Argophilia

Αργοφιλία: For the love of the journey.

tourism

Starwood Hotels & Resorts: The Luxury You’d Expect

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Starwood Hotels’ Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts has released a limited edition US destination guide published by Assouline. Part of a set of bound books, the luxuriously crafted books show off the Luxury Collection’s most exquisite properties around the world.

WTTC: Tourism for Tomorrow 2012 Kick Off

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Every year the World Travel & Tourism Council invites tourism businesses, organizations, and even destinations to apply for the worldwide Tourism for Tomorrow Awards. The council just announced this year’s competition for gaining recognition via best practices in sustainable tourism.

Travel Agents and the Status Quo of Extinction

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President Obama’s projection about travel agents, and the potential for them becoming obscolete brought on a firestorm of criticism from who else? The ASTA of course. The American Society of Travel Agents took great offense and injury at comments that. Comments that. Were effectively accurate, that’s what.

Eurozone – European Travel Gone Critical

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The Eurozone is in deep trouble. The piling up of debt for member states now affects every country, every industry, all Europe is reeling at the ultimate realization economic chaos is no longer a distant danger. Italy’s Ecomomy Minister Giulio Tremonti said it all in an address on Thursday; “We move forward or we sink” – stressing the EU desperately needs a political solution to its money woes.

Travel Media Group Launches Edgy Marketing Tool

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In travel technology news, Travel Media Group has just launched Travel Media Interactive, a so called next generation marketing and reputation management tool. A division of Dominion Enterprises, TMG is targeted at online marketing solutions for the travel industry.

GetYourGuide: Swiss Movement for Tours

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Travel and tourism in the digital world is branching out in “pioneer” fashion more and more these days. One startup we took a look at today, GetYourGuide, illustrates vividly what is possible with the right people behind an endeavor. GetYourGuide, founded in 2008, is a development that has been hard at work becoming the digital world’s tour and specialty activity “go to” platform.

Record Number of Tourists to Visit Singapore in 2011

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Between 12 and 13 million tourists are expected to visit the city-state this year, bringing with them tourism receipts of around 23 billion SGD (Singapore dollars), according to the Trade, Industry and Education minister S Iswaran.

Something to Brag About: Slovenia’s Tourist Board

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The tourism industry in Europe has been hit pretty hard by the economic situation, this is obvious. For Eastern European countries, this is particularly true, given they rely to a large degree on inbound tourism from the West. The good news for Slovenia is that overnight stays and foreign visitors are on the rise.

TUI Travel Gains Confidence and Russian Investment

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Russian billionaire steel tycoon Alexei Mordashov has increased his stake in German tourism group TUI. Mordashov raised his stake to above 20 percent from just above 15%. The transaction was made via his S-Group holding company. In TUI’s latest corporate documents, it is clear the company intends massive expansion into the Russian Federation.

HomeAway & the Business of Super Bowl Commercials

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With Super Bowl XLV headed to living rooms and sports bars everywhere this weekend, one highly anticipated aspect of that great event is, of course, the ever present commercials which often entertain more than the game itself. Remember the time when your parents rented that beach house for the Summer? HomeAway remembers.

Northern Cyprus: An Emerging Paradise

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The Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus stands to gain much from the forward thinking and engaging tourism industry efforts Turkey has initiated these last couple of years. Investment in Northern Cyprus tourism will eneviatbly pay off not only for the investment concerns, but for the people of the Republic as well. While many countries in Europe have suffered from losses in tourism dollars these last couple of years, Turkey and brother states have done exceedingly well, holding their own against all rivals.

Russia & EU Closer to Free Visa Agreement

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Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov offers a ray of sunshine for those who want a free-visa zone between the EU and Russia. At a press conference the Minister told reporters Russia and the EU are much closer to an agreement. So far the EU has stonewalled every attempt by the Kremlin to free up travel and tourism between Russia and the rest of Europe.

Grisha Ganchev and the Great Wall of Bulgaria

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Bulgaria’s Grisha Ganchev is a controversial figure to say the least. One thing is certain however, the industrialist believes in helping the people of his country climb out of the current economic crevass. A €100 million auto plant in the remote village of Bahovitsa will produce 120o jobs and 50,000 inexpensive autos for people in the Balkans.