Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

Will airBaltic and Estonia Air Merge?

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In airline news from the Baltic region, Latvia ministers seem to think that Estonian and Latvian national air carriers should merge. Valdis Dombrovskis, Latvia’s Prime Minister, and transportation head Aivis Ronis spoke recently of a Riga central hub serving both countries.

Argo App Test: HIP Hotels HIP Guide

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First thing this #TT Travel Tuesday a Tweet from Hip Hotels mentioning their smartphone app put me in testing mode. So, without further eloquence (not much anyways), the HIP Hotels HIP Guide download to doing Hip Hotels.

Mobile Already Edging Out PC Booking: Travel Trends

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Recent news indicates that anticipated move toward mobile booking and buying in travel is really already here. As anyone in the developmental end of the hospitality development business already knows, smart device connects will soon represent a disproportionate share of all sales.

TUI Thomson Adds MyThomson Excursion App

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Have you tried the new app from TUI? Thomson launched their MyThomson smartphone app for free download last Friday without too much fanfare, but discount vouchers and a wealth of info on destination excursions should have brought out more party poppers. Let’s take a look at the app.

A Sunday Prayer for Bulgaria Gypsies

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Travel news is usually about hitting the high spots, at least what are generally accepted as positive news of hotel openings and celebratory events seem to permeate more. This is true here at Argo Travel News too. But beach resorts and carnivals are not the only good news on Earth, or in Eastern Europe. Stories of people helping people may be the best news any outlet could carry. Today we bring you news from Blythswood Care from Bulgaria.

Last Chance at Love: Sleeping Beauty Ukraine Style

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Visitors to Kiev may have an opportunity like no other visitor to any city. The National Art Museum of Ukraine has a special guest on exhibition, Sleeping Beauty. You read that correctly, an art project by the same name sets Ukrainian beauty to the test, “will true love awaken Sleeping Beauty?”

Slovenia & Albania Ministers Address Recession Blues

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From Ljublhana, Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa met with Albanian counterpart Sali Berisha Monday over economic development and bilateral cooperation between the two nations. The two agreed to bolster development and mutual efforts to settle regional issues, according to the news. However, the economic situation may prove a more formidable stumbling bloc than either is letting on.

Air Booking Site OneTwoTrip: Worth $9 Mil Funding?

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When I saw that TechCrunch had announced Russian travel startup OneTwoTrip’s recent $9 million funding round, I have to admit I was skeptical. For one thing, even though the Russian Federation has some of the world’s best programmers and developers, in general web entities from there generally suck. And pretty bad too.

Accor & Other Hotels Say Bye Bye to Summer Profits

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Just as some have feared but so few forecast officially, this Summer’s travel was not as big a hit as expected. When Accor Hotel Group warned their investors profit may not meet expectations last week the recession’s effect on hoteliers was cemented for the season.

Eastern Europe On Pinterest: Part I

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Pinterest is something of a phenomenon when it comes to users being social and loving all things imagery. As a window inside travel too, the boards on Pinterest can reveal a lot about the wonder and beauty of our travel landscape. Argo Travel News decided to start showing off the best boards for those breathtaking places in Eastern Europe.

End of Summer Eastern European Spots to Hit

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Luxuriant, unique, and just downright fascinating, aren’t these ideas you would love to enjoy for end Summer 2012? Argo Travel News sought out three gems for your beach getaway to end all beach getaways. It’ll be Fall again in a bit, time to jet off to “the other Europe” East of the all too familiar. Turkey to the Austrian border lands and back to Montenegro, here are some five star spots you HAVE to visit.

Big OTAs and Big Hotels in Price Fixing Lawsuit

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A federal lawsuit naming the likes of Expedia, Orbitz, Booking.com, Travelocity, Trump International Hotels Management, Intercontinental, Kimpton, Sabre Holdings, Priceline, Marriott, Starwood, and Hilton alleges the companies conspired to fix hotel room prices. According to the news from Reuters, the suit claims the travel giants did so in an effort to fend off competition from smaller online retailers.

Digital Marketing System buuteeq Looking Up

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News from budding marketing marvel buuteeq suggests their dital marketing system (DMS) for independent hotels is gaining momentum. Powering online reservartions online, on mobile, and via social media, the startup launched back in 2011 is now engaging hoteliers across 15 countries.

Lodging in Amsterdam: Steingenberger Hotel Group Expands in Amsterdam

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Steingenberger Hotel Group has just announced having added Amsterdam to their list of high end accommodations in Europe. According to the news, the Frankfurt based company will take over operation of the Four Star Superior Hotel there, a property with 440 rooms near Schiphol International Airport.

The Collection by Liz McGrath, Luxury of the Unexpected

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Anyone reading this article might be a bit surprised on learning about South African hospitality surpassing even European standards. Surprise being an ethereal part of wonder, imagine discovering old world charm and traditional luxury blended with 21st Century “wired”. The Liz McGrath’s Collection of three 5 star hotels is not your typical visitation on exclusive, not by a long shot.

Andermatt Swiss Alps: A Wonderland Coming Soon

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Searching exclusive destinations for an end of Summer rush we ran across Andermatt Swiss Alps, situated in a village so often associated with skiing and alpine Winter sports. This legendary destination at the foot of the Gotthard Massif in Switzerland, will soon welcome a year round holiday, property, and sports Mecca of both proportion and uniqueness, we thought you would like to discover.