Author: Buy2Greece

With working hours ever-increasing and work-life balance issues seemingly growing more and more intense, modern technology has made us a 24/7 contactable generation – using our smart phones to monitor emails on the move, check ourselves in via Facebook, and keep on track with the very latest breaking news on Twitter at the mere touch of an app.

Yet being part of the ‘have it all’ generation comes at a cost. Although technology was originally developed to save us time, it now takes up our time, and this all-consuming lifestyle is beginning to have an effect on our health. The Office for National Statistics revealed in their ‘Sickness Absence in the Labour Market’ report that 15.2 million days of work were lost in 2013 due to mental health problems such as stress, depression and anxiety, up from 13.3 million days in 2011.

Not only affecting people’s mental health in a detrimental way, stress also lowers the body’s ability to fight infection and disease, with a recent study detailing the worrying damage it can cause the heart, which taken alongside the more commonly known effects of digestive and respiratory problems, stress has a wide-ranging negative impact on a person.

For many the solution is to take a holiday, escape from everyday pressures for a week or two, yet the Spafinder Wellness 365′s ’2014 Trends Forecast’ has shown that 85% of people surveyed returned from their break less rejuvenated than before they left. The answer is to choose the right kind of holiday, one that will allow a true escape and has relaxation at its core.

Wolf Worster, MD of Wolf Wörster Associates, Inc, a global property consultancy marketing The Baymen Resort & Spa in Belize’s Cayo region, explains what makes a resort a truly relaxing,”For me I would say it is the little touches that make a resort totally tranquil – a beautifully designed spa with the very best fittings, the location of the relaxation areas that allow for idyllic views, comfortable sofas in which to flop after a warm day in the sun, the pure waters of an infinity or plunge pool – all adding to the serenity of the surrounds. At The Baymen, all of these aspects are included, and more, offering the ultimate in relaxation for individual owners and those staying as guests.”

The Spafinder Wellness 365 report also confirmed, in response to returning unrefreshed from their holidays, that people were now demanding greater ‘wellness’ from their breaks. 82%, for example, now claim they want a holiday that offers a spa or massage, 73% require an eco-property, and 82% look for nature experiences. All aspects that contribute to the overall relaxation of a resort, The Baymen in Belize ticks all these boxes.

Situated in the lush jungle foliage of a private rainforest location, the eco hotel has been designed to reveal its beauty gradually, encouraging guests to feel immediately tranquil and enthralled by the resort as they are welcomed with a signature cocktail and refreshing chilled towels infused with local organic oil.

Tourists are drawn to the Bloomery Plantation distillery yearning for its liqueurs with fruity flavors, its well maintained picturesque farms and a charming environ that is a delight for any tourist coming from The US, Loas or Iceland. The truly flavored and nectarine comforts are remarkable and unforgettable.
The West Virginia mini-distillery is part of a growing agriculture tourism trend that advocates say can help revive struggling rural economies. Ag tourism refers to working farm enterprises geared to visitors, encompassing farm stands, pumpkin patches, barn dances, zip-line rides, pick-your-own berries, corn mazes and even weddings.
Farms engaging in agritourism generated roughly $700 million in 2012 — a 24 per cent increase over five years, according to the most recent U.S. Agriculture Department statistics. But that’s still a sliver compared to some other, more traditional forms of tourism; for example, visitors to national parks spent about $14.6 billion in communities within 60 miles last year.
Ag tourism is one of agriculture’s fasting growing sectors, said Kelly Smith, marketing and commodities director at the Missouri Farm Bureau. The bureau and the state Department of Agriculture recently hosted an agritourism conference in Kansas City, where there was particular interest in weddings on farms and farm-to-table dinners, where food grown by a farmer is served at a meal on the farmer’s property.
“Many farmers are looking to add revenue streams to their farms,” Smith said.
Last month, the Appalachian Regional Commission, a federal agency charged with promoting economic development in that area, launched a map and guide of nearly 300 farmers markets, vineyards, farm-to-fork restaurants and other destinations in an effort to boost the industry. The map and guide were published in Food Traveler Magazine and online.
“Local food systems are growing throughout Appalachia, and their growth is making important economic contributions in rural communities,” said Earl F. Gohl, who co-chairs the commission along with West Virginia Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin.
Linda Losey, who had never owned a farm before, started Bloomery Plantation Distillery in 2011 after deciding to try her hand at making limoncello, an Italian lemon liqueur. The distillery uses many of its home-grown products in its drinks — “Moonshine Milkshake” and hard lemonade among them — plucking fresh raspberries, pumpkin, lemons and ginger.
Now, the business generates nearly $1 million in annual sales and employs 14 people. Until about a year ago, 97 per cent of its business was selling onsite, but that’s changing, said Rob Losey, Linda’s ex-husband and business partner. The split is now 80-20, and Losey said that number will continue to shift.
“We’ll max out here. All the growth will be in external markets,” he said.
Employee Allison Manderino, 28, served up drinks at the small bar in a restored log cabin dating back to the 1800s. “I will be the poison police for you,” Manderino told a pair of customers before pouring herself a sample. After taking a swig, she confirmed, “Not poison.” Later, Manderino donned a lemon costume and danced with a customer.
Megan Bean, who recently visited the distillery from nearby Harpers Ferry, said West Virginia needs to promote tourism as much as possible.
“Especially with the locavore movement, slow food seems to be getting bigger and bigger all the time,” she said “If we can be a part of that, it’s a great thing.”
About 16 miles away in Martinsburg, West Virginia, family farm George S. Orr & Sons added a retail market in 1995. Retail sales now generate about 15 per cent of the business, up from 5 per cent just seven years ago, said retail market manager Katy Orr-Dove. The rest is mostly wholesale fruit sold to grocery stores.
Orr-Dove said the increase in retail sales was sparked by the “buy local” movement.
“People started having a greater interest in finding locally grown fruits and vegetables and they started looking for us,” she said. “At about the same time, we decided we wanted to reach out more and increased our advertising, our website, our e-newsletter.”
Orr-Dove said that ag tourism represents a good opportunity to help West Virginia’s economy.
In 2012, 174 farms in West Virginia generated about $1.2 million in agritourism — up from 112 farms and $970,000 in 2007, according to the USDA. The West Virginia University Extension Service will do an agritourism study starting this fall to determine its impact on tax revenues, jobs and income, said Doolarie Singh-Knights, an assistant professor at the extension.
“The possibilities are endless,” Orr-Dove said. “West Virginia is known for being mountainous farmlands. And there are a lot of people who have small farms already.”
One recent customer was first-time visitor Tanya Opperman.
“It’s important to know where your food’s coming from so we’re trying to do more of the local produce and the fresh produce, and then it’s fun to get the kids outside,” the Virginia resident said.
The state of Maryland offers promotions to encourage people to visit farms, and has also put up some signs directing tourists to agriculture sites.
“As farmers diversify their operations and connect more directly with consumers,” Maryland Agriculture Secretary Buddy Hance said, “ag tourism has become a growing segment of Maryland agriculture and an important source of income for our farmers.”

Hilton Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide’s flagship brand with more than 550 properties across six continents, has launched a new phase in its “Our Stage. Your Story.” marketing campaign, focusing on social media engagement – and offering fans the chance to win a two-night stay at any Hilton Hotels & Resorts property around the globe.

Every week from now through October 26, Hilton will award a two-night stay to a lucky traveler who shares an image from their own travels using #HiltonStory each week. Entries may be posted to Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. Whether it’s a family trip to Florida, a girls’ weekend in Cabo San Lucas or a romantic visit to Whistler, Hilton is asking consumers to dig up photos from their favorite trips and share their best memories.

“Travel is all about finding new experiences, and #HiltonStory gives travelers the opportunity to share highlights of their adventures – and maybe earn the chance to make more great memories with Hilton,” said Nancy Deck, Vice President, Full Service Brand Marketing, Hilton Worldwide. “For travels big and small, Hilton sets the stage for memorable experiences around the globe, and we are thrilled to give our loyal customers an opportunity to share theirs in a new way.”

To help promote #HiltonStory and “Our Stage. Your Story.,” Hilton will create engaging YouTube videos that feature inspiring travel photos the brand has collected from its consumers, marking the first time the brand has included user-generated content in a marketing campaign. While the contest is open to residents in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Mexico, Hilton encourages travelers all over the world to submit their stories that could be featured on the brand’s social channels. “Our Stage. Your Story.” content and the official rules may be found on the campaign’s landing page, accessed via a dedicated Facebook app.

To further inspire travelers to share their stories, Hilton is partnering with a phone case design company Casetify, formerly Casetagram – a first-time hospitality partnership for the brand. Each week, Hilton will randomly select #HiltonStory participants to receive a phone case from the exclusive Hilton x Casetify collection, featuring Hilton’s #HiltonStory imagery. The limited-edition #HiltonStory phone cases will also be sold on Casetify’s website, http://www.casetify.com/hiltonhotels, from early August to late October.

“Our Stage. Your Story.” is an integrated brand campaign that Hilton launched in February 2014. Using print, digital and social media, the campaign is designed to showcase unique travel stories that underscore travelers’ passion and thirst for new and exciting experiences. The #HiltonStory social media campaign follows several strategic partnerships and distinctive new platforms for the brand to showcase how its more than 550 properties worldwide serve as the stages for cultural and sometimes iconic stories. Partnerships include exclusive concerts with SpinMedia, a digital radio campaign with iTunes Radio, an integration with Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla film and sponsorships of events including the GRAMMY Awards and some of the world’s most prominent LGBT Pride Festivals.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced global passenger traffic results for June showing a modest deceleration in demand growth compared to the prior month. Total revenue passenger kilometers (RPKs) rose 4.7% over the year-ago period, which was below the 6.2% year-on-year increase recorded in May 2014. June capacity (available seat kilometers or ASKs) increased by 5.0%, causing load factor to slip 0.2 percentage points to 81.5%.

“June traffic growth at 4.7% is encouraging even though it is a slight weakening on May’s performance. Earlier signs of a softening in demand are dissipating. While that’s good news there are many risks in the political and economic environment that need careful monitoring,” said Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

Jun 2014 vs. Jun 2013 RPK Growth ASK Growth PLF
International 5.5% 5.7% 81.4
Domestic 3.4% 3.8% 81.7
Total Market 4.7% 5.0% 81.5

YTD 2014 vs. YTD 2013 RPK Growth ASK Growth PLF
International 6.4% 6.4% 78.7
Domestic 5.1% 4.3% 80.3
Total Market 5.9% 5.6% 79.3

International Passenger Markets
June international passenger demand rose 5.5% compared to the same month last year, with airlines in all regions except Africa recording growth and the strongest gains among Middle East carriers. Capacity climbed 5.7% and load factor dipped 0.2 percentage points to 81.4%.

European Airports are going to get greener. Greener in terms of lesser carbon emission and lesser energy costs. Researchers in Europe have used the funding from European Commission to develop a new software and sensor system that will monitor carbon emission and reduce energy costs by 20%.

The pilot testing of the system is currently taking place at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, and Milan’s Malpensa Airport in Italy. The new system, called Cascade, is said, will save these Italian airports at least 6000 megawatts per hour, which equates to 42,000 tonnes of CO2 and €840,000 a year. Partners in Germany, Italy, Ireland and Serbia are jointly working on the new system, supported by €2.6 million of EU funding.

ACI Europe, which represents more than 450 airports in Europe, has committed its support to the project, and it is expected the system will see wider use in European gateways from 2015. It is believed that 100% European airports need to become “smarter and greener”, The Cascade system shows that being sustainable doesn’t have to cost a fortune, and that actually it can save energy and money.

Vacation homes witnessed a splendid progress over the past few years. Their availability on the market was like a breath of fresh air for tourists who were sort of bored with staying in extremely professional looking hotel rooms. Not surprisingly, people gave a warm welcome to vacation homes as it allowed them the luxury of having an exotic home all to themselves. After all, basking in luxury is one of the key priorities of people during a vacation.
reception

However, as the vacation home industry is sort of established now. The freshness has faded. Expectations of tourists have grown manifold and competition from hotel is also pinching the vacation rental owners. It is high time vacation rental managers and owners take stalk of the reality and tighten their belt. To succeed the competition, they ought to bridge the gap between highly professional attitude of the hotel and the laxity associated with vacation rentals. Hence a balanced commercialization should be adopted, which does not hurt the charm of a rental and at the same time matches the growing demand of the discerning tourists.

What does ‘commercialization’ of the vacation rental really means?
It means adopting the professional attitude of the hotel and becoming more systematic in order to offer the best treatment to the visiting guests. Visitors should be made aware of the services they can expect from the vacation home. Their inquiries, requirements and feedback should be well attended to make them feel more comfortable. At the same time, vacation owners should stop short of becoming too commercial and put off tourists that choose them over hotels simply because they hate the “commercial” attitude of a typical hotel. The crux of the matter is that vacation owners must come in terms with the fact that they are doing business. Hence they have the obligation to behave as a professional.

Steps vacation home owners should take to become more commercialized
Spruce up your interiors
This does not mean you need to make expensive renovations, offer brand new furniture or adorn the walls with expensive artwork. A commercial makeover to the interiors may simply mean, having complementing sheets, pillow cases and blankets and having the same color of the bedding all through the rooms. Having an embroidered logo on the bed linens can also render a professional look to your rental that will appeal to your guests.

Get labels
Labeling stuff is another simple route to give your rental a commercial look and feel. This is especially desirable if you have a large condo or a big vacation villa. It is a good idea to have your labels laminated before they are slapped on things.

Invest in an inventory management system
A reason why people prefer hotel is that they are more organized and methodical in their approach. Albeit a small business, vacation rental can be made more systematic. Owners can take advantage of software packages which can be downloaded for free besides they can take benefit of cloud based services that make organization convenient. Being organized can streamline things to a significant extent and make life easier for the vacation owners.

Add a dash of commercialization to the bathroom
A luxurious and well appointed bathroom is highly appreciated by tourists. Vacation owners can make the bathing experience more enchanting by being commercial. Akin to the services offered by a hotel, they must offer towels (adorned with the logo of the rental), shower gel, shower caps etc to make the stay more comfortable. Dispensers on the wall of the bathroom can make life even more convenient for the guests.

Housekeeping
This one is of course highly desirable. When staying in a rental people expect the same professional housekeeping service as offered in hotels. Vacation owners should hire housekeeping professionals to ensure a comfortable stay to their guests.

Concierge service
Vacation rental owners must also offer concierge service to their guests as offered by most hotels. The service will help tourists get their bookings done for air, rail or bus and can even help to make reservations in restaurants or bookings in theaters, theme parks etc. When on a vacation tourists are in a mood to relax and enjoy, keeping their mind away from such stress is a highly desirable and vacation owners must keep this in mind.

There are many more ways through which vacation owners can give their rental a commercial makeover. This was just to help rental owners get an idea on how they can offer more professional service to their guests. A touch of commercialization through steps mentioned above will surely help visitors enjoy a more comfortable stay and gradually help your rental become more popular amongst tourists.

Sabre Hospitality Solutions today announced the certification of its Guest Connect Booking Engine with TripConnect by TripAdvisor, providing Sabre’s customers with a new way to generate incremental bookings through direct connectivity to the growing meta search channel.

With TripConnect, Sabre’s hotel customers can display real-time rates and availability from its reservations system on the metasearch section of TripAdvisor alongside other online travel agencies. Bookings are made directly using the booking engine.

TripConnect provides real-time rates and availability from the hotel’s website, which are displayed on the metasearch section of TripAdvisor alongside other online travel agencies. Bookings can be made directly using the hotel’s website.

“TripConnect certification opens up new opportunities for our connectivity partners,” said Maud Larpent, TripAdvisor’s Director of Direct Connect Development. “Certified connectivity partners enable accommodation owners of all sizes to benefit from Hotel Price Comparison on TripAdvisor. TripConnect is a very efficient way for hoteliers to generate incremental business via their internet booking engine.”

Sabre also introduced Meta Connect, a Sabre-managed service to help hotels get the optimal position on meta search sites like TripAdvisor, Google Hotel Finder and Kayak. Meta Connect manages all aspects of this critical part of any digital marketing plan including implementing connectivity, and return on investment (ROI) reporting.

Cost-per-click meta search sites, where suppliers have to bid for placement, including TripAdvisor’s Hotel Price Comparison, can be a challenge to navigate for many hotel revenue managers. This is where Sabre’s Meta Connect bid management service comes in to help hotels get optimal position on meta search sites and drive more business to a hotel’s direct channel.

“TripAdvisor has become a ubiquitous part of researching, planning and now booking travel and we are excited to add TripConnect to our direct connectivity offering,” said Alex Alt, president and general manager of Sabre Hospitality Solutions. “We also understand that managing the bidding process on these meta search sites can be quite complicated and mismanagement can be the difference of getting a direct booking or losing out to a third party. Our Meta Connect service addresses that challenge and participating hotels have seen ROI of up to 14 to 1.”

Source:- Sabre

The recent airline disasters have encapsulated the global travel industry with a growing concern of air travel safety. However, according to the travel industry experts, air travelling is getting more and more secured.

It is observed that the number of travellers flying to various places for holidays or business is growing in an exponential rate. More travellers are flying than ever, making airline safety a daunting task. As the airspace is getting crowded, the technologies and services looking after airline safety are also tightening.

Each day almost 8.3 million people travel on an airplane. The number is roughly close to the population of New York City. Imagine, how many of them report a bad experience? Barring a few incidents which cannot be controlled by man, airlines and airline associations are keeping a keen watch on the growing concern of airline safety and addressing to it diligently.

There are definitely loop holes in the airline safety depending on the regions. For example, the African region faces five times more air crashes than the world. Such trouble areas also happen to be where air travel is growing in a faster rate.

However, according to experts air travelling is still a safer bet and the skies are not going to become more dangerous. Industry experts acknowledge the growing difficulties but also add that the aviation science has gone miles to cut down air crashes and unscrupulous air mishaps.

As of now, the airline industry is implementing fresh drills to meet the influx of passengers. Airlines will need to hire and train enough qualified pilots and mechanics, governments will have to develop and enforce safety regulations, and new runways with proper navigation aids will have to be built.

For the fourth time in a row Lufthansa German Airlines has been voted “Europe’s leading Airline” at the World Travel Awards – an award for the best of Europe’s travel industry following a voting process involving 230,000 travel tourism and hospitality professionals worldwide. Lufthansa was selected as winner from a shortlist of eleven top European airline brands in Athens, Greece. For the first time, Lufthansa also won the top spot as “Europe’s Leading Airline Lounge” – receiving medals for its First Class Terminal and Frankfurt Airport lounges.

Graham E. Cooke, President and Founder, World Travel Awards said: “For over 20 years World Travel Awards has been celebrating those brands which push the boundaries of industry excellence. In this period Lufthansa has been leading the prestigious airline category, winning the title of Europe’s Leading Airline seven times overall and now for the fourth year in a row; an impressive accolade which has been recognized by thousands of travel professionals around the globe, especially since Lufthansa prevailed in the category of the best lounges as well”.

Jens Bischof, Chief Commercial Officer at Lufthansa said: “For our crews on board and our teams on the ground this award is an incredible acknowledgement. Our focus is to be a leader in service & hospitality, a key element of our product enhancements this year, which has been confirmed by this impressive award. And we will continue! The integration of our new Premium Economy Class and the accelerated retrofit of our new Business Class on all of our long-haul planes till the summer of 2015 will make us the front-runner in our industry. We won’t rest on our laurels, but gather even more fans for our Lufthansa brand.”

The World Travel Awards as “Europe’s Leading Airline” comes hot on the heels of Lufthansa being voted “Best European Airline in the Middle East” during the recent Business Traveller Middle East Awards 2014 in Dubai and being honored “Best Western European Airline” and “Best Transatlantic Airline” at the World Airline Awards in London earlier this summer.

Source:-Lufthansa

China is home to 1.1 million USD-millionaires ; 350,000 of them live in Shanghai.

34% of Chinese high net worth individuals have invested overseas in 2013.