[Source: m-travel.com]

Facebook to address the US online travel industry
Facebook will join the exciting line of top travel brands at EyeforTravel’s Social Media Strategies for Travel 2010 conference which will be held in San Francisco, 24-25 March.  With over 300 million users, the leading social networking site consistently tops Western world rankings as the number 1 most visited social networking site and plays a dominant role in the ever-changing social media landscape.

Facebook’s far reaching audiences have long provided an attractive platform for companies to experiment with engaging new customers, increasing brand awareness and brand interaction.   There have been many interesting case studies published in the media detailing the innovative ways companies have used Facebook’s diverse features and the degrees of success that they have experienced.

Many US travel companies have recognised the need to have a Facebook presence and are devoting an increasing amount of resources towards it.  Making their presence meaningful and understanding how customers prefer to use Facebook however is still (according to EyeforTravel Research) a key challenge.  Other industries such as retail have frequently taken the lead in this area and there is much for travel companies still to learn.

A leading representative from Facebook will be presenting on a session examining how to get the most out of valuable time and resources invested in social media.  Following their presentation the audience of senior travel professionals will have their chance to ask questions.

[Source: m-travel]

Offering customised lodgings to each customer
Torrenegra Labs has completed the beta version of its new online venture, LetMeGo.com. The travel site is a new online marketplace where travelers submit itineraries, and lodgings bid for their business.

Lodgings can see other bids for any itinerary they’ve been invited to bid for, and can adjust their off ers accordingly, in real time. Travelers choose the bids they like best based on features, location, and price.

According to the company, LetMeGo distinguishes itself in several important ways from the biggest names in the online travel and lodging industry. Differentiators include:

Semi-transparent bidding process: LetMeGo brings the reverse-auction model to the lodging industry. By allowing travelers to choose lodgings from which they wish to receive bids, and by allowing both travellers and lodging managers to compare those bids in real time, LetMeGo brings unprecedented clarity and efficiency to the process of choosing a lodging.

Access to all lodging types: LetMeGo users can receive bids from any type of lodging they choose, from hotels to vacation rentals to apartment buildings to B&Bs.

[Source: m-travel.com]

Talk money
Discuss how everything will be divided up before you start spending money on things like airline tickets or a new GPS device. In developing your budget, be sure to include all costs for transportation, food, lodging and entertainment. If you are traveling by car, decide who will drive, how you will divide the cost of fuel and whose vehicle you will use?

Hash out travel preferences
Once at your destination, will you opt to use the subway while your friends prefer to take a taxi? Are you a hot dog and soda type of couple while your friends prefer fine dining and small, exclusive bistros? The cost difference is substantial so this is an important topic to address.

Anticipate airport security
Seriously, you know the drill at the airport, so don’t act surprised when you are strip searched because you are packing scissors, a utility knife and two pair of tweezers in your pocket.

Party animal or party-phobic
Are you the type who will skip dinner in order to get straight to drinking and dancing, while your friends prefer to share an early bird special and go to bed with the chickens? Better to understand your social “likes and dislikes” before making reservations for four at that exclusive hot spot, which requires a credit card deposit and your finger prints to get in.

Fish stew and grouchy friends don’t travel well
It’s no fun to get stuck in a hot car with either, and it’s worse when you are subjected to hours of complaints and negative remarks from travel mates who are not as travel friendly as you and your spouse. Take a good, hard look at your travel companion’s personality and decide if you are a travel fit.

Anticipate problems
There is no doubt that something will go wrong during the vacation, and packing an open mind and good attitude along with your string bikini and your husbands Speedo are a good idea. (Just joking about the Speedo!)

Assign duties
If you are sharing a condo at the beach or a cabin in the woods, it would be a good idea to decide who will wear the chef’s hat and who will swat the bugs. If everyone pitches in, sharing tight quarters or a huge living space will be more enjoyable for everyone.

Schedule alone time
Just because you are traveling together doesn’t mean you must be attached at the hip to the other couple. (That also applies to your spouse!) Everyone can benefit from a short break.

Surprises aren’t always fun…
especially when they come in the form of unexpected guests such as children, pets and extra friends. If not included in the original travel plan discussion, don’t assume they will be welcome without asking first. Don’t be offended or surprised when your friends nix the idea of your three kids during their own “no kids” vacation.

Put all your cards on the table
Annoying habits, that is. If you snore so loud you wake the dead, or your wife has an incessant habit of cracking her knuckles to the tune of Yankee Doodle, spill the beans sooner than later.

Shopping or museums?
While you are online checking out all of the historic points of interest, your friends may be online checking out all of the summer sales. Again, communicate your interests and don’t be afraid to go your separate ways. A small dose of both is a friendly compromise.

Pack smart
If you are going to Niagara Falls, don’t leave your tennis shoes in your closet and assume your friends will have an extra pair. If you need a blow dryer, pack it or plan to buy one when you get to where you are going. Don’t assume your friends will pack necessities that you can “borrow.” Conversely, if you plan together, you can both pack lighter.

And finally, get a goods night rest the night before you leave so you can start your vacation on the right foot. Nothing spells trouble more precisely than waking up late, packing at the last minute, forgetting your medication, realizing your car needs gas and missing your flight. And, remember to have a great vacation.

Here are a few of today’s hottest specialty travel opportunities:

Adventure Travel and Outdoor Excursions
Adventure means different things to different people. For some it might be sailing or snorkeling in the crystal indigo waters off the coast of Cancun, Mexico; others might get a thrill from petting a shark or climbing 4,000 feet in the cockpit of a Soviet jet trainer. It certainly means a lot of fun for a lot of people. Statistics provided by the Travel Industry Association (TIA) show that during the past five years, 98 million adults have taken an adventure trip–rock climbing, mountain hiking, whitewater rafting, spelunking, parasailing, skydiving and other activities. “Soft adventure” vacations are milder and may feature walking, bicycling, fishing, camping or horseback riding.

Many adventure and eco-tour operators have developed their niche because of a desire to share their passion and experience with others. Jennifer Sage, owner of Viva Travels, plans custom guided and self-guided bicycle tours in France and Italy.

Luxury Travel
Luxury traveling caters to a posh demographic and does not have any competition from the thousands of discount travel sites. Affluent customers are willing to spend more to get more, which means a luxury travel specialist will need to resonate with people who consider exotic travel to be a lifestyle.

Many upscale travelers are retaining agents who act as “travel concierges,” making all the arrangements from travel and lodging to dinner reservations and theater tickets, often for a flat fee of up to $1,000. Even more well-heeled clients might opt for a members-only travel concierge like a New York City firm that charges $250,000 just to join and another $10,000 in annual fees.

For Women Only
Recently, Road and Travel magazine reported that women influence 85 percent of all travel decisions and comprise 40 percent of all business travelers. “Girlfriends getaways” have become a booming trend in the travel industry, spurring new start-ups like Chick Vacations, owned by Heather Hills. When she created the site in 2007, Hills wanted to show women they don’t need to spend a lot of money on fancy “raft the Amazon” or “climb the Himalayas” adventure travel.

Another female demographic to target is older women. According to the recent statistics provided by the U.S. Census Bureau, mature women outnumber men by a ratio of 100 to 81 (55–64); 100 to 82 (65–74); 100 to 69 (75–84); and 100 to 49 (85+). The Travel Industry Association of America predicts older female travelers will be one of the driving forces behind senior traveling in the long term.

Although spas and cruises remain popular choices for women, dozens of other special interest trips are springing up: wine-tasting in Napa Valley, making handicrafts with the locals in Costa Rica or shopping in Versailles.

Mancations
“Mancation” is one of the latest buzzwords in the travel industry, a spin-off on the girlfriends’ getaway marketing phenomenon. Although the term is new, the concept isn’t–as evidenced by the dozens of guy-getaway themed movies that have been around for ages.

Last year when James Hills was helping his wife, Heather, launch Chick Vacations, he discovered the field of guys getaways was virtually nonexistent online. “A lot of buzz was starting to generate, and we knew this was going to be a good subject,” he says. “We took some of the same philosophy from Heather’s site and applied it to the Man Tripping site to show that guys’ getaways don’t need to be booze-soaked orgies. There is a lot more to being a guy than sex and drinking, so I am looking forward to exploring and promoting that angle.”

Mancations provide the opportunity for men to get together and bond with guys from work or old friends from college. Although golf outings, sports events and fishing trips are the mainstays of male bonding, some of the fellas are branching out with high-velocity adventures like skydiving and bungee jumping, while others opt to kick back with spa treatments and back waxes.

Honeymooners
Couples who are deeply immersed in wedding plans are often more than happy to turn over the reins of planning a honeymoon package to a travel professional. The couple generally knows where they want to go and may sometimes have a vague idea of what to do when they get there, but the rest may be up to you. Once you have a sense of their likes and dislikes you can then make some recommendations—whether it’s cruising in the Bahamas, kanoodling in Hawaii or camping in the Rockies. Upon their arrival, surprise them with a spa treatment basket, champagne on ice or tickets to a special attraction. Unique personal touches and attention to details will increase the odds you’ll be recommended to family and friends.

Grandtravel
“Grandtravel” is a specialized niche that is one of the fastest growing travel trends, representing more than 21 percent of all trips taken with children last year, according to the TIA. Grandparents today are not like grandparents of yesterday; greater numbers are more energetic, active, and adventurous. They don’t want to stay home and look after the grandkids. Instead, they want to pack the kids up and take them along on fun-filled vacations, while leaving the parents at home to take a breather. Because geography separates many families, special trips bring grandparents and grandchildren together to strengthen bonds and create lasting memories. As an added bonus, most of the time senior and children’s discounts can be factored into the package for added savings.

Disabled Travelers
Travelers with disabilities have more opportunities than ever to explore the world with the assistance of hi-tech support and creative planning. A study done by the Open Doors Organization, the TIA, and the Society for Accessible Travel and Hospital (SATH) indicates that disabled travelers currently spend approximately $3.3 million a year on travel. “Dialysis cruises” using portable dialysis equipment are planned for patients and their families; road trips are taken with wheelchair accessible vans and buses; and transportable nebulizers and oxygen cylinders are made available for travelers with respiratory problems.

When planning a tour for those with physical limitations, consider the accessibility of the facilities on your itinerary. Are there steps that will need to be navigated? Even one step could be a problem for someone in a wheelchair or using a walker. Does the museum have elevators large enough to accommodate wheelchairs? Are the restrooms in the basilica handicapped accessible? Are aisles and walkways at the quaint little antique village wide enough for wheelchairs and scooters? Are the sidewalks in the town rough and uneven?

As each country has its own standards, disabled clients traveling abroad may face additional challenges regarding transportation and accessibility. Advance research and planning are a necessity so your clients can have a safe and enjoyable trip.

Travelers with Pets
Traveling with pets is a very specialized niche that is growing quickly as demand increases and resources expand. According to TIA, more than 29 million Americans traveled with their favorite canines and kitties during the last three years. Pet lovers cross all economic spectrums, but luxury and business travelers are more likely to spend the extra cash and make the necessary arrangements to bring their beloved companions with them.

Loews Hotels was the first national hotel brand to welcome pets with their “Loews Loves Pets” program. Fido and FiFi even have their own room service menu with recipes prepared from scratch. Since then, many vacation resorts and hotels have added “pet-friendly” to their list of amenities because they realize animal lovers who travel with their pets usually have money to spend. Focusing on this particular trend has given them a distinctive edge over the competition that you can take advantage of.

There are many ways to segue into this niche. For example, you can be a pet travel concierge like Puppy Travel or a subscription-based site that provides up-to-date information for its members at Pets on the Go™. When planning trips for pet lovers you will want to map out dog-walking routes, pet-friendly restaurants, pet shops, groomers and find information about local veterinarians and other services for the discriminating pet owner.

You can search for guides on Nextstop by places, guides and map, or just focus your search on a specific city. Of course, if and when more users create their own guides, the site could potentially be a decent resource for interesting things to do in a given city, especially centered around a specific theme.

Nextstop - Hidden Spots in San Francisco

Nextstop is useful for a bunch of situations: planning a weekend, finding a restaurant for a brunch with friends, or planning a honeymoon in some far-off tropical destination. You can discover places to visit and things to do by browsing to different locations through search, or simply browsing friends’ recommendations to see what strikes your fancy.

U.S. Mexico Border (Source: LATimes.com)

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative (WHTI) requires U.S. and Canadian travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the U.S. It is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA).

The goal of WHTI is to facilitate entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors, while strengthening U.S. border security. Standard documents will enable the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.

WHTI will go into effect June 1, 2009 for land and sea travel into the U.S. WHTI went into effect for air travelers on January 23, 2007.

Anyone over the age of 16 will be required to present a valid passport or traveler card such as Nexus, Sentri, or Fast cards to get back into the U.S. American citizens 15 years old or younger will still be allowed to travel with a copy of their birth certificate. Visitors to the U. S. may also gain entry after Monday with a Nexus and FAST card for trusted travellers and commercial carriers.

Areas that fall under the WHTI:
Canada
Mexico
Bermuda
The Caribbean region (includes 17 nations)

The WHTI-compliant documents described below are acceptable for entry or re-entry into the United States. You may be required to present additional or different travel documents when entering foreign countries, including countries in the Western Hemisphere. Before you travel, make sure you know the entry requirements of the country you plan to visit. See Country Specific Information for more information on the country you are traveling to.

AIR TRAVEL
All U.S. citizens traveling by air are required to present a passport book to enter or re-enter the United States.

LAND AND SEA TRAVEL
The following summarizes information available on the Department of Homeland Security’s website.

CURRENTLY:
All U.S. citizens must show proof of identity and proof of U.S. citizenship when entering the United States from Canada, Mexico, Bermuda and the countries of the Caribbean by land or sea.

Acceptable documents include: U.S. Passport Book, U.S. Passport Card, or other document approved by the Department of Homeland Security.

U.S. citizens who do not have a single document verifying identity and citizenship must present both an identification and citizenship document; for example, a driver’s license and a copy of a birth certificate or naturalization certificate.

LATER:
On June 1, 2009, the U.S. government will implement the full requirements of the land and sea phase of WHTI. The proposed rules require most U.S. citizens entering the United States at sea or land ports of entry to have a passport, passport card, or other travel document approved by the Department of Homeland Security.

CHILDREN: U.S. citizen children under the age of 16 will be able to present the original or copy of their birth certificate, or other proof of U.S. citizenship such as a naturalization certificate or citizenship card.

Groups of U.S. citizen children ages 16 through 18, when traveling with a school or religious group, social organization, or sports team, will be able to enter under adult supervision with originals or copies of their birth certificates or other proof of citizenship. See the Department of Homeland Security’s GetYouHome.gov for more information on the changing travel requirements.

U.S. PASSPORT AND WHTI COMPLIANT DOCUMENTS:

U.S. Passport: U.S. citizens may present a valid U.S. passport to enter or re-enter the United States when traveling via air, land or sea from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda.

The U.S. Passport Card: The passport card is only valid for re-entry into the United States at land border crossings and sea ports-of-entry from Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean region, and Bermuda.

WHTI-Compliant Travel Documents for U.S. citizen travel via land or sea, as of January 31, 2008:

• Trusted Traveler Cards (NEXUS, SENTRI, or FAST)
• State Issued Enhanced Driver’s License (when available)
• Enhanced Tribal Cards (when available)
• U.S. Military Identification with Military Travel Orders
• U.S. Merchant Mariner Document when traveling in conjunction with official maritime business
• Native American Tribal Photo Identification Card
• Form I-872 American Indian Card

For further information see U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s website Ready, Set…Go!

ABOUT WHTI

The Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative is a result of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 (IRTPA), requiring all travelers to present a passport or other document that denotes identity and citizenship when entering the United States.

Please Note: The WHTI-compliant documents described above are acceptable for entry or re-entry into the United States. You may be required to present additional or different travel documents when entering foreign countries, including some countries in the Western Hemisphere. Before you travel, make sure you know the entry requirements of the country you plan to visit. See Country Specific Information for more information on the country you are traveling to.

The goal of WHTI is to strengthen U.S. border security while facilitating entry for U.S. citizens and legitimate foreign visitors by providing standardized documentation that enables the Department of Homeland Security to quickly and reliably identify a traveler.

[Source: U.S. Department of State - Travel.State.Gov]

In News:
New U.S. border rules take effect for land and sea entry [CNN]
Tighter border security kicking in [Canada.com]
Get ready for new border rules on Monday [LATimes}
It's ID Day: New border rules in effect [The Globe & Mail]
Enhanced driver’s licences too smart for their own good [TheStar.com]
Few delays as new border rules start [Freep.com]
Border agents to go easy on IDs [Freep.com]
New passport rules in effect at U.S. borders [MSNBC]

So here’s the 10 links for today:
1. Eight places where you can eat for free in Paris [writingtravel.com]
2. 10 Awesome Amsterdam Museums [ratestogo blog]
3. Grand Pacific Drive from Sydney to Wollongong
4. 20 things everyone must do in Italy [italylogue.com]
5. Ice Hotel in Sweden
6. Download Hurtigruten Norway & Antartic brochures [Hurtigruten]
7. Everything about Machu Picchu, Peru
8. Bed And Breakfasts: How Do You Choose? [WSB TV]
9. Great Rail Journey Brochure Request
10. Kalslauttanen – Igloo and Hotel Village in Finland

Where: Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Estonia

Currencies

So here are the TENTATIVE costs for the trip. These include accommodation in Youth Hostel, food for one person per day in each city, and other costs from train, cruises and buses. Please note that these are tentative and does not include any personal expenses. Some of the costs cannot be determined so I have put my assumptions.

Note: All costs are subject to change. These are as per current (2008) rates, which may be different in 2009.

Add another $600 for personal expenses or any additional expenses and you reach the $5,000 mark!

Legend:
YHI – Youth Hostel International
LAX – Los Angeles International Airport
OSL – Oslo Lufthavn Airport
CPH – Copenhagen Lufthavne Airport
TOS – Tromsø Langnes Airport
BGO – Bergen Airport Flesland
TLL – Tallinn Airport
Nkr – Norwegian Kroner
Skr – Swedish Krona
Dkr – Danish Krone
Ekr – Estonian Kroonie