Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Oktogo.ru Really Is – Mostly

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In the coming months the Russian Federation will be ever increasingly in travel news leading up to Sochi 2014. For people in the online hotel booking space, and other hospitality sectors too, Russia presents a special set of potentials and hurdles as well, this is widely accepted. Many questions exist where online travel in Russia is concerned, we hope this post will clarify a few.

Ratan Tata: Will India’s Greatest CEO Go Out Winners?

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Not so many people in the world of business in India know of a man named Ratan Tata, but for entrepreneurial spirit, they certainly should. News today about his Tata Group and his Indian Hotels Co. Ltd., reveal one reason Tata has been so successful. News of an Orient-Express acquisition bid signal a bell ringing play by the famous businessman.

A Slovenian Winter Is Coming

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News today from Slovenia’s Tourism Board reflects on initiatives there to broaden the alpine country’s tourism horizons, and a bit of the stress deep recession can cause. We received a press release telling of the so called 2nd Days of Slovenian Tourism that took place this week at the fabulous Radenci Spa (image below). A sort of gathering of travel experts, the meetings hint at the country’s staggering economic woes reflected not only in the news, but the effectiveness and methods to attract tourists.

Fascinating Destinations: New Roman Mosaic in Lycia

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Last month news of a massive Roman mosaic being unearthed in southern Turkey captured the imagination and interest of anyone interested in antiquity. Researchers unearthed what is the largest such mosaic in all Turkey, and one of the largest such decorative Roman artifacts in the world. The wonders of Turkey and antiquity make for a great Monday morning discovery. Look.

Surprising Travel Modes: Superfast Ferries

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Odds are you never thought of traveling from Italy to Greece via ultra fast auto ferry. You probably did not even consider there is such a thing outside of a Bond flick, let alone churning across the length of the Adriatic aboard one. Here at Argo, we are all about the love of travel and wonderful, novel ways of “getting there” too.

buuteeq Gets Another $10 Mil to Make “Right Idea”

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Online marketing startup buuteeq, which we covered briefly some time back, has just announced having raised another $10 million in funding. The funding round, led by Madrona Venture Group and by Concur, brings buuteeq’s total capital raised to some $17 million thus far. Along with this news, the startup also announced the addition of Concur CEO, Steve Singh and Madrona Partner, and Tim Porter to the company’s board of directors.

Grace Hotels – Echoes of Great Greek Getaways

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Today’s hotel spotlight is on the newest of the new Greek getaway possible, a Grace Hotel that has yet to open. Being developed on the Isle Kea, known locally as Tzia, the Grace Kea Hotel and Residences will be a boutique paradise affair quite unlike any other. Slated for 32 rooms and two restaurants, this Island accommodation promises to be a new breed of elegance. Let’s look at what we can expect.

WIHP’s DirectPack & Trivago – Direct Bookings Imminent?

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World Independent Hotels Promotion (WIHP) has just announced a sweet partnership with leading meta comparison site Trivago, one which could end up being a sort of strategic masterpiece. Testing their so called DirectPack ad platform with Trivago, WIHP’s test hotels achieved a 10x ROI with no sweat, according to WIHP’s Marketing experts. The implications of this news may not be readily obvious, we suggest you read on.