What you program about New year 2008

This today already one month more for new years 2008, hope all everything about you ok and better for a life and better you future. By the way how you program for party welcome new year after?, maybe you want go to Bali Indonesia or just party in your country with you familly?, that is good.

About Bali now many place for priparring for party new year 2008, that all usually restaurants, cafe, and place for touring arround Bali like a sanur, bedugul, kintamani, tanah lot, etc.

Special in Kuta beach have usually many people visit to there look for acrobat and dancing on the beach until morning, oh that really good for me, maybe what about you?, I think all the world make pary for welcome new year 2008, and many travel agency busy about trip booking ticketing to beautiful place for party, sameone travel agency from Bali is Perama tour, They have relations trip travelling arround Indonesia and have find trip all tourring.

If the Java like Jakarta (central city) have also party and in there usually have party for walking many people on the street and on clakson like a trompet.
Ok have fun for trip travelling for welcome new year 2008.

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November rain

This now Indonesia have exchange season, which that all area in Indonesia have change and that season start rains (monsoon), many place around Indonesia accident big flood and for Bali alone now government for Badung service all place drains to all focus of nostalgic flood that service drains focus in area Kuta and Tuban because if cloudburst in that area always flood on street and many transportation little have problem about activities and that flood height until 30 – 45 cm, and for volume tourist came visit to Bali I see can process changeover , good in trading or economic. All hotels and villas still have guest for holydays in Bali.

But for November this month visiting tourist came to Bali can speak prevalent because all from tourist came to Bali little it and rate dollars for this months still stabile, this is because start stabile economic and politic in Indonesia good. However specials for area north Kuta tourist have business in Bali more and more for enlarge business, you can see and evidence came to Canggu, In there have many big building like a villa and hotels and for anticipate about culture Balinese spirant from that place, government Badung Bali have use array about investors have trading hotels and villas in north Kuta. Which that array have intention for culture and place for ceremony for Balinese temple.

For investors guest in legian Kuta about price for rent place like art shop now high price but that investors have big spirit for business trading. For local owner have place for rent business have spirit for up about price because for this now all product process high.
Usually owner place have competitions price for guide guest about all product sale in Bali.

We hope conditions this time about traveling to Bali good and better for quality from Indonesian people good smart. And can thinking what we better for future object tour around Indonesian.

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Domestic Tour

Bali area for this months, domestic tourism from java caming to Bali specials to Kuta because for this months Moslem have ceremony like Galungan in Bali. Yesterday i try walking on the beach kuta, there is have to much tourism domestic which sameone tourist i speack and they tell me If this months (October Idul Fitri) in java many group about prosesing for Ceremony moslem, I think that good solutions.

They tourist from java usually start caming and parking in kuta gallery and than car comotra pick up they, than drop to big store (present memorries from Bali). Then name Joger store. sametime until trafict car on the street usually outside store Joger. People balinese can happy because product balinese can buy and many product memorries from balinese bring of tourism from java. December months usually many came tourist for group student from java. clasification group usually from high school until univercity. Until now domestic tourist still many, i don't know what date they hang out came again to java. I hope situation about Kuta beach always in the same place good balineese and good tourism because many people have good caracter and many culture about Bali special dancing classic and many like people with that dancing classic balinese.

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TOUR’S PROGRAM OF KUTA BALI ISLAND

I. Art’s and Volcano Tours

Tour starting with the “ Barong and Keris Dance “ performance, the story represents and eternal fight between good and evil spirits in Batu Bulan Village, then Celuk Village, it is the village of gold and silver works center are stored in the artshop a long the street, fine arts and Bali most beautiful territorial temple in Batuan Village. Mas Village is the home industry of wood carving with many kind of the woods and modern or traditional Balinese carving designs then drive up to the volcano at the bottom of mount Batur. At the plantation of Bali spice and coffee trees will be more exciting to see traditional processing of Balinese coffee. Kintamani scenic of the Batur Volcano and it’s lake special place and lot of restaurant for lunch. On the way back, the beauty of rice terrace in Tegalalang village. And the last trip is Ubud, the village of the arts and holy monkey forest with hundreds of monkeys around the forest. Royal palace of Ubud will be complicated of your tour excursion in this part.

II. Beautiful Sunset Tour

A very romantic afternoon tour, the first stop is at Taman Ayun temple in Mengwi. “Taman Ayun Temple” derived from word Taman means Garden and Ayun means beautiful. So Taman Ayun means beautiful garden in the world. Which suitable for every one, next visit to the sacred monkey forest of Kedaton with its hundreds of monkeys and arrive on time at the remarkable temple of Tanah Lot, another of Bali’s famous scenic wonders suspended on huge rock off share and set a part from the main land by a stone be seen it is the most romantic and indescribable view of memory when the temple disslove into a striking silhouette against the simmering evening sky.


III. South of Bali

Starting with the beautiful and romantic white sand beaches at Geger beach or enjoy with the water sports experience and turtle islands in Nusa Dua.
You can relax on the white sand and great surfing beach in Balangan or Dream land southern part of Bali and drive up to the spectacular cliff top of Uluwatu temple.
Enjoy the romantic seafood dinner on the beach café in Jimbaran bay.


IV. East Coast Bali Tour

A full day excursion to the eastern part of Bali the first visit to “dancient court of justice” of Kertagosa in Klungkung, the secret Goa Lawah temple or bat cave temple whose walls literally vibrate of thousands of bats, then village of Tenganan you’ll visit the most conservative of the Bali Aga the original Balinese, where with this jealously guarded walled village life goes on according to their ancient and traditions.
Candidasa, tourist centre and exciting place of white sand beaches in Jasi village of Candidasa, then you’ll visit to another most beautiful place in Bali at Tirta Gangga or bath royal palace in eastern part of Bali, continue to Amlapura the main town of east Bali at the Puri Agung Karangasem long served as the residence of the Karangasem dynasty, the three court yard of royal family, penetrating the thick walls of red brick, is a notable introduction to Karangasem architecture.


V. Green Hill and Botanical Gardens

Starting with the morning sunshine from your hotels to Taman Ayun temple or most beautiful temple in Mengwi, then drive up to the lovely lake Bratan on the climbing and mountain road at the picturesque mountain resort of Bedugul on the shores of lake Bratan with its cold and fresh mountain atmosphere.
Stop at the market of Bukit Mungsu, where villagers sell lovely roses, wild orchids and fresh vegetables are grown in the fertile soils around Bedugul then completely your excursion experience mountain climbing off hundreds of monkey on your beside to the Git Git water fall.


VI. Volcano and Mother Temple

This tour is designed to realy cover the island of Bali and includes all the features of volcano and mother temple tour. Covering : Celuk, Mas, Batuan, Tampak Siring, Kehen Temple, Besakih and Klungkung.


VII. Country Side Tour

Starting from the hotels with morning sunshine to the beautiful royal temple in Mengwi, then drive up on the country side road with the beautiful nature of rice terrace in Jatiluwih village, Batukaru temple most beautiful temple in the western part of Bali and completely your excursion experience to the butterfly park in Penebel village off hundreds of the tropical species of butterfly.
You can visit to around another bali as a Java east or sumbawa. but here you can request from to dewabalitour

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Orbitz Worldwide Adds Small Business Offering to Corporate Travel Portfolio

New Orbitz for Business Site Extends Many Benefits of Orbitz's Managed
Corporate Program to Small Businesses

CHICAGO, July 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Travel just got easier for small
business. Orbitz Worldwide's Corporate Travel Solutions, whose managed
travel products serve more than one million business travelers, today
announced it is further extending the familiar Orbitz for Business managed
booking tool to small businesses everywhere, through the launch of a new
self-managed travel site.

The site allows small businesses and their travelers to access and book
through Orbitz for Business with a simple self-registration process. The
new offering includes many of the same features and benefits of Orbitz's
larger managed programs, including access to corporate travel rates, at no
cost beyond the transaction fees.

"This gives small businesses a sense of having their own managedprogram on Orbitz for Business and furthers our commitment to having anarray of travel products that are a great fit for any size business," saidDean Sivley, COO and general manager, Orbitz Worldwide's Corporate TravelSolutions. "We're now catering not just to small businesses, but to any andevery small business that has travel requirements and wants greatercontrol." The Orbitz for Business self-managed site offers a number ofbusiness-specific resources including:
-- Dedicated site reporting -- Including monthly executive travel summaries documenting all travel categories, allowing customers to manage travel expenditures more efficiently.
-- A unique, dedicated Orbitz for Business site -- created specifically for small businesses and their travelers.
-- Unused E-ticket Tracking
-- Track value and expiration dates of unused tickets every time you log in. Unused e-ticket tracking is seamless, requiring no call to an agent nor transaction fees.
-- Board Room Rates, Flexible Hotel Choices -- Identifies discounted hotels offering business-specific resources and amenities.
-- Free Online Exchanges, Cancellations and Voids
-- No charges or fees for trip bookings that can't be completed. Airline-imposed fees may still apply.
-- Dedicated Customer Service Line
-- Member number provides quick and easy access to a live agent, with customer support available 24/7. Orbitz Worldwide's business travel portfolio now features four distincttravel products to serve everyone from the individual unmanaged traveler tothe large, Fortune 500 corporation. These offerings include:
-- Road Warrior (http://roadwarrior.orbitz.com/)
-- An extension of Orbitz.com, the Road Warrior microsite offers business-specific tools like Wi-Fi finder, restaurant reservations, business hotel reviews and relevant inventory for independent and unmanaged business travelers.
-- Orbitz for Business, Self-managed -- Ideal for small businesses whose travel spend is less than $250K per year, and who are seeking to optimize travel spend through lower transaction fees and negotiated business hotel rates. Gives small businesses a scaled managedprogram, including many features and benefits of the larger Orbitz for Business managed site.
-- Orbitz for Business -- A full-service, online corporate travel agency for companies with many travelers, managed program needs and travel spend in excess of $250K per year. A business travel solution for companies seeking higher adoption rates, online tools customized for a business audience and reporting that delivers insights into travel usage and trends.
-- Travelport for Business -- A flexible, full-service corporate travel agency ideal for companies with larger numbers of travelers and more comprehensive travel requirements, including executives requiring VIP care. Offers maximum control over travel spend, in-depth reporting, advanced policy tools and company-negotiated rates supported in the online booking tool. All Orbitz Worldwide business and leisure customers also enjoy thebenefits of OrbitzTLC (http://www.destinationorbitz.com/tlc). OrbitzTLC isan umbrella of proactive customer care services and technology, includingproactive alerts, which notify travelers and their designated contacts offlight status changes, cancellations and any event that might impacttravel. In addition to alerts, podcasts, hotel reviews and mobile access(http://mobile.orbitz.com/) help the on-the-go business traveler make theirtrip more enjoyable and hassle free. Other benefits include a team orformer air traffic controllers, travel agents and a full time journalistwatching out for travel conditions that might impact customers, from badweather to transit strikes. Orbitz.com has sent more than 80 million alertsto customers since 2003. In addition to the Orbitz for Business self-managed site launch, OrbitzWorldwide's commitment to serving small businesses also included its recentsponsorship of the Small Business Administration's (http://www.sba.gov/)"Small Business Week" in April 2007. "We recognize and appreciate the importance of small business to ourindustry and to our nation's economy as a whole," said Steve Barnhart,president and CEO, Orbitz Worldwide. "We believe we're better serving thissegment of the market, keeping small business travelers a step ahead withofferings like OrbitzTLC." Launched in 2002, Orbitz for Business continues to boast among thehighest corporate adoption rates in the industry at an average of 90percent, as well as a near-perfect client retention rate of 99.4 percent.The brand's success, coupled with an investment to enable an automatedself-registration process and automated reporting, led to the developmentof the self-managed product. About Orbitz Worldwide's Corporate Travel Solutions Orbitz Worldwide's Corporate Travel Solutions includes managed travelproducts Orbitz for Business and Travelport for Business. Orbitz Worldwidecurrently serves over 2,000 corporate customers and more than one millionmanaged business travelers. Orbitz for Business launched in 2002 as one ofthe first full-service business travel programs offered by an onlineagency. Travelport for Business, ideal for programs with more comprehensivetravel requirements, launched in 2005 and deploys innovative technologiesthat integrate the online platform and offline agent services. Bothfull-service corporate travel agencies offer greater control over travelspend and policy, and feature an easy-to-use, configurable travelmanagement solution backed by 24x7 proactive customer care. About Orbitz Worldwide Orbitz Worldwide is a leading global online travel company that usesinnovative technology to enable leisure and business travelers to research,plan and book a broad range of travel products. Orbitz Worldwide owns andoperates a strong portfolio of consumer brands that includes Orbitz(http://www.orbitz.com/), CheapTickets (http://www.cheaptickets.com/),ebookers (http://www.ebookers.com/), HotelClub (http://www.hotelclub.com/),RatesToGo (http://www.ratestogo.com/) and the Away Network(http://www.away.com/) and corporate travel products Orbitz for Business andTravelport for Business.

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Students perform in European concert tour

By Chip Cobb
GateHouse News Service

Weston/Wayland -

Local student musicians from Wayland, Weston, Sudbury and Westford joined with others from Wisconsin and Virginia for the Liberty Tour 2007. Organized by the American Music Abroad group, the students returned last week from a two-week, seven-concert tour of Europe.

Over 130 students made the trip, along with their chaperones and directors, including 48 Weston residents, and 12 Waylanders. The trip, led by Weston High School teacher Christopher Memoli, traveled through France, Brussels, Luxembourg, Germany and Austria. Preparations for the tour were extensive.

"Mr. Memoli told us about it at the beginning of the year, and we had to make an audition tape," explained Jaime Jimenez, a Weston High School sophomore. "Once school ended we took a bus down to Lafayette College, where we had what Mr. Memoli called ‘Band Boot Camp’ to prepare."

After two days of "Boot Camp," the tour took off for Europe on June 25. Once in Europe, the group moved quickly, never spending more than three nights in one place.
The goals of the tour were quite simple, according to Jimenez.

"It was all about going into Europe and giving the people in the towns we visited a sense of American music. We played famous marches and pieces they would recognize. At the same time, it gave us a sense of European culture."

The tour made stops in many towns amidst its travels.

"Brugge was probably my favorite," said cellist Jeff Stix, a Weston High School senior. "It was a smaller and more quaint town. You were able to experience the life and the atmosphere more. The cathedral there was amazing and the people were great."

"I’ve actually visited some of the countries we went to before," continued Stix, "It’s a completely different experience, though, going without your parents. There are so many things we did as a group … We had a snowball fight and went tubing on top of a glacier in Germany."

Of the trip’s seven concerts, the last was the resounding favorite.

"We really improved each time, so the last one was great," said Stix. "It was a really happy time because we were really celebrating what we had been working on together for weeks. It was a very celebratory mood."

A lot of work went into the trip, and at times it was quite difficult, according to Magdalena Buczek, a violinist going into her junior year at Wayland High School.

"The outdoor concerts were quite an experience," Buczek said. "I’ve never played a concert outside before, and the wind was blowing and sheet music was flying everywhere, and every time you wanted to turn the page you had to undo the clips and everything."

The trip was well worth the work, and Buczek enjoyed it thoroughly.

"My favorite place was Salzburg," she said, "we saw the birthplace of Mozart, and we did a lot of shopping … We went up into the castle and toured the whole place, so that was cool."

But the trip was about more than just fun and music in Europe. It was a learning and growing experience for the students.

"I went on the previous trip two years ago," said Emily Gazda, a Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School senior. "This time … toward the end I started to want to go home, but I was a lot more independent than I have been in the past … This time I took control of my own money, and my own things, living more independently. I think it should be a sort of college preparatory experience."

"We know this trip somehow affected us but we don’t know quite how yet," Buczek explained. "We might know how in a couple days or a couple months. There are small things now – we did laundry by ourselves, we were responsible for our passports – becoming more responsible. But for the big picture, I think we’ll find out in the future how it changed us. But not just yet."

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AirTran Airways Offers Cool Summer Travel Tips For Busy Holiday Travel Period

ORLANDO, Fla., June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- AirTran Airways, Inc.,
a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: AAI), continues to
accommodate record numbers of travelers as we enter one of the busiest
holiday travel periods of the summer, and would like to offer these
guidelines to improve the experience for our loyal customers.

" Peak summer months, especially the busy July 4th holiday, generateplenty of vacations and good times, and plenty of travelers, too," said BobFornaro, AirTran Airways' president and chief operating officer. "Ourconvenient online booking and check-in at http://www.airtran.com/ as wellas our 8,800 friendly Crew Members, certainly help ease the process, buttaking advantage of these tips and reminders can alleviate the stress oftravel even more." AirTran Airways passengers can check-in online forflights up to 24 hours prior to departure at http://www.airtran.com/ wherethey can select seat assignments, print boarding passes, and view receiptsall from the comfort of home. With large crowds anticipated, travelers are greatly encouraged toarrive at the airport at least two hours before scheduled flight departuresto allow for possible slowdowns caused by heavy traffic, busy airportparking lots, and waits at ticket counters and/or security checkpoints.Atlanta passengers can also check online at http://www.atlanta-airport.com/for parking availability and estimated security wait times forHartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Remember the Transportation Security Administration's 3-1-1 Rule forcarrying liquids, gels, and aerosols through security checkpoints: 3.4ounce (or smaller) bottles must be placed in 1 quart-sized, clear, plasticzip-top bag, with a limit of 1 bag per passenger. Larger quantities may beplaced in checked baggage. TSA also reminds travelers to 'dress for success,' by removingouterwear and placing those items into security bins along with shoes,coins, and other metal objects. Passengers who abide by these rules willreduce potential delays and save valuable time at security checkpoints. For more information on permitted or prohibited items, visit theTransportation Security Administration's (TSA) Website athttp://www.tsa.gov/. AirTran Airways, a Fortune 1000 company, offers passengers more than700 affordable, daily flights to 56 destinations throughout the UnitedStates. The airline is the second-largest carrier at its hub,Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and one of America'slargest low-fare airlines. With more than 8,800 friendly Crew Members andfree online booking on http://www.airtran.com/ AirTran Airways makes travelboth pleasant and convenient. The airline flies America's youngestall-Boeing fleet, composed of the fuel-efficient Boeing 737-700 and 717-200aircraft. AirTran Airways was also the first to install XM Satellite Radioon a commercial aircraft and the only airline with Business Class seatingon every flight. For more information, visit http://www.airtran.com/.

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TRX to Auto-Ticket RESX Reservations Through CORREX

Providing RESX Users with Touchless Reservations to Lower the Total Cost of Travel

ATLANTA, PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- TRX, Inc. , a global technology company that develops and hosts software applications to process data records and automate manual processes, today announced a new bundled service opportunity for participating clients to automatically ticket flight reservations completed through its RESX(R) corporate online booking engine using its industry-leading CORREX(R) reservation processing solution.

RESX is a leading online booking tool allowing corporate travelers to create policy-compliant and on-budget travel reservations via a hosted Web interface. CORREX is a travel reservation processing platform that automates quality control, file finishing, ticketing, and other mid-office activities formerly handled manually by travel agents.

By integrating the two applications, TRX will help its agency distributors and corporate accounts to streamline reservation processing, avoid missed ticketing deadlines, and eliminate the possibility of fare increases that often occur during the lag time between online reservation and actual ticketing. All RESX accredited agencies will have the ability to initiate auto-ticketing regardless of whether or not they are an existing CORREX client.

"By adding auto-ticketing functionality to RESX for a modest incremental transaction fee, we help add value to our distributors' services, while enhancing the end-user experience," said RESX Technologies President, Shane Hammond. "The response from our clients and their corporate accounts regarding the RESX and CORREX integration has been very strong."
Commented MTI Travel Management & Meeting Planning Services CEO, Morris Sherman, "RESX auto-ticketing is a great enhancement! We anticipate that bringing together online booking and automatic ticketing will have a positive impact on our business as we eliminate manual ticketing processes, allowing us to put even more focus on servicing our customers."

Typically, once a corporate traveler makes a travel reservation, the agency of record places the reservation in a queue for further processing and ticketing at a later time. With the new RESX to CORREX integration, the applications will auto-ticket all flights immediately, sending travelers an e-invoice and itinerary in near real time, which also serves to eliminate or reduce phone traffic to travel agents.

Said Hammond, "For small to mid-level agencies without mid-office coverage, RESX's auto-ticketing functionality allows them to function as a 24x7 travel management company. In addition to helping decrease costs, RESX auto-ticketing enables distributors to increase their services and compete more aggressively."
TRX is launching a pilot of the RESX auto-ticketing functionality this week and plans to extend the offering across its client base within 90 days.

TRX recently announced its CORREX Gen6 initiative -- a multi-phased evolution of the CORREX travel reservation processing platform that will incorporate agency and corporate interfaces and take advantage of Web 2.0 innovation. The RESX auto-ticketing integration will leverage the Web 2.0 and Web Services capabilities of both RESX and CORREX.

TRX will feature RESX and the recently unveiled CORREX Gen6 project, along with TRX Travel Analytics and the TRAVELTRAX solution, at the National Business Travel Association (NBTA) convention and tradeshow (Booth #1843) in Boston, Massachusetts next week.

About TRX
TRX is a global technology company. We develop and host software applications that process data records and automate manual processes, enabling our clients to optimize performance and control costs. We are a leading provider to the travel industry and are expanding into financial services and healthcare. We deliver our technology applications in an on-demand environment to travel agencies, corporations, travel suppliers, government agencies, credit card associations, credit card issuing banks, and third-party administrators. TRX is headquartered in Atlanta with operations and associates in North America, Europe, and Asia. For more information, please visit http://www.trx.com.

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Hard Red Spring Wheat Promoted at the South Asian Buyers Conference

Bali, Indonesia--Hard red spring (HRS) has bright future in South Asian region says North Dakota Wheat Commission (NDWC) Administrator Neal Fisher.
Fisher presented the HRS outlook at the conference.

The quality attributes of hard red spring wheat were showcased to more than 200 milling and wheat food processing executives, procurement managers, quality control specialists and technicians at the U.S. Wheat Associates South Asian Buyers Conference last week in Bali, Indonesia.

The sixth biennial conference gave buyers in the region an early look at the new U.S. crop, educates about the value and functional benefits of U.S. wheat and fosters stronger relationships with the U.S. industry.

"We've seen some very good gains for hard red spring wheat sales in all the countries represented in the South Asian region in recent years because of efforts like this," says Fisher.

Fisher has been a regular participant at the conference and again presented the supply and demand situation for hard red spring wheat and the outlook for the 2007 crop season.

"Combined purchases from the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia and Singapore recently completed 2006-07 marketing variety equaling nearly as much as our largest customer Japan, hitting 55 million bushels," Fisher says.

"The future is bright with growing interest in U.S. hard red spring as an improver wheat in the region," he says.
Hard red spring wheat is used extensively in South Asia for both bread and noodle products.

The South Asian market purchased roughly 22 percent of the total U.S. hard red spring wheat exports in the 2006-07 marketing year.
Rising quality standards and competition, combined with industry consolidation, have increased buyer demands for technical, quality and market information.

Freight Prices Don't Deter Buyers
Fisher says there was great interest in the upcoming HRS crop, despite the high export and freight prices facing buyers this year.

"Concerns about price seemed to be overshadowed by their demand for U.S. quality HRS," Fisher says.

"Most buyers seemed willing to assume the higher costs to get the functionality and performance they know they are getting from U.S. wheat, especially the hard red spring wheat that is their primary import class."

Fisher believes buyers are more concerned about the record ocean freight rates of $65-$75 per ton, double the rates of a few years ago.
The first two days of the conference, July 11-12, focused on technical milling and baking topics relevant to all six U.S. wheat classes, and information supporting wheat procurement was the focus of July 13-14.

U.S. Wheat Associates (USW) works to enhance export market development for American wheat producers.
USW is supported by checkoff funds from 20 state wheat commissions including North Dakota.

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Bali High Season Vol.2

FEATURE - Tourists flock to Bali despite new travel warnings
Wed Jul 18, 2007 6:33 AM IST

JIMBARAN, Indonesia (Reuters) -- Bali, the lush Indonesian island famous for its sun-kissed beaches, is drawing tourists in droves, and travel warnings that Islamic militants might strike again has done little to dampen the spirit.

Almost five years after 202 people were killed in the bombing of a Bali nightclub, tourists are back enjoying the island's nightlife and soaking up the sun on Bali's palm-fringed beaches.

"That was a sad event but Bali is too beautiful to resist. The place is bouncing back," said 23-year-old Australian Josh Donnelly as he walked past the now razed Sari Club, which was blown up in the 2002 bombing.

After the attack, Bali suffered a dramatic slump in tourism and locals such as taxi driver Gede Widiada found they could barely make ends meet.

"I have been selling my wife's jewellery in the past four years to run my family. But my income now is much better," said the taxi driver as he waited for tourists outside a resort.

Like Widiada, many shops, restaurants, and hotels on this island are finally seeing their fortunes revived.

Dubbed the "Island of Gods" for its myriad Hindu temples and religious rituals, Bali suffered another blow in 2005 when suicide bombers blew themselves up at three restaurants, killing 20 people.

The attacks in 2002 and 2005, aimed at Western targets, killed a total of 92 Australians.
The Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade issued an upgraded travel advisory on July 8, warning Australians that terrorists were actively planning attacks, including on Bali.

But despite these warnings, Australians who make up more than 15 percent of the total foreign tourist arrivals in Bali, are flocking to one of their favourite destinations.

"I am not afraid of coming back to Bali. You could die in a road accident tomorrow," said Donnelly.
Indonesian police say the security situation in the country at the moment is favourable.
Tourism in Bali, a predominantly Hindu region in Muslim Indonesia, provides a livelihood for 70 percent of the three million people living on this island of surfing beaches.

Shops selling batik clothing, carvings and silverware near the famous Kuta beach reported increased sales since this year, although they have still not reach pre-2002 levels.

"We have probably reached just 60 or 70 percent of that level. Two years ago, it was just 30-40 percent," said Tina, an assistant at a shop selling paintings to tourists.
Middle-aged women providing foot and shoulder massages on Kuta beach still hurl abuses at the bombers.

BALI RECOVERY
Bagus Sudibya, an advisor at the Bali Tourism Board, said the industry and the government had jointly spent nearly $10 million since last year to revive tourism to the island.

The island saw a 34 percent jump in foreign tourist arrivals in the first five months of 2007 compared to the same period last year. Tourism figures show the average hotel occupancy in Bali so far in July was between 70 and 90 percent, compared with 50-70 percent in July 2006.

"It's the holiday season now and it's nice to see there that our rooms are fully occupied," said Made Kardana, resort assistant manager at Intercontinental Bali Resort.

While Jakarta has been aggressively promoting the island by holding major governmental meetings, hotels have been providing attractive packages to private business conference organisers.
"Business delegates are visiting the region and seeing it for themselves," Sudibya said.
Bali will also host the high profile Kyoto Protocol meeting in December, which will give a boost to arrivals this year.

Last month Indonesian police arrested two alleged top Jemaah Islamiyah leaders. Among them was Abu Dujana, who admitted to heading a military wing of the network and is suspected by police of being involved in the first Bali bomb among other attacks.

"There is stepped-up security everywhere in Bali and the arrest of militants will also add to the region's confidence," Sudibya added.
Guards still frisk customers at doors of pubs and cars at the gates of hotels and resorts, but the mood is upbeat.

"The spirit of Bali never dies," said a discotheque manager Putu Budiasa as tourists bopped to hip-hop music.

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Booking asian hotels

How travel search engines are creating loyalty through usefulness
Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Sales and Marketing in Travel Asia Pacific 2007 Special

The recent past has proved to be quite an eventful period for Asia Pacific travel search engine Bezurk.com.
If on one hand, Bezurk.com launched a new Flight Search product that searches multiple airline and travel agencies, on the other the company also signed a spate of deals including ones with Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, Carlson Hotels, New Zealand’s independent news publication Scoop.co.nz and Qatar Airways.

Bezurk’s distribution network has enjoyed considerable growth in the past six months, according to its Founder and Chief Marketing Officer Craig Hewett. He attributed such progress to its distribution partners Yahoo South East Asia, Lonely Planet, Changi Airport and News Limited in Australia and growing affiliate partners.
“We are in a fortunate position as we have extended our footprint across South East Asia and Australia thus exposing our search engine to a varied and growing online travel market. Our flights engine is proving very popular, especially since we launched our new display matrix – which allows consumers to quickly compare across airlines and across booking websites,” said Hewett.

Hewett also spoke about target audience, how hotel deliverables have contributed towards flights engine, plans ahead etc. Excerpts from an interview with EyeforTravel.com’s Ritesh Gupta.

Early last year, you acknowledged that the team had under-estimated the complexity of building a comprehensive hotel search engine. How do you assess the progress made by Bezurk.com in the last year or so?

Building a really poor hotel search engine is easy, but to build an engine which extracts all the hotel data and pricing for the same hotel as its referenced across multiple booking websites, is extremely difficult.
The biggest challenge which we faced was matching the same hotel across multiple websites, as there is no universal hotel identifier across hotel booking websites for the same hotel e.g. Every hotel website which we search has their own property/hotel id for lets say “Holiday Inn Singapore”. Add to this the fact that some of these sites are selling different room types with booking restrictions and some on a request basis.
One of the key consumer benefits which we deliver is that if a consumer is interested in comparing the Holiday Inn Singapore across different websites they can easily compare price, booking conditions, room type and instant confirmation across multiple websites who sell the hotel.

Could you share info on hotel search engine and how hotel deliverables have contributed towards flights engine?

These two products are vastly different with varying sophistication across suppliers – the only similarity is the way in which we have approached both product categories – which is ensuring that we deliver rich data – designed to empower a user’s purchase decision.

How would you describe your target audience?

Its common knowledge that one size does not fit all across Asia. We are mindful of the booking nuances of our target markets both in terms of consumers as well as the online travel companies who operate in these markets. Our Bezurk platform is highly configurable and scalable for the Asia Pacific region, so that we can effectively tailor Bezurk for different audience.
During our event last year, a search engine senior executive, speaking about Asia said language issues are not the predominate factor. Rather local economies, their maturation and intricacies really determine market entry.

How has the comfort level with online booking and payment increased in this region from travel meta-search engine perspective?

Travel meta search is about delivering travel content which assists a consumer during their research period thus helping them make a purchase decision. We know that a portion of Bezurk users who reside in less developed online markets will compare travel options using our search and sort filters and then complete their reservation with the travel supplier offline which overcomes any issues with online payment concerns.

If all travel meta search engines harp about keeping their home pages clear and simple, then what differentiates the experience? Is it depth of the search or speed? Basically, how do you think consumers are going to strengthen a bond with a particular meta-search engine?

Going back to my earlier comment about how easy it is to build a really poor meta search experience there are some considerable barriers to building one which strengthens a bond with consumers.
I agree with you that the depth of the search needs to be extensive and delivered quickly and intuitively. In 2008, you will see considerable innovation in UI designs using AJAX which will allow users to quickly compare extensive travel data in a simple and rewarding manner.

You had also referred to planned customer centric innovations which will be designed to create loyalty through usefulness. Could you elaborate on this?

Our recent matrix UI design for flights is a perfect example where Bezurk is creating loyalty through usefulness by displaying disparate fare data in format which is easier for users to quickly and intuitively compare best fare options across multiple websites.

Travel meta-search engines in the US have been acquiring social networking sites. How do you view this trend?

Meta search is all about delivering convenience and rich user experience to users and social generated content if integrated correctly can add to this experience. So in principle is a smart idea.

Talking from trade perspective, how are suppliers benefiting from you whether its suppliers are shown in a real time environment and benefiting from a smooth integration into their own web site all the way to the point of purchase or getting access to your statistics etc?

A lot has to do with the tools and functionality which qualifies a customer before a supplier incurs a cost. We provide a great deal of valuable product information on Bezurk for both hotels and flights which can easily be sorted and filtered using our Rich UI – so that a user is presented with only relevant choice before they click into partner website
Bezurk has made considerable inroads with key portal distribution partners across the South East Asia and Australia regions so we now offer exposure to highly targeted customers using, News Limited Lonely Planet and Yahoo SE. Our Distribution economics are a lot more efficient than should our suppliers try and deal direct with these portals.
Bezurk’s Craig Hewett is scheduled to present during the forthcoming Sales and Marketing in Travel Asia Pacific 2007 to be held in Sydney on 18-19 July.
More information can be obtained at: http://www.eyefortravel.com/apac2007/agenda.shtml

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Start High Season Kuta Bali

Already one week I am not update this blog, that all because with my activities about my work, about travel this time start for high season specially of Bali island. Kuta beach to much people tourist from domestic and international tourist. Let alone in Indonesia this season for holyday students in Indonesia and this time I want write about how situation about start high season in Bali island. Around 60% tourist came to Bali, domestic and international tourist, they came to Bali visit to interesting place around Bali, visit to Kitamani, Bedugul, Tanah lot, Tampak siring and another place interest.

Afternoon days I walking on the beach in Kuta, I see many people tourist domestic and international doing on the beach, they play food ball, play music classic ( ridu², guitar and play another finds), play with pet they have, many people play because sun set on the beach Kuta. That all good promotion traveling for Indonesia network travel with country as a : Australia, Japan, Malaysia, and Europe country as a Germany, Italy, England, USA, and another country. I am Balinese people and Indonesia personal people like about to much came tourist to Indonesia and stabile tour traveling from agent and sponsor can make stabile economic people Indonesian country.

Travel agents busy about guest booking tour to interest place around Bali, usually destination place target tourist is Kintamani, Tanah lot, Sanur, Ubud and another place around Bali, and many café and restaurant in Bali get booking tourist for party or fun dance inside that place. And Hotels around Bali many full also about rooms have hotels. Many staff villa get booking guest tourist in airport Ngurah Rai in Tuban area.

In kuta area have place favorite destination for domestic tourist, that place is JOGER Store, this Joger Store sale many kinds dress, trousers ¾ and merchandise present special from Bali island, usually that group visit to Joger Store is students and group government from java area. About product sale Joger Store very write funny in t-shirt, dress, that really funny sentence. Ok reader this is information about high season in Bali, have fun and enjoy on the Kuta beach.

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AAA Travel Agents Expect Robust Summer Travel Season

Travelers Want to Visit Unusual Places, Cruise Outside the Caribbean
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sixty seven percent of AAA travel agency managers expect that total summer bookings will increase compared to last summer. In addition, 70 percent of AAA travel agency managers anticipate increased international bookings compared to last year, which they attribute to consumers’ increased comfort in traveling to Europe.

Cruising is a popular way for travelers to relax and get away from it all, and this year travelers will expand their cruising repertoire by trying something new. Over half of AAA travel agency managers expect that Alaskan and European cruise bookings will increase compared to last year due to attractive pricing and the cache of cruising away from the Caribbean. Because travelers are looking to cruise new destinations, Caribbean cruise bookings are expected to decrease compared to last year, according to half of AAA travel agency managers.

In an April 2007 survey, AAA travel agency managers identified the following locations as this summer’s top five domestic and international vacation destinations:

Domestic by air:

(Excluding Canada & Mexico)

2007 2006
1. Orlando 1. Orlando
2. Las Vegas 2. Las Vegas
3. Seattle 3. Hawaii
4. New York 4. New York
5. Los Angeles/Orange County
5. Southern California

International by air:

2007 2006
1. Rome 1. Rome
2. London 2. London
3. Vancouver 3. Dublin
4. Cancun 4. Paris
5. Paris 5. Caribbean (in general)

In addition, domestic “hot spots” new for this summer include Chicago, Las Vegas, Boston, Savannah, Ga., and Phoenix. New international “hot spots” include Croatia; Costa Rica; Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico; Warsaw, Poland; and China.

When asked about destinations that most frequently provide the most attractive bargains or best values, AAA travel agency managers identified the following: Las Vegas; Orlando/Walt Disney World, Fla.; Florida (in general); Palm Springs, Calif.; and San Antonio. International destinations identified as top for bargains and value are Australia, China, Mexico, London, and Costa Rica.

In addition, approximately half of AAA travel agency managers indicate that they have noticed an increase in families traveling with children compared to last year. The top three leisure activities families are planning this summer include going to the beach, general sightseeing, and visiting family and friends.

AAA is the largest full service leisure travel agency in North America, generating nearly $4 billion in sales. Travelers can access full-service travel planning at some 1,100 club offices and on AAA.com. In addition, AAA is the premier provider of travel information and trip planning tools including print and online versions of maps, TourBook guides, TripTik map routings, and low member pricing on reservations at AAA Diamond rated hotels.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides more than 50 million members with travel, insurance, financial, and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com.

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Cruise, destination and luxury seminars kick off THETRADESHOW

Thursday, May 31, 2007
This year’s THETRADESHOW (Sept. 9-11, Las Vegas) will kick off with a day of niche education, all in keeping with the day’s theme of cruise, luxury and destination travel. Other themes include Home-based Agents (Monday, Sept. 10) and Business and Technology on Tuesday, Sept. 11.

The educational curriculum was shaped by strategic partners as National Tour Association (NTA), U.S. Tour Operators Association (USTOA), National Business Travel Association (NBTA), Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA), ASTA and The Travel Institute.

Seminars focusing on the themes or cruise, destination and luxury travel that have already been scheduled are:

Business Building Secrets from Luxury Experts (Panel). Moderated by Kate Koziol. A panel of luxury travel industry experts will address the factors that have made them successful and what they have learned in their rise to the top of this highly sought-after market. The panel will cover such topics as which new opportunities are available to help travel agents expand their work in the luxury sector. Luxury Travel: What It Is and What You Need to Know to Sell It. Presented by Sharon Scott, CTC. This seminar will prepare attendees to be a part of this hot new travel trend. Travel agents will learn what sets apart the luxury travel market and the benefits of specializing in luxury travel as well as gain insight into marketing and sales for the luxury market. Matching the Right Tour Product to the Client–and Winning Customers for Life. Presented by Mark McMullen, CTC. Travel professionals will learn techniques for qualifying and closing sales, as well as which cruise products are the ones they should be selling and why. Attendees will review examples of effective product and customer “matching.” Professional Selling Skills. Courtesy of Cruise Lines International Association and presented by Bernie Blomquist, CTC, MCC. Geared toward the front-line counselor who has some experience but wants to sharpen their sales skills, in this seminar agents will learn how to overcome common challenges and add value for each cruise sale completed. (Earn 10 CLIA credits toward ACC and MCC designations.) Special Interest Marketing. Courtesy of Cruise Lines International Association and presented by Bernie Blomquist, CTC, MCC. Travel professionals will learn proven strategies to help them reach and satisfy their niche cruise clients with mainstream and specialized cruise products alike. (Earn 10 CLIA credits toward ACC and MCC designations.)

Sure Fire Ways to Increase Your Share of Luxury Cruise and Tour Products – Offline and Online. Presented by Mark McMullen, CTC. Attendees will learn about the psychology involved in selling luxury products as well as successful sales and marketing strategies both online and offline. Attendees will leave the seminar with real-world examples of effective luxury product sales techniques that will win them more group and FIT business. Sharpening Your Edge: Reinventing Yourself as a Seller of Luxury Travel. Courtesy of The Travel Institute. Presented by Jeff Drew, CTC. This seminar is geared to travel agents looking to break into the luxury market or who are selling luxury travel and want to increase their sales volume. Travel buyers will learn how to: identify their own luxury travel clients; market to local luxury travelers; and develop their staff to reflect their new image. Destinations such as Jamaica, Alaska, Madrid, United Kingdom, Berlin, Korea, Puerto Rico, Peru and Jordan will be on hand to provide agents with destination education or product seminars. In addition to these special presentations, more than 80 destinations will be exhibiting in the trade show; agents can pre-schedule appointments to meet with them one-on-one.

Theodore Koumelis

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International Ink & Iron Festival to rock cruise liner Queen Mary

USA. International Ink & Iron Festival to rock cruise liner Queen Mary
Wednesday, 6 June 2007


The Fourth Annual International Ink & Iron Festival (3IF) will be rocking the Queen Mary June 8-10, and this year the popular festival is planning a unique way to leave its mark – by tattooing its host, the legendary Queen Mary ocean liner.

Well-known, local artist Mr. Scully has been commissioned to give the virgin Queen Mary her first tattoo. In homage to her colorful past, Trace Edwards, co-founder of Keen Entertainment explains, “The temporary tattoo is a twist on a classic - a heart with ‘Mom’ inscribed on a white banner representing the heroic efforts of the soldiers and the Queen in WWII. We continue to have a strong relationship with the Queen Mary and we are thrilled to take it a step further to pay tribute not only to the history of the ship but also the history and future of our partnership.”

The largest festival of its kind in the world, 3IF features the best talent in the international tattoo community with artists from 14 nations and 25 states, a highly anticipated music festival, custom culture car and rod show, as well as on-site tattooing by international artists, contests, burlesque shows and street performers.

Appealing to all ages and walks of life, the festival features something for everyone, including adult- and family-oriented activities, such as a French Ferris wheel and bumper cars. Complete with a 1900’s circus themed vendor village, the festival also features a big top classic circus tent. Under the big top, there is a custom bike exhibit as well as additional lifestyle vendors. The festival also offers VIP amenities, including a deluxe gaming lounge with full bars and seating. The Panhandler stage will feature performances by the renowned Vau de Vire Society, the first-annual Pin-Up Pageant and a variety of sideshow performers throughout the weekend.

The festival comprises one of the West Coast’s premiere showcases of up-and-coming talent across multiple genres of music including rockabilly, psychobilly, punk rock and rock n’ roll. The roster of artists includes Reverend Horton Heat, US Bombs and Mad Sin.

Last year’s sold-out event welcomed over 15,000 enthusiasts. The International Ink & Iron Festival continues to be more than a tattoo festival – the caliber of artists, performers and the diversity of exhibitions maintains its reputation to wow and impress an international audience.

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International delegates explore mining; Spending week in North Bay

BRYN WEESE
Local News - Friday, June 01, 2007

Mining officials are going to be bringing the lessons they learned in North Bay to exploration drilling sites around the world.

Atlas Copco in North Bay has been hosting 15 international delegates from as far away as Kenya, Mongolia, Egypt, China and Sweden this week, during a product training session, "to train the trainers," said Peter Balen, Atlas Copco's local product manager for drilling tools.

"We're here to learn and become the experts when we go back home," said Evans Mabeya of Kenya, an Atlas Copco employee who represents the company in 13 African countries.

Balen said the city was a logical place to host the weeklong hands-on training session because of the importance of the wealth of knowledge here.


"What we're trying to do is enlighten them (the 15 international delegates) on the whole process of mineral exploration," Balen said, noting the delegates are mainly salespeople for the Sweden-based company but also serve as technical consultants for the products they sell.

"Historically, North Bay was the logistical centre for Canada's mining industry . . . But with time, we've developed an incredible pool of intellect and resources that have positioned North Bay as the centre of the exploration industry for the globe."

But it wasn't all work. The delegates got to have some fun, including a cruise on the Chief Commanda II.

"It's been brilliant, really. We couldn't have asked for better weather. The whole week's been structured really well," said Colin Farenden, an Atlas Copco employee from London, England. "And it's great because everything here (in North Bay) seems to revolve around the mining industry. Everyone seems to be involved in one way or another."

Mayor Vic Fedeli said the mining industry is important to the city, noting there are 39 companies in the mining business operating out of North Bay. And it's great, he added, to be able to show off North Bay as a mining centre and as a "beautiful city" to international travellers.

And with the mining industry booming, said Balen, North Bay's position as a mining centre of excellence could grow. In fact, in April, Atlas Copco announced plans to build a new 7,000-square-metre manufacturing plant in the city that will result in seven new workers being hired.

Over the next 10 years, the mining industry in Canada alone will have to hire 81,000 new workers to replace those retiring and to meet the demand for growth, Balen said. And the demand for workers in the industry includes tool manufacturers, engineers and medical staff.

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Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA)

Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) has increased its membership as Majestic America Line has joined the association. Based in Seattle, Majestic America Line is America`s largest river and coastal cruise company.

The line operates seven U.S.-flagged vessels in three distinct regions of America - the Mississippi, Ohio and tributary rivers; Pacific Northwest`s Columbia, Snake and Willamette rivers; and Alaska`s Inside Passage.

"We are pleased to welcome Majestic America Line into our cruise line membership, further increasing the diversity of our member lines," said Terry L. Dale, president and CEO of CLIA. The cruise line membership of CLIA now totals 22 and represents more than 97 percent of the cruise capacity marketed in North America.

Majestic America Line, formed through the combination of American West Steamboat Company and the vessels of the Delta Queen Steamboat Company, is a division of Ambassadors Cruise Group, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ambassadors International, Inc. Together with Ambassadors International Cruise Group, Ambassadors Cruise Group operates both Majestic America Line and Windstar Cruises, a leader in luxury small ship cruising. "We are particularly excited to provide this esteemed industry association with our unique perspective on small-ship and niche-cruising," commented David Giersdorf, president, Majestic America Line. "CLIA`s tireless education and training efforts bring tremendous value to its travel agency members, and we look forward to strengthening those relationships and working together to promote the cruise industry."

Vicky Karantzavelou - Friday, June 01, 2007

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Carnival Freedom Senior Cruise

First-Ever 'Bloggers Cruise' Hosted by Carnival Freedom Senior Cruise Director John Heald to Be Held in January 2008

Exclusive Events, Special Giveaways, Meet and Greet Opportunities Highlight
Seven-Day Caribbean Voyage Aboard Carnival Freedom
MIAMI, May 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Based on the incredible success of the
Internet "blog" of Carnival's Senior Cruise Director John Heald -- whose
humorous and insightful postings have attracted nearly 200,000 visitors
since the site was launched last month -- Heald will host his first-ever
"Bloggers Cruise" aboard the Carnival Freedom in January 2008.
The seven-day western Caribbean cruise will operate round-trip from
Miami January 19-26, 2008, and will visit three of Heald's favorite ports
of call: Ocho Rios, Jamaica; George Town, Grand Cayman; and Cozumel,
Mexico.

Heald's blog, originally part of the micro-site created for the launch
of the Carnival Freedom, can be viewed at http://www.carnival.com/freedom.
The only one of its kind in the travel industry, the blog provides Heald
with a unique platform to entertain and amuse readers with colorful
anecdotes from the Carnival Freedom's inaugural season in Europe, as well
as his 20-plus years at sea. One of the more popular features is a Q&A
section in which Heald fields readers' inquiries on a wide variety of
topics.

"Who would have thought that in less than two months, nearly 200,000
readers have visited this blog. To celebrate, I invite all of our readers
to sail on this special 'Bloggers Cruise' which, in addition to some fun
activities, offers a great chance for us to meet and have an incredible
time. I hope this cruise will be the first of many," Heald said.
During the weeklong "Bloggers Cruise" on Carnival Freedom, Heald will
host a number of special events, including a Welcome Aboard Reception,
trivia contests, and question-and-answer sessions. Special photo
opportunities with Heald will be available, as well.

A goody bag containing various giveaways and logo items will be
provided to all "Bloggers Cruise" participants, and Heald will, of course,
be submitting entries to his blog throughout the voyage.
As senior cruise director, Heald will also perform his regular duties
throughout the voyage, including hosting shipboard orientation sessions and
port briefings, as well as serving as emcee for the Carnival Freedom's
diverse entertainment line-up, including the lavish production shows
"Ticket to Ride," "Jump, Jive and Wail," and "The Big Easy."

He will also host his daily "Morning Show" that broadcasts on Carnival
Freedom's massive 270-square-foot LED screen, the Seaside Theatre, which
also is used to display movies, concerts and other programming.
In addition to the "Bloggers Cruise" activities and the Carnival
Freedom's varied entertainment options, participants can enjoy the ship's
vast array of on-board amenities and facilities: four restaurants,
including a reservations- only supper club, four swimming pools, 22 lounges
and bars, a 214-foot-long water slide, a 13,300-square-foot health spa,
full casino gambling, an Internet cafe and "100 percent bow-to-stern" Wi-Fi
access.

Prices for the seven-day "Bloggers Cruise" aboard the Carnival Freedom
start at $599 per person. Prices are based on double occupancy and are
subject to change without notice. Special rates for third and fourth guests
sailing in the same stateroom, along with round-trip air supplements from a
variety of North American gateways, are also included.
For additional information and reservations, contact any travel agent,
call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit carnival.com.

Carnival Cruise Lines, a unit of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE:
CCL; NYSE: CUK), is a proud member of the exclusive World's Leading Cruise
Lines. Our exclusive alliance also includes Holland America Line, Princess
Cruises, Cunard Line, Costa Cruises, and The Yachts of Seabourn. Sharing a
passion to please each guest, and a commitment to quality and value, our
member lines appeal to a wide range of lifestyles and budgets. Together, we
offer exciting and enriching cruise vacations to the world's most desirable
destinations.

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Egypt Travel Guide Website Debuts

Vacation Discounters, Inc. has launched a new Egypt Travel Guide website.
San Ramon, CA (PRWEB) April 30, 2007 -- Vacation Discounters, Inc. announced today that it has launched a new Egypt Travel Guide website. http://www.egypt-travel-guide.com. Packed full of useful travel and destination information, Vacation Discounters' website is a must for those interested in traveling or vacationing in Egypt.

"Egypt continues to be the favorite vacation destination for travelers around the world. With many exceptional historical and archeological sites, Egypt remains one of the world's most famous and desired tourist destinations." said Neal Vinson, Vice President and creator of the website. "Guests to our website can discovery the many vacation and cruise options available to them when exploring this unique and amazing country."

The website contains information about the various regions of Egypt, historic and cultural information, travel tips, videos, vacation specials, popular tourist destinations, the best hotels and resorts, along with information on all the major cruise line's Egypt cruise offerings. Very user-friendly, http://www.egypt-travel-guide.com can be a one-stop-site for those wishing to travel or vacation in Egypt.
"We wanted to make our site helpful and easy to use with information of interest to potential Egypt travelers or vacationers," said Vinson. "We have a dedicated staff of Tahiti specialists that will keep our website current and will add new information on a routine basis. This can be a very useful and valuable website for those planning a trip to Egypt."
About Vacation Discounters, Inc.
Vacation Discounters, Inc. is an award-winning Internet focused travel agency that specializes in honeymoons, cruises and vacations throughout the world. Vacation Discounters is part of the exclusive Signature Travel Network, a consortium of travel agencies that produces over $2.0 billion in sales each year. This sales volume allows Vacation Discounters to quote extraordinary competitive prices to their clients around the world.
Vacation Discounters provide unique and special cruises and vacation packages that reflect the traveler's true desires, interests and budget. Vacation Discounters' strive to perform this service with professionalism, knowledge, creativity, and care. An experienced travel consultant who offers a high level of service, extra value and personal attention handles all cruises and vacation packages personally. More information about Vacation Discounters can be found at www.vacation-discounters.com.
Vacation Discounters, Incs.' Egypt Travel Guide Internet address is: http://www.egypt-travel-guide.com

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Travel Professionals Offer Tips

April 16, 2007 08:00 AM Eastern Daylight Time
AAA Travel Professionals Offer Tips for Solo Travelers

WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Eleven percent of all leisure travelers in the U.S. travel alone and the number is growing. So it is no surprise that travel counselors are seeing increasing business from single travelers who are looking not only for advice about great destinations but also about how to travel safely.
Travelers between the ages of 18-35 are the largest group of solo travelers, accounting for 35 percent of all single travelers, according to the Travel Industry Association. The next largest group of solo travelers are 35-49 year olds (27 percent), 50-64 year olds (26 percent) and 65+ (12 percent).
The number of single travelers is growing, according to a recent survey of AAA/CAA clubs, which found that 27 percent of travel counselors are seeing an increase in the number of trips they are booking for single travelers.

AAA asked more than 100 of their travel professionals in the U.S. and Canada about their advice for today’s single traveler and the responses provide some interesting insights for the leisure traveler who is out there alone. For both men and women, AAA/CAA travel professionals said that Europe is the first destination they would suggest to single travelers looking for advice on where to vacation. For women traveling alone Hawaii and the Caribbean were other top vacation suggestions. For men, Mexico and Hawaii came in second and third as the top destinations suggested by counselors.

AAA/CAA travel professionals also offered valuable advice for solo travelers. The top three suggestions are to take prearranged tours, travel with a group and leave a copy of your itinerary and international travel documents (passport, visas) at home with family and friends.
“There are nearly 90 million single people in the U.S. and this is clearly a market that the travel industry has been focused on in the past few years,” said AAA’s VP of Travel, Sandra Hughes, citing data from the U.S. Census Bureau. “More than half of these single Americans are women and the industry is seeing the impact of this particular group due to the increasing popularity of girlfriend getaways and other women-only vacations.”
In response to the growing trend, AAA offers the following advice for singles traveling the world alone.
Make Copies. If you are traveling internationally, be sure to make a couple of copies of your passport and leave one at home with a relative or friend and store the other one in a separate area of your luggage. If you should lose your passport this copy makes it much easier for the local US embassy to replace the document.
Keep Emergency Numbers. It is also a great idea to take along the emergency numbers of the credit card company and card number information (keep in separate secure area on your person) if you should lose your wallet.

Plan ahead. If you are traveling alone it is important to know the lay of the land before you arrive. That means doing research, reading maps and guide books and talking to certified travel professionals who have experienced the destination first hand. Know where your hotels are located, how you will get around and where you want to go. The fewer decisions you need to make when you first arrive, the less likely it is you will get lost or distracted. AAA/CAA travel agencies distribute 26 different TourBook® guides for destinations in the U.S., Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Club locations also provide travel guides and maps for North America and Europe. Also be sure to have the proper documentation when traveling internationally - valid passport and visas (if required), medical and trip cancellation/interruption protection for unexpected emergencies, and an International Driving Permit if traveling by car. AAA offices can provide assistance in obtaining these services.

Research your hotel in advance. Not all hotel rating systems are equal. Some do not include a full inspection, others are based on traveler reviews, which are not reliable, and others do not take into consideration hotel service and only look at the hotels’ physical features. Before arriving, check out the hotel’s AAA Diamond Rating which will give you the most detailed information available about the hotel’s features, services and amenities. More than 60,000 hotels are rated by AAA and the details are available to everyone at AAA.com.
Try to exude a calm, no nonsense air in public places. You may not always feel calm and confident, but others will pick up on your cues and sometimes just acting confident will do the trick.

Avoid single supplement fees by using a travel professional. Many tour companies and cruise lines charge extra fees for single people who travel alone. However, an expert travel counselor can help you find deals for single travelers that are not available, or may be difficult to find on the Internet. A travel professional can also assist solo travelers by placing them on the vacation product (cruise or tour) that best suits their respective lifestyle needs with like minded travelers.

Other suggestions include: Don’t go out alone at night, be careful to limit alcohol consumption, carry a cell phone, arrive during daylight hours, and wear comfortable shoes. Prepaid Travel Money Cards, offered through AAA, can protect travel funds against loss or theft.

As North America’s largest motoring and leisure travel organization, AAA provides 50 million members with travel, insurance, financial, and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers. AAA clubs can be visited on the Internet at www.AAA.com.

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The Little Bali Hotel & Resort Company gives Bali visitors the bird

Ever wanted to have a close encounter with a Racket-tailed Treepie, a Blood-breasted Flowerpicker or a Sooty-headed Bulbul – well now you can.
The Little Bali Hotel & Resort Company® (LBHRC) and soft-adventure specialist Sobek are offering keen birdwatchers an opportunity to ‘spot’ some of Asia’s rarest birdlife with the release of a new ‘Bali Bird Watching Walks’ tour program.

LBHRC has enlisted the involvement of world-renowned ornithologist and author Victor Mason, an expatriate Briton who has called Bali home for 40 years and acknowledged as one of the world’s foremost experts on Asian birdlife.

Mason will personally lead many of the walks which visit several of the island’s best-kept secret bird watching spots to see a good variety of species, many of them almost as rare as their names.
Species up for view include Collared and Sacred Kingfishers, Racket-tailed Treepies, Sooty-headed Bulbuls, Blood-breasted Flowerpeckers, Chestnut-headed Bee-eaters and if really lucky, the very rare but not so glamorously named Bali Myna.

The ‘Bali Bird Watching Walks’ has been designed to offer four different bird watching areas – Ubud and environs, southern Bali, Tabanan and Batu Kau in eastern Bali and the Central Highlands.
The comfortably paced bird watching walks range in length from between two to six kilometres and are, according to LBHRC’s Brett Morgan, ideal for anyone of any age who is reasonably fit.
“While the ‘Bali Bird Watching Walks’ are primarily aimed at bird watchers, the tours offer a really unique opportunity for anyone looking to take a walk off the well-beaten track and see a side of Bali that visitors rarely get to experience,” he said.


Prices start from just USD42.00* per person per day.


The program easily allows each of the four areas to be booked on an individual day tour basis or packaged together in multiples of two, three or four days.


The price includes hotel pick-up ands drop-off.
Please note the price does not include equipment or meals. Lunch is taken at recommended restaurants where costs average USD6.00 per person.


*Conditions apply.
To make a booking contact a licensed travel agent


For more information on the ‘Bali Bird Watching Walks’ and other LBHRC special offers visit http://www.thelittlebalihotelresortcompany.com/.

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Hotel Bali Resort

The Little Bali Hotel & Resort Company’s (LBHRC) soft adventure specialist member Sobek is offering a 50 per cent discount on all white-water rafting, mountain cycling and trekking programs from 01 November until 15 December 2007.
The discount means pricing for the company’s spectacular two-hour rafting trips down Bali’s Ayung River will cost just AUD49* per person during the period.
Highlights en route include the magnificent Sayan Valley, tropical rainforests, temples and hidden villages plus the chance to sample the Ayung River’s Class I and Class II rapids.
Inclusive of training and full safety equipment, the soft adventure program is ideal for all ages.
The 50 per cent offer also applies to all Sobek Mountain Cycling Tours and Sobek Trekking programs.
Priced from AUD49* per person and inclusive of mountain bikes and all safety equipment, the Sobek Mountain Cycling Tours explore the off the beaten track hills and villages in the Mount Batur region – happily most of it downhill.

Led by local Balinese guides the tours offer plenty of rest stops and conclude with a buffet luncheon - and a ride home in an air-conditioned minibus.


Sobek Trekking offers participants a perfect opportunity to fully immerse themselves in Bali’s centuries old agricultural lifestyle.


The leisurely trek traverses national parks and rainforests passing farms and terraced rice paddies where farmers still employ traditional farming and irrigation methods including water buffalo pulled ploughs.
Sobek Trekking programs are priced from AUD49* per person.


*Conditions apply. Please note the discount is valid from 01 November – 15 December 2007 only.
Importantly the tours must be pre-booked in Australia.


The tours are available with most wholesalers selling Bali product.
For more information on Sobek, visit http://www.balisobek.com/

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The Little Bali Hotel & Resort Company’s (LBHRC) soft adventure specialist member Sobek is offering a 50 per cent discount on all white-water rafting, mountain cycling and trekking programs from 01 November until 15 December 2007.
The discount means pricing for the company’s spectacular two-hour rafting trips down Bali’s Ayung River will cost just AUD49* per person during the period.
Highlights en route include the magnificent Sayan Valley, tropical rainforests, temples and hidden villages plus the chance to sample the Ayung River’s Class I and Class II rapids.
Inclusive of training and full safety equipment, the soft adventure program is ideal for all ages.
The 50 per cent offer also applies to all Sobek Mountain Cycling Tours and Sobek Trekking programs.
Priced from AUD49* per person and inclusive of mountain bikes and all safety equipment, the Sobek Mountain Cycling Tours explore the off the beaten track hills and villages in the Mount Batur region – happily most of it downhill.

Led by local Balinese guides the tours offer plenty of rest stops and conclude with a buffet luncheon - and a ride home in an air-conditioned minibus.


Sobek Trekking offers participants a perfect opportunity to fully immerse themselves in Bali’s centuries old agricultural lifestyle.


The leisurely trek traverses national parks and rainforests passing farms and terraced rice paddies where farmers still employ traditional farming and irrigation methods including water buffalo pulled ploughs.
Sobek Trekking programs are priced from AUD49* per person.


*Conditions apply. Please note the discount is valid from 01 November – 15 December 2007 only.
Importantly the tours must be pre-booked in Australia.


The tours are available with most wholesalers selling Bali product.
For more information on Sobek, visit http://www.balisobek.com/

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Sobek softens adventure tour pricing with 50 per cent discount

The Little Bali Hotel & Resort Company’s (LBHRC) soft adventure specialist member Sobek is offering a 50 per cent discount on all white-water rafting, mountain cycling and trekking programs from 01 November until 15 December 2007.
The discount means pricing for the company’s spectacular two-hour rafting trips down Bali’s Ayung River will cost just AUD49* per person during the period.
Highlights en route include the magnificent Sayan Valley, tropical rainforests, temples and hidden villages plus the chance to sample the Ayung River’s Class I and Class II rapids.
Inclusive of training and full safety equipment, the soft adventure program is ideal for all ages.
The 50 per cent offer also applies to all Sobek Mountain Cycling Tours and Sobek Trekking programs.
Priced from AUD49* per person and inclusive of mountain bikes and all safety equipment, the Sobek Mountain Cycling Tours explore the off the beaten track hills and villages in the Mount Batur region – happily most of it downhill.

Led by local Balinese guides the tours offer plenty of rest stops and conclude with a buffet luncheon - and a ride home in an air-conditioned minibus.


Sobek Trekking offers participants a perfect opportunity to fully immerse themselves in Bali’s centuries old agricultural lifestyle.


The leisurely trek traverses national parks and rainforests passing farms and terraced rice paddies where farmers still employ traditional farming and irrigation methods including water buffalo pulled ploughs.
Sobek Trekking programs are priced from AUD49* per person.


*Conditions apply. Please note the discount is valid from 01 November – 15 December 2007 only.
Importantly the tours must be pre-booked in Australia.


The tours are available with most wholesalers selling Bali product.
For more information on Sobek, visit http://www.balisobek.com/

Read More......

Air Force to move air base from Medan to Kuala Namu

The Indonesian Air Force intends to move its Polonia air base in Medan, North Sumatra, to Kuala Namu in Deli Serdang regency following the planned relocation of Medan's Polonia airport to Kuala Namu in September 2009.
"The Air Force has decided to move to Kuala Namu together with the Polonia airport. It is no longer feasible to remain in Polonia as it is less efficient," Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) Operations Commander Vice Marshal Gandjar Wiranegara told reporters Tuesday after officiating a transfer of duty of air base commanders at the Medan air base.


Gandjar said the air base in Kuala Namu will be built adjacent to the international airport, similar to the current setup in Polonia. He said it would be more efficient and cut costs associated with building a separate air base.

"We will share the runway in Kuala Namu. The airport will be built in the southern or western section, while the air base will be in the northern section," said Gandjar, adding that the air base in Kuala Namu will span around 1,000 hectares.


Gandjar said TNI AU would trade its assets in Polonia, to fund the construction of new facilities in Kuala Namu.
Former Polonia air base commander Col. Supriyadi said the total value of TNI AU's assets in Polonia, including land and infrastructure, is estimated at Rp 5 trillion (US$555 million).
Newly-appointed Polonia air base commander Col. Agus Dwi Putranto said he could not confirm when the airport would be moved because the relocation process was under the authority of TNI AU headquarters in Jakarta.


The central government, during a visit by State Minister for State Enterprises Sofyan Djalil and Transportation Minister Jusman Syafi'i Djamal to the planned site May 18, assured that the Kuala Namu airport would be in operation by September 2009 at the latest.
"We hope the Kuala Namu airport will be more promising than Polonia. We can no longer retain Polonia due to a number of reasons, such as the damaged runway and the deteriorating function of radars. Polonia can no longer cope with the increased number of passengers and airline traffic," Jusman said.


Sofyan said the new airport would be equipped with several support facilities, including a three-kilometer railway line and turnpike to facilitate transportation to the airport.
Head of the North Sumatra Development Planning Agency, R.E. Nainggolan, who visited Kuala Namu with the ministers, said the provincial administration had set aside Rp 40 billion for the requisition of residential land to build the turnpike.


The Kuala Namu airport, which was designed as an international airport, spans 86,000 square meters and is equipped with a 2,750-meter runway. It was also designed to serve eight million passengers per year. The Polonia airport is only capable of serving 4 million passengers annually.

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Japanese still dominate tourist flow to Bali

Denpasar, Bali (ANTARA News) - Japanese still dominated the foreign tourist flow to Bali in the first three months of this year, a local tourism official said.

"Some 24 percent of a total of 346,942 foreign tourists who came to Bali in January-March this year were from Japan," head of the promotion section of the Indonesian Hotel and Restaurants Association (PHRI) I B Ngurah Kumbayana said on Saturday.

He said Australians who accounted for 10.3 percent of the foreign tourist flow were second on the list followed by Taiwanese (9.3 percent).Bali is home to the Bali tiger which is almost extinct; Bali cattle, graceful animals not like other cows; bats living in caves like the Bat Cave near Kusamba; sea turtles of Nusa Dua; the Jalak Bali or Bali Sterling (Leucopsar rothschildi) which has inspired countless painters

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Southwest Airlines Kicks Off a Summer Filled With Low Fares for Philly Customers

Gary Kelly, Southwest Airlines CEO. (PRNewsFoto)










Southwest Airlines unveils new look. (PRNewsFoto)







Southwest Airlines logo. (PRNewsFoto)

Airline Offers Fares as Low as $29 One-Way in Philadelphia for the Month of May

PHILADELPHIA, May 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Southwest Airlines (NYSE:LUV) is celebrating summer in Philadelphia with super low fares through themonth of May. Today, the airline's Chief Executive Officer, Gary Kelly,announced special fares for flights between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh,Manchester, Providence, Columbus, and Raleigh-Durham. With walk-up fares aslow as $49 one-way and advance purchase fares as low as $29 one-way, flyingfor business or pleasure has never been easier (see fare rules below).Fares must be purchased by May 31, 2007.

Clickhttp://www.southwest.com/?src=PR_PHL_050907 to book these fares. "Southwest is celebrating three years in Philadelphia, and we thinkthese low fares are a way to share the excitement with our PhillyCustomers," Kelly said. "Philadelphia has shown us that they want moreSouthwest flights, and we are currently working on new gate space toaccommodate that demand."

Kelly, in town participating in Temple University's Executive inResidence program, addressed more than 200 business leaders and students atthe Pyramid Club. Kelly discussed Southwest's success and plans for growthin Philadelphia. "Southwest has a number of exciting plans for Philadelphia this summer;we appreciate you all making us a success here; and we look forward tobringing you some fun, Southwest style," Kelly, told the audience. Southwest Airlines was named to BusinessWeek magazine's first ever listof "Customer Service Champs." The BusinessWeek list, which appeared in theMarch 5, 2007, issue, ranks the best providers of Customer Service, anddigs into the techniques, strategies, and tools they use to deliver greatservice.

Southwest Airlines (NYSE: LUV), the nation's largest carrier interms of domestic passengers enplaned according to the latest release fromthe Bureau of Transportation Statistics, currently serves 63 cities in 32states-the airline will begin service to San Francisco this fall. Based inDallas, Southwest currently operates more than 3,300 flights a day and hasmore than 33,000 Employees nationwide. Fare Rules All fares are available for purchase today through May 31, 2007, at http://www.southwest.com and through Southwest Airlines' reservations line,1-800-IFLYSWA.

Travel for $49 one-way walk up fares is valid from May 9,2007, through Nov. 2, 2007. Travel for $29 one-way fares must be purchased14 days before departure with travel valid from May 23, 2007, through Nov.2, 2007. Fares are available one-way and are combinable with all otherfares (except Senior Fares). When combining fares, all ticketingrestrictions apply. Seats are limited.

Fares may vary by destination andday of travel and will not be available on some flights that operate duringvery busy travel times and holiday periods. Fares do not include a federalsegment tax of $4.50 per takeoff and landing. Fares do not includeairport-assessed passenger facility charges (PFC) of up to $9 one-way andU.S. government- imposed September 11th Security Fees of up to $2.50one-way. Fares are subject to change until ticketed.

Tickets arenonrefundable but may be applied toward the purchase of future travel onSouthwest Airlines if unused. Fares are valid only on Southwest-operated,published, service and are not available through the Group Desk. Any changein itinerary may result in an increase in fare. Standby travel requires anupgrade to the full unrestricted fare. Fares are not necessarily commonrated in the Washington, D.C. area (Baltimore/Washington and Dulles), BayArea (Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose), or the Los Angeles Basin.Hawaii is not included in this sale.

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Sabre launches new US product

Sabre launches new US product
Tuesday, May 08 2007 @ 06:44 AM GMT

Sabre Travel Network has announced the launch of Sabre Corporate Efficiency Formula for the U.S. marketplace.This comprehensive set of technology and services provides the ability for travel management companies to fully automate self-service reservations and streamline processing of agent-assisted transactions.

The Corporate Efficiency Formula enables agencies to more effectively compete and win in the growing online-led managed business travel space.

Recent studies indicate that the North American managed travel segment is projected to grow at a rate of approximately 4 percent annually through 2009. Within the managed travel segment, projections call for a continued shift to online reservations, with an estimated annual growth rate of 20 percent per year.

Sabre is deploying the Corporate Efficiency Formula specifically to help travel management companies further adapt their business practices to succeed in this evolving segment.
"The Corporate Efficiency Formula is all about leveling the playing field - enabling our agency customers to retain and win more than their share of price sensitive, technology savvy customers, and to do so profitably by being as efficient as possible," said Chris Kroeger, senior vice president Sabre Travel Network, North America.

The Corporate Efficiency Formula addresses three key areas that together represent a proven prescription for maximum efficiency in serving corporate clients looking for best-in-class service and support for their managed travel programs:

1. Integrated product and technology: A focus on automation whenever possible through a consolidated set of tools for booking, ticketing, invoice and itinerary information, traveler notification services, and more.

2. Policies that encourage the use of self-service technology: Powerful self-service tools and proactive management of traveler behaviors should be encouraged to support a "touchless" model for the maximum number of transactions.

3. Aligned commercial terms: Client fees should be aligned with the value received and agency resources required. For instance, fees could be lower when travelers use more of the self-service tools than for a more hands-on itinerary and booking.

To enable this prescription for maximum efficiency, the Sabre Corporate Efficiency Formula features a set of core capabilities optimized to work together to fully automate self-service reservations and streamline processing of agent assisted transactions

-- Online reservations through GetThere, and agent-assisted reservations through Turbo Sabre or MySabre.

-- File finishing, mid-office quality control and automated ticketing through Ticketing Assistant.

-- Automated calculation and application of fees based on specific services provided through Agency Fee Manager. This next generation service fee management application features configurable rules with 33 eligible PNR elements. Integration with Agency Fee Manager and Sabre Card Services provides a lower cost, automated settlement solution for client fees.

-- Automated, secure invoice and itinerary delivery and mobile traveler notification services through Sabre VirtuallyThere.

-- Seamless data integration into back office systems including TRAMS and Sabre CentralCommand.

At the heart of this proven formula for maximum efficiency are Sabre Corporate Efficiency Consultants who work with agencies to assess current processes in the three key areas and develop a recommended action plan based on industry best practices.
"While the products offered through our new efficiency formula provide the 'toolkit' for implementing a fully automated solution for the corporate marketplace, we don't stop there. Our vast experience serving the most successful travel management companies in the world shows the best results are achieved when service and support are aligned with technology," said Kroeger. "Therefore, the foundation of our three-step formula is facilitated by a new team of efficiency consultants that will be working with corporate agencies to assess, analyze, and prescribe the steps needed to refine a corporation's overall workflow to meet its internal efficiency goal leveraging industry best practices.
"At Sabre we have a business unit that has provided a showcase for the use of Sabre-proven efficiencies for corporate travel, and we are now excited to offer these same types of efficiency and integrated technology solutions to our agency partners," Kroeger added.
The Corporate Efficiency Formula builds upon a combination of the best travel product selection and the most advanced shopping capabilities in the world as a foundation for Sabre's end-to-end solutions for the corporate marketplace. Sabre will be announcing additional elements of the end-to-end offering throughout 2007.

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