9 Travel and Tourism Trends to Look Out For

1. Lightweight planes

Earlier this month, Boeing's new 787 Dreamliner stopped down in Toronto, the first of eight cities on its North American itinerary. Because the plane is made with lightweight materials, it consumes a fifth less fuel than a conventional plan of the same size.

This travel & tourism trend in a nutshell: Lightweight composite materials improve fuel efficiency.

2. Retro uniforms on airline staff at media events

When the 787 Dreamliner stopped in Toronto, Air Canada staff donned vintage period uniforms, reminiscent of those worn by Christina Ricci on the historical TV show, Pan Am.

This travel & tourism trend in a nutshell: Reminding passengers of the romance of air travel.

3. The return of the old-fashioned travel agent

As doubts arise about the trustworthiness of customer reviews on travel sites, customers are returning to that old standard, the travel agent.

This travel & tourism trend in a nutshell: Too much technology makes the human touch suddenly that more desirable.

4. Airport security express line for low-risk travelers

Some US airports are introducing streamlined security for low-risk frequent flyers.

This travel & tourism trend in a nutshell: After more than a decade of increased airport security, the industry is ready to explore solutions that incorporate convenience.

5. Travel to Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (the BRICS)

These emerging economies are attracting more tourists than ever. To prepare for it, China is expected to build more than a thousand new hotels in the next couple of years, according to travel commentator Travel+Leisure.

This travel & tourism trend in a nutshell: International touristic destinations are changing.

6. Greater use of travel insurance

According to a recent study of the British tourism industry, the use of travel insurance for international trips increased significantly last year.

This travel & tourism trend in a nutshell: Insurance products are increasing their market share of the industry.

7. Search for authenticity

According to the same British study, today's tourists want to eat the "real" food, meet the "real" people, get the "real" feel of the places that they visit.

This travel & tourism trend in a nutshell: No more soaking in the sun on resort-guest-only beaches.

8. Hotel renos

The Beverly Hills Hotel is just one of the many iconic hotels slated for major renovations in 2012.

This travel & tourism trend in a nutshell: The old configurations no longer meet the needs of today's travellers.

9. Concern for value over price

This according to the aforementioned tourism British study, which finds that 71% of travellers think that value is more important than simply getting the lowest price for a holiday.

This travel & tourism trend in a nutshell: In today's fragile economy, tourism management teams will have to work harder to establish that they are providing consumers with good value.

The Best Deals of Travel and Leisure Magazine

Constant travelers who want to score the best deals in every continent that they step into should never do without a copy of travel and leisure magazine. This magazine which is well known as travel + leisure magazine provides the A lists of the best hotels, restaurants, wellness clubs, cruise ships, events and festivals, resorts and beaches, food and drinks, and other significant facts that are essential to the well-being of one's travel itinerary. The travel and leisure magazine is a top rated, professional travel companion that would make sure you do not lose your way in every travel decision that you make.

The travel and leisure magazine used to be a compiled journal of travel photographs which placed emphasis on leisure travel and often features contributions from novelists, poets, travel columnists, artists, and avid travelers who are eager to share their acquired wisdom and serve as a helpful guide especially for those who are still neophyte in the realm of travel. The magazine publishes in a monthly basis and has several international editions such as China, Mexico, Russia, Turkey, and South East Asia though most of them were already defunct.

The magazine is famous for their World's Best Awards which is announced every August and has been practiced since 1995. This is an award body created on a basis of an annual survey from magazine readers who gave out their quantitative rating of world's best travel destination and accommodation. For the 2010's survey of the World's Best Awards, the travel and leisure magazine offers a chance to those who will take the survey of winning a $10,000 dream trip. This award has various categories namely hotels, islands, cities, airlines and cruises, wellness and spas and business hotels. These categories are featured on all continents that the travel and leisure magazine encompass such as US and Canada, Asia, Latin America, Africa and the Middle East, Europe, Caribbean, Australia, New Zealand, and South Pacific. Last 2009, the Bushman's Kloof atop the Cedarberg Mountains in Western Cape, South Africa emerged as the record holder of the number one spot in the survey with an overall score of 98.67.

Aside from the World's Best Awards, the travel and leisure magazine also has what they call T+L 500 Best Hotels and America's Favorite Cities where subscribers and magazine readers rank cities in the U.S. based on several categories. The categories are very informative because it covers almost all the things that one needs to know in famous cities such as their culture, hotels, nightlife, shopping malls, food and dining places, and airports.

The travel and leisure magazine also provides educational articles that are full of ideas not just about traveling but also informative discussions such as books and movies, charity programs, sports and fitness, gadgets, arts and culture, and basic photography lessons.

For those who are interested in subscribing to the travel and leisure magazine, the publication is giving out two risk-free issues of the magazine.

Travel and Leisure Hotels to Fit Your Budget

When it is time to plan a vacation or a weekend trip, you may need to find travel and leisure hotels that will work with your budget. You also want to find choices that offer the amenities you need and the location you want.

The Internet is a good place to locate travel and leisure hotels. Many travel sites offer an excellent starting point, although few have enough information available to make your final decision. However, you can find the names of the travel and leisure hotels that meet your minimum requirements and then visit their home pages individually.

Start by answering why you need to find travel and leisure hotels and for whom. Are you traveling for business or taking a romantic vacation? Who will be in the party? Will it be adults only, or will children be included? If children are going, what are their ages? Will you need child care services? Do you plan to rent a car or walk to local attractions? Once you have defined why you are looking for travel and leisure hotels and who will comprise the party, you can start looking for travel and leisure hotels that will fit those needs.

As you find hotels that might suit your requirements, map out their locations in relation to other attractions you want to visit. Travel and leisure hotels with a slightly higher daily rate may not be the best option if everything else is on the opposite side of a large city, since taxi fares will quickly exceed any savings.

Investigate all amenities offered by all the different hotels. If you work out daily, you might want to find one with a free gym for guests. Perhaps you want a hotel with an indoor pool for taking the children for a swim. You might want to limit your potential travel and leisure hotels to those with 24 hour room service, particularly if you are planning a second honeymoon or romantic weekend. Or if you are traveling on business, you might need on-site cleaning and laundry service.

Certain individuals with health needs may need travel and leisure hotels with specific amenities. For example, those who need to keep insulin refrigerated would probably prefer a room with a mini-fridge. Those with breathing problems might prefer a room on a lower floor just in case there is a power failure or other emergency requiring the use of stairs.

Perhaps you want to narrow your search for hotels to only those with onsite restaurants. This can save time and make it easier when traveling with a large party, since people can eat when they want and there is no need to try to coordinate a meal time for a group.

Once you have a list of hotels that seem like suitable candidates, you can check further on things like cancellation policies, check-in and check-out times and procedures, and parking availability. You may also want to know if there is a club, spa, or convenience store onsite.

With just a little research, you will no doubt find many travel and leisure hotels that interest you. By finding the one with the most qualities you desire, you will make sure that you and everyone traveling with you will have the best trip possible.

Cutting International Roaming Costs - For Business and Leisure Travelers

Mobile Phones are extremely convenient. This is undeniable. You can use them in your own country, and take them overseas when you travel. The only problem is that international roaming can sometimes be prohibitively expensive, often unexpectedly so. Despite this, there are ways you can reduce your costs whilst traveling. You can:

1. Buy a Prepaid SIM in the country you are visiting- With a prepaid SIM from the country you are traveling to, you do not have to worry about International Roaming costs, or paying to receive calls. The only downside of a country specific SIM card is that your number changes on each and every country that you visit.
2. Buy an International Phone Card- These cards give you EXTREMELY cheap rates from landlines for you to call home and are a great way to keep in touch with friends and family. The only problem with them is that it doesn't make it easy for people to contact you as you may not always be in the same hotel room with the same contact landline.
3. Use email- Email is great if you are near an internet café, or if there is internet access in your hotel- in some cases you can keep in contact with people for free. The only downside of email is it is not instantaneous contact. You will not get any messages for you until you check your inbox.
4. Get yourself an International SIM card- This is probably your best option for cheap and convenient telecommunications services whilst you are traveling. The right card means you won't pay incoming roaming costs in many of the countries you are traveling to. Overall, you are also looking at savings of between 60-90%. There is no downside to one of these (unless you aren't in the mood to be contacted) as people will always be able to reach you and you will always be able to reach them.

There are many ways you can reduce your telecommunications costs whilst traveling but, as we have seen, an International SIM Card is your best option.

Travel and the Economy

In spite of the global melt down and the economic crisis facing many an industry, there is one industry that is still thriving. The travel industry. Recession or no recession, people have to travel and they do. Not only domestically but also internationally. Not only for personal purposes but also for business and for tourism also. We can almost say that the stress of the economic depression is making people travel and relax!

There is a saying that goes: "One man's meat is another man's poison". And, on the same analogy, one individual's idea of relaxation might be a villa in the South of France overlooking the beach and the sea, surrounded by "Abigails and Andrews" whereas that of another may be a tent in a remote spot on the same beach.

Just like in housing, where houses are being foreclosed and going for a song and it is a "buyers market", the travel business is also on cloud nine and the offers for a memorable vacation in some of the exotic places on the planet surround the potential traveler. Travel agents the world over are trying their best to get people to travel. It is now time to take advantage of these offers and have a rollicking holiday in a new place.

But do you choose a place and do your budget or do you do your budget and choose a destination. The second is the wiser course as the first may turn out to be unaffordable. But there are such o lot of offers that you can even choose a place and then do your budget. Just see to it that it does not get you in the red, financially.

Once you have made up your mind to go somewhere for a vacation, immediately a number of questions popup. Is your passport current? What are the places that you are going to visit at your destination? What kind of accommodation are you going to live in? An independent house, a condo or a hotel room? What about transportation? You have to choose a location that is fairly easily accessible from the place of your stay. Try finding a resort that has its own transportation to the local attractions.

These are only some of the factors that you have to consider before setting out on your dream vacation. But whatever maybe, this is the ideal time for you to take that ideal vacation and make use the travel deals on offer.

Thinking About a Travel and Leisure Magazine Subscription?

For the discriminating consumer, nothing gives them a better option for all travel and leisure related information than a magazine travel and leisure magazine subscription. With a travel and leisure magazine subscription you can always be constantly aware of all the exciting places to travel and relax worldwide. You will also be given opportunities to save on all travel related costs. A travel and leisure magazine subscription will also save you a significant amount on the costs of your favorite travel and leisure magazines. Plus, you'll have the added convenience of having your favorite travel and leisure magazines delivered right to your front door.

Travel magazines make an excellent gift choice for all those hard to buy people with cultivated tastes. It is a gift idea than will keep on giving every time that person opens their mailbox and finds the informative and entertaining travel and leisure magazine they've been waiting to read. So let someone you care about know how you feel about them by ordering a travel and leisure magazine subscription for them and you might as well order yourself one, because you do not want to be left out of all the information, discounts, reviews and travel tips available in a travel and magazine.

A leisure and travel magazine subscription will be a valuable resource if you are planning a business trip or vacation excursion anywhere in the world. It will have informative articles, features and reviews about the travel and leisure industry. But better still, is will have money saving tips and discounts on a variety of travel related products. Anything from discounts on transportation, whether by airplane, train, cruise ship or car, you'll save money by having a travel and leisure magazine subscription. You will read fascinating articles about hot travel spots in every corner of the globe. You will read from travel industry professionals about a variety of subjects that could be used to ensure that your business trip or next vacation is safe and fun.

With a leisure and travel magazine subscription, you will know the world's best travel, will be aware of the best restaurants, hotels, resorts, and cruises. You will be aware of some of the best food and best shopping from Paris to Singapore. Readers with travel and leisure magazine subscriptions will be informed about hot vacation travel deals and get insider tips for traveling that will save them money and allow them to get the best out of their trip.

A lot of people love to travel, but not many know how to travel smartly. Or they may not be aware of the superb deals that can be had simply by knowing about it, Being informed about travel deals on hotels, airfare and sight-seeing tours can vastly increase the success of any business trip or pleasure vacation. With all the great deals you will discover by having a travel magazine subscription, you will be able to travel a lot more frequently and at a fraction of the costs you used to spend on traveling.

Travel and Leisure - Is it Another World Wonder?

Travel and leisure in the Caribbean is one place that many people have never heard about and if they happen to have heard about them, they have never had the chance to visit. There are very calm Caribbean beaches with plenty of paradise sands and beautiful vacation hotspots. The pleasure starts right from the secluded and quiet lagoons to the boldface names. If you discover the best travel and leisure spot in the Caribbean, then you are assured of the best beach getaway.

There are a variety of different Caribbean islands that you can choose from. This will depend on the amount of money that you have, the place you want to go, whether in your country or abroad, and off course very other many reasons. Some very common examples are as follows below.

The Cabarete beach

This Caribbean beach is found in the Dominican Republic. There are abundant water sports that make this back beach hideaway a wonder of the world. If you happen to be a windsurf fanatic or rather, you love kite surfing, then this is the place to be. Cabarete has proved to be an experience of a lifetime that is worth giving a second try.

The Palm Beach in Aruba

Once you place your foot in this amazing Caribbean, the first thing you will notice is the sliver of white Alabaster sand which is sprinkled with plenty of Palapa huts and palm trees. It is located in Aruba specifically in the heart of the great luxury hotels and resorts. At Palm Beach, you are assured of great fun and that is the reason most people flock this place. It is actually one of the best places to go out for swimming, basking, and sailing and off course relaxing all day long.

The great Jamaican Treasure Beach

Jamaica is popular for its ever busy and flocked Seven Mile Beach, but there is another hidden treasure that not many people know about. The Treasure Beach is relatively smaller and quiet. It is quite an authentic beach getaway and more so, it is located on the buttery shores of Jamaica. It is found on the Southwestern part of Jamaica's coast. It is characterized by a collection of beaches, cloves and wonderful swimming spots. The uniqueness of this beach is that it draws visitors and locals together, thanks to the community-based tourism initiative.

The Grand Anse, Grenada

This is the leader when it comes to travel and leisure hotspots in the Caribbean. Found in Grenada, Carracou, the unspoiled Grand Anse is considered a site which is a must-see. It is a gorgeous place which is clean, safe and free from huge crowds. Other sites that offer great travel and leisure ideas in the Caribbean are; The Pink Sands Beach in Bahamas, Cayo Espanto in Belize, Beachfront Estates on the Grace Bay. Others are Turks and Caicos which is a perfect place for honeymoon.