My Travel Journal

By Nikos Nikolis

 Starting any business is always a major undertaking. Yet, if the skills, knowledge, desire and determination is there, most people can realize a lifelong dream.

Thinking about starting your own home business? What type are you anticipating? One of the most profitable home businesses has been in the travel field. People are searching for discount travel opportunities and their first reach is at their computer.

Never before in the history of man has there been so many traveling. The world is vast and people travel for pleasure, interest, careers, and the list goes on. Not everyone is knowledgeable enough and some simply do not have the time to plan a trip. Most of us need the assistance of a professional.

In the last twenty years, traveling has been an economical standard as well as a necessity. Getting away from it all, traveling for school or business, everyone is going everywhere.

If you plan to start a home business as a travel agent, there are certain things you need to consider, do and work through.

Let’s begin by talking about your background in the field. Do you have what it takes to be a travel agent? If not, you might want to take a few courses in Becoming a Travel Agent or Success in the Travel Agency Field. These courses are offered at community colleges, online, through seminars or even by independent travel agencies. Find a few to see what is required and offered at sites like www. asta. com.

Travel agents must have the ability to converse in several languages. Not only will you be working with foreign agencies, you will be intermixing with people from all over the world. Travelers come from every background, nationality and locale. Therefore, a travel agent who only communicates in English already has one vital strike against them. Take courses to help you learn how to speak languages such as Spanish, French even German might be of a benefit.

Excellent Computer skills are essential. Ninety percent of the work and research performed will be through the computer. Being capable and able to navigate the different sites with ease and accuracy will be a major plus when working in travel.

An impeccable knowledge of Geography is vital. There is nothing more irritating than attempting to obtain and plan a trip with someone who does not have the slightest idea where “Zanzibar” is located. Travel agents should have a vast knowledge of the world and in which country a city is located. If Geography was not a strong course in school, take it now while contemplating a career in the travel field. Is it always a good idea to know the world for travel ventures; it is also a good idea during the situation our economy is in.

As in any business, being well organized is of tremendous importance. If you are already a well-organized person, you have half the battle won. However, if organization is not your forte, consider another business or take a course in organizational skills. Yes, organizing can be taught. A travel agent must be organized, accurate and detail oriented. Skills necessary in assuring travel itineraries are planned, scheduled and defined before booking a client’s trip are vital. You want to make sure every “i” is dotted and every “t” is crossed.

Customer Service skills are those skills crucial to all businesses. Excellent People skills will make a company. Not having excellent people skills has been the downfall of thousands. Customer service defines the importance a company places on the person who patronizes them. Either hire people you know are skilled in handling “people” or use the assistance of a hiring agency.

A travel agent must have the ability to sell. Sales is one of those skills you either have or do not. A sales man is born not created. If you have the gift of selling, you have what it takes. If you don’t have sales skills, hire a person who can sell the hair off a cat.

There is nothing travel agents say is more rewarding than being in the field of travel. They would not take any other career over the one offering them excitement in addition to being very lucrative. With minimal skills and a minor investment, anyone can become a travel agent.

Nick Nikolis is living and working in Rhodes Greece and writing about Self help, Business, Hospitality Industry and destinations. Check here Greece hotels and Greece Villas.

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By Hendrik Pohl

 Traveling is so easy nowadays. Plane tickets can be purchased instantly on the Internet, and airports are never more than an hour away. If you are a frequent business traveler, one of the first things you will have to learn about this high-flying lifestyle is how to keep all your clothes looking professional and presentable. Here is a quick guide to bringing your wardrobe from the longest red-eye flight to the most glamorous red carpet event.

Packing Like a Pro

When you are traveling and you need your clothes presentable as soon as you land, it simply wont do to just chuck your wardrobe into the nearest accessible carryall. An overstuffed bag is one of the worst conditions you could create for your clothes. You should either be practical and cut down on what you are bringing, or consider getting a larger bag and then just checking it in.

It doesnt stop with a large enough bag, though. There is a certain way of packing your clothes into your luggage so as to minimize wrinkles and creases while you are in transit. Your most delicate items: Your suit, your fine dress shirts and your silk ties should all be as far away from the edges as possible. A lot of pressure is exerted on the edges of a bag, whereas the middle gets some cushioning from the surrounding articles of clothing.

Place tees, undershirts, underwear and other not-so-fine items at the bottom of your bag. The middle layer should then be occupied by the finer, more delicate articles like your shirts and ties. Finish off your packing with a topmost layer occupied by another set of not-so-delicate items like coats and casual jackets.

The Right Stuff

Consider getting specialty containers for your more delicate pieces of clothing. Garment bags, for example, are a good idea if you are bringing a full suit or a few dress shirts. Not only will the bag keep dust and moisture at bay, but it will also make the entire package easier to handle. A box or a hard cylinder would be great for your silk ties so that there is something to protect them from physical pressure once they are in your bag.

It is not very difficult to procure either item. Both should be available at department stores, clothing retailers and even dollar stores.

Upon Arrival

As soon as you get to your hotel room, it is imperative that you unpack all your bags. This is gives your clothes the opportunity to breathe from the confinement of the bag and un-wrinkle themselves. Hang your suits, shirts and neckties right away, as they will need the most time to smooth down. Call up the hotels laundry service and send out your clothes ASAP, if necessary.

If you need to un-wrinkle shirts, ties or suits in a jiffy, you could ask housekeeping for a steam iron and then steam down your clothes yourself. Make sure to do it at the lowest heat setting to keep from damaging yours stuff. A long, hot shower can also work just as well; just hang your clothes up in the bathroom before turning on the tap. Your clothes should be presentable and wrinkle-free once you finish your bath.

Pohl is a regular author on mens fashion. He is also the owner of Ties-necktie.com - A site specializing in fine mens fashion accessories such as silk ties, pocket silks, and cufflink sets. Pohl also invites you to visit his mens fashion blog.

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By Henry Ashworth

 Up until last year, an increasingly important part of a wedding for many British couples had been the stag and hen parties - and with easy credit and unemployment rarely a worry in recent years a party abroad with friends for a few days was all the rage.

Low cost flights too helped change party planning from the local pub and club with alcohol and girls to a bar or club with alcohol and girls in Spain, Greece and Cyprus. And for some Florida and New York wasn’t out of the question either.

In fact, such was the demand for stag parties abroad that a niche travel industry has sprung up, specialising in making sure the long weekend turned out to be all the groom and his friends expected it to be.

The areas in Europe that benefitted most from the high spending alcohol fuelled weekends include Barcelona, Cyprus, Tenerife and Ibiza. New areas that sprung up as top pre wedding party destinations included Latvia and Estonia.

The bad news for these areas and the companies who get a share of the stag weekends abroad business from the UK is that the credit crunch is changing where stag parties are being held - and going abroad for 3 or 4 days with a dozen friends isn’t a viable option for many now.

Five years ago an astonishing 58 per cent of pre wedding parties were abroad. Last year as ppeople became aware that the economy was getting more fragile that dropped by more than two thirds to just 16 per cent. Expect that to fall more in 2009 and 2010.

And the shift away from long weekends abroad to long weekends at home has seen London rise to be favourite destination for the party-goers, followed by Manchester and Newcastle, with each party-goer spending an average of 370 Sterling (around US $500).

With the number of traditional family holidays abroad also likely to be down from the UK this year, some areas are bound to feel the economic winds that are blowing through the European travel industry, but oddly some of the previously popular stag party destinations seem to be doing well - perhaps it’s now the married couples with their children from the last decade who are returning to where they enjoyed their last holiday while single!

Cyprus for example did have a good June last year with an 8 per cent increase in visitors compared to June 2007, but that was after four successive months of falling tourist arrivals.

And Tenerife is on course to beat 2007’s tourist arrivals, with suggestions that 20 per cent more people took holidays in Tenerife in 2008.

Los Cristianos in Tenerife, previously a small fishing village, is now one of the largest resorts on the island and favoured by some of the stag parties. Located in the southern part of the island, it is home to mass-market tourism. The architectural feel of the resort town is very typical Canarian. The town centre is never crowded with vehicles, as the entire area is pedestrian only. Both small and large boats share the large port. A wide array of boats can often be seen docking or parked in the bay. The resort has two large beaches and lots of cafes, restaurants, bars and shops to choose from.

Puerto de la Cruz is a large tourist resort on the northern part of the island. It is a mere 10 minute drive across beautiful countryside from La Oratava. The Puerto de la Cruz resort began as a port for La Oratava and the export of bananas from nearby plantations. La Oratava, Esperanza forest and Mount Teide offer amazing views from the variety of hotels in Puerto de la Cruz. Due to its volcanic origins, black sand beaches offer a very unique beach experience, and swimming is possible for much of the year thanks to the good all year round Tenerife weather. It is not recommended that you swim in the ocean on the northern side of the island, as there is no reef to protect the shores from harsh tides and sweeping currents. Instead, Puerto de la Cruz has a large open-air seawater swimming pool called ‘Lago de Martianez.’

But whether Cyprus and Tenerife ride out the travel downturn successfully or not, there will be clubs and bars on both islands who would welcome a new wave of stag parties from Britain in 2009.

Details for breaks in Tenerife can be found at travel site yourtenerife.net with accommodation details that include reviews for hotels in Tenerife - while some people make mention of their Tenerife holiday experiences on their Tenerife blog

Tenerife has two airports and the guide includes airlines who offer cheap flights to Tenerife

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