Online travel booking users exceeds 30 million in China
9. March 2010
TRAVEL GUY
China’s online travel booking users in 2009 reached 30.24 million, increasing 77.9 percent from the previous year, according to a report released recently by China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC).
Ctrip, the one-stop China travel service, also says its number of members has reached 30 million.
Online travel booking in 2009 saw rapid development and has become a highlight of the tourism market. According to statistics released by the CNNIC, online travel booking users in 2009 increased 77.9 percent to reach 13.24 million. The growth rate is second only to online payment (80.9 percent) and exceeds online stocking (67 percent), online banking (62.3 percent) and online shopping (45.9 percent).
As of December 30, China’s web users has reached 384 million, Internet penetration rate has amounted to 28.9 percent and online travel booking rate has reached 7.9 percent. It is believed that there is huge potential for the development of online travel booking.
Online travel booking users in China | 0 Kommentare »
Ole London Hotel- Cheap Place To Stay In Macau China
7. March 2010
TRAVEL GUY
Ole London Hotel Macau.
Ole London Hotel in Macau is within walking distance from tourists attractions and the city centre, the newly renovated Ole London Hotel is a chic boutique-hotel and good for people on the budget and looking for Affordable accommodation. Ole London Hotel offers fantastic value for families, couples and leisure travellers.
Ole London Hotel. rooms have undergone a major overhaul and are of very good standard, complete with soft beds and stylish seats. High tech features include wireless internet electronic key access, a LCD TV and new bathrooms featuring a rainforest shower head. With natural light as well as soft lighting, guests will feel right at home. There are free local calls and 2 complimentary bottles of mineral water and facilities to make hot drinks. Guests can access free Internet access in the hotel lobby.
Located opposite a park and within 5 minutes walk of Macau’s historic Senado Square and 10 minutes from the city center, London Hotel combines convenience with value and comfort. Renovated in August 2008, the hotel now looks brand new and boasts a cheery tangerine orange reception and comfortable lounge area. The lounge behind reception currently only serves breakfast, but there are neighbouring bakeries and several cafes just a few doors away.
Ole London Hotel is conveniently located in the Historic Center of Macau - a World Heritage Site, the hotel is just minutes away from popular attractions like the Ruins of St. Paul Church, A-Ma Temple, Shi Liupu Casinos and Avenida de Almeida Ribeiro - Macau’s commercial center.
We are also right next to the Yuet Tung Terminal (to and from mainland China) and only 10 minutes away by car from the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal (to and from Hong Kong) and Zhuhai Gongbei Port - entry to Zhuhai City - mainland China. Surrounded by gift shops and restaurants that offer multicultural cuisines, the hotel is a perfect choice for backpackers and families.
Our sleek and modern suites are clean and comfortable. Remaining faithful to history, the lobby has been transformed into a new experience fusing contemporary and classic Portuguese style. Experience this charming atmosphere while enjoying a relaxing meal in the lobby restaurant.
Ole London Hotel is somewhere Cheap and Affordable to stay in Macau China, offering accommodation all year round and weekend breaks.
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Ole London Hotel Cheap and Inexpensive Place to Stay in Macao China
cheap place to stay in macau | 0 Kommentare »
Recharge for one day at the castle
4. March 2010
TRAVEL GUY
..
Where to go to relax, chill out and recharge?
There is no right or wrong answer, everyone has there own favourite places to go.
Some people like the beach, some people like to go shopping and enjoying a meal a restaurant or cafe, other people check out the cities museums and art galleries. But one of the top places people like to visit are the historical sites and monuments, especially the Castle.
So I say to everyone that has the chance Lets Go to the Castle”
Visit to the Castle, is like listening to a Classical music and letting the worries of thoses unachievable dreams while away.
The Castle is one of those places that takes over your whole mind, spirit and soul. The immence size and imposing structure of a Castle immerces you in a trance like state, allowing all the worries of your every day life slip away and seem insignificant in comparison.
In a lot of ways a Castle is a magical place where you can truely let your worries fly free, at least for one day.
day at the castle | 0 Kommentare »
Ryanair passenger ate his £8,930 winning scratch card
27. February 2010
TRAVEL GUY
An airline passenger ate his £8,930 winning scratch card after he was told he could not claim the money immediately, it has emerged.
The unnamed man was flying with Ryanair from Krakow in Poland to East Midlands Airport when he won 10,000 euros with the scratch card.
Crew on board the flight confirmed he had won the prize but told the passenger he would have to collect the jackpot directly from the company that runs the competition as it was such a large sum.
Ryanair said the man then became frustrated and started to eat his winning ticket, ruling out any chance he had of claiming the prize money which will now be donated to charity.
Stephen McNamara, a spokesman for the airline, said: “Passengers have always been delighted to claim their large cash prizes after returning home.
“Unfortunately our latest winner felt that we should have his 10,000 euros prize kicking around on the aircraft.”
The airline is now asking passengers to vote online to decide where the money should go, after the win on Thursday. Voting will take place until March 5 at ryanair.com.
Ryanair | 0 Kommentare »
Visit To London in March From USA On The Cheap
26. February 2010
TRAVEL GUY
London is a cool place to be all year round, March is a good time , finding a cheap place to stay in London is not a problem just book online before you travel, London is very busy, especially weekends.
staying in hostels is the great way to save money and also a good way to meet new people and social network, I recommend Hostels within Zone 1, in that way its easy for you to get around, Just get to london you will have a great time
Some tips on where to go, the usual site seeing things you must do, like, Big Ben, Houses of Parliment, London Eye, Buckingham Palace for changing of the guards, Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, Tower Bridge, Madame tusaddes, British Museum, London Dungeons to mention but a few
Places to chill out and night life (Clubbing) Covent Garden, Leicester Square, Soho, Camden, Nottinghill, Potabello Market Area.
Shopping in Regents Street, Oxford Street, Bond Street and Knightsbridge.
To save money on getting around get an oyster card if your staying in london for a while if its only a coiple of days buy a travel card.
Another good way to see a lot of these sites on the move is to take one of the open top sight seeing buses, you can also jump on and off of them for the day, the local buses are equally good to get to all the sights and cheaper, but if you want to have a comentry and then the sight seeing bus is what you need at least for a day, they are usually around popular areas like trafalgar square.
Another good way to enjoy london is my favourite way, to walk, just get a map. Most palces are close especially in central London. From Picadilly to Oxford Street is just few minutes away.
Theres quite a lot of things I’ve suggested here, you may not have time to do everything, and you may not want to do everything but at least it gives you an idea of what London has to offer, the more you explore and do in London the more you’ll enjoy your trip, don’t forget Canary Wharf the Docklands and Greenwich, you can even take a boat from Embankment just by London Eye and Houses of Parliment.
Well a lot to think about.
To be safe just be aware of your surroundings.
Visit To London | 0 Kommentare »
Expedia and Hotels.com launch new search tools for disabled travelers
17. February 2010
TRAVEL GUY
Travelers in the U.S. can now search for lodgings in the U.S. that offer accommodations including accessibility equipment for the deaf, accessible bathrooms, accessible paths of travel, Braille or raised signage, in-room accessibility, a roll-in shower and more.Expedia and Hotels.com have launched a unique suite of search tools designed to help disabled travelers find and book accessible accommodations.
Travelers in the U.S. can now visit Expedia.com to search for lodgings in the U.S. that offer accommodations including accessibility equipment for the deaf, accessible bathrooms, accessible paths of travel, Braille or raised signage, in-room accessibility, a roll-in shower and more.
Once a traveler finds suitable accommodations, they can request one or more of the specific accessibility features on Expedia.com’s online Reservation Page. The Expedia.com Customer Service team will review the request and contact the hotel to ensure that the specific traveler requests are met, and will contact the traveler directly to confirm the reservation or to offer to locate a similar room at an equivalent rate at another hotel.
Expedia.com’s call center has fielded approximately 500 requests per week utilizing this functionality since its initial rollout in August of 2009. Expedia.com offers more than 15,000 hotels that publish accessibility options.
“We are thrilled to offer this new functionality to our travelers,” said John Morrey, vice president, Expedia.com. “It was a much-needed part of the online travel booking process and we are proud to be able to meet the needs of disabled travelers who require accessible accommodations.”
Expedia.com continuously updates its services to meet the changing needs of all travelers. Tools such as Fare Alert, Deal Finder, Seat Guru and the new accessibility search functionality help make Expedia.com an easy and convenient place to book.
Hotels.com improves booking experience for disabled travelers
Hotels.com users can now search for lodgings in the U.S. that offer wheelchair-accessible pathways, accessible showers, Braille signage, and/or telephone equipment for the deaf. Customers can also request a room with one or more specific accessibility feature on the online reservation page. All such requests will be reviewed by the Hotels.com customer service agents, who will contact the traveler directly to confirm the reservation or to offer to locate a similar room at an equivalent rate at another hotel.
“These new features let travelers with disabilities take advantage of all the convenience and discounts offered by Hotels.com,” said Bonnie Lewkowicz, a travel industry expert and wheelchair user, who has written about the needs of travelers with disabilities. “It’s a huge step forward.”
The accessibility information is seamlessly integrated into the greater Hotels.com experience. Once a traveler has entered a destination and selected travel dates on Hotels.com, travelers can filter hotels based on accessibility features to find the hotels within their search criteria that can most accommodate their needs.
“Travelers with disabilities can finally take advantage of the smart site features we’re most proud of, such as the welcomerewards program, no change or cancel fees and our price match guarantee,” said Vic Walia of Hotels.com. “We can’t wait for our valued customers to both take advantage of these new features and also let us know how we can improve even further.”
new search tools for disabled travelers | 0 Kommentare »
Orbitz, Expedia Seek Congressional Help In Fight On Room Taxes
31. January 2010
TRAVEL GUY
By Martin Vaughan
Dow Jones Newswires(Updates with positions from hotel trade association, union)
WASHINGTON -(Dow Jones)- Online travel booking firms including Orbitz Worldwide Inc. (OWW: 6.13, -0.01, -0.16%) and Expedia Inc. (EXPE: 21.41, -0.27, -1.25%) are asking Congress to resolve in their favor a legal dispute with cities and counties over hotel occupancy taxes.
The online firms are seeking to add a provision to economic stimulus legislation pending in the U.S. Senate, that limits their exposure to the taxes.
The firms have battled lawsuits from cities including Houston and Louisville, Ky., claiming that the companies underpaid hotel bed taxes. The online firms have been quietly lobbying for Congress to step in since last year, but the controversy broke into the open when the provision turned up this week on a Senate Finance Committee staff draft list of possible items being considered for a stimulus bill.
Local government groups representing cities, counties and officials who control local government purse strings immediately launched a counter-attack. The groups wrote senators Wednesday that the online firms’ lobbying was “nothing more than efforts to preempt state and local taxing authority.”
Hotels, too, have joined the fray, lobbying alongside local governments to block the online firms’ efforts. The online booking firms “should not be allowed to manipulate the tax law to provide themselves a competitive advantage,” the American Hotel and Lodging Association wrote in a December letter to the Senate.
The provision favored by online travel firms is unlikely to be included in an initial jobs and stimulus bill Senate Democrats are unveiling next week, according to a Senate leadership aide. But Democrats plan to move more than one bill this year aimed at spurring the economy.
The dispute revolves around how much the online booking firms should pay in hotel occupancy taxes, which municipalities use to promote tourism. The online firms claim they owe taxes only on the discounted amount they pay hotels for the rooms, not on the full amount paid by the customer.
For instance, if an Orbitz customer pays $100 for a room booked on the firm’s Web site, and Orbitz negotiates an $80 room rate with the hotel owner, the online firm pays tax on the $80 discounted rate. If the tax rate was 5%, Orbitz would pay $4, rather than $5 if the tax was assessed on the full price paid by the customer.
Hotels say that gives the online booker a pricing advantage, which makes the customer less likely to book on the hotel operator’s own Web site. The same room, if booked on the hotel site, would be subject to a $5 tax in the example cited above.
The online firms have received backing for their effort from Sens. John Ensign (R., Nev.) and Ron Wyden (D., Ore.), according to lobbyists and congressional aides. Those senators’ offices did not respond immediately to requests for comment.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D., Nev.) is also sympathetic to the position of the Internet travel firms.
The proposed legislation has gone through several drafting changes, but one version would prohibit a state or locality from imposing a hotel occupancy tax on the fees that travel agents, online or otherwise, collect from customers. Another version being considered would let each state set a uniform policy on hotel room taxes, reducing the uncertainty for online operators who face thousands of separate municipal tax regimes.
Online travel firms contacted for this article referred questions to an industry trade group, the Interactive Travel Services Association.
“It is imperative for Congress to step in and lay out some parameters for how these issues should be resolved,” said Andrew Weinstein, a spokesman for the group. “It’s not good for tourism when travel companies are forced to litigate with local municipalities rather than bring in more visitors.”
The group’s members include Orbitz, Expedia, Travelocity, and Priceline.com Inc. (PCLN: 195.35, -6.33, -3.14%).
Local governments counter that the revenue they lose because online firms don’t pay tax on the final consumer price hurts their efforts to promote tourism.
“It’s totally disingenuous to say that what the online travel companies are seeking is a tax break for job creation. This will cost jobs, not create them,” said Lars Etzkorn, program director at the National League of Cities.
The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a liberal think-tank that has criticized the online firms’ position, estimates that as much as $650 million in annual taxes are at stake in the dispute.
The online firms counter that the litigation from municipalities threatens their entire business model, the loss of which would cost the U.S. tourism industry $1.147 billion annually, according to Weinstein. They also have won backing for their legislation from Unite HERE!, the hotel and casino worker union.
“Simply put, online travel companies put heads in beds, filling hotel rooms that would have gone empty,” Unite HERE! wrote in a December letter to senators.
Copyright © 2009 Dow Jones Newswires
Orbitz | 0 Kommentare »
Travelling with Kids
19. September 2009
TRAVEL GUY
Holiday with the Kids
Life is always changing, when it was just the two of us things seemed to be a lot simpler, if we wanted to go out or do something at the last minute we just did it.
Holidays, travel and nights out on the town where arranged a few days before hand if that. Children bring new responsibilities and a whole new time frame, but I must say I wouldn’t change a thing.
Now when we go on holiday there’s a lot more planning, and its no longer 5 star hotels and relaxing over cocktails, now its all about cheap flights, budget hotels, kids meals, kids activities, and sunscreen.
Its hard sometimes to stretch the budget far enough to cover everything, but my kids never want for anything,
I’m not saying they get every new games or trendy clothes, but they are well mannered, happy and have enough toys and things to open a shop!
Holiday with Children | 0 Kommentare »
The Easy Way To Book Group Accommodation
17. September 2009
TRAVEL GUY
Nothing in life is as easy as it seems, this is definitely the case when it comes to going on
Sounds easy but…. Booking accommodation for a large group is a lot harder than a single room with a couple of beds.
The first thing is the travel date, getting everyone to agree on the same date to travel, is the first hurdle to jump over, next is to consider is where to go and then the budget you have to work with, a good guide to make this a bit easier, is to work out what you want to pay per person per night, then start your search for the right accommodation in the city you want to visit, it could be London group accommodation, New York group accommodation, Barcelona groups accommodation or Group accommodation Amsterdam or any other worldwide destination.
You could spend countless hours on the phone and on the internet trying to figure out the best youth hostel or budget hotels accommodation to book, but what you should have done is to make just one phone call or sent one email to a specialist in booking budget accommodation for large groups, like Hostels247.com that has a dedicated group booking department with years of experience in placing large groups in great accommodation worldwide.
You see booking group accommodation is not only about which hostels and discount hotel for groups have availability, but most of all which locations are best suited to accommodate the group, especially when someone in the group has special requirements, the more information you give the better, some key points to include are:
Country:
City:
Arrival Date:
Number of Nights Stay:
Number of People:
Number of Male:
Number of Female:
Number of Male Team Leaders:
Number of Female Team Leaders:
Type of Group:
Main Group Age:
Budget Per Person Per Night:
Preferred Room Types:
Any Special Requirements/Additional Information:
Once your information is received, the group booking specialist, works on your behalf to find the best accommodation for your group whether it’s a student or university group, hen or stag group, corporate group or just a family group of 10 people or more, they will help you to book the best accommodation for your group.
Use the Special requirements and additional information to ask how far the accommodation is from the airport or train station, if the accommodation is in the city centre, what facilities the accommodation has like guest kitchen, bar, lounge and if breakfast, linen and towels are included in the price, basically anything that you want to be included or you want to be provided for the group ask about it in this area.
When you’re using a group booking specialist make sure to ask if they charge any booking fee, or charge to use your credit card as this can add to the cost, there are some companies that don’t charge any fees so try to use them it’s a lot cheaper, make sure the price the price you are quoted is inclusive of all the local taxes and charges.
To put it bluntly, these companies do all the work for you and it means there is no headache and worry about where you and your mates are going to stay, you can just choose from the groups accommodation option offered, check the pictures description, reviews and location on the map, it’s the sure fire way to make booking group accommodation easy and hassle free.
Group Accommodation Booking | 0 Kommentare »
New York Named Top World City 2009
11. September 2009
TRAVEL GUY
Time out Names World’s greatest city 2009
New York has been named by Time out as the World’s greatest city 2009 closely followed by London.
It was a close fought race for first and second place between New York and London,some of the things that pushed New York to the forefront are, New York has a 24 Hour culture, offering travellers and locals something to do and see no matter the time of day or night, from Restaurants, Bars and Night Clubs to Theatre, Shopping and Sight Seeing, no other city has more energy than New York this factor gained New York an extra point for Buzz getting the top mark of 10 compared to London getting 9.
New York is a new, modern, planned city compared to ancient and historic cities such as London, Rome and Athens and has built itself up very quickly to a prime holiday and business destination for reasons other than historical sights and monuments, New York city has countless accommodation options for tourists, from Budget Hotels and Youth Hostels to Luxury 5 Star Hotels and Studio Apartments.
The Manhattan skyline makes your heart beat faster and is an imposing and amazing sight, whether you see it every day or when just you’re visiting for a holiday, the architectural delights of Manhattan gained New York two extra points making 9 over London getting 7 for architecture and pushed New York into the top city spot.
New York city has an unrivalled infrastructure needed for any great city of the world.
The key features looked at to determine which city is the greatest in the world are:
Architecture, Arts & culture, Buzz, Food & drink, Quality of life and World status.
Top 10 Results
1. New York, USA
Architecture: 9
Arts & culture: 10
Buzz: 10
Food & drink: 9
Quality of life: 6
World status: 9
Total/60: 53
2. London, UK
Architecture: 7
Arts & culture: 10
Buzz: 9
Food & drink: 9
Quality of life: 6
World status: 9
Total/60: 50
3. Paris, France
Architecture: 9
Arts & culture: 9
Buzz: 6
Food & drink: 9
Quality of life: 7
World status: 8
Total/60: 48
4. Berlin, Germany
Architecture: 7
Arts & culture: 9
Buzz: 9
Food & drink: 6
Quality of life: 7
World status: 8
Total/60: 46
Equal 5th. Barcelona, Spain
Architecture: 9
Arts & culture: 7
Buzz: 8
Food & drink: 8
Quality of life: 8
World status: 4
Total/60: 44
Equal 5th. Chicago, USA
Architecture: 9
Arts & culture: 8
Buzz: 7
Food & drink: 7
Quality of life: 7
World status: 6
Total/60: 44
Equal 5th. Tokyo, Japan
Architecture: 7
Arts & culture: 6
Buzz: 9
Food & drink: 10
Quality of life: 4
World status: 8
Total/60: 44
8. Istanbul, Turkey
Architecture: 7
Arts & culture: 7
Buzz: 9
Food & drink: 7
Quality of life: 6
World status: 7
Total/60: 43
Equal 9th. Rome, Italy
Architecture: 9
Arts & culture: 7
Buzz: 7
Food & drink: 6
Quality of life: 6
World status: 7
Total/60: 42
Equal 9th. Sydney, Australia
Architecture: 7
Arts & culture: 6
Buzz: 7
Food & drink: 7
Quality of life: 10
World status: 5
Total/60: 42
New York Top World City 2009 | 0 Kommentare »
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