Posts made in September, 2009
Hello Travel – an Online Platform for Travel Agents
hellotravel.com is a first ever travel lead generation portal on World Wide Web. It is one of its kinds where travel agent can customize their lead (enquiries) requirements and purchase them online after reading them. Thus it is an unparalleled example of an exciting online marketplace that offers best experience to travel agents.
Hello Travel is marked as an innovation that has changed the face of Online Travel Industry, as it satisfies, both – travelers and travel agents. Hellotravel.com is the first to come up with such bewildering idea of putting travelers and travel agents on common platform.
It is a special retreat for travel agents who could buy heaps of leads for their price and category. This platform is the only resource on the Internet where travel leads are sold at throw away prices, thus opening new doors to the online biz world.
Incepted in the year 2008, http://www.hellotravel.com is a major breakthrough in the world of online travel industry where every click matters and every second means business. Hello Travel was launched on 1st December 2008 and since then it is being applauded for its services.
The system has been conceptulized to reduce travel agents stress by eliminating spams and bogus leads. The platform has been integrated especially for travel agents and have myriad of other advantages to count on.
The leads sold on this portal are collected from various web portals run under the brand, sorted/filtered and sold. The group has installed rigid lead QC system that validate leads, so that you get true value for your money. Our rigorous filter system ensures that you receive only potential leads that earns maximum returns. Thus, putting an end too ‘travel agents’ search for good travel leads.
How http://www.hellotravel.com/agents functions?
1) Collects travel leads from pool of web portals with HELLO TRAVEL.
2) Lead QC System accepts/rejects leads by making them pass through filters and grades.
3) Final Leads are uploaded on hellotravel.com
4) Registered member can access these leads, read them and buy them online.
For more information on the system, you are requested to mail at helpdesk@hellotravel.com
Hello Travel is made both for travel agents and travellers. Visit http://www.hellotravel.com for more information
A More Exciting Way To Learn… World Travel
The best teacher when it comes to world history is actually being able to visit all these historic places mentioned inside the entire world history book one place at a time, as much as cheap travels permit.
We all had that experience where we had the chance to go somewhere and the memories in that place remains with you forever. Imagine what it could do if you make it as a more thorough research on a country by really going there to learn about its history and culture.
Its always fascinating to go to a country where you get to visit the tribes and really see what they look like, be able to taste the delicacies of the place, have the chance to learn their culture, and hear the history of the place right from the natives mouth.
Learning is a lot more fun when you don’t have to bore yourself inside a classroom with a book in front of you having to read all these and not knowing or understanding what it means. By actually experiencing what its like to be in that place, you will be able to relate to what was being described inside those references, which makes it a lot more interesting to remember them by heart.
You don’t have to force yourself into memorizing the places; you get to remember them because you’ve been there. The best part of it is that since it stays with you, you get to write about it, and you can even relay the information as if you were the book.
Imagine what it would be like if you could go to the most historical countries there is around the world. With the cheap student travel deals given as promos in a lot of airline, ships and train agencies, travelling is not as hard as it used to.
Discounts for student fares are often offered in all transportations. A great way of making good use of this offers is to let them travel. It could be as an educational tour for the whole class, a group of science club students, or exchange students.
Putting a little more fun on the way teachers teach can actually give every student motivation to learn more. Teach them to explore the world around them instead of spending all their free times in malls doing nothing, or in front of the televisions or in their personal computer playing computer games.
With this cheap student travel deals, you can take them or let go into nature trips to any part of the world. This way they will be aware of the possibilities and circumstances their experiences could teach them. Let them start early, and who knows they’ll love it and continue traveling when they’re older.
Cheap student travel deals can easily be researched in Internet including advisable places to visit, family travel deals is also available online and you get to book the flight through your computer at home and be able to manage the schedule and have a copy of the itinerary so you never get out of touch.
Travel now and discover. Experience is the best teacher ever. So, let them explore the world out there. Who knows, maybe when they get back you’ll be surprised with what they’ve gain from the whole expedition.
My name is manish shah. Am an avid blogger & social media representative. I am retailer by Profession & my blog is http://manish-shah.com
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Benefits of Choosing a Travel Agency for Your Next Vacation
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Choosing a travel agency to handle your next vacation as opposed to dealing directly with an airline presents numerous benefits. Here are a few of the benefits you enjoy:
Wealth of information
Because of their experience and wide connections with people in the hospitality industry, travel agencies are in the best position to provide sound advice when it comes to the following points: off peak and peak travel times, budget travel, hotel and meal deals, excursions, shopping bargains, and other tourism-related topics. Much will depend on your preferences. For instance, are you interested in a golf holiday, a fishing trip, a museum jaunt or a spa type of vacation?
Discounted fares
Travel agencies and online travel agencies are great for bargain hunting and usually get the best deals from their network of contacts. They also purchase air tickets on volume, consolidated tickets, enabling them to buy air tickets at considerably higher discounts.
Extended network of suppliers and providers
Given that travel agents deal every day with hotel managers, restaurant owners and managers, bed and breakfast supervisors, tour operators, limousine companies, and other people who offer a specialized service, they know who and what are offering better prices and when. So travel agents have a wealth of information on just about anything related to travel, and because they network with other travel agents, they get to exchange valuable tips. Consider yourself fortunate if you happen to be dealing with a travel agent who seems to know “just about everyone” in the travel industry and who can offer you the discounts that she reserves for preferred clients.
Group discounts
If you tell your travel agent that you and your friends want to travel together or that you’re taking your family of four on a Kenyan safari, he or she might be able to slash off more dollars from your air tickets because you will be travelling in a group. Sometimes, when you buy three adult tickets, travel agents will let your four-year-old travel for free or at a much lower price. Travel agents can, at their discretion, extend courtesy discounts to groups. The more seats are bought and the more rooms are booked, the higher the discounts they receive.
Perks
Travel agents also have access to suppliers and service providers who hand out “bonuses” or perks. These are the nice extra incentives that say, hotel managers would give to agents so that the next time the travel agency has a large group of travelers, they choose the same hotel. Meal vouchers are another example that travel agencies have a constant supply of to give to loyal customers. For example, if you and your friends like to visit Las Vegas a lot, your travel agency may give you slot chips worth $50.00 to use on machines, or free passes to a stage show or concert. So you see, it does pay to develop good relationships with travel agencies especially if you’re a frequent traveler.
Specialization
Some travel agencies specialize in certain types of travel and cater to a certain age group or specific professional groups. Some travel agencies have more strengths and capabilities than other travel agencies. One travel agency may know the ins and outs of Eastern Europe or may know what the best budget restaurants in Tokyo are. Other travel agencies may cater specifically to retirees, students or government officials.
When a travel agency handles a large account like a mid-size company whose executives travel weekly, you can be sure that travel agency is in a position to offer significant savings on plane tickets or hotel reservations. If you have a friend who works for a large company and his company uses one travel agency, you could ask him to request the travel agency for special deals. Because travel agents are grateful for the continuing patronage of their company clients, they will most likely share tips on how to travel on a shoestring budget for the executives’ children.
Don’t let one unfortunate experience with a travel agency discourage you. Find another. If you deal with the airlines directly, you’re just another caller to them, whereas if a travel agent calls the airline on your behalf, the airline will recognize the travel agency as a regular customer and hence would be more inclined to extend courtesies.
What you need to do before calling a travel agency is to decide:
· Specific travel dates
· Where you want to go, where you want to stay and whether you’ll need a car or rail passes
· If you’re willing to travel on a restricted ticket or as a standby passenger
· What activities you’d like to do once you arrive in your destination
By giving your travel agency complete information, she can be more efficient in helping you plan your next vacation.
Suzanne Bradley is a freelance writer who writes about the travel industry discussing tips and offering suggestions about working with a travel agency.
Top Benefits of Having Travel Insurance
Many people today are traveling for vacations or business. Any time you travel, things can happen. Life has a way of intervening at any given time. You can need a prescription filled while on a vacation or (God forbid) even need surgery. When you are traveling during hurricane season, you may need to be evacuated. Alternatively, perhaps your trip may be delayed for some reason. Each of these is an excellent reason to invest in travel insurance.
Travel insurance is protection for you as you travel. It will help cover medical expenses and other expenses that you may discover unexpected as you take a trip somewhere.
You can easily arrange for travel insurance when you book your trip through your travel agent. They will be happy to help arrange travel insurance for you. It is important to go over the “fine print” and make sure the policy you are purchasing covers exactly what you think you might deal with.
We cannot always plan for everything, but it is very useful to help protect one’s self from potential disaster, injury or even frustration. Travel insurance is especially helpful when you are traveling internationally. When you have medical problems, your travel insurance will help you if you need a prescription or become ill in some way. Sometimes just knowing that your medical expenses would be taken care of is a tremendous peace of mind for so many of us. This can help you to travel in a relaxed attitude, knowing that everything is managed for you.
Travel insurance is also helpful to protect yourself in terms of your flight arrangements. Your travel insurances protects you from cancellation or even just a delayed departure. Having travel insurance insures that other arrangements will be made for you easily. By having travel insurance the company that provides the travel insurance will help make alternative arrangements for you. Be sure to read the “fine print” to understand exactly what type of arrangements they are legally bound to make for you, because those are the type of arrangements they will make if this circumstance arises.
Having travel insurance can also cover something we don’t like to think about, especially while traveling for business or pleasure: death. Travel insurance would even help to cover international funeral expenses if this was necessary. Accidents or other things do happen. Knowing that arrangements would be managed can offer tremendous peace of mind to many that purchase travel insurance.
Often travel insurance is not very expensive. Policies do vary and not every traveler needs every policy that is out there. There are many different types of travel insurance available today. There is even honeymoon insurance, to protect and insure one’s honeymoon! Certainly, there is a type of travel insurance that will more than satisfy you and give you tremendous peace of mind. Having insurance is so helpful for those things we don’t like to think about. Traveling can be stressful at times; having travel insurances makes it so much less so.
Don’t even think about going on holiday without Travel Insurance. We even offer Backpacker Travel Insurance because you can never be to safe.
Top Questions to Ask Your Travel Agent When Booking a Trip
If you have never worked with a travel agent before, you might be a little out of your element when it comes to talking about your travel needs. At your initial meeting, it is important not to get steamrolled into buying a vacation package that you do not really want or leaving without a sense of exactly what you need to do to prepare for travel. Here are the top questions you need to ask your travel agent before you book your trip:
Question #1: What are the best times of year to travel to my location?
Every location will be different when it comes to peak tourist season. For example, cruises to Alaska are more common during the summer months. On the other hand, Aspen vacations are more popular during the winter. Keep in mind that “best” for you might not mean that peak season. While tourists flock to these areas during certain times of the year for a reason, such as the great weather or a special event in the areas, that’s also when travel will be most expensive. You can save some money by booking your trip during the off-season.
Question #2: Are there cheaper alternatives to the choices you’re making for my trip?
Sometimes, the price of a vacation package can be drastically altered with just a few changes to the default choices. Usually, travel agents automatically book “middle of the road” accommodations, flights, and so forth. In other words, they don’t choose luxury or economy – they choose something in the middle. If you are purchasing a vacation package, ask about each part of the trip. Can you shave money off by flying at different hours of the day or choosing a room at a cheap hotel? Can you swap out the expensive show tickets and instead spend the day shopping? Little changes can combine to equal big savings, and when you look at an itemized list of what you’re getting by default, you might want to upgrade some things as well.
Question #3: What travel documents do I need to carry with me?
If you leave the United States, you absolutely need passports, even if you are just traveling to Mexico or Canada. The other rules for travel documents, however, vary according to where you are traveling and the length of your stay. You might need certain vaccinations if you intend to visit certain parts of the world, for example. If you are traveling with pets, make sure that they have the proper documentation as well, especially for re-entering the United States.
Question #4: Do you offer travel insurance or refunds if my trip is canceled?
Travel insurance is a great way to ensure that you get your money back in case something goes wrong. Most travel agencies offer refunds if they have to cancel the trip, for whatever reason, but some don’t give you any flexibility in changing your dates, even if you have a personal emergency. Travel insurance can solve this problem, and it also helps you if you have airline, luggage, medical, or other problems when you are away from home.
Question #5: Do you offer referral discounts if friends of mine book trips through you?
It doesn’t hurt to ask! Many travel agencies offer a referral program so that if you tell a friend about them you get money off your trip. You may also be entitled to discounts if you organize a group tour, book repeat trips within a certain time frame, or pay for your entire vacation upfront.
Question #6: What days of the week are least expensive for travel and touring?
Most commonly, you should try to travel on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday if you want to save the most money, but that is not always the case. If you have some flexibility as far as your travel dates go, make sure you tell your travel agent and attempt to get the cheapest prices. Sometimes, moving your vacation by just a single day can save you hundreds of dollars; this is especially true during the holidays and other days of high travel.
Question #7: What activities can you recommend while I’m on vacation?
Make sure to grill your travel agent about hot spots at your location so that you have plenty of insider tips while you’re away. Chances are good that your travel agent has been to your destination or has a colleague that has been. They might even have some connections so you can get a good deal on gift certificates or discounted tickets. It is in your best interest to find a travel agent who is very familiar with your destination. The more knowledge your travel agent is about the destination of your trip, the more prepared you will be to maximize your time away from home.
Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about topics and tips involving the travel industry, such as travel websites and working with travel agents.