Travel Trends 2012 – A Changing Industry
by J Brew
The growth of Expedia, and other popular OTAs didn’t help traditional travel agents like Thomas Cook cope, and 2011 saw many of these companies at the verge of a crush. While in September 2007 Thomas Cook had a cash reserve of £394m, the company’s debt was about £900m in September 2011. This was not the only failure in the industry last year, but one of the most resounding. What lies in store for travel agents in 2012, and more importantly, how would the trends affect travel consumers?
The travel industry is known for innovation in marketing and promotion, but mostly using traditional means, including TV ads, direct mail, radio commercials, magazines and pamphlets. The online world is still dominated by the likes of Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz. Smaller industry players struggle for a place in the spotlight, employing various strategies to boost ROI and to secure new business. Here PR and social media strategies play the most important role, as the ad market is saturated by those with the big bucks. Read more…
Using Coupons to Create Your Dream Vacation
If you are already familiar with coupons and use them regularly; you know what kind of magic coupons can do for your budget. Coupons can help make purchases fit into a very small budget and stretch your dollars. Coupons can do the same when you are planning a vacation. Here are five great ways to use coupons to save on your dream vacation.
1. Airfare
Discount travel websites like Expedia or Travelocity are a great place to start looking for affordable airfare. Try visiting several of these sites and signing up for their e-mail lists. Expedia also offers a free rewards program that will allow you to earn points from your purchases. You will begin to receive special offers and coupons that can help you save on airfare for your vacation as well rental cars and hotels.
Airport by oisa/flickr
You can also inquire with an individual airline if that is how you are purchasing your ticket. An airline’s website might be advertising a deal, or you might score a discount simply by asking an airline representative if any are available. Read more…
Travel While You Work: Six Jobs That Let You See the World
Have you ever wanted to be one of those jet setter executives running off to a different city every week, or have you vacationed and barely been able to drag yourself home? People always say they will travel more when they retire, but if you just can’t wait that long, maybe finding a globetrotting career is the answer for you. Here’s our pick for the top six jobs that let you earn a living in some of the worlds most amazing places.
Cruise Ship Employee
From making beds and cooking to medical staff and dance partners, cruise ships hire for an incredible variety of jobs because they have to take everything with them. Look for companies or ships that cruise year round as they often see more places as they follow the weather. Read more…
The Travel Speed Packing Guide for Men
Your bachelor party heads off in 3 hours. You and your acquaintances booked the ultimate3-day vacation! You designed this out with perfection. You identified the best the night clubs and you saved by getting a cheap flight. Your expedition to the airport covered with a car service. You shopped your new gear on Wednesday this week and were lucky enough to catch some bargains to buy yourself a a change of wardrobe. Your wardrobe…is not in the luggage and the ride is on its way to your office to make sure. You have 20 minutes to pack. You better move quickly.
First off, you are a man and you go light. You don’t need that gigantic bag for a weekend getaway. Take the small suitcase and study these steps. Read more…
Travelers wear their luggage to pay less to airlines
Photo by lululemon athletica
Airlines raising their fares (some quite a few times this year), has lead travelers to become more creative in finding ways to pay less for their flight tickets. One of the newest trends is wearing clothes with generous pockets, where you can stuff as much as you can and make sure your luggage weighs less. In some cases, this technique allows air travelers to take only their (still) free hand luggage.
According to fashion retailer Debenhams, some inventive travelers have managed to put up to 10 pounds in their pockets to avoid the excess baggage fees of airlines. Flight passengers thus stuff books, cameras and electronic net books into their pockets, along with the money saved, up to 40 pound sterling in the case of some low cost airlines. Read more…
High-tech Travel, Could We Ever Go Back?
If I start to think of how travel has evolved in the past 10-15 years, it makes my head spin. Any travel plan I want to make is easily carried out in a few hours of Internet research: from destination, to best route, from accommodation to what to do over there. Everything is ready, together with price comparison, in a matter of days (if I am really lazy with my research), for me to book my next trip. If I want advice, I ask my Twitter and Facebook friends and they’re always happy to help.
How was it before? You’d go through tons of printed travel guides, use agencies to book plane tickets and hotels abroad, and would call everyone you know that had travelled recently for the much needed tips and advice you wanted. Read more…
New Smartphone App Helps Travelers Find Roman Ruins in London
Finding the history hot spots that mark the passage of the Romans through London is not the easiest task, even if you’re good with a map and have a general idea on where everything is in the UK capital. To help tourists with an interest for ancient ruins locate London’s Roman legacy faster, the Museum of London has created a free app for Android and iOS based smart phones and tablets called Streetmuseum Londinium. Once you’ve installed it on your iPhone, iPad or Android gadget, you will easily find your way to sites built between 43 A.D. and the 5th century.
Should you need a glimpse into the heritage of Roman historic attractions before visiting them, the Streetmuseum Londinium app offers about 200 images of artifacts exhibited within the museum. You can also share these pictures on Twitter or Facebook, to get others interested into the remainders of the Roman empire within London. It also includes audio and video streams which recreate Roman life and events, a nice touch financed by the History television channel that travelers can enjoy during their tour of a particular site. Read more…
