Travel And Leisure Jobs Available

Actually working in this industry is so exciting. You work as you enjoy and also get to meet a lot of amazing people with different cultures and beliefs. This makes the job an exciting experience that you don't even want to go on leave. Don't give me those eyes, you will know what I am saying once you start working in the industry.

The list of travel and leisure jobs available is long and endless. There are so many jobs to choose from. Ranging from travel to sports to holidays and to anything leisure you can imagine. You can work as a sport instructor, like say a swimming instructor. You can be a gym instructor, can work in a massage palour, can be a tour guide, can be a travel agent, can be in the cabin crew, can even be a driver for a tours company and the list is endless!

The most common place you can work while in this industry is in a hotel. This is where most people who travel stay while on their holiday or trip. This place therefore offers the largest percentage of jobs in this category. From hotel managers, to those who take care of you during your stay, to the chefs, to outdoor activities managers and many other uncountable posts. All you have to do is have the required skills and the job might be yours. These top hotels should therefore be one of your top search places for travel and leisure jobs.

Hotels are everywhere because lots of people are travelling daily. This therefore means, the jobs are everywhere and getting your dream travel and leisure should be a big problem. Apart from hotels, jobs are available in national parks, animal sanctuaries and orphanages, sports clubs, airports, beaches, travel agencies and almost virtually everywhere.

Internet can also be a good place where you can get your travel and leisure job. In this day, there are so many sites online just dedicated to find you a travel and leisure job. All you have to do, is register and maybe upload your curriculum vitae, then your employer will find you. Alternatively, you can browse the jobs available and apply for them online. This is a very easy and efficient way of looking for that travel and leisure dream job.

Having known that you can always get that job you wanted, I will advise that you make a move towards getting it. You also understand that competition is high and you got to be smart and fast when you are eyeing a certain job. As I said, hotels are always a good place to start with. Chances are your fate might be to work there. These other places too should not be ignored. So start now and get your travel and leisure job, before someone takes it.

Leisure Travel Expert Guide

Unique Travel Advice

Travel should be well planned and prepared. It is too exciting and thrilling to think of travelling to a new destination. But if certain amount of caution is not addressed it will become a night mare. Purchase a money belt which acts as a safety locker and consistently use it to keep all your documents that are required like passport, and money safe. Try to find out what is allowed on board with the inspectors at security check points prior to the travel. It is also advisable that sharing personal details and details that pertain to our travel such as staying hotels and places planned for vacation should be avoided. All these details are immaterial for any one.

Make sure that a copy of journey schedule is left back with a close relative or a friend and they are updated and in touch with you. Ensure that prior to departure all things at home are arranged properly. Also Prior information about the place of visit should be gathered. Single travelers should exercise caution and always be aware of their surroundings at every point of time. Also ask at the hotel desk if you ought to avoid any place while going for site seeing.

Unique Safety Tips

Certain amount of cautiousness and application of common sense can protect us and keep away from dangers. Take a cab that is marked taxi and seems to be an official one. Avoid taking jewelry or wearing them, which might attract thieves. Avoid walking alone at the unknown destination. Behave like one among them. Avoid shortcuts and poorly lit streets, they can become dangerous. Also avoid deserted beaches as they could be like inviting danger. Exercise caution and make sure that the surrounding is safe and secure. It is highly recommended that you ask the hotel desk to book a taxi for you including your return to the hotel. Unable to do this, find out where you will get one, that is safe. Vacationers should also carry a small first aid kit along with them for emergencies. Bandages, antacid, aspirin, insect repellent, sunscreen, and first-aid ointment are few things that are recommended to be carried even when going for sightseeing.

Keeping all the various aspects in mind a complete plan of the trip should be planned prior to the trip and sketched out well. Thus vacation can become ever lasting memories and remembrances, if all things are done well. As the saying goes all that begins well ends well!!!

If you are planning to go abroad on a vacation, or to take a expedition or travel inside your own country, take safety advice that mysafetravel provide us to avoid probable dangerous or unpleasant situations in travel; the tips given may be useful especially for beginner tourists.

Leisure Travel - Forgo the Flight, Travel by Train

Tired of the hassle of airports? Inspecting each item you pack in FAA regulated bags, walking through lines of security with your shoes off, only to wait even more in the terminal before boarding a stuffy plane with tiny seats isn't something you look forward to when you think of a vacation. In addition, bad experiences on board can set the mood for the rest of the trip, and let's not even think about what you'll do if your baggage gets misplaced.

Have you ever considered traveling by rail? Traveling by coach on a train yields more legroom, bigger seats and the same fold-down tray you'd get in a plane. Upgrade to business class and you get AC outlets and foot rests at each seat. With Amtrak, some cars offer a Quiet Car, where passengers can only make noises at or below a whisper. Instead of looking out your window and looking at white or blue nothingness, enjoy the sights of the countryside by traveling on a train. Not to mention, you can bring your own food and beverages on a train, including your own stash of suds and spirits. Kiss those $4 cocktails in air-coach goodbye.

As far as price is concerned, traveling by train is relatively cheaper. With new lower fares and weekend getaway fares, Amtrak makes traveling by rail affordable. Amtrak also offers 15, 30 and 45-day rail passes, and 7 days of travel in a 21-day period in California for $159. Booking a flight from Norfolk to Atlanta one-way is $277, but the same trip via rail is $169.

On the downside, traveling by train takes a little while longer than by plane. (The Norfolk to Atlanta trip takes 16.5 hours via rail!) Train traveling is a nicer way to make long distances and vacations. Searching for direct routes is the most common option, but if you have a lot of time for R&R, take some time and hop on the iron horse. You'll travel more comfortably, and have a new traveling experience under your belt.

Adventure & Leisure Travel

To understand the term "ecology" we must hark back to the words of Eugene Odum, the grandfather o f Ecology to understand its perspective. Odum referred to it as "An ecosystem is a unit of biological organisation interacting with the physical environment such that the flow of energy and mass leads to a characteristic tropic structure and material cycles."

Simply put, it means "units or systems that exist in their natural state drawing on the sustained energy and balance of the environment in which they establish themselves and grow".

To understand ecotourism in the present day context is a little more complicated. An ecological system should be that unit irrespective of its size or location that can sustain and survive in its natural elements, without any undue interference that can upset the balance of its very existence.

The trend of tourist destinations and holiday spots with focus on peace and sanctity of the environment is fast catching up in today's world, where so much of the emphasis is on accelerated lifestyles in which we strive to make time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Days, weeks and months of living in constant disharmony with our surroundings and ourselves makes one yearn for quality time in quiet, peaceful places where the sounds of everyday life do not permeate. In this context, ecotourism attains immense relevance to mankind, as a whole.

From a purely personal point of view, a tourist destination should be one that enhances your physical, mental and spiritual well being in a purely uplifting way. Plush lodges and resorts with all the trappings of 7-star or 5-star luxury in forests, jungles and bio reserves do not deserve to be classified as promoting ecotourism. It may be good for the big bucks to roll in but definitely a no-no when ecology and tourism have to co-exist. After all, you take a holiday to refresh your body and mind and seek a place that is different in many ways - why do you need the same trappings of city life to do that? Where the aim of promoting little known destinations to the world at large clashes with sustaining an environment in its unspoilt characteristics, simply promoting tourism with the sole aim of enticing people to wallow in unimaginable luxury is a lost cause altogether.

Holidaymakers and tourist wishing to visit eco tourist destinations and spots should be encouraged not to expect luxurious and immaculate surroundings when they arrive. The emphasis should be on riding the rough with the smooth, to expect the unexpected albeit in a stimulating way, and to enjoy doing things differently. Increasingly, you hear of holidays talked about along the same lines as the purchase of a new car or the latest mobile phone or any of the multitudes of electronic goods that are in the market. The essence of the holiday does not mean so much to these note exchangers as the mode of travel, the place of stay and the food you eat. It is a tremendous exercise for the techno geeks to be away from their laptops, Blackberries, iPods and whatever else constitutes, to "making communication snappier", as they would say.

I scour the newspapers for articles on tourist destinations and nothing grabs my attention more than write-ups and pictures of little nooks and places in unheard of parts of the world. India has such a vast diversity of holiday locations but come holiday time and the entire world wants to visit the usual run of the mill places that are fast becoming overcrowded, polluted and not so enjoyable. Perhaps it is because they would like holidays also to fit into the slot of "well planned and organized" and any pretension to "expecting the unexpected" does not charm these holiday makers.

But, there are perceptible changes that are becoming fast evident. It is not uncommon and least surprising to see individuals or groups of like minded youngsters coming together to customize holidays that suit their "style". Weekend getaways, jungle treks, photo shoots, biking trips and camping out are getting nods of approval from a burgeoning population that is looking for newer and innovative ways to rejuvenate body and mind from the harsh realities of professional life. The higher the element of surprise and discovery; more the contentment guaranteed.

Travel has truly received a remarkable makeover; the mode of travel and the route taking precedence over the destination itself. Leisure activities too have metamorphosed in challenging ways and if you're even slightly faint-hearted without adrenalin pumping into you to give you the sense of adventure and of the unknown, your holiday may well be doomed before it begins.

Choosing Hotels - The Factors Considered by Leisure Travelers Today

We've all heard about how the global economic crisis has affected businesses all over the world, and of course the hospitality industry has also been affected. While the changes may not exactly be of the kind that reshapes continents and causes epic upheavals, they do indicate important trends that could very well continue so long as the world is still reeling from the backlash of the recession.

One way to gauge the changes to the hotel industry is to look at the influential factors that people consider when choosing the hotels they will stay in. Some very important details were revealed in the Ypartnership/Yankelovich 2009 National Travel Monitor survey. A lot of trends can be directly linked to the current condition of the economic landscape.

First among the factors with a significant statistical difference compared to the 2008 figures is value for price. A good 88 percent of the respondents for the 2009 Travel Monitor cited value for price as an extremely influential hotel selection factor. That's up from 82 percent in the 2008 survey.

A couple of other factors managed significant increases in the 2009 survey. Having free breakfasts included in the hotel package was deemed of great importance by 58 percent of the respondents. Only a shade over half of the respondents (51 percent) deemed that as a highly influential factor in their choice of hotel or resort back in 2008.

Consequently, the brand name of a particular hotel or resort mattered less to travelers in 2009. The respondents who think brand name figures highly in their considerations dropped to 44 percent in 2009, from 51 percent in the 2008 Travel Monitor. This is a key indicator, as leisure travelers would tend to look more for convenience and the actual kind of accommodations in the hotel first before considering the name. Reputation helps, but not if it adds a premium to the price tag.

Other factors, such as the location of the hotel and the going rate for rooms were still high on travelers' list of factors, posting similar results as the previous year. Hotel location was at 85 percent, same for both this year and last year. Room rate went up a percent in 2009, with 85 percent of the respondents seeing it as an influential factor. That's why both still rank among the top three factors.

When one looks at the figures, it becomes apparent that travelers now put a high overall priority on getting high value for their money. That's a direct consequence of the recession, as less people put stock in the name of an establishment and look more for reasonable rates with more perks included in their room package.

Look for these trends to continue in the next couple of quarters, as the various hotels all over the world continue to deal with the ripples of one of the worst financial times in the modern era. Many are optimistic that things will start looking up sooner rather than later-something that, hopefully, becomes true.

How to Use Business Travel Secrets for Personal Travel

Business travelers are subjected to several travel secrets since they take an average of seven long distance trips every year which has been established by the Travel Industry Association while it has been estimated that the leisure travelers take an average of less than three trips each year. Normal vacationers do not fly, drive or stay in hotels as much as the business travelers do, but vacationers can take the opportunity to learn certain significant facts and tips about how business travelers move through the airport or the hotel lobby and can also learn to get better deals from hotels and airlines as well. Some of the advantages includes lesser expense, shorter wait times and access to more convenience.

1) Stay at business hotels

Most of the business hotels are conveniently located close to places which host meetings and conventions, especially near to airports or close to the downtown commercial district which has easy access to the major highways. You will be surprised to learn that consumers might get even better deals than business travelers as hotels which cater to business clients are usually busy during the work week and their prices drop during the weekends so that they can fill the empty rooms.

2) Book Y-up fares

Generally, all the Y-up, Q-up and Z-up fares are actually full-fare coach seats which comes with a guaranteed upgrade to first class and you will be surprised to learn that Y-up fares are a well-known trick of the business travel trade. In case, as a consumer you were going to go for the business class, then Y-up and other auto-upgrade fares will certainly be a less-expensive and better option.

3) Be Loyal

Loyalty certainly comes with its privileges and airlines, hotels and car rental agencies often offer repeat customers ample of rewards and complimentary upgrades. In this way, you can rack up miles in your rewards account and can also result in certain nice perks. Airlines take great care of their frequent fliers and certainly offer them inexpensive upgrades which are available at check-ins. Your loyalty also pays off more quickly with car-rental agencies' reward programs.

4) Fly in all business-class airlines

Business class airlines like to eliminate competition by offering their clients roomier seats and in this way customers end up paying significantly less for a business-class or even premium economy seat on other airlines. In the peak season or the demand seasons, fares will just be $100 higher to that of the economy class and this will offer more legroom, superior food and other perks and the extra $100 is rightly justified in this manner.

Prepare For Overseas Travel With Quality Travel Guides

The lure of different cultures and climates stimulates many millions of people to travel outside their own country each year in search of fun, frolicking and adventure. Overseas travel is exciting for most people and knowing how to make the best of your destination is critical for full holiday enjoyment, or even the efficient execution of a business trip.

Indeed, knowing which accommodation to book and which to avoid at all costs, where to savour the best meals and drinks, or even solid tips on the best time to visit popular sights is made easier by a proliferation of travel guides. For example, business travellers, unless they are extremely lucky, seldom have time for sight-seeing or finding their own way around a city or destination meaning that they especially need to be fully clued up before they arrive. Travel guides can help make getting from A to B so much easier, as well as highlighting great places to stay and where to eat and drink; so taking much of the guess work out of avoiding poor choices, for leisure travellers too!

Although traditionally printed in book form, many travel guides are now available on the internet and alternatives are also available in other formats such as i-pod downloads. It is important to understand that unless hosted by a trusted publication then beware of such internet guides. Many rogue sites are set up merely to attract customers to particular establishments and attractions or even just to generate links to and from other sites, which therefore may not be totally unbiased or even written by independent travellers. Other websites may purport to give genuine travellers' reviews, but again may not be wholly independent as individuals from commercial organisations can also pretend to be unbiased reviewers.

For the best travel guides many travellers choose to stick with printed material. Books are easily portable and can be read anywhere, especially on the plane, boat or train on the way to your destination. They tend to have been thoroughly researched, well written and independent of commercial influences. Because they are published by mainstream publishers they can also be trusted and there is recourse for the buyer if the guide is woefully inaccurate. Of course, given the lead times to get things in print and depending how long after it went to print, that when it is purchased things may be out of date; but this a lag time that is likely to occur with any medium.

But, here's a thought. If printed travel guides didn't do the job, would so many be on sale at so many newsagents in most of the world's airport departure lounges?

Limousine Service is a Boon For Leisure and Business Travel

In this fast-changing and hectic world, limousine service is of great advantage for a relaxing travel experience. It can be really taxing to travel, especially long distances. But it can be made easier and enjoyable with the right choice of limousine services as it brings a bouquet of comforts that can be enjoyed. You can check the various packages available and sign up for the one that best suits your needs. The online booking facility saves you time and you have access to all the related information online.

A limousine service is used by all. Whether you want a chauffeur limousine for a corporate assignment or a weekend party with friends or for night outs, you can avail it. There are services that offer luxury, style and promise a great travel experience. So if you like to travel in style, you can choose such offers that bring luxury and an added dose of feel-good factor for a grand transport to your desired destination. Corporate limousine service affords a classy, executive fleet and service for your business travels.

Luxury sedans, stretch limousines, SUVs are some of the regulars in the fleets but some service providers also offer exclusives such as Mercedes, Audis and BMWs. If you need a highly sophisticated limousine leisure travel, you can choose from a wide variety of options. Not only do your holiday destination and the programs therein constitute for your entertainment dosage but also the limousine service you engage to get there.

Prom limousine services also take a great share of limo service demands. For proms, weddings, graduation, special events, birthdays or just-decided parties there is an increase in need for limo for transportation. The services include professional, courteous chauffeur who will ensure neat and smooth transport, punctual pickup and drop which saves time on waiting, help with luggage during airport transfers, and assuring you a great deal of saving on your time and money. If you work out the expenses if you have to make arrangements yourself, you will realize that hiring a chauffeured limousine service is the best choice.

It is a great relief when some of your chores are taken care of. So it is of greater relief when you are assured of a stress-free transport which would eliminate the worry of time factor as well as the expense factor incurred during hurried travel arrangements and missed itinerary. Inclusion of the best limo service while planning your travel itinerary can go a long way in enhancing your enjoyment of travel. Choosing Prime Time Limousine would take care of everything for a luxurious and stress-free transportation for both your business and private transportation needs. So make the best use of the advantages of the ideal limo service.

Consider Leisure Traveling As Part of Your Routine

Taking a break or vocation is a must. There is a saying that, taking a break is in preparation for a longer journey. How true is this statement? You do need to take a very long break while a few days of relaxation would sometime do. One of the most popular get away is leisure traveling and this has many benefits. This is why, many people love to travel.

Due to the ease of preparation, such as bookings of tours and tickets though the internet, it is very common nowadays for people to just get away on a vacation trip any time. While to some, traveling has become part of their routine lifestyle. This reinforces the benefits of traveling. If you have been on a vocation, you can see people from all walks of life, both young and old are traveling and they enjoy it. For most of the younger travelers, they tend to seek for fun, discovery and adventure in their travels. They prefer to visit strange and exotic places and often on backpacks. On the other hand, the older travelers would prefer to look for a more pleasant and enjoyable trip.

You can expect traveling to provide opportunities for fun, adventure and discovery. When you visit places in other countries, you will gain a better understanding of the people living there. You will learn their cultures, history and background. You may discover the similarities they have with you, as well as their differences from you. It is interesting to learn from people with diverse backgrounds.

Traveling helps to enrich your lives. It reinforced your knowledge and widens your perspective. When you visit new and interesting places, you will discover and learn many things. You will discover new people, surroundings, plants and animals. If you want to make your travels more exciting and challenging, you can choose to plan your own tour and select the specific places you want to visit. Traveling not only provides fun and adventure, it also provides you with marvelous insights and enlightens your minds.

Traveling is refreshing and revitalizing. If you have a stressful job, traveling is a psychological booster. If you find relaxing at home during the weekends is insufficient to unwind, you should consider traveling. Taking periodic vacation trips may reap better results then your weekend gate away. The vacation trip you take will help to recharge your "batteries" and enable you to handle the stress better.

Traveling provides you with the opportunities to share happiness and experience with your friends and family. If you have the chance to travel with you friends and family, you are able to create memories that would last a lifetime.

Traveling is not restricted to following tour groups. You have the choice to choose the kind of trip you want. With many day tour companies operating, you are free to select the type, duration and cost of travel that suits you interest and budget. In addition, you can also choose to stay in a cheap motel or a five-star hotel depending how much you are willing to pay. With such variety of options, there is definitely a kind of vacation trip you can pick and choose.

Technology has made traveling cheaper, easier and faster. As the cost of flying is cheaper now than before, traveling have become more affordable to many people. In addition, more flying routes have been added each day. As such, you have more places to visit. Thus, you should make use of the opportunities technology has made available for you.

The Mental Health Benefits of Leisure Travel

For the economically disadvantaged community on both kids and adults alike, the mental health benefits of leisure travel presents vast significant and social improvement in their mental health outlook. Leisure travel brings about greater personal impact for the individual versus the person who has not traveled. Being able to get away and relax creates a wonderful sense of euphoria and excitement. Leisure travel is very important in reducing the amount of stress on both adults and children and even more so on those on a lower income scale. The quality of life is drastically improved, along with personal growth, fulfillment, and a higher self-esteem. As the disadvantaged person's amount of personal travel increases, their depression and despondency decreases. Access to luxury travel increases an individual's intellectual pleasure, reduces inherent poverty as it increases improvement in self-esteem and financial control.

Personal travel provides individuals with the opportunity to improve social skills, increases an individual's personal involvement in social groups and settings, while significantly establishing positive interaction of social bonds with friends, family and community. With low-income families and individual's maiden journey into cultured events, i.e., museums, operatic and classical concerts within a leisure and not 'forced' framework, children especially feel a full sense of worthiness, acceptance and excitement to expand even more into such activities.

The mental health benefit associated with leisure travel creates a sense of social identity and belonging. Leisure travel plays a major and important role in improving social skills in children, especially over a prolonged sense of time. Children of parents who made it a family mantra and duty to introduce them to various locations and destinations are far more likely to go on to be far better socially adjusted adolescents and adults. They tend to be much calmer, more outgoing, feel more secure in various settings, while a child or adult who did not travel, generally feel like a fish out of water in unfamiliar territory.

The association brought about with leisure travel brings on a personal feeling of accomplishment and self-motivation. Those personally associated with children and adults who suddenly find themselves the recipient of a first time vacation, see firsthand the exciting benefit that travel brings. They see the returning journey to relax, unwind and take it easy has also rejuvenated and reconnected them to their inner self as wonderful proof as to what vacationing can do. Travel helps those individuals to maintain a healthy balance of inner self worth. That is why the wealthy always make leisure travel an integral part of their health and wellness outlook.

For those on the lower end of the spectrum and primarily because of limited income, many inner city and rural living adults and children have had little to no access to travel and vacation resources. The rate of participation is very limited; this shapes the feelings and outcomes with regard to such activities. Most just either stay home or visit with nearby friends and/or family. With today's economy in such a slump, it is more important than ever for families and individual's to find ways to kick back and relax, away from such obvious options.

It is quite necessary to increase one's personal time away, even including time alone to improve individual social well being, helping to transcend poverty. Understanding the need for disadvantaged people to get access to leisure travel is very critical to understanding one of the dire problems facing African-American, Latino and underprivileged white communities mindset. Without having gone beyond the boundaries of their own neighborhood or state lines, many socially perish for lack of financial resources to access outside of it.

"As a child sees, he does."

It is very important that children experience all aspects of travel and personally realize how much fun and excitement it brings. Children who travel quite frequently as opposed to children who do not, grow into happy, independent, well-adjusted adults who continue to travel. Both generally grow up to either repeat their love, excitement and independence of travel or their aloof and indifferent feelings onto their own future children.

Celebrating newfound culture and personal wellness is possible once an individual has traveled outside of his or her 'comfort' zone. It is imperative for one's own psychological well being to be able relax, enjoy and fit right in with any given surrounding. Travel tends to bring about a positive attitude in and transcends the personalities of those who have the ability to do so. It is a transformation that for some is almost indescribable, like seeing sub tropic cloud formation, blue green water or plants and animals not native to their own region. The euphoric feeling of relaxation is so overpowering that they want to travel again and again to keep feeling that contentment. Leisure travel reflects the beauty and frailty that is the human experience.

Heathrow Airport Hotel Guide For The Leisure Traveller

Heathrow Airport London is the busiest international airport in the world. Around 35% of its passengers are transit passengers, i.e. passengers that are just using London to make connections.

Just one reason why there are nearly 40 airport hotels at Heathrow serving the local demand for overnight stopovers.

For many of these hotels the businessman with an expense account is their bread and butter. This article seeks to address the leisure traveller, providing a guide to getting value for money locating a bed at Heathrow.

We'll start off by dividing the hotels into three categories.

There are the large 4 and 5 star chain hotels like Hilton, Radisson and Sheraton aimed at the businessmen, typically charging $US200 during the week, half that at weekends.

Then there are the 2 and 3 star hotels, again mostly chains, like Comfort Inn, Ibis and Premier Travel Inn, aimed at the leisure traveller and the businessmen on a budget. These will typically charge just over $US100 during the week, about $US75 at weekends.

Lastly, there are the small independent local hotels, mostly family owned who offer cheap 'bed and breakfast' style rooms. These have the cheapest accommodation.

Room rates can seem good value, especially at weekends when the businessmen are away and everyone deep discounts to fill beds. However, beware, what the hotel doesn't get in room rates they'll try and get out of you in other ways.

There are no hotels in the central passenger area where Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are located, though there is a hotel linked to Terminal 4 on the south side of the airport - the expensive Hilton Hotel, not for most leisure travellers.

This means a bus transfer, and unlike most international airports there are no complimentary hotel transfer buses. The airport authority provides 'Hoppa Buses', mid-size buses that run every 10-20 minutes on fixed routes to Heathrow Hotels. At 3 GBP per person per journey, thats an extra $US20 for a couple staying at a Heathrow Hotel.

Most hotels will charge anything from $US10-$US30 for breakfast, and at most hotels there isn't viable competition outside the front door. Dinner is similarly expensive and entertainment is largely limited to an expensive bar.

So, tips for the leisure traveller trying to economise.

Look for a hotel on the Bath Road, this is the northern perimeter road of Heathrow Airport and the main hotel strip.

Public buses run more frequently than the Hoppa Buses along the Bath Road into Heathrow Terminals, and they're free. (The fees from the Hoppa Buses are part used to subsidise the free local buses).

The Bath Road is the only location where you can escape your hotel. There is a pub serving meals, 2 McDonalds, a bowling alley, a small supermarket and an Italian Restaurant that can provide breakfasts, snacks and meals on the Bath Road. There are also 24 hour public buses running to local towns Kingston and Hounslow for entertainment.

Taking the above together, the benchmark for the leisure traveller is the Ibis and Premier Travel Inn hotels.

The other local option is to consider local Bed & Breakfast hotels. These do not provide an airport transfer but many are on the periphery of the airport on a bus or underground route. Their room rates are similar to the budget hotels but this includes a hearty breakfast and the transfer is still cheaper than the Hoppa Bus.

One other option is to forget Heathrow altogether and overnight in Central London. The Heathrow Express takes just 15 minutes to London's Paddington Station and there is lots of cheap accommodation around the station. You'll certainly have a more entertaining evening in London than at an airport hotel, and at a similar overall price.

Hotel Preferences in Recent Leisure Travel Trends

Leisure travelers and vacationers mostly try to minimize the cost of lodging, which is quite understandable especially during a time of economic decline such as we have now. Most people are focused on the sights and the itinerary, rather than the hotels and other types of accommodation where they will rest up for the night in. Let's take a look at some of the trends for hotel preferences when it comes to leisure travelers.

The first main trend is that people seem to be leaning more towards staying in independent hotels compared to the bigger branded hotels that are, conversely, more expensive even if they have more in terms of accommodations and luxury. The main reason for this is perhaps the inherent character and unique flavor afforded by independent carriers, compared to the standard fare of their branded counterparts.

The Ypartnership/Yankelovich 2009 National Travel Monitor found that 20 percent of respondents preferred independent establishments, a figure up from 16 percent in the 2008 survey. Still, the cut is clear-80 percent of respondents still prefer the hotels that are affiliated with larger companies or associated with bigger hotel chains.

Peter C. Yesawich, the chairman and CEO of Ypartnership, attributes this trend to two main factors. "First, a growing number of consumers appear more interested in the novelty and/or special character many independent operators have scripted into their properties," he said. "Second, the quest for better value, now defined in terms of a more attractive price, appears to be motivating many leisure travelers to evaluate independent alternatives."

Indeed, independent hotels offer the kind of "attractive price" that potential guests nowadays are looking for. With the financial crunch, many people and even some of the most hardcore leisure travelers are considering the payoff of paying more when one could get quality accommodations for considerably less.

Additionally, respondents to the survey were more inclined to choose limited-service hotels and resorts rather than go to full-service hotels with restaurants. That shift is also indicative of the importance many people started giving to their respective travel budgets.

While the trends point to a bigger patronage of independent hotels, the fact is that bigger chain-affiliated establishments still have many things going their way. When you consider reputation, proven quality, and reliability, then it's still natural for people to choose those. That's why the National Travel Monitor survey shows that preference for such hotels are down a mere 4 percent.

With the deep impact of the global economic downturn, should be noted that the budget-conscious traveler is becoming more aware than ever of the need to put a high priority on the price tag when choosing the hotel he or she will end up staying in. It should be noted, though, that there's no compromise for the kind of service bigger hotel chains can offer, which is why business is still relatively doing well for those kinds of hotels.

Still, it is perhaps safe to expect a subtle continuation of the trends above in the coming quarters, however, as people continue to put their budget first in an economic landscape that is slow to recover.

Business of Leisure & Components of Leisure Travel and Motivation

Leisure is the time available to the individual when work, sleep and other needs have been met. Leisure as a construct involves a number of dimensions.

· Absorption and concentration of ongoing experience

· Lessening of focus on self

· Feelings of freedom and lack of restraint

· Enriched perception of objects and events

· Increased intensity of emotions

· Increased sensitivity to feelings

· Decreased sensitivity to passage of time

The Components of Leisure Motivation

Beard and Ragheb identified four motivational needs derived from Maslow's hierarchy of needs. These needs form the components of leisure motivation. They are -

· Intellectual component

· Social component

· Competence mastery

· Stimulus avoidance

Intellectual component is the extent to which individuals are motivated by mental activities such as learning, exploring, discovering, thought, imaging. This can be a primary high need (a visit to Madurai to study temple architecture) or a low need triggered by a specific event or environment.

Social component is the need for friendship, self-esteem and interpersonal relationship. The holidays are not only status- or ego- enhancing experiences. There is also a sense of belonging with the place visited. People tend to identify with a place visited. This is higher for people who are more satisfied with their holidays and for those with three or more visits. The relationship not only involves social identification but also a relationship with the geographical place.

Competence mastery component is in order to achieve, challenge, master and compete. This is often physical (i.e. sports) but also includes fine arts and other intellectual pursuits. Competence mastery is coupled with other components of leisure motivation. A course in wind surfing (competence mastery) can also mean meeting like -minded individuals (social need).

Stimulus avoidance is drive to escape and get away from over-simulating life experiences. The most obvious component of leisure motivation, a chance to rest and unwind.

The components of leisure motivation vary within holidays and between holidays. On a holiday, a tourist may rest for few days (stimulus avoidance); thereafter explore the place (intellectual component). The holidaymaker may assign different purposes to holidays. One holiday might be family centred (social need), the other for playing golf (competence mastery) etc.

Database For Marketing Leisure Travel

A database helps manage information to produce meaningful results. Travel agents are among the most experienced users of databases. All computerized reservations systems rely upon sophisticated databases of flight inventories and reservations. Agents also maintain client databases in traveler profiles. What differentiates these databases from those developed in-house on computers is that the airlines, not the agents, control them.

A characteristic of databases is that the data is linked into one useful system. For example, an agency may store client information on index cards. By shuffling through these cards, it is possible to identify who went on which tour, produce an alphabetized list, or, rearrange the cards in zip code order for a bulk mailing. Similarly, a database provides an automated, or "computerized," method for recording and storing data.

Data in and of itself has no use. It is only when it is processed - selected, sorted, or arranged in some meaningful way - that it has any utility at all. Names, addresses, numbers, and dates are typical of the data you may need to store. Data becomes information only after it is arranged in a manner to answer a question, solve a problem, or take action.

This fundamental concept should guide the development of your database. Unless the data you collect can be used to answer a question, solve a problem, or take an action, it is probably not worth the effort. Automating useless data gets you nowhere-only faster.

Database Development

The development of a database may pose several hurdles: learning how to master new software, and figuring out how to computerize all of the notes, cards, and lists that now comprise your "database."

Taking on all of these hurdles at once may be overwhelming. If you have only limited experience using a computer or no experience in developing a database, you may want to consider employing an outside contractor to assist you. You would design the "specifications" for the database, including the data to be included, the kinds of information the system should produce, and the activities you want to accomplish, such as mailing lists and monthly reports. An outside contractor can then take your requirements and develop a database.

Although it may be more costly in the short run, requiring the contractor to train you or someone on your staff on the software will enable you to maintain the database more effectively and develop new databases as the need arises.

If you are experienced on computers, or are persistent and patient, most software packages offer a step-by-step approach to database design in tutorials that should enable you to develop your database yourself. Whether you use a contractor or develop the database yourself, selecting the right software for your present and future needs is an important decision.

Database Software

There are two main forms of computer software for databases - (1) record-oriented databases, and (2) relational databases.

In a record-oriented system, one record is created for each traveler in the system. In a relational database, a traveler's name would appear on several related lists. The distinguishing factor between the record and relational database is the flexibility and added capabilities characteristic of a relational database. The trade-off is that while relational databases are more powerful, they also require more time to master.

Database Design

While this article focuses on the use of databases for marketing leisure travel, the principles of database organization may be applied to any database. Before beginning the design of a database, define the functions the data will be expected to perform. These should be the actual activities you plan to automate through the database, such as mailing lists and traveler preferences, etc. Time taken to carefully specify the expected uses of the database will be rewarded many times over in the future.

Once the uses for the database have been determined, factor these into the data elements needed to furnish the requisite information. Since the same data is used for many purposes, expect many of the data elements within the categories to overlap. This "paper and pencil" work will require several drafts to come up with the right data.

Travel Across the Globe and Make a Living With WorldVentures

WorldVentures has a mission to be one of the largest and one of the most respected companies in the world today. It believes in superior standards and at the same time inculcating corporate leadership in all its ventures and products. The company believes that its customers and the people are the foundations of its success today.

WorldVentures offers you tow unique and exciting products and they are the "Dreamtrips Membership" and the "LTC Package". The first package is a vacation club that offers exceptional vacations across the world at incredible rates and value. A person needs to incur a one time membership cost and pay a nominal monthly fee. This membership offers attractive prices that are not found easily all over the world.

In addition to these exciting vacations you also get instant access to a travel community every time you go for a trip. WorldVentures take the stress out of you by planning your vacations that range from an affordable outdoor whitewater rafting adventure in Colorado to a luxurious Super All inclusive Caribbean vacation.

The LTC or the Leisure Travel Consultant package is a gateway into the travel business and all LTC's are equipped with their own personalized travel portal that they can refer to friends, family and colleagues. When these references purchase commissionable travel, the LTC is paid a percentage of the travel commission that is generated.

Both these products are powered by WorldVentures travel partner Rovia, that owns it own technology and provides access to multiple Golbal Distribution Systems. Those who go in for the LTC also get the benefits of a professional suite of services that offers exceptional additional value and a 24/7 roadside assistance, a tax advice hotline and a round the clock Rovia Concierge Service that provides for dinner reservations, provides driving directions, directory assistance, flight information and more services.

When you are a Leisure Travel Consultant for Rovia you will also have access to continue your education and based on completion acquire additional levels of accreditation like becoming a Booking Travel Agent or a Travel Reservation Specialist. In this manner you can qualify for higher commissions and additional benefits. You also get the opportunity of shouldering added responsibilities. The goal of WorldVentures is to provide an educational track for someone to join the above program and rise from being a novice to an expert.

In addition to the above WorldVentures also provides the advantages of an On Demand Training Video and Leadership Acceleration Workshops. It also has a five day workshop called "Journey" that helps you to maintain a balance in all the five areas of life including family, financial, physical, spiritual, social and economic for both your physical and emotional well-being.

Training and Developing Your Leisure Travel Agents

Vacation sales are often not profitable but the reason is typically a lack of productivity among sales agents. It is well known in this industry that a really top-notch vacation agent can be extremely productive and produce significant profits for an agency.

These vacation sales giants have some characteristics in common:

- They give top quality service.

- They have a loyal clientele.

- They are efficient.

- They know how to close a sale.

These agents are essentially consultants to vacations travelers, knowledgeable enough to advise about choice of destination, choice of package, itinerary, and so forth.

The training that is required to develop one of these vacation sales stars must include the following: destination training, techniques for closing a sale, and efficient use of systems for handling business. This is very much in contrast to a commercial travel agent. Destination knowledge for a commercial agent is a low priority while systems efficiency is a high priority. A vacation agent, on the other hand, is primarily a consultant and must be knowledgeable about the destinations being sold.

Destination Training

Any good salesperson will tell you that product knowledge is absolutely crucial for effective sales. You probably have observed yourself that agents who have visited Mexico are much better able sell Mexico to their clients. FAM trips, therefore, are an important training tool for vacation agents. Many agencies use FAM trips as employment perks instead of as training devices.

To use your FAM trips as training, first decide what destinations your agency sells or would like to sell. Schedule your vacation agents on FAM trips to these locations. Destination training is also available from many package suppliers. Again, focus your training efforts on destinations that your agency sells. If Las Vegas is your biggest vacation market, then invest your staff's time in Las Vegas training.

Finally, there are tremendous resource materials available about specific destinations. Build a reference library of material for your vacation agents. Again, your library should emphasize the destinations that you sell.

The bottom line is product knowledge. What is it that you are selling and how can you train your agents to know that product? If you are selling a particular package, train on that package. If you are selling a particular destination, train on that destination.

Many large vacation agencies have very successfully developed specialties for particular agents. Thus, an agency might have a Caribbean specialist and a European specialist. Such specialties are a tremendous resource to your agency and can be internally utilized for training. For instance, your agency's European specialist can host destination training seminars for newly hired staff or less experienced staff.

Closing the Sale

A good vacation travel agent is not just an information library. If your agents sit at their desks all day responding to inquiries and handing out brochures when requested, they are never going to pay their way. A vacation sales agent is essentially a salesperson. Potential clients come to your agency with an idea about a vacation, and these leads need to be converted into sales. Your agents need to learn how to close the sale! Many volumes have been written about closing skills and how they can be developed. Some people say that a good salesperson is born, not developed. In any case, everyone can improve.

Top 10 Leisure Travel Gadgets of the Year 2011

Headed to an escape this summer? Whether you're making your way by plane, train, automobile, or even your own two feet, no trip is complete today without digital accessories.Traveling for business, pleasure or both, travel accessories aim to make travel less tiring and more enjoyable. Travelers likely think they already have the best travel accessories and gadgets to make their trips easier and bide their time until they get to their destinations, but stylish and useful travel accessories are coming out all the time. From electronic gadgets to compact luggage, the right travel accessories can make a travel, a flight and the time spent in airports much more bearable. Get around in style and with ease, here is some sidekick to help make the journey memorable.

Best Travel Gadgets of the Year 2011

Motorola Xoom - With Google's next generation of Android, Motorola's knack for great hardware, and Verizon's promise of 4G network compatibility, the Xoom tablet technically offers a more powerful, more capable substitute to Apple's iPad. Sporting a 10.1-inch screen, front and rear cameras, HDMI output, a dual-core processor, Google's Honeycomb Platform, and 1080p HD Video Content Support, the Xoom tablet wars with guns blazing. Motorola XOOM redefines the tablet device category by providing more ways to have fun, hook up with friends and stay productive on the go. It allows the clients to experience HD content right on the device, supports 1080p HD video and HDMI output to display content on larger HD screens, and plays video and other rich web content seamlessly with Adobe® Flash® Player. Motorola XOOM features a front-facing 2-megapixel camera for video chats over Wi-Fi or 3G/4G LTE, in addition to a rear-facing 5-megapixel camera that captures video in 720p HD.

BlackBerry PlayBook - It is a tablet device that supports web browsing Flash Player 10.1 and HTML5 for browse graphics and animation. The Blackberry PlayBook is equipped with a 7-inch multitouch screen, a 1GHz dual-core CPU -as the fastest tablet ever, 1GB of RAM: and 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage, 3 mega pixel camera on the front as well as there being a 5 mega pixel camera on the back, which will enable video - conferencing. The Blackberry PlayBook is equipped with a 7-inch multitouch screen; a 1GHz dual-core CPU; 1GB of RAM; and 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB of storage. This device has two HD cameras along with high-quality speakers and a mini-HDMI port. Blackberry Playbook also allows multi-tasking.

Panasonic S10 - In the world of computing, only the Panasonic S-series provide you an all-day, on-the-go, AC adapter-free, desktop power, solution in ruggedized chassis--all from 2.49 lbs. Panasonic S10 is the advanced Camcorder for a terrific photography experience. Camcorders are too big to compete with pocket cameras, and cameras too small to hold the storage requirements of video. The Panasonic SDR S10 is ultimate for shooting portrait, sports, surf & snow, color night view, low light and spot light. The user friendly options put in to the appeal of the Panasonic SDR S10.

Chevrolet Volt - Chevrolet Volt is the 2011 'World Green Car'. It is a plug-in four-door hybrid hatchback that seats four passengers. It is been voted as the most fuel-efficient car. Volt is more responsive and substantial than any other hybrids. Good braking and brake pedal run smoothly as a conventional set and regenerative braking. Volt also has a tremendous get-up-and-go for hybrids, mainly when fully charged. The interior of the Volt likely will be ranked very high. Interior features comprise dual-zone climate control, backup camera, USB port, OnStar, Bluetooth, cruise control, heated front seats, leather upholstery, leather-wrapped steering wheel, and stereo CD. A hard-drive navigation system is also available as an option. Standard equipment safety car the Chevrolet, include stability control, front airbags, side airbags full-length curtains, OnStar telecommunications service, and anti-lock brakes.

Panasonic Lumix DMC-FH27K, HP Pavilion dm1z,Flip MinoHD, V-Moda Vibrato, Able Planet Clear Harmony NC1100b,GPS: Magellan eXplorist 710, E-Reader: Amazon Kindle, Samsung 9 Series, MacBook Air 11-Inch, External Battery: Mophie Juice Pack Air, Bluetooth Headset: Jawbone Era, Motorola Atrix 4G, Apple iPhone 4, BlackBerry Bold, Canon Powershot D10, Casio EX-H20G,Nikon D3100, Olympus Pen E-PL2,Tablet: Apple iPad 2 are the other trendy leisure gadgets for gizmo freaks.

Leisure wings India pvt ltd is a full service travel management company whose business philosophy is based on superior quality service, Innovative approach and total client satisfaction, Leisure Wings outstanding success is firmly rooted in its total commitment to providing innovative travel services and the highest quality customer relation keeping in view total satisfaction and superb value for money for its customers.

Leisure wings India pvt ltd is a full service travel management company whose business philosophy is based on superior quality service, Innovative approach and total client satisfaction, Leisure Wings outstanding success is firmly rooted in its total commitment to providing innovative travel services and the highest quality customer relation keeping in view total satisfaction and superb value for money for its customers.

The Galle Fort, Sri Lanka - The Leisure Traveler's Paradis

The Galle Fort is located in the bay of Galle in the Southern coast of Sri Lanka. The Galle fort is a major attraction for tourists, local and foreign alike, and attracts thousands of visitors every year. Originally built by the Portuguese in 1588, the fort was renovated and extensively fortified by the Dutch from 1649 onwards. Even after almost 425 years this fort stands as a historical, architectural and archeological treasure trove, and has been designated as a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO.

The existence of the Port of Galle can be traced back to 125 AD, when it was a busy port, trading with almost all of the ancient civilizations including Greek, Arab and Chinese merchants. It is at this port that the Portuguese first landed here under the guidance and leadership of the famous Lorenzo de Almeida in 1505 AD. The Portuguese maintained a healthy relationship with the king of Sri Lanka at the time, King Dharmaparakramabahu, which became the cornerstone for the construction of the fort. Along with the fort, the Portuguese also built a Franciscan Chapel, which lies in ruins today, inside the fort in 1541. Later on the Portuguese had moved to Colombo, but before they were able to entrench themselves, the Sinhalese King Raja Singha I from Sitawaka led an assault on Colombo forcing the Portuguese to retreat back to Galle where they entrenched themselves.

Things changed drastically when the Dutch landed in 1640. The King Raja Singha I successor, King Raja Singha II sought the help of the Dutch in order to get rid of the Portuguese who were holding out in the fort. With a huge force of up to 2,500 men, the Dutch managed to Liberate the Fort from the Portuguese. After liberating it from the enemy, the Dutch troops occupied the fort and began to fortify it, and rebuilding it into it's present form in the Dutch Architecture.

The British captured the fort in 23rd February 1796, just two weeks after the capture of Colombo from the Dutch. Since most of the British operations were centered in and around the city of Colombo and the Colombo Harbor, not much attention was paid to the fort in Galle, which remained largely unchanged under the British rule.

The Galle fort today is one of the most important and unique historical attractions in the country that provide invaluable insight into the history of Colonial Sri Lanka.

Airline Travel Etiquette - How to Get the Most Out of Your Leisure Travel

The Sophisticated Traveler

As you board the plane, set the tone for the rest of the flight. Acknowledge the flight attendants with a smile and a warm "Hello." If you're allowed only one carry-on item, don't cheat by carrying on more. Don't move other people's belongings around in order to cram your own belongings into the overhead bin.

Nothing looks more cloddish than slogging down the aisle carrying department store shopping bags. Pack an extra collapsible tote bag with you for your return trip to handle your overflow purchases. If you're wearing a back pack, avoid clobbering passengers on the head with it as you search for your seat. Once you find that seat, excuse yourself if you need to disturb other passengers when you sit down.

No one appreciates a traveler who...

* Talks loudly during the flight attendant's safety lecture, thus denying essential information to white-knuckled novice passengers unfamiliar with safety procedures.

* Spreads out newspapers when seated in the "sandwich seat" between two other passengers.

* Rushes to the plane's magazine rack and grabs all the good magazines, leaving little for others to read besides Whale Watchers International.

* Treats flight attendants with disrespect. Cursing at an attendant or exhibiting drunken behavior can cause you to be unceremoniously escorted off the plane. Flight attendants are given a good amount of discretion in deciding what constitutes disruptive behavior. Air Transport Association rules state "if a passenger's behavior is offensive to other passengers on board, then the airline reserves the right to deny boarding or to ask for the passenger to be removed."

* Chats non-stop on the air phone.

* Leaves the restroom messy.

* Wears overpowering fragrance.

* Places shoes on the seat cushion.

* Takes up two arm rests.

* Occupies a portion of another passenger's seat.

* Adjusts the seat into a reclining position.

* Talks incessantly to another passenger, who is obviously trying to get some work done.

* Assumes that fellow passengers and attendants are on board for their entertainment.

Deflecting the Chatterbox

Know when not to carry on a conversation by being tuned into the body language of others. If your attempts to make small talk are met with short answers and no follow-on questions, you should get the hint. If your fellow passenger begins to read a book or work on a computer, the hint becomes obvious. By the same token, there is no need to feel obligated to talk to fellow passengers if you are the subject of unwelcome chatter. To discourage others from talking to you, turn on your iPod or open a magazine. If you do chat with them for a few minutes, you might then smile and say, "I really enjoyed talking to you, but I'm on a deadline to finish this work."

It's Not Your Grandparents Business Travel Anymore

Airline passengers are experiencing traveler fatigue as a result of the consistent and constant tug on security each and every time they go to the airport for a business trip. In America we knew we needed to improve airport security, even before 911 occurred.

The days of deciding to take a business and or leisure trip to a destination of our choosing is more involved than any period in the history of our country. Whether its having the proper identification, liquids in our carry on luggage or our name is on a watch list, due to no fault of our own, flying is not what it use to be.

My last long trip to Australia in 2001 was a piece of cake. I made airline reservations, hotel accommodations and purchased tickets for the Goodwill Games in Brisbane, Australia. The only thing I had to concern myself with was ensuring I had a valid visa for travel to the land down under. During the two week period of time I spent in Australia, everything went according to plan, leading up to my return to the United States on the evening of September 10, 2001.

On the morning of September 11, 2001, business and leisure travel as we knew it changed forever. When the hijacked planes flew into the World Trade Center travel and the resulting safety precautions changed overnight. Today if you plan to take a business or leisure trip to a specific destination you will likely encounter a long line at the boarding concourse, delayed flights, emergency evacuation, departure delays and a full body scan and or physical body search.

Grandmother and grandfather would likely drive to their next destination to avoid the airport today. The airline industry is under tremendous pressure to remain competitive in this economy, giving the fact the price of gas is at an all time high in the United States.

Congress is enacting legislation to ensure passenger rights, meaning airlines that delay flights will make concerted efforts to return to the gate, rather than sit on the flight line for hours without water, food and sanitary rest rooms. Make no mistake about it, take a business and or leisure trip today and you will have a unique and interesting experience as a airline passenger.

The best way to travel today is to plan your trip as far in advance as you possibly can, get the best rate possible. Ensure you speak with the airline carrier about what you can and cannot take on the flight, get a good nights rest and arrive at the airport early to prepare for departure.

In other words, be patient and resolve yourself to accept the reality, travel by air is not what it use to be, but you can still enjoy yourself. Here is to a successful flight during your next business and or leisure flight.

Eurostar Plus for Leisure Travel and Its Benefits

Eurostar is a high speed train service that offers its services from UK to various destinations of the European continent. Eurostar services are very popular since they are super fast, reliable, convenient and overall better in comparison to other means of transport. For its regular customers Eurostar has introduced a new program that is indeed a leisure loyalty program known as Eurostar Plus.

Eurostar Plus that is an extension of Eurostarservices offers avariety of discounts for its travelers who usethe passenger trains of Eurostar. If you are using Eurostar Plus Your each pound is rewarded with the cash bank that you spent on your Eurostar ticket

How to use Eurostar Plus and its benefits?

Firstly you have to create an account on the Eurostar website. Once your account is created for every £1 that you will spend on Eurostar travel; you will also earn one point. When you will have a sum of 300 points then you will automatically receive an e voucher of £20. This e voucher will be valid for one year. You can use this e voucher during your next travel on Eurostar.

You can also use your Eurostar Plus for various other options like Eurostar plus Shopping, where it will provide you good discounts and you can also be lucky to get a invitation for private fashion show on Paris' chic boulevard Haussman at Lafayette flagship store Galeries. By using EurostarPlus Trip-planner youcan create your perfect personal schedule by using interactive maps almost all the destinations in Europe. In addition to this Eurostar also provides services like Eurostar plus Culture i.e. entry at the optimum galleries and museums of Europe by just showing your Eurostar tickets.

Leisure Travel Helps Travel Industry Show Increase

High fuel costs and economic stress are taking their toll on yet another industry. The travel industry. An industry with multiyear growth is beginning to level off at mid year. And may only have a slight chance of ending the year with an increase, thanks to leisure travel sales.

The continued rising gasoline prices have already forced some consumers to cancel their vacation plans, according to a key consumer survey. Although leisure travel is still expected to continue growing this year, even if families are forced to vacation closer to home.

Although the number of domestic trips taken this year and next are not expected to decline, it has been suggested that the spending patterns and consumer choices may change. Substituting domestic travel for international trips, trading down in hotel quality, foregoing in-trip shopping or entertainment spending, and shorter stays are all viable options that will be considered.

Leisure travel was predicted to grow by 0.8% in the second quarter of 2008, and then pick up more speed with a 1.1% increase in the third quarter. Leisure travel is predicted to greatly increase in the second half of the year as Americans spend part or all of their tax rebate on travel. Time will tell if this prediction comes true.

The travel industry growth is being hurt mainly by the decline in business travel due to corporate cost controls and increased reliance on technology-based alternatives. This is expected to carry on through into the year 2009, as well. Unless we see some sign of relief at the pump, then some of these changes may be more temporary in nature.

But on a high note for our economy, the International travel to the United States will continue to grow. Due to the fact that our foreign visitors will continue benefiting from exchange rates and other factors that have combined to create an increase of international visitation. This is following strong increases from last year as well. It has been forecasted for foreign visits to reach 62.1 million next year, which is even 4.8% higher than the current year stats.

Although some reports indicate leisure travel to weaken in 2009, if problems caused by the credit and housing crises continue to hurt the overall economy. The total number of trips could decline by 0.4%, to 1.996 million, and leisure travel would see its first decline since 2003.

As a person that loves to travel and enjoys time away from the daily routine, I believe I speak for all of us when I say that I hope the economy starts to turn around soon. I wouldn't want us to have to go home to our families and break the news that there will be no summer vacation next year.