Category: Buy2Greece

According to a new research from Certify, it has shown that Airbnb bookings in corporate travel might be changing the lodging and staying landscape in the future.

A look at 2016 travel and entertainment expense trends from Certify showed since 2014, the Airbnb transactions have doubled year-over-year. Uber rides now account for more than half of overall ground transportation transactions.

Certify CEO Robert Neveu said that the growing preference for sharing economy services like Uber and, to a lesser degree, Airbnb really underscores the trend toward consumerization of traditional corporate travel. He continued saying that the advances in personal technologies and travel-based smartphone apps have made it easier for business travellers to choose the experiences and vendors they prefer. Also, the companies they work for are following suit with expanded travel policy guidelines to accommodate new services and payment methods. More than a footnote in history, it’s the kind of transformational change that will continue to shape the industry for years to come.

In the fourth quarter of 2016 Uber was the most expensed company among Certify’s accounts which outranked business travel staples like Starbucks which consisted of six percent of the transactions.

Airbnb represents about one percent of the overall lodging bookings in business travel and the service saw an upswing which is expected to continue till 2017. According to the data shared by Certify, Airbnb’s transactions doubled year-over-year since 2014, with longer stays of 4.51 nights compared to 2.58 nights at traditional hotels. “While still under 1 percent of the total, Airbnb’s growth is significant in this context,” the report reads. this means, although in its small share in business travel, Airbnb is already approaching the level of less popular hotels.

As far as the ground transportation is concerned, Uber still dominates business travel. The good news for lagging competitors in this area is that since spending overall is increasing, they’re not being completely pushed out of the space.

To better understand the travel plans of Chinese buyers over Chinese New Year and throughout 2017, as it relates to their overseas property purchasing intentions, we conducted a survey with 120 Chinese respondents from 27 Chinese provinces and 12 overseas countries.

Of the 92% of Chinese respondents who plan to travel overseas in 2017, while tourism (86%) remains their top priority during their travels abroad, property hunting comes in as their second priority at 42%, compared to shopping (18%) and visiting family/friends (17%).

Survey findings also revealed that 57% plan to purchase property in the countries they are travelling to overseas, while 58% are considering to migrate to the country that they are travelling.

We also asked 1,209 international real estate experts and professional from 64 countries to find out more about their expectations about Chinese property buyers during this Lunar New Year Golden Week, and for 2017 in general.

Interestingly, although less than 30% of international agents expect Chinese buyers to approach them during the Chinese New Year holiday period, over 41% of Chinese respondents who intend to purchase property in the countries that they’re travelling to in 2017 have plans to meet with real estate agents over their Chinese New Year travel.

Already, 17% of international respondents say they have been in touch with Chinese real estate buyers who plan to travel during Chinese New Year. As for those yet to be contacted by Chinese property investors, 34% are optimistic and expect to have Chinese buyers approach them within this holiday period.

43% of international agents also personally find the Lunar New Year to be generally a busier time for them when it comes to servicing Chinese real estate buyers, while 56% believe the 2017 Chinese New Year holiday will be a busier period for them compared to same period the year before in 2016.

Beyond Chinese New Year, 54% of international agents expect to see more Chinese buyers during the rest of 2017.

Baku Overseas Property Expo – is Foreign Real Estate Exhibition with unique concept: during 2 days of exhibition participants will have great opportunity for intensive communication, sharing experience and presentation of their offers to potential buyers, investors and professionals of Azerbaijan real estate market.

FORMAT OF THE EVENT:

Total number of participants is up to 18 companies. You can choose among Gold, Silver and Bronze participation packages.

This is the high-level private exhibition for pre-selected, targeted audience. Entrance for visitors is by invitations or pre-registration only.

This is an intimate arena where the guests’ attention is focused on a few selected exhibitors and not spread among hundreds of unrelated offers.

Each exhibitor’s space maintains a very comfortable setting to insure that sales pitches, presentations and negotiations with partners and clients can be held privately and effectively.

Complimentary refreshments all day, including canapés and wine service.

The event will run two days – Friday and Saturday from 12:00 to 20:00

APRIL 28 (FRIDAY) — DAY FOR PROFESSIONALS

Workshop – Foreign participants meet Azerbaijan realtors with the aim to find new partners and conclude contracts for cooperation.

Round Table – Discussion of the current condition of Azerbaijan and Foreign real estate markets and opportunities for cooperation.

APRIL 29 (SATURDAY) — DAY FOR BUYERS & INVESTORS

Exhibition – Foreign participants meet Azerbaijan potential property buyers and investors in foreign real estate.

Business Program– Series of presentations. Participants present their companies and projects to potential clients and partners.

AirBnB has negotiated a deal that will cap the number of days London and Amsterdam residents can rent out their homes at 60 days per year, reports the Australian Financial Review.

The deal is a compromise between those who say AirBnB is a benefit to homeowners and tourists alike, and those who are against the accommodation portal, including hotel owners who complain about the competition.

To enforce the cap, a day counter will be installed on Amsterdam listings and bookings that go beyond the limit will be blocked.

The cap in Amsterdam is 60 days while in London it’s slightly longer at 90. Amsterdam will also introduce a 24-hour hotline for complaints. The rules strengthen existing guidelines set up in 2015. Airbnb will automatically limit home listings on its platform from 2017.

“We want to be good partners for everyone in [Amsterdam] and ensure home sharing grows responsibly and sustainably,” said Airbnb general manager for Northern Europe James McClure.

Many residents of the Dutch capital complain tourists wandering side streets with rolling suitcases and noisy groups who come to Amsterdam to party are making the centre unliveable.

How many times will you frequent the place?

You’re all hyped about the fact that it’s your dream vacation home; everything looks too good to be true so without wasting any time you strike a good bargain for the home and everything’s settled. All of this hard work will go for a toss, if you never show up after a one-time vacation here. When choosing a place, make sure you want to return to it for vacations so that you are able to get your money’s worth rather than simply letting it stay locked and unoccupied.

Keep an eye on your budget

Under no circumstance should you go overboard with your finances. When calculating the cost of a home, consider the percentage of down payment, the monthly amount you will have to pay on the mortgage, insurance as well as the charges for the home’s upkeep that you will have to spend on. Be sure to understand, the entire cost involved and decide accordingly. It does not feel like a vacation, if you are bankrupt in the bargain right?

Spend a little time there

Once you make a decision on buying a home, you don’t really have the option to change the location or vicinity of the locality you reside in, even though it’s a temporary stay. So spend some quality time there before you make a decision. Check out the facilities and amenities available, what are the risks involved, the distance from your own residence and understand how things go about. Don’t even think about purchasing it unless you have taken these aspects into account.

Who will take care of it once you’re gone?

An empty home is a direct invitation for thieves and other kinds of burglars. So also, after your arrival, you won’t feel like stepping into a vacation home that is dusty and grimy which forces you to spend a day on cleaning it up. It’s a house not a hotel so make sure someone is there to keep a watch once in a while, collect mail and dust it up while you’re away. Install a security system or ask your neighbors to help you out a little on this.

Are the day-to-day risks in check?

Even the safest and quietest of places will have bad days when it has to tackle pesky insects, natural calamities or an unforeseen incident. Try as we might, risks are part and parcel of life. This is why, it is essential that you try to minimize the occurrence of these. So even if it is annoying bugs and creepy crawlies or floods and hurricanes, consider them seriously and take necessary precautions. The worst could be buying a home where the crime rate is at the highest peak. (Yikes!)

Thought about renting it out?

Even though your idea of a home away from home may mean no connectivity, peace and tranquility, it may not fit into the idea of the people who want to rent your vacation home. Renting your home can be an easy way to subsidize the mortgage but you need to put in time and effort to search for the right renters. Once you are a landlord, make sure you are aware of things like insurance, taxes and the hassles of finding a tenant and collecting fees with the renter from the beginning itself.

Collaborate with an agent

When you find a home that is the epitome of relaxation and rejuvenation, everything about it seems picturesque. You find everything on the surface impeccable except did you know about the back road that leads to the market place is closed six months a year? Of course, you wouldn’t know. It’s in such situations; a real estate agent comes in handy. They are able to solve problems as well as let you know about terms and conditions, hidden bonds and community events that you encounter, as a house owner.

What is your ultimate goal?

Ask yourself this last question. For what do you want the vacation home- for a place to retire, as an investment or a fun vacation refuge? There’s no harm in opting for one or all three aspects. Accordingly check out the location, size and features of the home you shortlist and make a budget on the same.

So you see, there are quite a few factors that need to be taken into consideration. A vacation home may be your secret hideaway from the world’s drama, a fun-place where you can make tons of memories to look back on years down the lane but it is also a solid investment in which you need to devote time as well as money into.

Don’t let the excitement of house hunting get the better of you. Think wisely; plan accordingly, keeping all kinds of risks and possibilities in mind and only when all these deeds are accomplished, relax, let your hair down and enjoy uninhibitedly!ς

For the first time ITB Berlin 2017 will be fully devoting a platform to medical tourism, which has become an important fast-growing market. Medical service providers, hotels and destinations will be able to exhibit their products and services In the Medical Tourism Pavilion in Hall 3.2. Presentations and workshops will be held so that visitors can find out more about the latest trends and developments in this growth market.

Medical tourism has been increasing for years, for which there are many reasons. Some value the better quality of the medical infrastructure in certain countries and undergo measures that cannot legally be offered at home, such as fertility treatment for those who want children. According to a new report by VISA and Oxford Economics, the current turnover of the world’s medical tourism industry is around 439 billion dollars. Over the next ten years annual growth is forecast to reach up to 25 per cent.

According to David Ruetz, head of ITB Berlin, medical tourism offers huge prospects for the global tourism industry: “Over the next ten years three to four per cent of the world’s population will undertake trips motivated by offers of medical treatment. ITB Berlin aims to highlight this growth market and all its aspects and provide buyers and providers with a new platform.“

Demand and enquiries for this new segment are high. According to Thomas Bömkes, Diversity Tourism GmbH, the agency partnering with Medical Tourism at ITB, “The introduction of Medical Tourism at ITB Berlin will make it possible for everyone involved in medical tourism – hospitals, health insurances and healthcare professionals – to meet directly and exchange views.“

As airlines try to persuade passengers to pay for Internet access at cruising altitudes, more airports and hotels are offering it free on the ground.

Countless studies have shown that wifi has become as important a consideration for hotel guests in recent years as access to a pool or complimentary breakfast.

According to a survey by iPass, nearly three-quarters of respondents said they have chosen a hotel property based on its wifi capability, with one in five claiming they make purchase decisions this way for every hotel stay.

Interestingly, an airline’s ability to provide wifi on-board is also an important consideration.

Half of the busiest airports in the United States now have free Wi-Fi, including Denver, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Phoenix and Houston. Dallas/Fort Worth plans to join that list in September, teaming with AT&T in a service that will give travelers 40 minutes of free Wi-Fi in exchange for viewing a 30-second advertisement.

Some 35% said they would now choose a carrier based on such functionality being made available to passengers.

Ryanair, Europe’s favourite airline, today (21 Nov) launched ‘Cyber Week’, its biggest ever promotion, offering 8 days of fantastic sales on the Ryanair.com website and Ryanair app.

Kicking off today with a huge New Year sale, Ryanair has put 250,000 seats on sale from £9.99 on over 400 routes, for travel in January and February, which must be booked by midnighttonight (24:00hrs Monday).

Customers should keep an eye on Ryanair.com and Ryanair’s Facebook and Twitter pages for the hottest Cyber Week offers – where the lowest fares in Europe are about to get even lower.

Ryanair’s Robin Kiely said:

“The temperatures have dropped and now our fares are getting even lower as we kick off ‘Cyber Week’, our biggest-ever week of sales. We have 8 days of amazing deals on the Ryanair.com website and app, offering the best airfare deals in Europe.

We’re launching Cyber Week today with 250,000 seats on sale from £9.99 on over 400 routes, for travel in January and February, which are only available until midnight tonight. Customers should log on to Ryanair.com to bag a bargain today – and watch out for some massive savings every day this week.”

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