert information and sales 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to complement the information on www.VEGAS.com. VEGAS.com, through its Casino Travel & Tours unit, operates retail and concierge desks at more than 50 locations including the Palms, Paris, Harrah’s, Bally’s, Excalibur, New York-New York, Luxor and more. The company also offers a variety of excursions including city tours, the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon. VEGAS.com is a member of the Greenspun Family of Companies, privately owned and operating in Southern Nevada for more than 60 years.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Travel Sites Hate Google More than Ever
Travel sites still say that Google is using its own algorithm to promote its flight searches and hiding those of competitors, while the search titan maintains that’s the only way airlines wanted to do business.
“The airlines told us that they would not give us [travel data] if we provided booking links to” online travel agencies, Jeremy Wertheimer, an ITA Software founder and now a Google vice president, said at an online travel conference last month according to the Wall Street Journal.
“The airlines told us that they would not give us [travel data] if we provided booking links to” online travel agencies, Jeremy Wertheimer, an ITA Software founder and now a Google vice president, said at an online travel conference last month according to the Wall Street Journal.
The travel industry outcry started last year when Google bought ITA Software for $700 million, the company from which most everyone gets their flight search information, and Microsoft, Expedia and Kayak began to lobby to stop the deal. Not surprisingly, when Google managed to clear the government antitrust probe and used a Google flight search without ITA’s software, the travel sites are still unhappy with the deal. (Google has used ITA Software to create a flight search on its Android and iOS app OnTheFly, which is nothing short of great.)
Google, which has branched into travel, likely saw the buy as a supplementing its search services. But online travel agencies such as Expedia, and more importantly travel search engines such as Kayak, see the competition as deadly.
It’s true that Kayak has the most to lose here, because it has the least to offer. At least Orbitz and Expedia are travel agencies that sell airlines, trips and hotel rooms (and make most of their money from hotels,) but Kayak made itself simply an online tool to aggregate travel information. In a face off between aggregators — a small, narrowly-focused aggregator doesn’t stand a chance against Google’s almighty algorithm. Is that fair? We suppose it depends on whom you ask.
It’s true that Kayak has the most to lose here, because it has the least to offer. At least Orbitz and Expedia are travel agencies that sell airlines, trips and hotel rooms (and make most of their money from hotels,) but Kayak made itself simply an online tool to aggregate travel information. In a face off between aggregators — a small, narrowly-focused aggregator doesn’t stand a chance against Google’s almighty algorithm. Is that fair? We suppose it depends on whom you ask.
Google’s search engine was started 13 years ago, long before Kayak’s travel search started in 2004. So isn’t it simply a matter of Kayak having a poor business model from the beginning? Of course, that idea will be batted away for now because the company is desperately trying to launch an IPO before anyone sees that this startup isn’t viable in the long term.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Google under fire for travel search placement
Searching for flights on Google.(Credit: Josh Lowensohn/CNET)
The Wall Street Journal today points to a practice begun by the search giant earlier this month, which provides results for travel-related searches–such as domestic flights–from right within Google, as opposed to pointing searchers towards places like Priceline, Expedia, and Orbitz.
The move poses a serious threat, the Journal says, for these competing travel sites, which can depend on Google for 10 percent to 20 percent of their incoming traffic. With the newer technique of putting links to airline sites right up top, there’s a chance visitors won’t scroll down to try their search from one of these other sites, the Journal argues.
Google made serious moves to get into the travel business in the middle of last year, announcing plans to buy travel software company ITA as part of a $700 million deal. ITA’s core business is curating and indexing prices, flight schedules, and open seats, and offering the data to partners. When Google first announced plans to buy the company, it said it intended to use ITA’s technology to let users buy tickets directly from its search pages.
The 500-person company has relationships with airlines and travel agencies and can be found powering sites like Kayak, Hotwire, and Orbitz–many of which opposed the deal.
In April, Google and the Justice Department announced that a deal had been struck, granting Google the right to acquire ITA. But that deal came with strings attached, including that Google continue to license ITA’s technology to competitors for five years, and pass along any complaints from competitors about their listings not receiving fair placement on Google’s results pages.
In October, a federal judge approved the consent decree between Google and the Justice Department.
The Journal points to a statement made by Google vice president, and ITA founder, Jeremy Wertheimer last month, in which he said that airlines refused to give the company data about flights if that information was linked up to travel agencies as opposed to the airliners’ own sales sites. Google declined further elaboration on that point, the Journal said.
Worth pointing out is that Microsoft has a similar practice of putting travel results on the top of its Bing search pages, as it’s done since March of this year. However that technology is a partnership with Kayak, as opposed to Microsoft’s own travel tools. The Journal notes that Bing brings in “less than a quarter of Google’s audience,” giving the practice less of an impact.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
2011年12月29日星期四
Here’s Why Internet Travel Site Stocks are Facing Major Losses
Google is out with huge changes to their travel search algorithm, and internet travel sites may lose significant market share. Google will now place its own flight-search service at the top of search results for flight information.
The move will immediately hurt online travel websites such as Expedia , Orbitz , Travelzoo , and Priceline which receive ten to twenty percent of their leads from Google searches. That’s a lot of money to lose in the $110 billion online travel market.
Don’t Miss: Will Computers Read Our Minds In Five Years?
This morning you can expect lots of high priced lawyers to call the Department of Justice claiming Google is violating guidelines established for their entry into the online travel market. We will wait to see whether legal fees are the only loss taken by Expedia , Orbitz , Travelzoo , and Priceline , or whether it will be billions in lost flight bookings.
Here’s how these travel stocks are reacting to the industry shaking news:
Google Inc. : GOOG shares recently traded at $633.76, up $0.62, or 0.1%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $473.02 to $642.96. Volume today was 57,266 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 3,109,540 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 21.60, while trailing earnings are $29.34 per share.
Expedia Inc. : EXPE shares recently traded at $29.61, down $0.43, or 1.43%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $27.28 to $65.78. Volume today was 88,372 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 2,346,560 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 8.79, while trailing earnings are $3.37 per share.
Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. : OWW shares recently traded at $3.79. They have traded in a 52-week range of $2.76 to $7.01. Volume today was 7,373 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 330,987 shares. The company’s trailing earnings are $-0.66 per share.
Travelzoo Inc. : TZOO shares recently traded at $26.04, down $0.07, or 0.27%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $20.68 to $103.80. Volume today was 7,308 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 649,216 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 651.00, while trailing earnings are $0.04 per share.
priceline.com Incorporated : PCLN shares recently traded at $480.58, down $1.15, or 0.24%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $399.18 to $561.88. Volume today was 26,948 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 1,274,540 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 25.46, while trailing earnings are $18.88 per share.
Investing Insights: Apple and Google Working Together on These Wearable Computers.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
The move will immediately hurt online travel websites such as Expedia , Orbitz , Travelzoo , and Priceline which receive ten to twenty percent of their leads from Google searches. That’s a lot of money to lose in the $110 billion online travel market.
Don’t Miss: Will Computers Read Our Minds In Five Years?
This morning you can expect lots of high priced lawyers to call the Department of Justice claiming Google is violating guidelines established for their entry into the online travel market. We will wait to see whether legal fees are the only loss taken by Expedia , Orbitz , Travelzoo , and Priceline , or whether it will be billions in lost flight bookings.
Here’s how these travel stocks are reacting to the industry shaking news:
Google Inc. : GOOG shares recently traded at $633.76, up $0.62, or 0.1%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $473.02 to $642.96. Volume today was 57,266 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 3,109,540 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 21.60, while trailing earnings are $29.34 per share.
Expedia Inc. : EXPE shares recently traded at $29.61, down $0.43, or 1.43%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $27.28 to $65.78. Volume today was 88,372 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 2,346,560 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 8.79, while trailing earnings are $3.37 per share.
Orbitz Worldwide, Inc. : OWW shares recently traded at $3.79. They have traded in a 52-week range of $2.76 to $7.01. Volume today was 7,373 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 330,987 shares. The company’s trailing earnings are $-0.66 per share.
Travelzoo Inc. : TZOO shares recently traded at $26.04, down $0.07, or 0.27%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $20.68 to $103.80. Volume today was 7,308 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 649,216 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 651.00, while trailing earnings are $0.04 per share.
priceline.com Incorporated : PCLN shares recently traded at $480.58, down $1.15, or 0.24%. They have traded in a 52-week range of $399.18 to $561.88. Volume today was 26,948 shares versus a 3-month average volume of 1,274,540 shares. The company’s trailing P/E is 25.46, while trailing earnings are $18.88 per share.
Investing Insights: Apple and Google Working Together on These Wearable Computers.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Tucan Travel Declares 2012 the ‘Year of Adventure’
LONDON , Dec. 27, 2011 /PRNewswire/ — Despite the scope of predictions already being made on what 2012 will hold, with everything from uncertainty in the economy and the end of the European experiment, to end of the world as a whole if you listen to the predictions of the ancient Maya, none of them paint a particularly rosy picture. To counter this and propose an alternative, Tucan Travel is declaring 2012 the Year of Adventure.
There is no doubt that 2011 was a year of big change in the world, from devastating natural disasters to financial upheaval and revolutionary change. What is also true is that no one can be certain of what 2012 will bring. But during this uncertain time there is also opportunity, opportunity for travellers to go on the adventure of a lifetime, wherever in the world that might be.
Tucan Travel has come a long way as a company, offering other travellers a genuine travel experience. And this year will see the company turn 25. To celebrate preparations are underway to make it their biggest and most exciting year yet.
So as the new year approaches, why not forget any of the doom and gloom you might have heard for 2012; the year will be what you make of it. Why not make it a Year of Adventure?
Tucan Travel’s 2012 hot spots
Colombia — This beautiful yet still enigmatic corner of South America is in the forefront of many people’s minds at the moment, and as an up-and-coming destination is absolutely bursting with adventure opportunities.
The Balkans — This under-explored region of Eastern Europe is far too often overlooked by travellers in search of a genuine adventure. From the rugged peaks and stunning bays of Montenegro down to the long, rock and pine covered coastline of Croatia with its hundreds of islands walled cities, to the rich cultural heritage of both Bosnia and Serbia, there is so much to explore in this region as it emerges from its recent history.
Central America — Much has been made of certain readings of the ancient Maya calendar that the world will end this year. Despite the questionable validity of such claims, this fascinating civilization did leave behind many mysterious and astonishing ruins, deep in a lush jungle setting.
Tucan Travel is a specialist adventure tour operator with hundreds of high-quality, affordable and exciting adventures to worldwide destinations. Choose from over 400 group tours, Independent Travel packages and Expedition Cruises to Europe , the Middle East & North Africa , Asia & Russia , East & Southern Africa , Latin America and Antarctica .
Media Enquiries:
Ben McIntosh , Communications coordinator
Direct Line: +44 (020) 8896 6711 | Email: ben@tucantravel.com
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com/.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
There is no doubt that 2011 was a year of big change in the world, from devastating natural disasters to financial upheaval and revolutionary change. What is also true is that no one can be certain of what 2012 will bring. But during this uncertain time there is also opportunity, opportunity for travellers to go on the adventure of a lifetime, wherever in the world that might be.
Tucan Travel has come a long way as a company, offering other travellers a genuine travel experience. And this year will see the company turn 25. To celebrate preparations are underway to make it their biggest and most exciting year yet.
So as the new year approaches, why not forget any of the doom and gloom you might have heard for 2012; the year will be what you make of it. Why not make it a Year of Adventure?
Tucan Travel’s 2012 hot spots
Colombia — This beautiful yet still enigmatic corner of South America is in the forefront of many people’s minds at the moment, and as an up-and-coming destination is absolutely bursting with adventure opportunities.
The Balkans — This under-explored region of Eastern Europe is far too often overlooked by travellers in search of a genuine adventure. From the rugged peaks and stunning bays of Montenegro down to the long, rock and pine covered coastline of Croatia with its hundreds of islands walled cities, to the rich cultural heritage of both Bosnia and Serbia, there is so much to explore in this region as it emerges from its recent history.
Central America — Much has been made of certain readings of the ancient Maya calendar that the world will end this year. Despite the questionable validity of such claims, this fascinating civilization did leave behind many mysterious and astonishing ruins, deep in a lush jungle setting.
Tucan Travel is a specialist adventure tour operator with hundreds of high-quality, affordable and exciting adventures to worldwide destinations. Choose from over 400 group tours, Independent Travel packages and Expedition Cruises to Europe , the Middle East & North Africa , Asia & Russia , East & Southern Africa , Latin America and Antarctica .
Media Enquiries:
Ben McIntosh , Communications coordinator
Direct Line: +44 (020) 8896 6711 | Email: ben@tucantravel.com
This press release was issued through eReleases(R). For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com/.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Air Travel Predictions for 2012
The burning air travel questions of the coming year: Will fees rise? Will our tickets cost more? Will Alec Baldwin disrupt our flight?
And what about finding true love or lust on a plane? See number four. Now, normally, my prognostication skills don’t extend to all areas of modern life – for instance, I did not see the Kardashian divorce coming – but I do know air travel and have examined trends and data over the past several years so I have some answers. Now let’s get started.
For more travel news and insights view Rick’s blog at farecompare.com
Here are the top five air travel predictions of 2012.
And what about finding true love or lust on a plane? See number four. Now, normally, my prognostication skills don’t extend to all areas of modern life – for instance, I did not see the Kardashian divorce coming – but I do know air travel and have examined trends and data over the past several years so I have some answers. Now let’s get started.
For more travel news and insights view Rick’s blog at farecompare.com
Here are the top five air travel predictions of 2012.
Folks holding tickets for American Airlines, not to mention those holding thousands of frequent flyer miles, got a scare back in November when the airline abruptly announced its bankruptcy. A scare is all it was, though.
In fact, bankruptcy is a well-worn path for large U.S. carriers. As Southwest CEO Gary Kelly recently noted, many legacy airlines effectively emerged from bankruptcy in great shape as “giant, lower-cost airlines [that are] much more formidable competition than their predecessors.”
American has 18 months to emerge from Chapter 11 and by all accounts it probably should merge with another airline. Yet most of the musical chairs are already accounted for – think Delta/Northwest, United/Continental – so there are not many choices. US Airways might be a willing partner for AA but culture clash could spell doom. I’m on the fence on this one.
In fact, bankruptcy is a well-worn path for large U.S. carriers. As Southwest CEO Gary Kelly recently noted, many legacy airlines effectively emerged from bankruptcy in great shape as “giant, lower-cost airlines [that are] much more formidable competition than their predecessors.”
American has 18 months to emerge from Chapter 11 and by all accounts it probably should merge with another airline. Yet most of the musical chairs are already accounted for – think Delta/Northwest, United/Continental – so there are not many choices. US Airways might be a willing partner for AA but culture clash could spell doom. I’m on the fence on this one.
A recent online survey by travel website Travel Ticker confirmed what I’ve seen from my vast storehouse of data: An increasing number of people say they’ll do more leisure traveling in the coming year, and even more say they’ll fly if they can find good deals in 2012 (note: we’ve been seeing an awful lot of airfare sales in the past couple of weeks).
Empty middle seats are so last decade. Today the airlines are all about “contract, merge, and survive” as opposed to the old model of “expand at any cost.” Sure, we can dream of the good old days when an arm rest didn’t have a body leaning on it, but that’s all it is, a dream.
Empty middle seats are so last decade. Today the airlines are all about “contract, merge, and survive” as opposed to the old model of “expand at any cost.” Sure, we can dream of the good old days when an arm rest didn’t have a body leaning on it, but that’s all it is, a dream.
You may be excused for thinking flying is only for the rich. After all, the airlines attempted to raise prices 22 times in 2011 (and nine of those attempts were successful). However, there is a bronze lining in that the airlines still have to fill those middle seats, so they will keep tossing out occasional discounts though they may be fewer and farther between.
If you shop smart – if you buy your tickets on Tuesday and are willing to flying midweek instead of Friday or Sunday – you can still game the airfare pricing system and come out a winner. At least, most of the time.
If you shop smart – if you buy your tickets on Tuesday and are willing to flying midweek instead of Friday or Sunday – you can still game the airfare pricing system and come out a winner. At least, most of the time.
2012 will be the year of ‘Fees 4.0′ but to review: Fees 1.0 began in 2008 when we began paying for bags in the first place. As one airline exec explained, “You pay $12 for a hot dog at Wrigley, so why not a fee for a bag?” Trouble is, hotdogs at Wrigley weren’t free five years ago. Plus, they taste good. Bag fees, as we all know, are nearly indigestible.
And forget all those reports about proposed legislation to do away with bag fees. Every time a senator is charged a bag fee, they make a ruckus (especially during an election cycle). The legislation won’t go anywhere because those billions of dollars in fee revenue are often the only thing keeping airlines above water what with those sometimes stratospheric fuel prices.
Fees 2.0 saw airlines slapping on a sushi menu-worth of charges for all sorts of frills such as food and early boarding. For consumers, it got harder and harder to compare the total cost of a ticket from one airline to another. Fees 3.0 was the bundling of fees we see now, such as early boarding plus checked-bag plus preferred seat.
Fees 4.0 will mean higher fees (especially if oil takes another precipitous hike), plus more bundling of extras we might not have wanted to purchase separately but may succumb to after seeing them continuously discounted from pay-point to pay-point via email, on our smartphones, at the airport kiosk or even on our airplane seat back screens.
What’s love got to do with it? We may find out once KLM gets its “choose your seatmate via Facebook” plan underway. Perhaps flyers will use it to choose neighbors based on looks or hotness quotient or simply to find a quiet, easygoing seatmate (perhaps the anti-Alec Baldwin). Would you pay for this? I’m betting many will; take another look at that Seinfeld episode where Elaine is stuck in a middle seat whispering, “Help me”).
And forget all those reports about proposed legislation to do away with bag fees. Every time a senator is charged a bag fee, they make a ruckus (especially during an election cycle). The legislation won’t go anywhere because those billions of dollars in fee revenue are often the only thing keeping airlines above water what with those sometimes stratospheric fuel prices.
Fees 2.0 saw airlines slapping on a sushi menu-worth of charges for all sorts of frills such as food and early boarding. For consumers, it got harder and harder to compare the total cost of a ticket from one airline to another. Fees 3.0 was the bundling of fees we see now, such as early boarding plus checked-bag plus preferred seat.
Fees 4.0 will mean higher fees (especially if oil takes another precipitous hike), plus more bundling of extras we might not have wanted to purchase separately but may succumb to after seeing them continuously discounted from pay-point to pay-point via email, on our smartphones, at the airport kiosk or even on our airplane seat back screens.
What’s love got to do with it? We may find out once KLM gets its “choose your seatmate via Facebook” plan underway. Perhaps flyers will use it to choose neighbors based on looks or hotness quotient or simply to find a quiet, easygoing seatmate (perhaps the anti-Alec Baldwin). Would you pay for this? I’m betting many will; take another look at that Seinfeld episode where Elaine is stuck in a middle seat whispering, “Help me”).
With apologies to Greyhound, we are coming to accept that flying today is like traveling by bus with few frills and even fewer fun times. Complaints about airport security are down, and I’m getting fewer angry emails about unfair bag fees. We may not like it but we’re getting used to it, and face it – air travel is still the best way of getting from Point A to Point B.
Hope all your flights in 2012 are smooth and hassle-free.
Related links:
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly Warns Cost Too High
Great, Recent Deals
Poll: Consumers Will Travel More In 2012
22nd Domestic Airfare Hike Attempt of 2011 Fails
When to Buy Airline Tickets and Other Advice
This work is the opinion of the columnist and does not reflect the opinion of ABC News.
Rick Seaney is one of the country’s leading experts on airfare, giving interviews and analysis to news organizations that include ABC News, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the Associated Press and Bloomberg. His website, FareCompare.com, offers consumers free, new-generation software, combined with expert insider tips to find the best airline ticket deals.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Hope all your flights in 2012 are smooth and hassle-free.
Related links:
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly Warns Cost Too High
Great, Recent Deals
Poll: Consumers Will Travel More In 2012
22nd Domestic Airfare Hike Attempt of 2011 Fails
When to Buy Airline Tickets and Other Advice
This work is the opinion of the columnist and does not reflect the opinion of ABC News.
Rick Seaney is one of the country’s leading experts on airfare, giving interviews and analysis to news organizations that include ABC News, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the Associated Press and Bloomberg. His website, FareCompare.com, offers consumers free, new-generation software, combined with expert insider tips to find the best airline ticket deals.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Air Travel Predictions for 2012
The burning air travel questions of the coming year: Will fees rise? Will our tickets cost more? Will Alec Baldwin disrupt our flight?
And what about finding true love or lust on a plane? See number four. Now, normally, my prognostication skills don’t extend to all areas of modern life – for instance, I did not see the Kardashian divorce coming – but I do know air travel and have examined trends and data over the past several years so I have some answers. Now let’s get started.
For more travel news and insights view Rick’s blog at farecompare.com
Here are the top five air travel predictions of 2012.
And what about finding true love or lust on a plane? See number four. Now, normally, my prognostication skills don’t extend to all areas of modern life – for instance, I did not see the Kardashian divorce coming – but I do know air travel and have examined trends and data over the past several years so I have some answers. Now let’s get started.
For more travel news and insights view Rick’s blog at farecompare.com
Here are the top five air travel predictions of 2012.
Folks holding tickets for American Airlines, not to mention those holding thousands of frequent flyer miles, got a scare back in November when the airline abruptly announced its bankruptcy. A scare is all it was, though.
In fact, bankruptcy is a well-worn path for large U.S. carriers. As Southwest CEO Gary Kelly recently noted, many legacy airlines effectively emerged from bankruptcy in great shape as “giant, lower-cost airlines [that are] much more formidable competition than their predecessors.”
American has 18 months to emerge from Chapter 11 and by all accounts it probably should merge with another airline. Yet most of the musical chairs are already accounted for – think Delta/Northwest, United/Continental – so there are not many choices. US Airways might be a willing partner for AA but culture clash could spell doom. I’m on the fence on this one.
In fact, bankruptcy is a well-worn path for large U.S. carriers. As Southwest CEO Gary Kelly recently noted, many legacy airlines effectively emerged from bankruptcy in great shape as “giant, lower-cost airlines [that are] much more formidable competition than their predecessors.”
American has 18 months to emerge from Chapter 11 and by all accounts it probably should merge with another airline. Yet most of the musical chairs are already accounted for – think Delta/Northwest, United/Continental – so there are not many choices. US Airways might be a willing partner for AA but culture clash could spell doom. I’m on the fence on this one.
A recent online survey by travel website Travel Ticker confirmed what I’ve seen from my vast storehouse of data: An increasing number of people say they’ll do more leisure traveling in the coming year, and even more say they’ll fly if they can find good deals in 2012 (note: we’ve been seeing an awful lot of airfare sales in the past couple of weeks).
Empty middle seats are so last decade. Today the airlines are all about “contract, merge, and survive” as opposed to the old model of “expand at any cost.” Sure, we can dream of the good old days when an arm rest didn’t have a body leaning on it, but that’s all it is, a dream.
Empty middle seats are so last decade. Today the airlines are all about “contract, merge, and survive” as opposed to the old model of “expand at any cost.” Sure, we can dream of the good old days when an arm rest didn’t have a body leaning on it, but that’s all it is, a dream.
You may be excused for thinking flying is only for the rich. After all, the airlines attempted to raise prices 22 times in 2011 (and nine of those attempts were successful). However, there is a bronze lining in that the airlines still have to fill those middle seats, so they will keep tossing out occasional discounts though they may be fewer and farther between.
If you shop smart – if you buy your tickets on Tuesday and are willing to flying midweek instead of Friday or Sunday – you can still game the airfare pricing system and come out a winner. At least, most of the time.
If you shop smart – if you buy your tickets on Tuesday and are willing to flying midweek instead of Friday or Sunday – you can still game the airfare pricing system and come out a winner. At least, most of the time.
2012 will be the year of ‘Fees 4.0′ but to review: Fees 1.0 began in 2008 when we began paying for bags in the first place. As one airline exec explained, “You pay $12 for a hot dog at Wrigley, so why not a fee for a bag?” Trouble is, hotdogs at Wrigley weren’t free five years ago. Plus, they taste good. Bag fees, as we all know, are nearly indigestible.
And forget all those reports about proposed legislation to do away with bag fees. Every time a senator is charged a bag fee, they make a ruckus (especially during an election cycle). The legislation won’t go anywhere because those billions of dollars in fee revenue are often the only thing keeping airlines above water what with those sometimes stratospheric fuel prices.
Fees 2.0 saw airlines slapping on a sushi menu-worth of charges for all sorts of frills such as food and early boarding. For consumers, it got harder and harder to compare the total cost of a ticket from one airline to another. Fees 3.0 was the bundling of fees we see now, such as early boarding plus checked-bag plus preferred seat.
Fees 4.0 will mean higher fees (especially if oil takes another precipitous hike), plus more bundling of extras we might not have wanted to purchase separately but may succumb to after seeing them continuously discounted from pay-point to pay-point via email, on our smartphones, at the airport kiosk or even on our airplane seat back screens.
What’s love got to do with it? We may find out once KLM gets its “choose your seatmate via Facebook” plan underway. Perhaps flyers will use it to choose neighbors based on looks or hotness quotient or simply to find a quiet, easygoing seatmate (perhaps the anti-Alec Baldwin). Would you pay for this? I’m betting many will; take another look at that Seinfeld episode where Elaine is stuck in a middle seat whispering, “Help me”).
And forget all those reports about proposed legislation to do away with bag fees. Every time a senator is charged a bag fee, they make a ruckus (especially during an election cycle). The legislation won’t go anywhere because those billions of dollars in fee revenue are often the only thing keeping airlines above water what with those sometimes stratospheric fuel prices.
Fees 2.0 saw airlines slapping on a sushi menu-worth of charges for all sorts of frills such as food and early boarding. For consumers, it got harder and harder to compare the total cost of a ticket from one airline to another. Fees 3.0 was the bundling of fees we see now, such as early boarding plus checked-bag plus preferred seat.
Fees 4.0 will mean higher fees (especially if oil takes another precipitous hike), plus more bundling of extras we might not have wanted to purchase separately but may succumb to after seeing them continuously discounted from pay-point to pay-point via email, on our smartphones, at the airport kiosk or even on our airplane seat back screens.
What’s love got to do with it? We may find out once KLM gets its “choose your seatmate via Facebook” plan underway. Perhaps flyers will use it to choose neighbors based on looks or hotness quotient or simply to find a quiet, easygoing seatmate (perhaps the anti-Alec Baldwin). Would you pay for this? I’m betting many will; take another look at that Seinfeld episode where Elaine is stuck in a middle seat whispering, “Help me”).
With apologies to Greyhound, we are coming to accept that flying today is like traveling by bus with few frills and even fewer fun times. Complaints about airport security are down, and I’m getting fewer angry emails about unfair bag fees. We may not like it but we’re getting used to it, and face it – air travel is still the best way of getting from Point A to Point B.
Hope all your flights in 2012 are smooth and hassle-free.
Related links:
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly Warns Cost Too High
Great, Recent Deals
Poll: Consumers Will Travel More In 2012
22nd Domestic Airfare Hike Attempt of 2011 Fails
When to Buy Airline Tickets and Other Advice
This work is the opinion of the columnist and does not reflect the opinion of ABC News.
Rick Seaney is one of the country’s leading experts on airfare, giving interviews and analysis to news organizations that include ABC News, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the Associated Press and Bloomberg. His website, FareCompare.com, offers consumers free, new-generation software, combined with expert insider tips to find the best airline ticket deals.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Hope all your flights in 2012 are smooth and hassle-free.
Related links:
Southwest CEO Gary Kelly Warns Cost Too High
Great, Recent Deals
Poll: Consumers Will Travel More In 2012
22nd Domestic Airfare Hike Attempt of 2011 Fails
When to Buy Airline Tickets and Other Advice
This work is the opinion of the columnist and does not reflect the opinion of ABC News.
Rick Seaney is one of the country’s leading experts on airfare, giving interviews and analysis to news organizations that include ABC News, The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Reuters, the Associated Press and Bloomberg. His website, FareCompare.com, offers consumers free, new-generation software, combined with expert insider tips to find the best airline ticket deals.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
U.S. considering travel request from Yemen’s Saleh
HONOLULU (Reuters) – The U.S. government is trying to decide whether to let Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh travel to the United States for medical treatment, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said on Monday.
Saleh was injured in a June assassination attempt that forced him into a hospital in Saudi Arabia, and transferred power to his vice president last month after months of protests that brought the Gulf country to the brink of civil war.
Earnest declined to say when a decision on whether to allow Saleh into the United States would be made, and denied a New York Times report that the embattled Yemeni president’s petition was accepted and he could arrive at New York-Presbyterian Hospital as soon as the end of this week.
“U.S. officials are continuing to consider President Saleh‘s request to enter the country for the sole purpose of seeking medical treatment, but initial reports that permission has already been granted are not true,” Earnest said in Hawaii, where President Barack Obama is vacationing.
Earlier on Monday, an Obama administration official said Saleh’s office had contacted the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa to say the Yemeni leader wanted to get specialized care in the United States to treat injuries sustained in the assassination attempt.
The attempt on Saleh’s life came after he tried to duck the power-transfer accord brokered by Gulf Arab nations, sparking street battles that devastated parts of the capital.
HUNDREDS KILLED
Hundreds of people were killed during months of protests seeking Saleh’s ouster. The political deadlock reignited simmering conflicts with separatists and militants, raising fears that Yemen‘s al Qaeda wing could take a foothold on the borders of Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter.
Allowing Saleh, who ruled Yemen for more than three decades, to get treatment in the United States could undercut Obama’s message of supporting pro-democracy movements across the Arab world and condemning crackdowns on protests like those seen recently in Syria.
Embattled world leaders often travel to politically neutral Switzerland for medical care.
On Saturday, just hours after his forces killed nine people who had demanded he be tried for the killings of demonstrators over the past year, Saleh said he would leave Yemen and give way to a successor. He did not say when he would go.
Saleh suggested he would undergo medical tests in the United States but characterized the trip as one of temporary exile.
“I will go to the United States. Not for treatment, because I’m fine, but to get away from attention, cameras, and allow the unity government to prepare properly for elections,” Saleh said. “I’ll be there for several days, but I’ll return because I won’t leave my people and comrades who have been steadfast for 11 months.”
Obama’s top counterterrorism official, John Brennan, called Yemen’s acting leader on Sunday to stress the need for Yemeni forces “to show maximum restraint” with protests, Earnest said.
In his phone conversation with Yemeni Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Brennan also appealed for all sides of Yemen’s political transition to avoid “provocative acts that could spur further violence.”
Hadi told Brennan he would do his utmost to prevent further bloodshed, Earnest said, adding both officials agreed it was important to stick to the transition path leading to Yemen’s February 21, 2012, presidential election.
“Mr. Brennan told Vice President Hadi that the United States remains a strong and fervent supporter of the Yemeni people in their quest to realize their richly deserved aspirations for security, political stability, representative government, and economic prosperity,” Earnest said.
Hadi has urged Saleh’s foes and loyalists to commit to a truce.
(Editing by Doina Chiacu)
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Saleh was injured in a June assassination attempt that forced him into a hospital in Saudi Arabia, and transferred power to his vice president last month after months of protests that brought the Gulf country to the brink of civil war.
Earnest declined to say when a decision on whether to allow Saleh into the United States would be made, and denied a New York Times report that the embattled Yemeni president’s petition was accepted and he could arrive at New York-Presbyterian Hospital as soon as the end of this week.
“U.S. officials are continuing to consider President Saleh‘s request to enter the country for the sole purpose of seeking medical treatment, but initial reports that permission has already been granted are not true,” Earnest said in Hawaii, where President Barack Obama is vacationing.
Earlier on Monday, an Obama administration official said Saleh’s office had contacted the U.S. Embassy in Sanaa to say the Yemeni leader wanted to get specialized care in the United States to treat injuries sustained in the assassination attempt.
The attempt on Saleh’s life came after he tried to duck the power-transfer accord brokered by Gulf Arab nations, sparking street battles that devastated parts of the capital.
HUNDREDS KILLED
Hundreds of people were killed during months of protests seeking Saleh’s ouster. The political deadlock reignited simmering conflicts with separatists and militants, raising fears that Yemen‘s al Qaeda wing could take a foothold on the borders of Saudi Arabia, the world’s top oil exporter.
Allowing Saleh, who ruled Yemen for more than three decades, to get treatment in the United States could undercut Obama’s message of supporting pro-democracy movements across the Arab world and condemning crackdowns on protests like those seen recently in Syria.
Embattled world leaders often travel to politically neutral Switzerland for medical care.
On Saturday, just hours after his forces killed nine people who had demanded he be tried for the killings of demonstrators over the past year, Saleh said he would leave Yemen and give way to a successor. He did not say when he would go.
Saleh suggested he would undergo medical tests in the United States but characterized the trip as one of temporary exile.
“I will go to the United States. Not for treatment, because I’m fine, but to get away from attention, cameras, and allow the unity government to prepare properly for elections,” Saleh said. “I’ll be there for several days, but I’ll return because I won’t leave my people and comrades who have been steadfast for 11 months.”
Obama’s top counterterrorism official, John Brennan, called Yemen’s acting leader on Sunday to stress the need for Yemeni forces “to show maximum restraint” with protests, Earnest said.
In his phone conversation with Yemeni Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Brennan also appealed for all sides of Yemen’s political transition to avoid “provocative acts that could spur further violence.”
Hadi told Brennan he would do his utmost to prevent further bloodshed, Earnest said, adding both officials agreed it was important to stick to the transition path leading to Yemen’s February 21, 2012, presidential election.
“Mr. Brennan told Vice President Hadi that the United States remains a strong and fervent supporter of the Yemeni people in their quest to realize their richly deserved aspirations for security, political stability, representative government, and economic prosperity,” Earnest said.
Hadi has urged Saleh’s foes and loyalists to commit to a truce.
(Editing by Doina Chiacu)
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
U.S. mulling Yemen’s Saleh travel request: official
HONOLULU (Reuters) – The U.S. government would only allow Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh to travel to the United States for “legitimate” medical treatment, and is now considering the request, a senior Obama administration official said on Monday.
The official said Saleh’s office recently contacted the U.S. embassy in Sanaa to say the president plans to leave Yemen soon and wants to get specialized care in the United States related to injuries he sustained in a June assassination attempt that forced him into hospital in Saudi Arabia.
“The request for approval for President Saleh to travel to the United States is currently under consideration. The only reason that travel to the United States by President Saleh would be approved would be for legitimate medical treatment,” the official said.
On Saturday, just hours after his forces killed nine people who had demanded he be tried for the killings of demonstrators over the past year, Saleh said he would leave for the United States and give way to a successor. He did not say when he would depart.
The Yemeni leader said he would undergo some medical tests but characterized his intended trip as one of temporary exile.
“I will go to the United States. Not for treatment, because I’m fine, but to get away from attention, cameras, and allow the unity government to prepare properly for elections,” he said.
“I’ll be there for several days, but I’ll return because I won’t leave my people and comrades who have been steadfast for 11 months,” Saleh said.
Increasing bloodshed and political uncertainty in Yemen is a major concern to its neighbor Saudi Arabia and Saleh’s former supporters in Washington, who worry the country’s al Qaeda wing could gain control of key oil shipping routes in the chaos.
President Barack Obama‘s top counter-terrorism official John Brennan called Yemen’s acting leader on Sunday to emphasize the need for Yemeni forces “to show maximum restraint” when dealing with demonstrations, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement issued in Hawaii where Obama is vacationing.
In his phone conversation with Yemeni Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Brennan also called for all sides in Yemen’s political transition to avoid “provocative acts that could spur further violence.”
Hadi told Brennan he has launched an investigation into the deaths and injuries that occurred and said he would do his utmost to prevent further bloodshed, Earnest said, adding both officials agreed it was important to stick to the transition path leading to the February 21, 2012, presidential election.
“Mr. Brennan told Vice President Hadi that the United States remains a strong and fervent supporter of the Yemeni people in their quest to realize their richly deserved aspirations for security, political stability, representative government, and economic prosperity,” Earnest said.
Hadi on Sunday urged Saleh’s foes and loyalists to commit to a truce.
(Reporting by Laura MacInnis; editing by Anthony Boadle)
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
The official said Saleh’s office recently contacted the U.S. embassy in Sanaa to say the president plans to leave Yemen soon and wants to get specialized care in the United States related to injuries he sustained in a June assassination attempt that forced him into hospital in Saudi Arabia.
“The request for approval for President Saleh to travel to the United States is currently under consideration. The only reason that travel to the United States by President Saleh would be approved would be for legitimate medical treatment,” the official said.
On Saturday, just hours after his forces killed nine people who had demanded he be tried for the killings of demonstrators over the past year, Saleh said he would leave for the United States and give way to a successor. He did not say when he would depart.
The Yemeni leader said he would undergo some medical tests but characterized his intended trip as one of temporary exile.
“I will go to the United States. Not for treatment, because I’m fine, but to get away from attention, cameras, and allow the unity government to prepare properly for elections,” he said.
“I’ll be there for several days, but I’ll return because I won’t leave my people and comrades who have been steadfast for 11 months,” Saleh said.
Increasing bloodshed and political uncertainty in Yemen is a major concern to its neighbor Saudi Arabia and Saleh’s former supporters in Washington, who worry the country’s al Qaeda wing could gain control of key oil shipping routes in the chaos.
President Barack Obama‘s top counter-terrorism official John Brennan called Yemen’s acting leader on Sunday to emphasize the need for Yemeni forces “to show maximum restraint” when dealing with demonstrations, White House spokesman Josh Earnest said in a statement issued in Hawaii where Obama is vacationing.
In his phone conversation with Yemeni Vice President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi, Brennan also called for all sides in Yemen’s political transition to avoid “provocative acts that could spur further violence.”
Hadi told Brennan he has launched an investigation into the deaths and injuries that occurred and said he would do his utmost to prevent further bloodshed, Earnest said, adding both officials agreed it was important to stick to the transition path leading to the February 21, 2012, presidential election.
“Mr. Brennan told Vice President Hadi that the United States remains a strong and fervent supporter of the Yemeni people in their quest to realize their richly deserved aspirations for security, political stability, representative government, and economic prosperity,” Earnest said.
Hadi on Sunday urged Saleh’s foes and loyalists to commit to a truce.
(Reporting by Laura MacInnis; editing by Anthony Boadle)
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Olympics, Titanic, Cuba shape travel in 2012
NEW YORK — The Olympics, the centennial of the Titanic sinking, new rules on travel to Cuba, a once-a-decade horticultural festival in the Netherlands and a continued reliance on technology and personalization will all help shape travel in 2012.
Here are some details on these and other destinations and trends.
EVENTS: The Summer Olympic Games take place in London, July 27-Aug. 12. For those without tickets, Hyde Park and other places will host live broadcasts of the games on giant outdoor screens. A three-month arts festival beginning June 21 will add a cultural component, from Shakespeare to music to street performers.
Great Britain will also celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee June 2-5. She is only the second British monarch after Queen Victoria to mark 60 years on the throne.
The Netherlands is planning Floriade, a horticultural expo that takes place once a decade. A 160-acre park with five different floral and nature themes opens April 5-Oct. 7, in Venlo, about 85 miles or two hours by train from Amsterdam; http://www.floriade.com.
The European Capitals of Culture for 2012 are Maribor, Slovenia, known for wines, a historic town center and nearby forests, waterfalls and moors; and Guimaraes, Portugal, known for crafts like goldsmithing, pottery and embroidery, and for its roots as the birthplace of Portugal’s first king, who established the country as an independent kingdom from Spain. Arabella Bowen, executive director of editorial and content strategy at the travel guidebook publisher Fodor’s, says both destinations are great values for food and hotels, with interesting attractions away from the crowds.
In the U.S., the bicentennial of the War of 1812 will be marked with tall ships, educational events and fireworks in several destinations, including June 6-12 in Norfolk, Va., and June 13-19 in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay.
TITANIC 100TH: The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank April 15, 1912, on its maiden voyage from England to New York. A variety of events in 2012 — including some cruises — will mark 100 years since the tragedy in which more than 1,500 died. Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic offers an extensive permanent Titanic exhibit but will also be hosting special exhibits and events for the April anniversary and into the summer. Visitors can also tour Halifax’s Fairview Lawn Cemetery, where 121 Titanic victims are buried.
The Titanic was built in Belfast, Ireland, and an enormous waterfront development called Titanic Quarter is taking shape on the site of the former shipyard, with hotels, eateries, parks, theaters and galleries. Titanic Belfast, an ultra-modern building whose shape and silvery color evokes ship hulls on the water, is set to open in April with Titanic-themed galleries and interactive exhibits. Southampton, England, which lost 549 locals when the ship went down, mostly crew members, is also opening a new interactive museum, Sea City, focusing on various aspects of the Titanic story.
Far from those ports, the Titanic Pigeon Forge attraction in Tennessee is a half-scale, three-deck reproduction of the ship. A centennial tribute “Night to Remember” is planned for April 14.
DESTINATIONS: For “up and coming” destinations for 2012, Croatia, Vietnam and Panama were named in an annual survey of 640 travel agents and owners from Travel Leaders. For top 10 international destinations based on 2012 booking data, the Travel Leaders survey listed Caribbean cruises; Cancún, Mexico; Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Mediterranean cruises; Rome; London; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Paris; Montego Bay and Negril, Jamaica.
Fodor’s Bowen put Cuba on her list of top destinations for 2012. U.S. citizens can now travel to Cuba legally even if they don’t have relatives there under new U.S. State Department regulations permitting certain types of trips. “Everyone wants to get in to see the country before everything changes,” said Bowen.
Interest in Myanmar is also increasing. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently visited, and an organization founded by activist Aung San Suu Kyi said it welcomes responsible tourism. Abercrombie & Kent has filled several tours and just added another departure for fall 2012.
NORTHERN LIGHTS: The aurora borealis or northern lights, those mysterious curtains of color seen in Northern Hemisphere skies, are caused by a cycle of magnetic activity on the sun. The cycle lasts about 11 years, and experts say a period of low activity is ending.
Some folks are predicting this will be a banner year for northern lights. The University of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute, which publishes auroral forecasts at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast, doesn’t necessarily foresee peak viewing in 2012, but agrees that we are entering a period of “increasing solar activity” with “more active, colorful aurora during the normal viewing season,” late August to late April (when there’s less daylight than during summer).
TECHNOLOGY: The smartphone has become the must-have tool for travel, offering GPS navigation, online bookings, scannable check-ins, and QR codes and locaters with information geared to wherever you are.
Ad agency JWT’s travel trend list for 2012 mentions apps like Uber, a cab-dispatching service; Postagram, which turns snapshots into postcards; and Vocre, an app that translates spoken words into other languages.
But never mind crowd-sourcing from websites where phony reviews and picky consumers make it hard to figure out the real deal. Instead, travelers are friend-sourcing, with sites like Trippy.com showing recommendations from your social networks. Another new app, Wenzani, takes content from guidebook publishers Lonely Planet, Frommer’s and DK and integrates it with advice from your friends and social networks.
ELECTION AND ECONOMY: Do presidential elections affect travel? A recent survey found 75 percent of U.S. Tour Operators Association members believe travel decreases in election years. Respondents said uncertainty and negative rhetoric keeps people home.
Still, 75 percent of USTOA members anticipate a growth in sales in 2012 as the economy improves. Eighty percent of agents and owners at Travel Leaders also said bookings for 2012 are so far equal to or higher than 2011.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Here are some details on these and other destinations and trends.
EVENTS: The Summer Olympic Games take place in London, July 27-Aug. 12. For those without tickets, Hyde Park and other places will host live broadcasts of the games on giant outdoor screens. A three-month arts festival beginning June 21 will add a cultural component, from Shakespeare to music to street performers.
Great Britain will also celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee June 2-5. She is only the second British monarch after Queen Victoria to mark 60 years on the throne.
The Netherlands is planning Floriade, a horticultural expo that takes place once a decade. A 160-acre park with five different floral and nature themes opens April 5-Oct. 7, in Venlo, about 85 miles or two hours by train from Amsterdam; http://www.floriade.com.
The European Capitals of Culture for 2012 are Maribor, Slovenia, known for wines, a historic town center and nearby forests, waterfalls and moors; and Guimaraes, Portugal, known for crafts like goldsmithing, pottery and embroidery, and for its roots as the birthplace of Portugal’s first king, who established the country as an independent kingdom from Spain. Arabella Bowen, executive director of editorial and content strategy at the travel guidebook publisher Fodor’s, says both destinations are great values for food and hotels, with interesting attractions away from the crowds.
In the U.S., the bicentennial of the War of 1812 will be marked with tall ships, educational events and fireworks in several destinations, including June 6-12 in Norfolk, Va., and June 13-19 in Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and the Chesapeake Bay.
TITANIC 100TH: The Titanic hit an iceberg and sank April 15, 1912, on its maiden voyage from England to New York. A variety of events in 2012 — including some cruises — will mark 100 years since the tragedy in which more than 1,500 died. Halifax, Nova Scotia’s Maritime Museum of the Atlantic offers an extensive permanent Titanic exhibit but will also be hosting special exhibits and events for the April anniversary and into the summer. Visitors can also tour Halifax’s Fairview Lawn Cemetery, where 121 Titanic victims are buried.
The Titanic was built in Belfast, Ireland, and an enormous waterfront development called Titanic Quarter is taking shape on the site of the former shipyard, with hotels, eateries, parks, theaters and galleries. Titanic Belfast, an ultra-modern building whose shape and silvery color evokes ship hulls on the water, is set to open in April with Titanic-themed galleries and interactive exhibits. Southampton, England, which lost 549 locals when the ship went down, mostly crew members, is also opening a new interactive museum, Sea City, focusing on various aspects of the Titanic story.
Far from those ports, the Titanic Pigeon Forge attraction in Tennessee is a half-scale, three-deck reproduction of the ship. A centennial tribute “Night to Remember” is planned for April 14.
DESTINATIONS: For “up and coming” destinations for 2012, Croatia, Vietnam and Panama were named in an annual survey of 640 travel agents and owners from Travel Leaders. For top 10 international destinations based on 2012 booking data, the Travel Leaders survey listed Caribbean cruises; Cancún, Mexico; Playa del Carmen, Mexico; Mediterranean cruises; Rome; London; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Paris; Montego Bay and Negril, Jamaica.
Fodor’s Bowen put Cuba on her list of top destinations for 2012. U.S. citizens can now travel to Cuba legally even if they don’t have relatives there under new U.S. State Department regulations permitting certain types of trips. “Everyone wants to get in to see the country before everything changes,” said Bowen.
Interest in Myanmar is also increasing. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton recently visited, and an organization founded by activist Aung San Suu Kyi said it welcomes responsible tourism. Abercrombie & Kent has filled several tours and just added another departure for fall 2012.
NORTHERN LIGHTS: The aurora borealis or northern lights, those mysterious curtains of color seen in Northern Hemisphere skies, are caused by a cycle of magnetic activity on the sun. The cycle lasts about 11 years, and experts say a period of low activity is ending.
Some folks are predicting this will be a banner year for northern lights. The University of Alaska’s Geophysical Institute, which publishes auroral forecasts at http://www.gi.alaska.edu/AuroraForecast, doesn’t necessarily foresee peak viewing in 2012, but agrees that we are entering a period of “increasing solar activity” with “more active, colorful aurora during the normal viewing season,” late August to late April (when there’s less daylight than during summer).
TECHNOLOGY: The smartphone has become the must-have tool for travel, offering GPS navigation, online bookings, scannable check-ins, and QR codes and locaters with information geared to wherever you are.
Ad agency JWT’s travel trend list for 2012 mentions apps like Uber, a cab-dispatching service; Postagram, which turns snapshots into postcards; and Vocre, an app that translates spoken words into other languages.
But never mind crowd-sourcing from websites where phony reviews and picky consumers make it hard to figure out the real deal. Instead, travelers are friend-sourcing, with sites like Trippy.com showing recommendations from your social networks. Another new app, Wenzani, takes content from guidebook publishers Lonely Planet, Frommer’s and DK and integrates it with advice from your friends and social networks.
ELECTION AND ECONOMY: Do presidential elections affect travel? A recent survey found 75 percent of U.S. Tour Operators Association members believe travel decreases in election years. Respondents said uncertainty and negative rhetoric keeps people home.
Still, 75 percent of USTOA members anticipate a growth in sales in 2012 as the economy improves. Eighty percent of agents and owners at Travel Leaders also said bookings for 2012 are so far equal to or higher than 2011.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
What will 2012 bring in air travel?
While some travelers wish that fees would disappear, that’s not going to happen, Brett Snyder says.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- If fuel prices spike higher, then airlines will be forced to raise fares regardless of demand
- It’s just about certain that there will be fewer flights in the next year
- Next year might be the year when things really heat up on the mobile front
(CNN) — It’s the end of 2011, so you know what that means. It’s time for everyone to come out of the woodwork with their predictions for 2012.
So what will happen in the world of air travel?
Here are some thoughts on what the coming year might have in store.
Fares will go up . . . or down
The one thing everyone wants to know is whether fares will keep going up. We’ve seen plenty of increases in 2011, but will that continue? That really depends on two things: passenger demand and fuel prices.
Despite a still-shaky economy, demand for flights has been quite strong, and that has enabled airlines to keep raising fares. If demand continues to strengthen, then you can bet we’ll see more increases in the new year. If it starts to drop off, then fares will likely start to fall, or at the very least, stay the same.
The one thing that can get in the way of that plan is high fuel prices. If prices spike higher, then airlines will be forced to raise fares regardless of demand. If that happens, then airlines will also have to cut the number of flights.
Still holding back
Fewer flights, however, will likely be the case no matter what happens with fuel.
Airlines have shown a great deal of discipline in terms of holding back the number of seats and flights they’ve put out there over the last few years, and that isn’t likely to change. In fact, as Holly Hegeman, founder of PlaneBusiness.com notes, there are a couple of events that will directly affect that.
“In 2012, U.S. airlines will continue to reduce capacity both domestically in the U.S. and on international flights,” she notes.
“Specifically, Southwest Airlines will be removing service in many AirTran markets as the airlines’ merger moves forward, and American Airlines will cut back on its service in certain markets as part of its bankruptcy restructuring. Excess capacity across the Atlantic is also being trimmed.”
You can expect fewer flights to smaller cities in general. That’s the continuation of a trend we’ve seen for several years. Fortunately, not all is gloom and doom. There are some bright spots when it comes to technology.
More mobile
I asked Henry Harteveldt, travel industry analyst at Atmosphere Research Group, for his predictions for the new year since he always has his ear to the ground.
His first thought? He expects that 2012 will be “the first year that airlines see a meaningful number of reservations made through mobile devices.”
That seems like a good bet. Smartphones and tablets are gaining ground rapidly, and airlines have raced to improve functionality. Next year might be the year when things really heat up, as airlines continue to make it easier to do business with them while on the road.
No end to fees
While some travelers wish fees would disappear, that’s not going to happen. Some new rules from the federal government will make it a little easier to find fee information up front, but fees are proving to be a great way for the airlines to be able to offer lower base fares and then let people pay more if they want more.
That doesn’t mean the experience will remain exactly the same when it comes to buying tickets.
Airlines will, in Harteveldt’s opinion, “start to get more creative about bundling.”
Frontier is ahead of the curve on this one, offering different fare categories that include different amenities bundled together as a package.
So there you have it. I actually think flying will be less frustrating next year and here’s hoping all of your journeys are smooth in 2012.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Cuba says travel restrictions to remain in place
HAVANA (AP) — President Raul Castro on Friday put on ice highly-anticipated plans to ease travel restrictions on Cubans, telling lawmakers the nation would not be pressured into moving too fast and citing continued aggression from the United States as the reason for his cautious approach.
Cuba has been awash in speculation the much-hated regulations, which prevent most Cubans from leaving the island, might be lifted during Friday’s session of the National Assembly. But Castro said the time still wasn’t right, despite a year of free-market reforms that has seen the Communist government legalize a real estate market and greatly increase private business ownership.
“Some have been pressuring us to take the step … as if we were talking about something insignificant, and not the destiny of the revolution,” Castro said, adding that those calling for an end to the travel restrictions “are forgetting the exceptional circumstances under which Cuba lives, encircled by the hostile policy … of the U.S. government.”
Castro criticized U.S. President Barack Obama, saying he was the 11th American president since the 1959 revolution led by his brother Fidel, and appeared “not to understand” the sacrifices Cuba had made in its struggle for independence and sovereignty, including the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, as well as Washington’s 49-year trade and travel embargo.
“Sometimes, he (Obama) gives the impression he has not even been informed of this reality,” Castro said, repeating his willingness to normalize relations with the U.S. under the right conditions.
Castro also announced an amnesty for 2,900 prisoners ahead of next year’s visit by Pope Benedict XVI, but a senior official told the Associated Press that jailed American subcontractor Alan Gross would not be among those freed.
The Cuban president told legislators he still hoped to enact the travel reforms, but did not say when. If hopes were high among islanders that Friday would be the big day, Castro had only himself to blame.
At parliament’s last session, in August, he announced that the government was committed to ease the travel restrictions. He said the measures were originally adopted because many who left in the years after the revolution were a threat to the nascent government, including people backed by the United States who sought its overthrow.
Castro said in August that most of those who leave now do so for economic reasons and are not enemies. He said removing travel restrictions would help “increase the nation’s ties to the community of emigrants, whose makeup has changed radically since the early decades of the revolution.”
Cubans had been clamoring for the elimination of the “tarjeta blanca,” or exit visa, which the government requires of all seeking to travel abroad, even for vacation. Many people are denied, particularly doctors, scientists and military officials whose departure would be considered a threat to the state.
“The need for permission to leave should never have been invented in the first place,” Victor Salgado, a 73-year-old retiree, told the Associated Press ahead of Castro’s speech. “They should have eliminated this long ago. Why should I have to ask permission if I want to leave my country?”
Another Havana resident, Yamila Baez, said she was hoping the restrictions would be scrapped as soon as possible.
“It isn’t normal that one has to ask the government for its okay,” she said. “If you have the money to buy a ticket you should be able to go.”
Castro’s speech was the highlight of an otherwise humdrum parliament session in which legislators approved a budget for 2012 and heard from senior officials on the state of the economy.
Economy Minister Adel Yzquierdo told lawmakers the government expected economic growth to come in at 3.4 percent in 2012, a bit better than the 2.7 percent expected to be registered this year. Finance Minister Lina Pedraza added that the government expects both revenue and costs to rise in 2012, with the government running a deficit of about 3.8 percent.
Cuban officials also used the session to criticize Washington for its trade and travel embargo, and to call on the U.S. to release four Cuban agents still imprisoned there. A fifth left jail earlier this year, but has been blocked from returning to Cuba until he completes parole.
Cuba is ending the first year of a drive by Castro to reform its state-dominated economy. The government has allowed citizens to get business licenses for nearly 200 approved jobs, and 355,000 have taken them up on the offer. The state has also legalized a real estate market for the first time in nearly half a century, begun extending bank credits to entrepreneurs and those wishing to fix up their homes, and removed restrictions on the sale of used cars.
A parallel effort to trim half a million workers from state payrolls largely foundered.
___
Paul Haven can be reached at www.twitter.com/paulhaven/
Cuba has been awash in speculation the much-hated regulations, which prevent most Cubans from leaving the island, might be lifted during Friday’s session of the National Assembly. But Castro said the time still wasn’t right, despite a year of free-market reforms that has seen the Communist government legalize a real estate market and greatly increase private business ownership.
“Some have been pressuring us to take the step … as if we were talking about something insignificant, and not the destiny of the revolution,” Castro said, adding that those calling for an end to the travel restrictions “are forgetting the exceptional circumstances under which Cuba lives, encircled by the hostile policy … of the U.S. government.”
Castro criticized U.S. President Barack Obama, saying he was the 11th American president since the 1959 revolution led by his brother Fidel, and appeared “not to understand” the sacrifices Cuba had made in its struggle for independence and sovereignty, including the Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis, as well as Washington’s 49-year trade and travel embargo.
“Sometimes, he (Obama) gives the impression he has not even been informed of this reality,” Castro said, repeating his willingness to normalize relations with the U.S. under the right conditions.
Castro also announced an amnesty for 2,900 prisoners ahead of next year’s visit by Pope Benedict XVI, but a senior official told the Associated Press that jailed American subcontractor Alan Gross would not be among those freed.
The Cuban president told legislators he still hoped to enact the travel reforms, but did not say when. If hopes were high among islanders that Friday would be the big day, Castro had only himself to blame.
At parliament’s last session, in August, he announced that the government was committed to ease the travel restrictions. He said the measures were originally adopted because many who left in the years after the revolution were a threat to the nascent government, including people backed by the United States who sought its overthrow.
Castro said in August that most of those who leave now do so for economic reasons and are not enemies. He said removing travel restrictions would help “increase the nation’s ties to the community of emigrants, whose makeup has changed radically since the early decades of the revolution.”
Cubans had been clamoring for the elimination of the “tarjeta blanca,” or exit visa, which the government requires of all seeking to travel abroad, even for vacation. Many people are denied, particularly doctors, scientists and military officials whose departure would be considered a threat to the state.
“The need for permission to leave should never have been invented in the first place,” Victor Salgado, a 73-year-old retiree, told the Associated Press ahead of Castro’s speech. “They should have eliminated this long ago. Why should I have to ask permission if I want to leave my country?”
Another Havana resident, Yamila Baez, said she was hoping the restrictions would be scrapped as soon as possible.
“It isn’t normal that one has to ask the government for its okay,” she said. “If you have the money to buy a ticket you should be able to go.”
Castro’s speech was the highlight of an otherwise humdrum parliament session in which legislators approved a budget for 2012 and heard from senior officials on the state of the economy.
Economy Minister Adel Yzquierdo told lawmakers the government expected economic growth to come in at 3.4 percent in 2012, a bit better than the 2.7 percent expected to be registered this year. Finance Minister Lina Pedraza added that the government expects both revenue and costs to rise in 2012, with the government running a deficit of about 3.8 percent.
Cuban officials also used the session to criticize Washington for its trade and travel embargo, and to call on the U.S. to release four Cuban agents still imprisoned there. A fifth left jail earlier this year, but has been blocked from returning to Cuba until he completes parole.
Cuba is ending the first year of a drive by Castro to reform its state-dominated economy. The government has allowed citizens to get business licenses for nearly 200 approved jobs, and 355,000 have taken them up on the offer. The state has also legalized a real estate market for the first time in nearly half a century, begun extending bank credits to entrepreneurs and those wishing to fix up their homes, and removed restrictions on the sale of used cars.
A parallel effort to trim half a million workers from state payrolls largely foundered.
___
Paul Haven can be reached at www.twitter.com/paulhaven/
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
Cubans agog at chance to travel, 50 years on
After half a century of Orwellian obstacles to travel, Cubans are marveling at the thought President Raul Castro is expected to unveil reforms Friday that could let them see the world, and their loved ones, at long last.
“I hope Raul will remove the road block, and that we will be able to travel without so many problems. It would be a great Christmas gift,” said Luis Pena, a 37-year-old engineer whose mother has lived in the United States for 30 years.
Pena, optimistic and hopeful yet cautious about whether the travel freedoms so many Cubans want so badly will materialize, admitted: “I don’t have any of my old childhood friends around any more. They have all left.”
The Roman Catholic Church and regime-friendly musicians like Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes have joined a chorus of Cubans calling for an end to the rules, including one that penalizes “permanent emigrants” from the only one-party Communist regime in the Americas.
Observers in Havana say Raul Castro is widely expected to make the announcement in an address to the National Assembly.
Local experts believe Castro will end the requirement of exit visas (for Cubans on the island), entrance visas (for Cubans living overseas who return home) and the legal status of “permanent emigrant.”
Those who are deemed to have left illegally (permanent emigrants) in essence are classed as defectors, their homes and assets seized.
Cubans can already leave the country in theory but only when they have received a letter of invitation from overseas. Then, they have to file for permission for an exit visa, just at the start of a maze-like bureaucratic process that costs about 500 dollars.
They also need entry visas from countries to which they would travel.
That might not all sound so insumountable in wealthier countries. But workers in Cuba — doctors and streetcleaners alike — make about 20 dollars a month.
So the system has kept travel painfully limited, year in and year out, from the Cold War through today, given that about one in six Cuban nationals lives abroad. Separation from family and friends makes the issue a highly emotional one in Cuba.
It also has drawn criticism from some rights groups about Cubans’ basic freedom of movement.
Since 2006 Raul Castro’s government has ended several unpopular restrictions. Among other things Cubans are now allowed to rent rooms in hotels geared to international tourism, sign cell phone contracts, and buy electric appliances.
In September, the government authorized Cubans to buy and sell cars, and this month private homes.
On August 1, Castro announced that there would be forthcoming easing of travel restrictions, which started fueling hopes.
“Everybody is waiting for that law (change) … really, nobody knows what is going to be approved,” said a more downbeat Adonis Gonzalez, 38, a driver who was waiting in line to get a Spanish (EU) passport as the grandson of a Spaniard, in order to be able to travel without fuss and high cost.
“Whatever gets approved on Friday, I don’t think anybody will be traveling anywhere Saturday,” he added skeptically.
But engineer Pena was trying to stay optimistic. He has only seen his mom once in 30 years, though she lives only a 30-minute flight away in Miami.
“If like they are saying, all of that is eliminated, my mom could come more often” to visit, Pena said, hopeful that she will have a chance to see his new baby boy, her new grandson.
If Havana makes the changes, they could be a stunning wake-up call to the United States, as they have potential to fuel a bilateral migration crisis.
As part of held-over Cold War policy, the United States still grants any Cuban who reaches US soil legal US residency on request. The United States does not have this policy for nationals of any other country.
With the US economy weak and the US presidential race in gear, the United States has not been planning a welcome for many thousands of new Cuban immigrants who soon may be calling, legally, by sea and by air.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
“I hope Raul will remove the road block, and that we will be able to travel without so many problems. It would be a great Christmas gift,” said Luis Pena, a 37-year-old engineer whose mother has lived in the United States for 30 years.
Pena, optimistic and hopeful yet cautious about whether the travel freedoms so many Cubans want so badly will materialize, admitted: “I don’t have any of my old childhood friends around any more. They have all left.”
The Roman Catholic Church and regime-friendly musicians like Silvio Rodriguez and Pablo Milanes have joined a chorus of Cubans calling for an end to the rules, including one that penalizes “permanent emigrants” from the only one-party Communist regime in the Americas.
Observers in Havana say Raul Castro is widely expected to make the announcement in an address to the National Assembly.
Local experts believe Castro will end the requirement of exit visas (for Cubans on the island), entrance visas (for Cubans living overseas who return home) and the legal status of “permanent emigrant.”
Those who are deemed to have left illegally (permanent emigrants) in essence are classed as defectors, their homes and assets seized.
Cubans can already leave the country in theory but only when they have received a letter of invitation from overseas. Then, they have to file for permission for an exit visa, just at the start of a maze-like bureaucratic process that costs about 500 dollars.
They also need entry visas from countries to which they would travel.
That might not all sound so insumountable in wealthier countries. But workers in Cuba — doctors and streetcleaners alike — make about 20 dollars a month.
So the system has kept travel painfully limited, year in and year out, from the Cold War through today, given that about one in six Cuban nationals lives abroad. Separation from family and friends makes the issue a highly emotional one in Cuba.
It also has drawn criticism from some rights groups about Cubans’ basic freedom of movement.
Since 2006 Raul Castro’s government has ended several unpopular restrictions. Among other things Cubans are now allowed to rent rooms in hotels geared to international tourism, sign cell phone contracts, and buy electric appliances.
In September, the government authorized Cubans to buy and sell cars, and this month private homes.
On August 1, Castro announced that there would be forthcoming easing of travel restrictions, which started fueling hopes.
“Everybody is waiting for that law (change) … really, nobody knows what is going to be approved,” said a more downbeat Adonis Gonzalez, 38, a driver who was waiting in line to get a Spanish (EU) passport as the grandson of a Spaniard, in order to be able to travel without fuss and high cost.
“Whatever gets approved on Friday, I don’t think anybody will be traveling anywhere Saturday,” he added skeptically.
But engineer Pena was trying to stay optimistic. He has only seen his mom once in 30 years, though she lives only a 30-minute flight away in Miami.
“If like they are saying, all of that is eliminated, my mom could come more often” to visit, Pena said, hopeful that she will have a chance to see his new baby boy, her new grandson.
If Havana makes the changes, they could be a stunning wake-up call to the United States, as they have potential to fuel a bilateral migration crisis.
As part of held-over Cold War policy, the United States still grants any Cuban who reaches US soil legal US residency on request. The United States does not have this policy for nationals of any other country.
With the US economy weak and the US presidential race in gear, the United States has not been planning a welcome for many thousands of new Cuban immigrants who soon may be calling, legally, by sea and by air.
This article is from http://tourism9.com/
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