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  • www.Buy2Greece.com – Tripadvisor announces world’s top landmarks with travellers’ choice awards

    TripAdvisor® the world’s largest travel site* from reviews to bookings, today announced the winners of its Travellers’ Choice®awards for Landmarks. Award winners were determined using an algorithm that took into account the quantity and quality of reviews and ratings for landmarks worldwide, gathered over a 12-month period. The awards honor 706 landmarks in 82 countries.

    Top 10 Travellers’ Choice Landmarks – India
    1. TajMahal – Agra, Uttar Pradesh
    2. AmberFort – Jaipur, Rajasthan
    3. SwaminarayanAkshardham – New Delhi, National Capital Territory of India
    4. BandraWorli Sea Link– Mumbai, Maharashtra
    5. QutabMinar– New Delhi, National Capital Region of India
    6. AgraFort – Agra, Uttar Pradesh
    7. HarmandirSahib(Golden Temple) – Amritsar, Punjab
    8. Humayun’s Tomb – New Delhi, National Capital Region of India
    9. Gateway of India – Mumbai
    10. MehrangarhFort – Jodhpur, Rajasthan
    “India has many incredible landmarks and payinga visit to them is a fantastic way to get acquainted with the country’s rich history. With summer being the peak travel season owing to the summer vacations, the TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Landmarks list will help Indian travellers narrow down the attractions to visit during their trip whether in India or abroad” said Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor India.

     

    Top 10 Landmarks in India:

    1. TajMahal – Agra, Uttar Pradesh
    Popular as the epitome of love, Taj Mahal is undisputedly one of the most iconic wonders in the world. Year after year it attracts an increasing number of tourists from all across the globe. A TripAdvisor traveller commented “Words can’t really explain how amazing this place is”.

    2. AmberFort – Jaipur, Rajasthan
    A blend of Mughal and Rajput architecture, Amber fort is one of the top tourist attractions in Jaipur. The Sheesh Mahal a state room in the fort also known as the mirror palace is world famous for thousands of mirror tiles which are said to be lit using a single candle. “This is one of the best forts of the world according to its design Vastu and safety and security features as well as internal and external beauty” is how a TripAdvisor traveller described this landmark.

    3.SwaminarayanAkshardham – New Delhi, National Capital Region of India
    Spread across a 100 acres in Delhi, Swaminarayan Akshardham is a visual delightand fills one with spirituality and culture. Built on the banks of River Yamuna, the temple showcases architectural styles from all over India. A TripAdvisor traveller commented “This is an absolute highlight in Delhi. Its architecture is impressive, both inside and out”.

    4. BandraWorli Sea Link– Mumbai
    The BandraWorli Sea Link connects Bandra, located in the western suburbs of Mumbai to Worli in South Mumbai. This 5.6km structure across the Arabian Sea is an architectural marvel and considered to be one of the biggest cable-stayed bridges in the world. “Great view and driving experience. Is a pleasure for driving enthusiasts” is how a TripAdvisor traveller describes his experience.

    5. QutabMinar– New Delhi, National Capital Region of India
    Considered an epitome of victory, Qutab Minar is an architectural delight and a must visit monument in Delhi. Its 5 storied 73 meter tall tower is built with red marble. “An amazing piece of Indian history” commented a TripAdvisor traveller.

     

    Source:-Tripadvisor

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – Virtuoso Reveals The Five Secrets of Success For Its Top Travel Agencies

    Research by international luxury travel network Virtuoso® has uncovered the five factors shared by its top-producing agencies that can serve as a model for others to improve profitability.

    Virtuoso identified the 25 agencies with the highest production per advisor, a metric that established a baseline that can be applied to all agency members regardless of size, then examined the characteristics they have in common with each other. The network unveiled the analysis at its annual Symposium held this year in Vancouver, British Columbia, with 530 of luxury travel’s most prominent figures in attendance.

    The common qualities of Virtuoso’s top 25 agencies:

    • Experience counts – They have 40 years of travel industry experience on average. The newest among them has been in business 20 years, and an impressive eight percent have been in business for more than 70 years.
    • They are Virtuoso veterans – 88 percent of these top agencies have been with the network for more than a decade. On average, they have been Virtuoso members for 20 years.
    • They come in all sizes – Top-performing agencies range from small to large and have a median of 19 advisors. Midsize members compose the majority: 56 percent of the top agencies.
    • They are everywhere – Although 72 percent have one office location, nearly all have independent contractors in other cities.

    After Virtuoso delved deeper by interviewing executives at the top 25 agencies, an important pattern of behaviour emerged. Although a collection of great advisors is key, agency excellence extends beyond that. What transports an agency from good to great is creating a specific strategy and ensuring that it is reflected in all its actions.

    The five secrets of success for Virtuoso’s top 25 agencies:

    • They engage in the luxury travel industry – 90 percent of these agencies attend Virtuoso Forum and Symposium executive events, and 45 percent have representatives serving on Virtuoso committees. Their advisors seek out opportunities to get involved in the industry, thereby raising their profile with partners, increasing their product knowledge and sales results, and furthering their career path.
    • They hire the right people and prioritise training – Their advisors are twice as likely to use Virtuoso’s professional development offerings. In addition, these agencies bring 25 percent of their advisor workforce to Virtuoso Travel Week, and 80 percent of the agencies send at least one advisor to a Virtuoso Travel Week On-Tour event.
    • They are savvy marketers – These agencies take full advantage of the array of marketing products available to them and use it to drive more sales. They have 48 percent more clients opted in for Virtuoso marketing, 55 percent more clients receiving email travel offers and 75 percent more clients receiving the network’s award-winning magazine, Virtuoso Life. These agencies know that for clients who receive Virtuoso’s full suite of marketing vehicles, their annual travel spend is four times more per year than those who do not.
    • They have a strong digital presence – Two-thirds of the advisors at top agencies display profiles on Virtuoso.com, which is 30 percent higher than other agencies. Virtuoso.com receives more than 100,000 unique visitors per month and its advisor profiles display on a Google search, ensuring consumers can easily find these advisors. They also have nearly three times the number of client reviews displayed on the site as other agencies.
    • They sell Virtuoso preferred partners – 73 percent of their leisure production is with preferred suppliers, showing the power of partnerships. Top agencies know that working with the high-caliber partners that Virtuoso has vetted and accepted into the network saves them time and money.

    This year’s study offers a fresh direction on a related theme to last year’s research revealed at Symposium, which examined the seven habits of highly successful advisors. Virtuoso encourages all its member agencies to review the high bar set by these top performers and adopt their strategic secrets of success to attract more clients and increase profitability. Since travel agencies are a critical driver of industry sales, the health of agencies serves as a barometer for the entire travel ecosystem.

  • Rent2Greece.com – Airbnb to target business travellers with introduction of new search tool

    It seems global accommodation site Airbnb is consistently launching new products, so it’s no surprise to hear they’ve got another one on the go: a search tool for business travellers.

    This feature will launch soon and allow professionals to filter homes and apartments that Airbnb has deemed Business Travel Ready, reports Bloomberg. To qualify for a BTR listing, as the company calls it, the dwelling must have a desk, Wi-Fi, self-check-in through a doorman or digital lock and various amenities you’d expect at a hotel, like free shampoo, a hairdryer and iron.

    Last year Airbnb announced the introduction of its Trips feature, which includes guided nights out and experiences such as violin making in Paris and marathon running in Kenya. The company continue to expand its offerings and this new tool is just another example of how.

    There were 250 companies signed up with Airbnb to book and manage business travel in 2015. Last year, the number of people using the site for business purposes tripled and is expected to quadruple this year, said David Holyoke, the head of Airbnb’s business travel division. There are now more than 250,000 companies using it, including Alphabet Inc., Domino’s Pizza Inc. and Morgan Stanley.

     

  • Buy2Greece.com – Buffett’s Berkshire teams up with Juwai.com in marketing deal

    Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices  said it entered a marketing agreement with Juwai.com to attract wealthy Chinese buyers looking to purchase homes in the United States. The brokerage said the agreement will make it “much easier” for the 2 million monthly users of Juwai.com and Juwai.com/luxe to browse franchisees’ residential listings the Chief Executive of HomeServices Gino Blefari said in a statement.

    Charles Pittar, CEO of Juwai.com, said the agreement between the Chinese portal and HomeServices would be beneficial for the Chinese property market.

    Berkshire Hathaway

    “Because of its amazing success and transparency over the years, Berkshire Hathaway is a name that Chinese consumers trust,” Pittar said. “We expect them to respond very well to having the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices brand, its listings, and its agents on Juwai.com.

    “When Chinese families are making a decision as important as buying overseas property, they want to know they are working with people they can trust,” Pittar

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – Airbnb profits expected to exceed $3 billion by 2020

    Airbnb has estimated it will earn as much as $3.5 billion a year by 2020 (before interest and taxes and depreciation) according to sources close to the company, reports Fortune.

    This figure would also be a 3,400% increase from what the company had in similar profits last year, based on numbers provided by those sources.

    The bottom line growth would be a huge achievement for the home and apartment sharing company that just a few years ago was among a number of so-called Unicorns that seemed to have a lot of potential, but not much in the way of profits. It would also make Airbnb the first company to prove that the so-called sharing economy can be turned into sustainable success. That’s something that Uber, the sector’s other superstar, has yet to prove.

    The amount of profit the company is due to make has been reported by a source familiar with the company’s internal estimates, and hasn’t previously been made public, though Bloomberg previously reported the company turned its first profit in 2016.

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – China’s retirees: an emerging force in global property markets

    340 million – that’s the forecasted China’s greying demographic aged 60 and above by 2030.1

    That’s an increase of 175 million from the current count of 165 million Chinese retirees1 – a figure that not only exceeds the current population of the US2, but also makes them an emerging force in global property markets that will amount to one of the world’s largest consumer base.

    More importantly, this massive market of China’s silver generation has equally substantial funds at their disposal.

    Older Chinese are sitting on a hefty share of the $2.4 trillion in savings3 planted in China’s banks4, having lived through China’s boom years, benefited from rising incomes, and capitalised on China’s fast-growing property markets.

    Already, their wealth is already impacting global property markets, albeit indirectly. Chinese insurers, custodians of billions of RMB in retirees’ pension and insurance plans, are steadily channelling their cash piles into global property markets, investing $3.1 billion in overseas real estate in H1 20165, and with a further $73 billion expected to follow by 2019.6

    China’s silver generation more globally savvy and discerning

    Aside from insurers, individual retirees – or those planning for future retirement – are now becoming much more active in global property markets, in part because their horizons are broadening.

    The waves of outbound tourists from China, which numbered 120 million in 2015 and is projected to hit 139.2 million this year, are becoming more globally savvy as they get to know more countries around the world, and older generations are well and truly part of this outbound trend.

    The China Outbound Tourism Institute estimates tourists aged 60+ accounted for 5 million trips in 20157 and China Britain Business Council estimating a US$34 billion potential spend from this age group.8

    In fact, another recent Citi report revealed that outbound tourism by Chinese elderly have skyrocketed as much 217% last year alone.9

    Increased awareness of overseas opportunities gives retirees more options to build an overseas lifestyle as well.

    57% of Chinese high net worth individuals (HNWIs) prefer to retire in a home of their own, in preference to care homes.10

    This is because times are changing, and no longer are China’s rich and wealthy completely adhering to the Confucian ethic of filial piety, whereby Chinese children take care of their elderly parents when they are unable to care for themselves.

    Instead, Chinese HNWIs are now in pursuit of independence after retirement, an option that came about due to a growing awareness of the pressures placed upon their children – most who are a single child born under the one-child policy – as well as a desire to not burden them, if possible.11

    And for this silver generation, ‘independence after retirement’ translates into living away from their children as they search for relaxed and enriching lifestyles that come hand-in-hand with plenty of travelling around.

     

    Healthcare a top focus for China’s elderly

    That said, with China’s dubious environmental quality, many Chinese retirees are on the lookout for an overseas property with access to both top quality medical care and attractive living environments while jet-setting around the world.

    In fact, Chinese spent $10 billion on medical tourism in 2015 alone, of which Chinese retirees are an important part of this market – and it’s this growing market that is helping to spur property investment in destinations famed for medical treatments, such as in the US.

    50% of China’s HNWIs cited healthcare as their primary concern and main topic of interest for 2016.10

    Asides from lifestyle concerns, Chinese retirees are also generational investors who also want to ensure that they are providing for the next generation.

    According to research from Bain & Company, Chinese high net worth individuals factored inheritance, children’s education, and life quality as three of their top five wealth objectives.12

    With this in mind, an overseas property in a suitable location not only offers a Chinese retiree a unique opportunity to meet their lifestyle aspirations, but also provides both a springboard for their children and grandchildren to enjoy overseas educational opportunities, as well as securing a high-value asset which they can pass on to the next generation.

    Connectivity, easier visas, and better pension access broadening retirees’ horizons

    Even as Chinese mentality is changing, so is the world to make it easier than ever for Chinese retirees to seek an overseas retirement.

    Today, China has become more closely connected with the world, driving what Boeing expects will be a 3x increase in total passengers travelling between China and the US alone by 2021.13

    This factor, together with expanding international transport links from China’s lower-tier capitals, will open up many more opportunities for travel, and make it more feasible for retirees to split time between bases at home and overseas.

    Countries all over the world are opening their doors to Chinese investors too. Recent moves by Singapore, Australia, the UK, and the US to increase multiple entry visa validity for up to 10 years – plus the raft of ‘golden visa’ residency programs offered by locations such as Portugal, Spain and Greece – all mean that Chinese retirees are now spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing overseas retirement locations.

    Interestingly, China’s government is making it easier than ever before for retired Chinese residents living overseas to claim their pensions as well.14 Previously, a convoluted claim procedure meant that many overseas-based Chinese retirees gave up seeking their pensions. However, this policy change now recognises their overseas status, thus giving them greater confidence in supporting themselves overseas.

    A greying economy but a golden opportunity

    Powerful demographic trends, an increasingly outward looking customer base, and improving links between China and the outside world are aligning to create a high-potential market of Chinese retirees looking abroad for property.

    Furthermore, Chinese retirees have money to spend – China’s state-run Research Centre on Ageing forecasts total expenditure by Chinese retirees to reach RMB1 trillion by 2050.15

    So agents, it’s time you tailor your offerings to suit China’s older generation. Here are three ways how:

    • Educate them: An overseas investment is a huge step, particularly a Chinese investor with little knowledge of property sales procedures in new countries. So, be sure to manage expectations by including a step-by-step breakdown of a sales process as part of your product pitch, outlining fees and levies clients will expect to pay as part of the process, and explaining terms associated with a property, e.g. freehold, tenancy.
    • Put yourself in their shoes: While they may be commonplace in the UK, US, Canada or Australia, most Chinese – particularly the older generation – haven’t grown up with gardens, garages or pools. So do some research to find out what features may appeal to them, and make sure you put features like this front and center in your pitches to add more allure to your properties.
    • Highlight local facilities: Health and education are a huge concern for China’s silver generation, so be sure to offer details of medical, wellness, and educational institutions in the local area. Chinese investors are looking to tick as many boxes as possible with their property purchases, so pack your pitches with as much relevant information as possible.

    Chances are, strategies like these can win you interest, trust, and completed deals from China’s retirement-minded property investors, so good luck with your promotions, and here’s to a golden return from China’s greying economy.

    Sources: 1. Brookings Institute: China’s one-child policy at 30; 2. US News: US population in 2015; 3. Naked Capitalism: The puzzle of China’s rising household saving rate; 4. Wikipedia: List of countries by GDP; 5. Fortune: Why Chinese investment in overseas real estate has more than doubled; 6. SCMP: The Chinese are coming: Insurers expected to pour US$73b into overseas properties; 7. COTRI: Elderly Chinese, a market segment of increasing importance; 8. China-Britain Business Council: China’s silver consumers; 9. Citi Report on SCMP: Goodbye tour buses and loud hailers: Chinese tourists now choosing the more personal approach; 10. Hurun Report: Retirement Planning & Healthcare of Chinese HNWIs 2016; 11. Jing Daily: China’s rich opt for luxury nursing homes over filial obligations for aging parents; 12. Bain & Company/China Merchants Bank: China Private Wealth Report; 13. Boeing: Current Market Outlook: 2015-2034; 14. China Daily: Simplified process helps Chinese retirees in US get pensions from overseas; 15. SCMP: Navigating through China’s grey economy

  • www.Buy2Greece- Airbnb doubled business travel transaction since 2014

    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.

  • www.Bruy2Greece.com -China is home to 710 million internet users

    China is home to 710 million internet users – 92.5% who go online via smartphones and mobile devices.1

    That’s a massive population of 656.8 million mobile netizens in a single country1 – more than any other country in the world.
    Additionally, with 91% of China’s ultra-rich going online every day – most who consider social media as their preferred source of information2 – social media is no doubt pivotal in securing success for your China market strategy.
    However, while the China online market presents massive potential for international agents, China’s Great Firewall – and its convoluted social media landscape – remain both a mystery and a bane for many. After all, it’s hard to sell to Chinese buyers when your website and usual social media channels – such as Facebook and Twitter – are blocked and invisible to them.

    That said, there are Chinese social media platforms that are arguably even more powerful with Chinese buyers than Facebook and Twitter. Here are three top Chinese social media apps to capitalise if you’re new to China’s social media landscape:

    #1 WeChat
    As China’s equivalent to Whatsapp, Tencent’s WeChat still reigns supreme as China’s #1 mobile chat app, boasting over 762 million monthly active users (MAUs) as of Q1 2016.3 Better known as ‘Weixin’ in China, WeChat provides innovative features – Official Accounts, WeChat Payment, Moments, Loyalty Card, etc – that are superb for consumer engagement and influencer marketing.
    #2 QQ
    QQ is Tencent’s older instant messaging brainchild before the birth of WeChat. Best used for email marketing via its QQ Mail or for leveraging fan and follower networks with its social graph data offering, QQ’s MAUs is now at 877 million as of Q1 2016, while Mobile QQ – its mobile version – hit 658 million MAUs in the same period of time.3
    #3 Sina Weibo
    Sina Weibo is China’s answer to Twitter but with way more functionality. Ideal for brands hoping to drum up direct communication to connect with Chinese consumers, Weibo is a powerful channel for impactful interaction and information dissemination via discourses, debates, and feedback.4 Currently, Weibo has 261 million MAUs as of Q1 2016.5
    Need help embarking on your China social media campaign? Check out our Juwai Mobile App that offers WeChat integration for your listings, as well as access and exposure to Chinese buyers on-the-go.
    Sources: 1. China Internet Network Center (CNNIC), June 2016; 2. Hurun Report “The Chinese Luxury Traveller 2014” 3. China Internet Watch: Monthly active users of WeChat reached 762m in Q1 2016; 4. Linkfluence: Made in China: The World’s Largest Social Media Landscape; 5.China Internet Watch: 85% Weibo monthly active users from mobile in Q1 2016

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – 92% of Chinese consumers plan to travel internationally in 2017 – nearly half who intend to property hunt during their trips abroad.

    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.

  • www.Buy2Greece.com – BAKU OVERSEAS PROPERTY EXPO

    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.