Posts made in October, 2010
General Tips for Business Travel in China
The People’s Republic of China (PRC), known as China, has increasingly been engaging in the world’s economy. Businessmen from around the world travel to this land to trade and boost their business. Here are a few helpful tips for your business travel to China.
Accommodations There are many hotels dotting all the major and minor cities of China, ranging from luxurious 5-star hotels to the budget hotels. A wide range of facilities are offered at these places of accommodation. Some of the hotels that you can stay at are:
Beijing: Ascott Hotel (5-Star) Wangfujing Grand Hotel (5-Star) China World Hotel (4-Star)
Guangzhou: Hotel Pullman Guangzhou Baiyun Airport (5-Star) White Swan Hotel (4-Star) Donlord International Hotel (3-Star)
Shanghai: Crowne Plaza Hotel Shanghai Pudong (5-Star) Howard Johnson Plaza Hotel (4-Star) Fairmont Peace Hotel (3-Star)
Xian: Grand Park Xian Hotel (4-Star) Sheraton Xian Hotel (4-Star)
For more information on hotels in China, visit: http://www.asiahotels.com/hl/China.asp The amenities offered in these hotels in each room (3-Star and above) are: • Central air-conditioning • Television • Refrigerator (especially in the 4- and 5-Star hotels) • Private bathroom with round-the-clock hot water • Towels, glasses, toothbrushes, toothpaste, bathing soap, shampoo, bath lotion, toilet paper • Wardrobe with dressing table • Ceiling and bedside lamps • 24-hour room service • Electrical water boiler (if one is not provided, you can request boiled water by room service) • Business center (fax, Internet facility and telephone service is available) • Western and Chinese restaurants, bars, coffee shops • Conference rooms, banqueting halls, multi-function halls, ballrooms • Beauty parlors, massage rooms While staying in a hotel, there are a few things to take note of:
Water: Do not drink tap water from the hotels, as it is not drinkable. An electrical water boiler will be provided for safe-drinking water. If one is not provided, you can request boiled water by room service. Bottled water is also available and can be bought for $0.25 to $0.75 per bottle. Steamed or mineral water is also easily available.
Laundry Service: Laundry bags are provided in hotel rooms. Clothes given for washing in the morning are usually returned the next day. However, if you need them immediately, extra charge may be incurred. Public laundries are available on the streets.
Mail Service: Sending mail from your hotel is convenient. Stamps are available at the front desk. To send a postcard, stamps of amount RMB 4.50 to 6 will be needed. For a normal weight letter, stamps worth RMB 6 to 7 are required. You can leave your letters or postcards at reception, who will give them to the postman.
Electric Current: 220 volt/50 cycles are used throughout the country. So, if your electrical appliances require to be operated at 110 volts, you will need a Converter. Most hotels provide two- and three-phase sockets. You may have to use an adapter as well. If you don’t have one, ask the housekeeper for one.
Communication: Cell Phone, Phone Cards & Long Distance Calling, Internet Access
While on your business tour, it will be necessary to keep in touch with business partners and colleagues back home. In this fast-moving world, staying connected is an easy task. From cell phones and phone cards to the Internet, there are ample options to select from.
Phone Cards And Long Distance Calling: Most hotels provide the facility of IDD (International Direct Dialing) from the room itself and from phone cards from the post office located in the hotel. Besides this, phone cards, IC and IP being the most popular, are available in newsstands. These cards are available in only particular provinces, so it is recommended that you check that the card has not expired.
IC cards: IC telephones allow you to call home instantly. International calls can be made from IC telephone cards (a product of China Telecom). These cards are quite expensive and are available for more than 10 RMB/M. When purchasing an IC card, you need to use a telephone, which can be found either at a public booth, hotel, airport or restaurant. The card needs to be inserted into the phone. Once inserted, you need to follow the vocal instructions.
IP cards: Companies like China Netcom, China Unicom, China Jitong and China Telecom issue these cards. Calling rates differ from company to company. China Unicom charges an amount of 1.5 RMB/M for calls made to Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan, 2.6 RMB/M to Canada and America and 3.6 RMB/M to the rest of the world. The other telecom service providers either charge more or less than China Unicom. To make a call, you can use the telephone in your hotel, though a charge might be issued for using the phone.
Country codes: Listed below are codes for some countries.
USA and Canada: 1
UK: 44
Australia: 61
Austria: 43
Switzerland: 41
Hong Kong: 852
Italy: 39
Holland: 31
New Zealand: 64
Making a call: To make an international call, dial the following:
00+country code + regional code + telephone number
Cell Phones: Both GSM and CDMA networks operate in China, run by China Mobile and China Unicom, respectively. So, you can use either a dual- or tri-band cell phone, or simply use a COSMOTE card. If however, you want to cut costs, you can purchase a GSM SIM card.
You have two options to choose from: Shenzhouxing and Ruyitong, issued by China Mobile and China Unicom, respectively. These are prepaid connections, so there is no need to provide any kind of documents. Charging cards of 50 RMB and 100 RMB are available in newsstands, post offices and stores.
Internet Access: Some hotels provide Internet access in the rooms, as well as their business center. So staying connected is easy. The other option is visiting a cyber café.
Transportation: Airways, Trains, Taxis, Coaches Taking your business to the corners of China requires immense travel. There are ample options for transportation to get around the country. From airways and trains to taxis and coaches, China has it all.
Coach: Coaches are available aplenty. They are clean, air-conditioned and comfortable. The drivers are well-experienced, so you can be assured of a safe journey.
Train: The best way to experience China and view the countryside is to travel by train. The berths are comfortable for travel. Choose the “soft seats” for traveling short distances and “soft sleepers” for long-distance travel.
The soft sleeper cars comprise four-berths: two upper and two lower berths. Complete bedding is provided. In every soft sleeper car there is a public washroom, though a shower is not available. It is recommended that you carry your own toiletries like face towel, face wash, soap, and toilet paper, among others. A thermos bottle containing hot water is provided to every passenger. Ensure to book your train ticket 10 days prior to your departure. Getting a ticket, especially during the holidays, can be quite difficult. Once you have boarded the train, make sure that your ticket is kept safely, because you will need to show it to the ticket-checker on board, as well as at the station of your destination. The conductor will replace your ticket with a “magcard” so as to inform you of your arrival. Ensure to change it back to your ticket on your arrival. In terms of dining, you can either eat at the dining car, which is adjacent to the soft sleeper car, or simply purchase a boxed meal that is carried in a trolley during meal times and costs approximately USD $2-3 per meal. Chinese cuisine is usually on the menu.
Taxi: There are innumerable taxis available to take you around, especially if you want to tour the cities on your own. Taxis are brightly colored in yellow, red or green. The fares vary from one city to another, but whichever the city, ensure that the taximeter is being used. This avoids you from getting cheated. Rates of the taxi are usually marked on the window. In Shanghai, the four prominent taxi companies are Blue’ish Turquoise, Taxis, Blue and Oro Blanco. Besides, after 11 pm, taxi drivers tend to charge more. If your bargaining skills are good, you can ask for a 20% discount, which ultimately ensures that you are paying at the same rate, that is, the amount that is charged before 11 pm. Take note of the name of the taxi driver and his registration number, which are displayed in the taxi. Also, do not forget to take a receipt as it contains the details of your trip. This receipt allows you to call the taxi company, if you have left your belongings in the taxi, or you need its services again. The drivers do not speak in English, so make sure that you either have your destination written in Chinese or carry a guide that translates English to Chinese.
Airway: Traveling by air from one city to another is quick and less exhaustive. Some of the airlines that are operative are China Eastern Airlines, Dragon Air, Air China, Hainan Airlines and China Southern Airlines.
Embassies and Consulates While on your business tour, it is a good idea to know the location of your country’s embassy or consulate. The capital of China, Beijing houses foreign embassies, while cities like Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Chongqing and Shenyang are home to a number of consulates. To know more about the Chinese consulates and embassies around the world, and foreign consulates and embassies in China, log on to www.embassyworld.com.
Money Matters Renminbi (RMB) is the official currency of China. Yuan, also called “kuai” is the basic unit; 10 jiao or mao equals a single yuan, while 10 fen is equivalent to one jiao. Paper currency is available in one, two, five, 10, 20, 50 and 100 yuan notes, while jiao notes come in the denominations of one, two and five. Fen notes are available too in the denominations of one and two, though they are rarely used. Coins come in one yuan, one and five jiao, and one, two and five fen. Most luxurious, star hotels accept US dollars, English pounds and Euros. Tipping can also be done using the above mentioned currencies. However, when purchasing from street vendors, convenience stores and department stores, as well as eating out in local restaurants, payments should be made in the local currency. Here are a few more tips related to money.
Traveler’s checks: Banks and hotels in China accept traveler’s checks. The exchange rate is the same in both places. To change your checks into cash, you need to show your passport. It is recommended that you keep the exchange receipts. This allows you to exchange the cash back into the original currency on your departure from China.
Credit cards: The most widely accepted credit cards are Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Diner’s Card and JCB. You can use your credit card in shopping malls and stores, hotels and restaurants, as well as to purchase tickets. However, the card will not be of much use when you travel to smaller cities and rural areas. You will need to only pay in cash in RMB there. Similarly, some hotels also do not accept payments via credit card. In that case, you will need to go to Bank of China, where you can withdraw cash of a stipulated amount. A charge will be levied for the same.
ATMs: Bank of China has many ATM outlets in all the major cities. Five-star hotels also have ATM facilities. You can withdraw only a specific amount from an ATM machine on a daily basis and the cash received will be in RMB. Your credit card might not work in them.
Distinguishing Counterfeit Money: Identifying fake money can be easy if you know what to look for. Money can be distinguished by its watermark, color, texture of paper and Braille dots. RMB notes are difficult to copy owing to their color. The fake bills are unclear as the images, watermark and colors are not very distinct. They tend to be quite fuzzy. A good way to test if a bill is counterfeit is to look at it under a black light. Here are a few things to take note of: 1. On a $100 bill, the image of the Great Helmsman or model worker (usually present in the old copy) or Maozedong (the new copy) is extremely sharp. 2. The words “WUSHI” or “YIBAI” appear in fluorescent color, though this depends on the denomination. 3. The paper should appear to absorb the black light. If it throws out color, that is, if it looks bright, then it is a counterfeit note. 4. Braille dots are visible on the lower left-hand corner of the front part of a bill. The dots are slightly raised. The bills that do not have these are counterfeit.
Visa To obtain a visa, you can visit the Chinese embassy or consulate in your country. All foreigners entering mainland China are required to have a visa. However, Western nationals need not obtain a visa for visiting Macau and Hong Kong. If you wish to work and stay in China, or have been assigned to work in the country, you need to apply for an employment visa (Type Z). You will be allowed to make multiple entries into the country, bring reasonable personal and household articles, like video cameras, PC, VCR, among others, which now become duty-free. When this visa expires, you will be able to renew it without much effort.
Trade Shows And Exhibitions If you are a business firm looking to showcase your products at trade shows and fairs, you need to consult with Customs authorities. The organizer of the exhibition will need an approval in advance from Customs, provide shipping documents as well as the list of articles which will be displayed. Customs will provide the rules and regulations regarding the procedures, as well as hand over the appropriate forms to the organizer. Sometimes a guarantee in the form of a letter or deposit is asked for by Customs. Usually, the goods are exempt from Customs duty if they are re-exported within a period of three months. Small exhibitions and seminars, which require an area less than 500 square meters, can be organized by a local sponsor, allowed to participate in foreign trade, without prior approval from MOFTEC. Customs will take care of the tariff exemption formalities, depending upon the assurance of re-export that is signed between the foreign trader and the sponsor. As regards food and beverage exhibitions, the rules for entry of samples are not clearly stated. So, before registering to participate, it is recommended that you contact the exhibition organizers to gain information on your liabilities in regard to entry of samples, as well as expenses that you may incur for participation. Once the trade event has taken place, the samples that were imported under the temporary “not-for-sale” rule, can be sold. In this case, Customs levies duties on these items.
Advertising Materials On your business tour, you can carry samples and advertising material, without having to pay for customs duty and VAT, provided the value of the items do not exceed RMB 200. However, those advertising materials related to electronic products are subject to VAT and customs duty, irrespective of the value of the item.
Importing Goods If you have set up representative offices in China, the office has to submit a written application to the Customs office in the case of importing of personal items or vehicles. Customs will waive any pertinent import license requirements, approving the import of equipment for office-use only.
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Do jobs that travel the whole world?How to get this type of job
It would be great if you able to travel around the world and get paid while you traveling around the world. You only have a little bit creativity and lots of courage in you if you have all this things in you able to do this job. Those who intelligently plan there world travel trip they can make a serious income while living it up in exotic.
Let talk about how can we do it
In this world three types of travelers are exists – which one are you?
1. Savers- let assume you got a job, in one location, you save money and save, and when you have enough money and nothing tying you down, you go to travel. If are reading this article you probably know you don’t want to do this type of jobs because this type of jobs sucks. Type 2 is—-
2. Traveling job seekers- these are those types of people who seek for a land job. That pay them while they traveling at different places. Like tour and adventure guide jobs, film and writing jobs, you will get more of this type of jobs. Type 3 is—
You can easily get these types of job by applying very simple formula: apply for bunch of position, send recommendation, make follow-up calls, send thank-you card. Someone sonly contact you.
3. Systems travelers- the third type of people are referred as “new rich” . Because they setup there system using very simple but very new technology to constantly deliver value to other people. For this they get paid for it again and again. If it looks like rubbish to you don’t worry lets get in more depth of it, don’t worry about what they actually do.
Let see one example of system traveler—
Suppose Mithlesh likes training a dog and other animals, so Mithlesh make some YouTube videos and publish them and write a some page of article about any thing that Mithlesh know. Mithlesh job is to help animal owner to train there animals.
When he put these entire things on internet for other to benefit from, the people who are serious about it he will click on the link to watch video and read articles to get more info.
When they do Mithlesh sends him a product he has found online that pays him every time when some one buys it. In this case he makes $40 pre sale. 1 in 20 people buy this product, so if Mithlesh sends 40 people per day product that means he makes $ 80.
Getting the idea how to do it
Jobs that travel around the world are a dime a dozen—
The idea situation is to become a good system traveler with jobs that travel the world. I other word, your online system covers all your expense any many other things also, while your job is for fun anything that pays you very good amount of money.
for more information please visit at this site —-
http://smartpassiveincomes.blogspot.com/
Hello everyone my name is Sachit Singh And I am working as Freelance Digital Marketer. You can contant me on enrique321singh@gmaildotcom
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Top Destinations for Traveling Nurses
The great thing about being a traveling nurse boils down to one key component – it’s about the travel! For those of us who love moving around and seeing the world, travel nursing is the profession of our dreams. There are many travel destinations available, based on weather, activities, cost of living, and salary. Therefore, I have gathered a list of my “Top Ten” destinations that nurses choose, based on the number of travelers who inquire about each location every month. Are you a travel RN scouting a new assignment? Then I’d like to suggest the following ten “Hot Spots”:
HAWAII – It’s no shock that Hawaii generates over 500 travel nursing inquiries per month. The wide range of outdoor activities from snow-capped mountains to snow-white sandy beaches elevates Hawaii to one of those meccas where you can build a snowman or a sand castle all in one day. Nurses tell me that you’ll discover virtually every type of outdoor activity imaginable-hiking trails that wind through erupting volcanoes, secret beaches, and lush green ranchlands. Many travelers also hunt, mountain bike, go rafting, and golf on some of the world’s most extravagant courses.
ALASKA – Travel nurses are intrigued by the possibilities of Alaska’s rugged mystery. Alaska is a huge wilderness with beautiful scenery, and travel nursing assignments offer plenty of time to see and do everything you want, whether in winter’s darkness under northern lights, or the glorious spring and summer where it’s light most of the time. Outdoor enthusiasts enjoy Alaska for its’ wildlife, spectacular natural landscape, and fishing expeditions where the fish really are as big as the stories about which they’re told. Countless day cruises and sightseeing expeditions abound, as well as opportunities to hike, kayak, canoe, ski… Need we say more?
MONTANA – Whether photographer, adventurer, or both, Montana is truly a state that beckons with open arms. River trips, fishing and camping, history, snowy mountain ranges, and waterfalls are what you’ll encounter, along with plenty of open space to explore. Assignments in Montana appeal to those travel nurses who just need some time to break away from their city grind to enjoy marching to the beat of an entirely different drummer. The Big Sky Country boasts some of America’s most famous mountains, canyons, river valleys, forests, grassy plains, badlands, and caverns, and many travelers find it just irresistible enough to keep coming back.
MAINE – Maine’s splendor has inspired artists like Georgia O’Keefe and three generations of the Wyeth family, since the mid-nineteenth century. Travel nurses can’t resist at least one adventure in this charming getaway. Whether you embark on outdoor adventures like skiing and snowmobiling, or if you prefer the cozy ambience of antiquing through charming villages or just strolling or riding horseback on miles of sandy beaches in the smell of salt air, Maine is legendary and offers some wonderful travel nursing experiences. Its’ unique culture is outdoorsy and quaint, and of course you get to enjoy lobster as the locals do-fresh from the ocean!
CALIFORNIA – Warm weather and world-famous beaches make California a favorite choice for traveling nurses. Nine-hundred miles of coastline gives nurses in all locations the chance to spend many hours near the waves; and for nature lovers, California is home to many wildlife parks, remote wilderness areas, and safe-havens for endangered animals. If you’re an excitement junkie, you can scout out a wide selection of theme parks; and no matter what your taste in music, concerts abound in every type of venue. Historic sites and museums invite, as do five-star restaurants and clubs in which to see and be seen. The shopping is unparalleled, whether it’s trendy Melrose Place, La Jolla, or the strand in Venice Beach; and of course it’s home to Hollywood, and, yes, movie stars. Whether northern, southern, or coastal locations, traveling nurses return to California time and again.
WASHINGTON – The Evergreen State boasts the gorgeous Pacific Ocean, the Cascade Mountains, desert experiences, rain forests, towering volcanoes, glaciers, and lush wine country. Washington State rates high on the list of many nurse travelers. Must-sees are the Space Needle and Coulee Dam. The culture here is incredibly diverse; sophisticated, outdoorsy, and loaded with resorts, history, parks, museums, and botanical gardens. Whether touring downtown Seattle for cozy antique and book stores, exploring ancient Indian grounds, or hiking and biking mountains or trails, Washington holds a strong allure for many nurse travelers.
SOUTH CAROLINA – Endless adventure, excitement, fun and exploration represent why South Carolina is always a favorite destination for travel nurses. America’s oldest landscaped gardens frame mansions rife with historical heritage, in addition to pristine beaches and legendary marshy wetlands. For all you golfers, with over 330 golf courses, there’s always a new place to swing your clubs. But what fascinates many traveling nurses is the rich heritage in which South Carolina has paved the roads of culture, art, and folklore in our past. You can visit several historical areas and discovery centers of American history, including the American Revolution and the Civil War.
COLORADO – World-class winter skiing and summer music festivals in the mountains are just two reasons that nurses love traveling to Colorado. Boasting four spectacular seasons, Colorado is where travel nurses get to explore the state’s 18 million acres of state and national parks, forests, and monuments for biking, hiking, fishing, mountain climbing, and kayaking, to name a few. Colorado has many cultural treasures, including ancient Native American sites and dinosaur fossil exhibits, historic ghost towns, and even award-winning vineyards in Grand Junction. And for those who enjoy city life, amid all this natural beauty lie wonderful metropolitan areas like Denver and Boulder, full of shopping, performing arts, and professional sports.
TENNESSEE – From energetic nights of blues on Beale Street, to gorgeous rolling acres of Tennessee Walker horse country, to peaceful Smoky Mountain sunsets, Tennessee is a vacation that offers many world-renowned attractions. Nurse travelers who visit Tennessee will find that they’re within a day’s drive of 75-percent of the U.S. population via quality interstates and highways. Attractions in Tennessee include the Jack Daniels’ distillery, Elvis’s Graceland, the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, and lots of southern hospitality. And don’t forget the crown jewel of the southern Appalachians, the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
ARIZONA – If you adore the outdoors, then the Grand Canyon State might just be for you. The nurses who go there just rave about Arizona’s landscape which takes in tall mountain ranges, swift rivers, grasslands, sand dunes, and cactus forests all set against a beautiful sky that glows pink in the sunset. The traveler nurses who enjoy history will find plenty of it here, including Old West reformations, Native American nations, and Spanish-influenced areas all in one state. Arizona is also home to the nation’s greatest golf courses, resorts, spas, cabins, and ranches.
As you can see, limitless possibilities exist for those nurses who want travel, fun, and adventure to be part of their daily lives. If you’re a nurse who travels and it’s time for you to move on to a new location, try one of these top travel nursing destinations and see what new experiences lie ahead.
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Earn Money While Traveling with the Help of Satellite Internet
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Now more than ever before, it’s easy to support yourself through earning money online. All you need is a satellite internet connection, a good idea, and a little creativity, and you can quickly find many different ways to earn money online. The best thing about that is that it means you can literally earn money from almost anywhere you are in the world. Clearly, that trend has been recognized by people all over the world who have started traveling and blogging about their journeys. These travel blogs not only provide insight into how to explore the world, but also insight into how to survive by earning money with online work.
In the past, if travelers wanted to fund their trips while working, their options for doing so were fairly limited. For the most part, travelers could write articles for magazines, newspapers, or travel guides, or they could take photos for those publications. The travelers that has special skills such as juggling or the ability to play an instrument, could also try to earn their living by busking and performing in the streets of wherever they happened to be. Unfortunately, the problem with all of those methods of earning a living is that none of those methods provide a very reliable stream of income. Many writers and photographers do freelance work, which can result in moments in which they aren’t contracted to do work. Similarly, if a performer gets hurt while they are traveling, they aren’t able to perform and earn money. Thankfully though, satellite internet access makes it possible for all of those problems to be relieved.
World travelers know that as long as they have satellite internet access, their livelihoods are secure. There are so many different ways to make money online, that many travelers struggle to figure out what their best option is rather than struggling to simply find work. Fortunately, satellite internet reaches many places of the world that might not otherwise be connected to the internet. So travelers know that whether they’re wandering through rural Oklahoma or through rural China, that they’ll probably be able to find satellite internet access to do their work, get paid, and keep traveling.
One of the most popular ways for travelers to earn money online is to write about their travels. Many travel publications have ceased to exist in recent years as all forms of publication such as magazines and newspapers have struggled to survive. The real advertising money is online, which means there are also many new websites that are very similar to magazines, and they rely on submissions from writers to survive. For those travelers who would rather work for themselves, they can also create their own blog to share their experiences with the world. By creating your own blog, you have control over when and how much you work, but you will also have to put much more effort into your project up front. Bloggers are able to make money through online advertising or through affiliate sales if they are able to get their readers to buy things from an online store. With so many great ways to make money while exploring the world, what are you waiting for? Get out there, start traveling, and earn while you travel!
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Travel Agency
Origins
The British company Cox & Kings is sometimes said to be the oldest travel agency in the world, but this rests upon the services that the original bank, established in 1758, supplied to its wealthy clients. The modern travel agency first appeared in the second half of the 19th century. Thomas Cook, in addition to developing the package tour, established a chain of agencies in the last quarter of the 19th century, in association with the Midland Railway. They not only sold their own tours to the public, but in addition, represented other tour companies. Other British pioneer travel agencies were Dean and Dawson, the Polytechnic Touring Association and the Co-operative Wholesale Society. The oldest travel agency in North America is Brownell Travel; on July 4, 1887, Walter T. Brownell led ten travelers on a European tour, setting sail from New York on the SS Devonia.
Travel agencies became more commonplace with the development of commercial aviation, starting in the 1920s. Originally, travel agencies largely catered to middle and upper class customers, but the post-war boom in mass-market package holidays resulted in travel agencies on the main streets of most British towns, catering to a working class clientle, looking for a convenient way to book overseas beach holidays.
Operations
As the name implies, a travel agency’s main function is to act as an agent, that is to say, selling travel products and services on behalf of a supplier. Consequently, unlike other retail businesses, they do not keep a stock in hand. A package holiday or a ticket is not purchased from a supplier unless a customer requests that purchase. The holiday or ticket is supplied to them at a discount. The profit is therefore the difference between the advertised price which the customer pays and the discounted price at which it is supplied to the agent. This is known as the commission. A British travel agent would consider a 10-12% commission as a good arrangement. In Australia, all individuals or companies that sell tickets are required to be licensed as a travel agent.
In some countries, airlines have stopped giving commission to travel agencies. Therefore, travel agencies are now forced to charge a percentage premium or a standard flat fee, per sale. However, some companies still give them a set percentage for selling their product. Major tour companies can afford to do this, because if they were to sell a thousand trips at a cheaper rate, they still come out better than if they sell a hundred trips at a higher rate. This process benefits both parties.
Other commercial operations are undertaken, especially by the larger chains. These can include the sale of in-house insurance, travel guide books and timetables, car rentals, and the services of an on-site Bureau de change, dealing in the most popular holiday currencies.
The majority of travel agents have felt the need to protect themselves and their clients against the possibilities of commercial failure, either their own or a supplier’s. They will advertise the fact that they are surety bonded, meaning in the case of a failure, the customers are guaranteed either an equivalent holiday to that which they have lost or if they prefer, a refund. Many British and American agencies and tour operators are bonded with the International Air Transport Association (IATA), for those who issue air tickets, Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (ATOL) for those who order tickets in, the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) or the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA), for those who sell package holidays on behalf of a tour company.
A travel agent is supposed to offer impartial travel advice to the customer. However, this function almost disappeared with the mass-market package holiday and some agency chains seemed to develop a ‘holiday supermarket’ concept, in which customers choose their holiday from brochures on racks and then book it from a counter. Again, a variety of social and economic changes have now contrived to bring this aspect to the fore once more, particularly with the advent of multiple, no-frills, low-cost airlines.
Commissions
Most travel agencies operate on a commission-basis, meaning that the compensation from the airlines, car rentals, cruise lines, hotels, railways, sightseeing tours and tour operators, etc., is expected in form of a commission from their bookings. Most often, the commission consists of a set percentage of the sale.
In the United States, most airlines pay no commission at all to travel agencies. In this case, an agency usually adds a service fee to the net price.
Types of agencies
There are three different types of agencies in the UK: Multiples, Miniples and Independent Agencies. The former comprises a number of national chains, often owned by international conglomerates, like Thomson Holidays, now a subsidiary of TUI AG, the German multinational. It is now quite common for the large mass-market tour companies to purchase a controlling interest in a chain of travel agencies, in order to control the distribution of their product. (This is an example of vertical integration.) The smaller chains are often based in particular regions or districts.
In the United States, there are four different types of agencies: Mega, Regional, Consortium and Independent Agencies. American Express and the American Automobile Association (AAA) are examples of mega travel agencies.
Independent Agencies usually cater to a special or niche market, such as the needs of residents in an upmarket commuter town or suburb or a particular group interested in a similar activity, such as sporting events, like football, golf or tennis.
There are two approaches of travel agencies. One is the traditional, multi-destination, out-bound travel agency, based in the originating location of the traveler and the other is the destination focused, in-bound travel agency, that is based in the destination and delivers an expertise on that location. At present, the former is usually a larger operator like Thomas Cook, while the latter is often a smaller, independent operator.
Consolidators
Airline consolidators and other types of travel consolidators and wholesalers are high volume sales companies that specialize in selling to niche markets. They may or may not offer various types of services, at a single point of access. These can be hotel reservations, flights or car-rentals, for example. Sometimes the services are combined into vacation packages, that include transfers to the location and lodging. These companies do not usually sell directly to the public, but act as wholesalers to retail travel agencies. Commonly, the sole purpose of consolidators is to sell to ethnic niches in the travel industry. Usually, no consolidator offers everything, they may only have contracted rates to specific destinations. Today, there are no domestic consolidators, with some exceptions for business class contracts.
Criticism and controversy
“Racking”
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Travel agencies have been accused of employing a number of restrictive practices, the chief of which is known as ‘racking’. This is the practice of displaying only the brochures of those travel companies whose holidays they wish to sell, the ones that pay them the most commission. Of course, the average customer tends to think that these are the only holidays on offer and is unaware of the possible alternatives.
Conversely, by limiting the number of companies that a travel agency represents, this can bring a better and more profitable, working relationship between the agency and its suppliers. Travel agencies can then obtain special benefits for their customers, from a supplier, by concentrating their bookings with that supplier. Some examples of these special benefits would be room upgrades or the waiver of change and cancellation fees.
(“Racking” is a British expression, not used in the United States.)
The Internet threat
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With general public access to the Internet, many airlines and other travel companies began to sell directly to passengers. As a consequence, airlines no longer needed to pay the commissions to travel agents on each ticket sold. Since 1997, travel agencies have gradually been disintermediated, by the reduction in costs caused by removing layers from the package holiday distribution network. However, travel agents remain dominant in some areas such as cruise vacations where they represent 77% of bookings and 73% of packaged travel.
In response, travel agencies have developed an internet presence of their own by creating travel websites, with detailed information and online booking capabilities. Several major online travel agencies include: Expedia, Voyages-sncf.com, Travelocity, Orbitz, CheapTickets, Priceline, CheapOair and Hotwire.com. Travel agencies also use the services of the major computer reservations systems companies, also known as Global Distribution Systems (GDS), including: SABRE, Amadeus CRS, Galileo CRS and Worldspan, which is a subsidiary of Travelport, allowing them to book and sell airline tickets, hotels, car rentals and other travel related services. Some online travel websites allow visitors to compare hotel and flight rates with multiple companies for free. They often allow visitors to sort the travel packages by amenities, price, and proximity to a city or landmark.
Travel agents have applied dynamic packaging tools to provide fully bonded (full financial protection) travel at prices equal to or lower than a member of the public can book online. As such, the agencies’ financial assets are protected in addition to professional travel agency advice.
All travel sites that sell hotels online work together with GDS, suppliers and hotels directly to search for room inventory. Once the travel site sells a hotel, the site will try to get a confirmation for this hotel. Once confirmed or not, the customer is contacted with the result. This means that booking a hotel on a travel website will not necessarily result in an instant answer. Only some hotels on a travel website can be confirmed instantly (which is normally marked as such on each site). As different travel websites work with different suppliers together, each site has different hotels that it can confirm instantly. Some examples of such online travel websites that sell hotel rooms are Expedia, Orbitz and WorldHotel-Link.
The comparison sites, such as Kayak.com, TripAdvisor and SideStep search the resellers site all at once to save time searching. None of these sites actually sell hotel rooms.
Often tour operators have hotel contracts, allotments and free sell agreements which allow for the immediate confirmation of hotel rooms for vacation bookings.
Mainline service providers are those that actually produce the direct service, like various hotels chains or airlines that have a website for online bookings. Portals will serve a consolidator of various airlines and hotels on the internet. They work on a commission from these hotels and airlines. Often, they provide cheaper rates than the mainline service providers as these sites get bulk deals from the service providers. A meta search engine on the other hand, simply culls data from the internet on real time rates for various search queries and diverts traffic to the mainline service providers for an online booking. These websites usually do not have their own booking engine.
Careers
With the many people switching to self-service internet websites, the number of available jobs as travel agents is decreasing. Most jobs that become available are from older travel agents retiring. Counteracting the decrease in jobs due to internet services is the increase in the number of people travelling. Since 1995, many travel agents have exited the industry, and relatively few young people have entered the field due to less competitive salaries. However, others have abandoned the ‘brick and mortar’ agency for a home-based business to reduce overheads and those who remain have managed to survive by promoting other travel products such as cruise lines and train excursions or by promoting their ability to aggressively research and assemble complex travel packages on a moment’s notice, essentially acting as a very advanced concierge.
Cargo
A small number of companies work with cargo airlines and cargo ships.
See also
Hospitality industry
International Association of Travel Agents Network
Receptive Services Association of America
Travel technology
Notes
^ “Travel Agents”. Victoria (Australia): Business Licensing Authority. 2009. http://www.bla.vic.gov.au/wps/wcm/connect/Business+Licensing+Authority/Home/Travel+Agents/. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
^ “Travel & Tourism”. International Air Transport Association. 2009. http://www.iata.org/whatwedo/travel-tourism/. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
^ “First Choice-TUI merger cleared”. BBC News. 2007-06-04. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6720995.stm.
^ Andal-Ancion, Angela; Cartwright, Phillip A.; Yip, George S. (June 2003). “The Digital Transformation of Traditional Businesses”. Cambridge, MA: MIT Sloan Management Review. pp. Vol. 44, No. 4, pp. 3441. http://sloanreview.mit.edu/smr/issue/2003/summer/9/.
^ Edmunds, Marian (2002-03-12). “A wake-up call for the industry”. Financial Times. http://specials.ft.com/ftit/march2002/FT3Z9WRBNYC.html. Retrieved 1 July 2009.
^ “Media Kit”. Travel Agent (magazine). http://www.travelagentcentral.com/digital-media-kit/magazine-media-information. Retrieved 2008-12-28. “based on PhoCus Wright Travel Agency Distribution Landscape Study”
^ Rebecca Tobi (2002-10-28). “Wanted: young agents! Are young people shying away from careers in travel? Agents and travel school operators say yes. Look around your agencyee any young faces?”. Travel Weekly Vol 61, no. 43. p. 148149.
References
Bottomley Renshaw, Mike (1997). The Travel Agent (2nd ed.). Sunderland: Business Education Publishers Ltd. ISBN 1-901888-00-2. OCLC 228287734.
External links
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