8 Luxury Travel Trends for Summer 2012

8 Luxury Travel Trends for Summer 2012
Forbes
As we approach the busy summer travel season, one trend is holding strong, at least according to top luxury hotel brands: People are traveling more, often for longer periods of time, with extended families, friends, and children.

Forbes

'Social travel' startups help travelers gather friends' tips
News & Observer
Wondering where to go on your vacation this year, and what to do? A growing number of "socialtravel" startups offer alternatives to the trusty, dusty guidebook. Sites like Twigmore and Triptrotting help you troll your social networks for friends who ...

Trump tackles Scotland over wind turbines near golf resort
USA TODAY
If Scotland does this, Scotland will be in serious trouble and will lose tourism to places like Ireland, and they are laughing at us." Members of the committee are looking at how achievable the Scottish government's green targets for 2020 are.

Donald Trump demands Scotland nix wind turbines near golf resort
Fox News
Donald Trump on Wednesday swept into Scotland's parliament to demand the country end plans for an offshore wind farm he fears will spoil the view at his exclusive new $1.2-billion golf resort. In a typically blunt display, the New York property tycoon ...

Donald Trump to Scotland: Nix wind turbines, they ruin golf resort view
Chicago Sun-Times
By BEN McCONVILLE AP April 25, 2012 10:14AM In this photo released by the Scottish Parliament dated Wednesday April 25, 2012, US business magnate Donald Trump gives evidence to the Scottish Parliament's Economy Energy and Tourism Committee in Edinburgh ...

Forbes Travel Guide Launches In Shanghai, China
MarketWatch (press release)
SHANGHAI, April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Forbes Travel Guide, the originators of the prestigious Five-Star ratings program in the US, added Shanghai, China as its newest global destination. This announcement is marked by the addition of two ...

Beautiful People Travel Free With MissTravel.com
ABC News (blog)
But travel for free? Seriously? Apparently so, if you sign up with MissTravel.com. With “Who needs money, beautiful people travel free!” as its tag line, the website claims to be a travel dating site for “generous and attractive people.

Omega World Travel Selected as a 2012 "Top Business" Recipient by ...
MarketWatch (press release)
FAIRFAX, Va., Apr 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Omega World Travel, a fast-growing, award-winning leader in the travel management industry, as well as one of the largest woman-owned businesses in the United States, announces being selected as a 2012 "Top ...

Laguna Riviera Beach Resort Undergoes Facelift and Beachfront Upgrade
San Francisco Chronicle (press release)
Resort's beach front slope reconstruction is underway and promises to transform this Laguna Beachresort before the start of the 2012 summer season. Laguna Beach, CA (PRWEB) April 25, 2012 Laguna Riviera Beach Resort is one of the longest established ... 

War zone or tourist trap? Mulling the Korean DMZ
Fox News
Is the Demilitarized Zone between the two Koreas the world's most dangerous place, or a touristtrap? Sometimes it's hard to tell the difference. ___ "There is always a threat to safety here," North Korean Lt. Col. Nam Dong Ho warned a handful of ...

AAdvantage Members Can Now Redeem Miles On AA.com For Award Travel On British ...
MarketWatch (press release)
FORT WORTH, Texas, April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- American Airlines AAdvantage® members can now book award travel via AA.com on British Airways, a oneworld® alliance member and joint business partner, and on Hawaiian Airlines, an AAdvantage ...

Summer Vacation During a Job Search
Boston.com
I have scheduled a two week vacation and new job or not, I really do want to take it. At what point in the interview process am I obligated to let a prospective employer know of these plans? A. People looking for jobs continue to make plans, ...

Social Travel Network CouchSurfing Names Tony Espinoza as New CEO
MarketWatch (press release)
SAN FRANCISCO, Apr 25, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- CouchSurfing, the world's largest socialtravel network, announced today that it appointed product guru Tony Espinoza as its new CEO. Espinoza will build on the work of previous CEO and CouchSurfing ...

Study ranks top 10 cities for affordable vacations
Fox News
Looking for a great vacation spot that won't bust your budget? Livability.com analyzed 500 cities and found the best places for affordable vacations. Here's their top ten. If you're thinking that the harsh economy is forcing you into a staycation this ...

TripAdvisor Survey Reveals Air Travel On The Rise In 2012
MarketWatch (press release)
NEWTON, Mass., April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- TripAdvisor®, the world's largesttravel site*, today announced the results of its annual air travel survey of more than 1000 US respondents. Americans are flocking to the skies this year as 91 ...

NYC tourism arm sets goal of $70B by 2015
CBS News
NYC and Company, the city's tourism and marketing arm, announced the new goal Tuesday at International Pow Wow in Los Angeles, a travel industry conference. The agency is planning to focus on drawing international visitors, who account for 50 percent ...

Wind farms will kill tourism, says Donald Trump
The Independent
US tycoon Donald Trump has told the Scottish Parliament that wind farms will destroy tourism. The outspoken businessman is giving his views to MSPs probing the Scottish Government's renewable energy targets. Mr Trump is an outspoken critic of wind ...

Two Five-Star Hotels In Forbes Travel Guide's New Shanghai Awards
Forbes
China's financial and style capital makes news this week as we announced our first-ever Five-Star ratings of Shanghai, with a record 25 hotels and spas earning Forbes Travel Guide Five- or Four-Star awards, including two Five-Star hotels.

Rand McNally and Michelin Release Combined Road Atlas and Travel Guide
MarketWatch (press release)
SKOKIE, Ill., April 25, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Two premier names in travel, Rand McNally and Michelin, have teamed up to create a combined Road Atlas and guidebook in one. The 2013 Road Atlas and Travel Guide is shipping now to select ...

Travel + Leisure Names Seven Cups Teahouse One of Six Best Places to Drink Tea ...
Albany Times Union
Travel + Leisure's wine editor travels to China to find the maker of one of China's legendary teas inspired by a cup of tea he drank in one of America's premier teahouses. Travel + Leisure's tea fanatic and wine editor, Bruce Schoenfeld, first tasted ...

FEATURE-Tourists return to Tunisia after year of turmoil
Reuters
We stay out late every night and nothing scares us," said Monica, a French tourist, who has visited Tunisia many times before. She did not wish to give her full name. "I'm here with my friend this time but in the summer I will come back with the family ...

Idaho's Sun Valley Resort extends deal with Buffalo Communications
WorldGolf.com
SUN VALLEY, Idaho -- Sun Valley Resort (www.sunvalley.com) has expanded its partnership with Buffalo Communications (Buffalo), tasking it to provide golf marketing-communications consultation in addition to turnkey golf publicity and media-relations.

Odyssey Safaris Announces Commission of 25% For Travel Agents
Houston Chronicle
Travel Agents will now receive a 25% commission on all of Odyssey Safaris safari products and custom safari packages. Odyssey Safaris announces a 25% commission for travel agents selling their scheduled safari tours or custom safari itineraries created ...

Miss Travel dating website matches rich and the beautiful | Ubergizmo
By Edwin Kee
Despite the world being more and more connected, it is surprising to hear of humans getting more lonely. Heck, if your pooch needs a dating website, so too, why not humans? The Miss Travel dating website offers a different take, targeting ...
Ubergizmo

Hainan deputy governor: Xisha tourism must start this year ...
By Horace Lu
A senior Hainan official has vowed to kickstart tourism to the disputed Xisha Islands in the west of South China Sea this year, according to the Xinhua News Agency. "Xisha tourism must start this year," said Tan Li, deputy governor of Hai'nan, ...
Shanghaiist

Travel TV Movie Watch: 'Hemingway & Gellhorn' - Travel Blog ...
By The World Hum Editors (jim@worldhum.com)
Travel TV Movie Watch: 'Hemingway & Gellhorn'. Travel Blog • Jim Benning • 04.24.12 | 7:43 PM ET. For those of you who just can't get enough Ernest Hemingway in your life (and, really, love him or hate him, who can ever get enough?) ...
World Hum

A Last-Minute Passport Renewal | Weddingbee
By Miss Hawk
At that point I would have had plenty of time to renew it in time for the honeymoon, but bridal brain stuck again, and somehow renewing my passport floated out of my mind, being replaced by more important things like monograms. Well, I certainly ended up paying. Processing time for a ... but did you keep your maiden name on your passport renewal? If so you will need to carry a copy of your marriage license with you when you travel unless you're keeping your maiden name that is.
Weddingbee

USS Iowa Almost Ready For Travel, Orange Line-Adjacent Gym ...
By Adrian Glick Kudler
2012.04_ussiowa.jpg RICHMOND: It's less than a month until the USS Iowa battleship is scheduled to leave the Port of Richmond and head south to Los Angeles, where it will open this summer as a floating museum. So how's it doing?
Curbed LA

Paula Patton Shows Off TRAVEL STYLE For UPTOWN + Vanessa ...
By Natasha
Paula Patton is looking fab on the cover and pages of UPTOWN Magazine's Travel issue. Check out the box office darling's new pics, plus Vanessa Williams dishing on the upcoming Series Finale of "Desperate Housewives," inside... In what ...
The Young, Black, and Fabulous

Travel Website Survey Reveals Most Popular Seat On A Plane ...
By Mike Dougherty
Seat 31E, a middle seat near the back of the plane, was voted least popular in the study done by thetravel website www.flightscanner.net. It finds most people want the first 6-rows, so they can get on and off the plane faster. People who pick ...
CBS Philly

The Comeback: Travel Agents are Stronger Than Ever | Hawaii ...
By Guest Contributor
BY MICHELLE JAMIESON – Travel planning, whether for leisure or business has always been a great source of stress because most people are not experts in.
Hawaii Reporter

Lakes area tourism and Google; More in common than you may ...
By JESSI PIERCE
So what does that mean for those escaping the tech-heavy city life to the Brainerd lakes area in the upcoming summer tourism months? According to Lisa Paxton, chief executive officer of the Brainerd Lakes Chamber, it simply means tourism ...
News

The Post-Vacation Mess
By Tina
Hello! Is today flying by for anyone else? I figured my first work day back from vacation would drag on and on, but it's really whizzing by. Holy moly, where does the time go? Hey, I'm not complaining! Lunch I.
Carrots 'N' Cake

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