Sweden Door-to-Door is being developed in cooperation between RTS, the Swedish Travel and Tourist Industry Federation, and a number of public players. Sweden Door-to-Door will be the world’s first national and neutral service to coordinate all information required for booking and purchasing trips within a country. Consequently, Sweden’s entire range of transportation will be accessible and available for consumers, who can plan, book and purchase for their trips on the single site.

Sweden Door-to-Door  includes about 80 per cent of all Sweden’s travel alternatives today. From the beginning, all general, timetable-based modes of transport systems will be included, as well as route directions and maps. During 2009, Sweden Door-to-Door will be launched in its entirety. A test version is out now

Tags: Curt Landin, door-to-door, RTS, sweden, Swedish, timetable, tourist, Travel

Guest Blog - the ISM team describes their approach (and subsequent jubilation!) to introducing Emirates Airlines to the San Francisco market…

They stopped. They looked. They smiled. They discussed.
To paraphrase Sally Field, “They liked it. They really liked it.”

But let’s back up 36 hours or so, to when we first started unpacking box after box of artificial palm fronds (1,280 fronds to be exact). The plan was to make a typical station domination anything but typical. For those who don’t know, a “station domination” is when a single advertiser buys every available unit in a particular station. In this case, the advertiser was our client Emirates, the world’s fastest growing airline. The site? San Francisco’s Montgomery Station. And the crew? Five installers, two ISMers, one Emirates client…and a partridge in a palm tree. Even before we had hung the first frond, onlookers began to take notice. In the middle of their commute, they’d take time to come over and ask what was going on. Some had heard of Emirates. Most hadn’t. (One even thought that Emirates was a cookie. And another was more interested in what kind of video camera we were using, but I digress.) Everyone agreed, this was gonna be a hit. And oh was it ever.

In addition to the 32 “Palm Trees”, we created wallscapes, floorscapes, dioramas, transit posters and banners. 215 different pieces in all. Let’s just say that Janice, our production manager, has earned herself a much needed vacation. (And don’t even get her started on the taxi wraps, news racks, billboards and monitors that we worked on for the rest of the city.)

But let’s get back to those palm trees. After weeks of searching for the “perfect frond” and experimenting with the proper rigging, we were finally ready to roll. Of course, it wasn’t until we saw the enormity of the task at hand that we realized, well, the enormity of the task at hand. (Who knew that there was a proper way to fold a frond?) Even our client had to get his hands dirty and help out. And at one point, when the installers were ready to call it a day, we actually had to bribe them with a Quizno’s run and sandwiches for everyone.

When all was said and done, the installation was a huge success. (And our hands and forearms were killing us from all that frond folding.) It was quite nice to see people walking into the station with no idea who Emirates was and walking out booking reservations on their iPhones. (Okay, maybe that’s a slight exaggeration.) But at the end of the day, we felt like we really left our mark on the city.

Sort of like our own little San Francisco treat.

-Ana Gonzalez

Watch the video here: http://ismboston.blogspot.com/2008/12/domination-jubilation.html

Founded in 1984, ISM has grown into one of the world’s leading firms specializing in marketing and advertising for the travel, hospitality and lifestyle industries. Premier brands from around the world seek out the company for its expertise, strategic abilities and creativity. Current clients include Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, Emirates, American Express, Barbados, Best Western and others. The firm is comprised of a unique mix of talent that hails from both the travel industry and leading marketing communications agencies.

Tags: advertising, Airlines, emirates, hospitality, hotels, ism, lifestyle, Marketing, pr, san-francisco, Tourism, Travel

Francine Parnes takes a critical look at travel…through not-so-rosy colored glasses.

Excerpt:
“who needs industry statistics about airplane orders and hotel occupancy rates when the beleaguered business people who are sitting in the planes and sleeping in the hotels are testing another kind of boundary: the limits of humiliation, weirdness, fear and revulsion? Wouldn’t you rather hear their stories? Here are some of them.”

Tags: Travel

by Jitendra Jain

On a recent (and first time) trip to Beirut, I had a chance to experience, first-hand, the city formerly touted at the “Paris of the East”. An unexpected fog veiled our approach to Rafic Hariri International Airport in Beirut, but did offer a few tantalizing glimpses of the azure waters and ample beaches of the city. The trip by taxi from the airport to the hotel wasn’t particularly impressive, since the scattering of dilapidated and war-ridden buildings along the way do create a depressing image.

The Four Points by Sheraton in Le Verdun was a sight for sore eyes after the journey, with a cool, trendy atmosphere and super-efficient service. The rooms were surprisingly spacious too and offered the perfect retreat to recharge for the work and play ahead.
After a hectic day of presentations and meetings, it was good to walk into the crisp, cool air and go exploring. The sea was a 5 minute walk away, and further explorations led us to quite a vibrant dining and shopping complex. ‘Downtown’ Beirut was quite a cosmopolitan experience too…a melting pot full of world renowned brand names and local culture and tradition. The most striking feature of the downtown area, though, has to be the beautiful mosque and the church, built opposite each other, in Martyr’s Square.

I had always heard that the Lebanese had quite a fondness for dining, and the plethora of restaurants in the city amply attested to this fact. We experimented with traditional Lebanese cuisine in a restaurant offering a panoramic view of the sea and the famous Rawche Rock…and I must say that the view and food impressed equally! Sampling wide variety of mézzah (appetizers) was a fun experience with our group and the food was fresh and appetizing. We opted for another ‘bite’ (literally!) of traditional Lebanese food on our way up to the mountains the next day. The restaurant, nestled by the side of the mountain, was the ideal mid-way point to take a look around and enjoy the cool air and snappy, eager-to-please service by the owner and his band of cheerful assistants.

Our trip up to the mountains, to Faraya, was definitely the highlight of my trip. Our journey by bus took approximately one and a half hours, and transported us to our very own ‘Switzerland’, yet a lot closer to home (and cheaper too!). The snow was still quite fresh and coated everything with a white, pure blanket of pure bliss. Our group of over 15 people spent the next couple of hours whizzing up and down peaks and valleys on our rented snow-mobiles and engaged in a snow-fight or two, before wrapping up the trip with snowman-building competition. Headed back to the city, we had a short stopover at the Intercontinental Mzaar to warm up before the fireplace in the lobby and grab a cup of delicious hot chocolate…could the day have been any better?

No visit to Beirut could be complete without checking out the nightlife…and the city’s reputation is certainly well deserved – the city’s night spots were literally swarming with party-goers. We took in a dose of Arabic karaoke and a spot of Lebanese Boogie (some more than others) and finally headed home, tired but euphoric. I was surprisingly reluctant to pack my bags for good old Bahrain, but eventually made the effort and got a move on…vowing to return to this charming city of contrasts…even if only for my next snowball fight!

Tags: beirut, lebanon, Travel

A heartfelt tribute and adieu to Steve Irwin, Croc Hunter, who met an untimely end today while diving off the coast of Australia. Officials speculate that the stingray barb to the chest may have triggered a fatal heart attack for the 44 year old adventurer. Steve will be fondly remembered by fans, for this daring and quirky personality and his exciting forays into the hidden natural treasures so few of us ever see ourselves.

“SYDNEY (Reuters) - Steve Irwin, the quirky Australian naturalist who won worldwide acclaim, was killed by a stingray barb through the chest on Monday while diving off Australia’s northeast coast, emergency officials and witnesses said.”

Read the news article here:

Tags: accident, australia, croc-hunter, crocodile-hunter, death, demise, nature, steve-irwin, sting-ray, sydney, Travel, tribute, TV

This May I finally had the chance to return home to Kenya…leaving the growing heat of Bahrain, and work, behind for a few weeks for a brief (isn’t it always?) respite. This East African country is not only the gateway into East Africa but also comparatively a stable, progressive republic with a breathtaking variety of landscapes and holiday options. There is something truly captivating about Africa that only be experienced in person…and one way to do this is to go on a cross-country Safari!

Having moved to Kenya with my family almost 16 years ago, I’ve lived in the 3 main cities – Nairobi, the dynamic capital, Mombasa, the major port city and costal holiday destination…and most recently in Kisumu, that was proclaimed a ‘city’ just a few years ago and is located on the shores of Lake Victoria. We set out for our ‘Safari’ (which literally means ‘travel’ or a ‘journey’ in Swahili, the local language) from the sleepy little hollow of Kisumu to the world-renowned game reserve of Maasai Mara, in our trusty (but aging) Land Rover Discovery…a perfect blend of comfort and horsepower for the roads (and lack of) ahead.

The Maasai Mara is named after the Maasai tribe, who traditionally inhabit the area and is famous for its diverse, abundant game and ‘The Great Migration’ where an immense number of Wildebeest annually migrate to and from greener pastures. The quaint little resort that we stayed at was based right next to the Mara river and featured individual tents with all the traditional amenities of a hotel room plus something that’s a little harder to find…a great view of half-submerged hippos slumbering in the sun.

Our game drive in the afternoon took our caravan of 4X4’s along, over and through paths not oft seen by humans…to the choicest views of game in their natural habitat. In addition to the usual excess of zebra, ostriches, giraffes, antelopes, elephants, wild buffalos and monkeys, the Mara Reserve is also boasts a large Lion population. Our rollercoaster quest finally ended upon a pride of lions, complete with lionesses and cubs…and as our stomachs finally settled, we all watched jungle royalty frolic and bask in all their wild splendour. Spotting big cats on a game drive is always a sign of success…and we returned to the resort to settle down for the night, rattled to the bone by the rough trails but nonetheless elated.

The next stop on our Safari was the capital of Kenya. Nairobi, founded in 1899 by the British as a supply depot for the Uganda Railway, was named after a water hole the Maasai called “Ewaso Nyirobi” (Cool Waters). And “Cool” is an appropriate word to describe Nairobi, both for its pleasant weather and looks. The last century has seen the city grow to a slick, cosmopolitan base for business and politics. The plethora of malls, restaurants and leisure venues promise to keep you occupied and entertained.

After a good night’s rest we forged on to the Aberdare National Park, where the famous Tree Tops Hotel is located. The hotel offers a superb view of game during the day (and at night by spotlights) and is essentially a glorified watch-tower built upon tree trunks and near watering holes. The hotel gained worldwide recognition through Jim Corbett’s story “Treetops” and due to the fact that Princess Elizabeth spent the night there on 5th February, 1952 and awoke the next morning a Queen (during the night, her father George VI passed away). The hotel also features a naturalist, ever full of interesting facts and stories - observing the elephants, buffalos and other animals at such close range can be quite an experience, especially when one spots the unmistakable social behaviour of these animals.

Leaving behind the Aberdares, we headed towards Mount Kenya and the river Naro Moru for a couple of days of complete R&R. The river has various resorts located on its banks and the town of Naro Moru is a popular base for climbers hoping to scale the second-highest mountain in Africa. The resort we chose offered cozy cottages, complete with kitchen and fireplaces and located right on the banks of the river. This offered a perfect base for short excursions to surrounding areas, which include cultural & historical spots and a unique restaurant built in a tree that offers fresh, farm-cultivated trout.

Our trip almost at an end, we headed west, back to Lake Victoria, passing the spectacular Thomson falls on the way. The rains had just set in after a long drought and the landscapes were practically gushing with green. We also passed the Equator a few times during the Safari and witnessed eager tour guides as they demonstrated (often for a charge) how water swirled in different directions on both sides of this imaginary line to excited (and sadly clueless) tourists. When headed west, one also crosses the town of Kericho, which is the centre of Kenya’s large tea industry and offers inspiring views of endless green tea fields.

This week-long Safari was just what the doctor recommended…Kenya, and indeed Africa, has the ability to pull you into its mystery and raw, untouched beauty, as do the people, who are unassuming and welcoming. From the virgin white sands of Mombasa and Malindi to the game parks scattered across the country…the massive Rift Valley running through the country and the desert in the north…the lakes thriving with flamingoes to arid salt lakes…the country has truly something for every taste and inclination.

For now though, it’s back to good old Bahrain…till the NEXT Safari.

by Jitendra Jain

Visit JJ on www.thetalentjungle.com and join the Hospitality Alumni Community online!

See more photos from the trip

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Kenya – Facts and Tips

Location: East Africa
Capital: Nairobi
Politics: Republic, ex-British colony, gained Independence in 1963
Language: English and Swahili
Currency: Kenyan Shilling (KES)
Area: 582,560 sq.km
Population: 34,256,000 (July 2005 est.)
Time Zone: GMT + 3
National Airline: Kenya Airways
Kenya Tourism Board: http://www.magicalkenya.com - visit the website for all the information you need on Kenya and planning your trip.

Popular Swahili Phrases:

Jambo – Hello
Hakuna Matata – No Problem
Karibu - Welcome
Kwaheri – Goodbye
Asante Sana – Thank you very much
Safari Njema – Safe / Good Trip

Tags: africa, kenya, safari, Tourism, Travel

With Dubai the wonders never cease! The scope, pace and nature of the developments and projects in Dubai and the United Arab Emirates in general is mind-boggling. The hotel industry is also abuzz with new properties - the city of Dubai is currently host of about 40,000 rooms in various categories and this number is set to grow to almost 94,000 by 2016! The biggest project, Bawadi, itself will account for 29,000 hotel rooms, with the biggest hotel in the world, Asia-Asia (6,500 rooms). This article gives a short brief of the hotel industry and a list of the top 20 hotels in Dubai by popularity (Read it here)

Tags: dubai, hospitality, hotels, middle-east, motels, resorts, Tourism, Travel, uae, united-arab-emirates

Starwood Hotels & Resorts has just launched a new website www.starwoodpro.com to cater exclusively to the information and booking needs of a wide and important travel professional base. The official blurb:

Why we’re here: To make matching specific client requirements with the perfect hotel effortless. How we’ve done it: By putting you first. Created by professionals, for professionals, StarwoodPro puts the information and tools you rely on most – the ability to research locations, dynamic search that helps pinpoint the right properties, and a booking shortcut tool – all in easy reach. We’ve also included textural information – such as vivid descriptions of each of our brands and local area information so that you can unite clients with hotels that will not just meet, but exceed expectations.

Visit www.starwoodpro.com for more

The site also lists what’s expected in the future: “On the Horizon”

Working to help you open more hotel doors to your clients, StarwoodPro is looking to do more – provide more tools, more information about our properties, and finding more ways to help you help your clients. Some of the things we’ll be adding in the future:

Enhanced Travel Professional Education – We’re focused on helping you find more ways to use Starwood’s brands to build your business. We also want to get to know you, as well as help you get to know us and each of our brands.

Travel Professional Rates – Stay with us! We’re working on enhancing our current discounted rates for Travel Professionals to give you more opportunities to stay at our hotels and resorts worldwide at preferred rates.

Rewards Program – We’ve got something cooking that may just motivate you to book any one of our 825 + hotels and resorts.

Special Events – Celebrations and business go hand in hand, and we will have a lot to celebrate as we launch new brands and open new hotels.

Tags: book, bookings, ecommerce, hospitality, hotel-bookings, hotels, information, internet, Online, professionals, resorts, starwood, tour-operators, Tourism, Travel, travel-agents, website

Kenya has always been considered a safe haven in East Africa and is a great tourist spot for beach holidays and African safaris. However the recent post-election clashes and continuing violence in the country has torn apart the economy - tourism and the Kenyan hotel industry has been hit hard. News reports indicate a high number of hotel closures and lay-offs with declining visits. At the Coast of Kenya, which accounts for about 2/3rds of the hotel industry, 20 hotels have been shut down (of 150 hotels with 32,000 beds in the region) and others are recording a dismal 10 - 20% occupancy. It is clear that the situation is headed towards a spiral if nothing is done to bring warring parties to an agreement - the hotel industry, which took some time to recover from the blasts half a decade ago, is right back where it started at that point, much to the dismay of hotel operators and tourists.

About Kenya: The Republic of Kenya is a country in Eastern Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia to the north, Somalia to the east, Tanzania to the south, Uganda to the west, and Sudan to the northwest, with the Indian Ocean running along the southeast border.

Tags: closures, economy, hotel-industry, hotels, kenya, kenya-hotels, kenyan, kenyan-hotel-industry, Tourism, Travel, turmoil, violence

Kango.com has introduced a new travel blog search widget which hopes to alleviate the trouble most of us go through searching for (and through) good travel blogs / posts. The widget employs custom Google search and scours the contents of selected travel blogs which have made it on the list. A great promotion tool, no doubt, for Kango itself, but also a good value addition to most travel blogs to help their readers search for more travel content out there…

What is Kango?

The official site blurb:
Kango is a travel information search engine - your first step to deciding where to go, where to stay or what to do. We’re here to help you make informed decisions about what best fits your travel preferences. We have scoured the web to collect 400,000 places to go, things to do and places to stay. Then we have analyzed and organized millions of travelers’ opinions to enable you to search based on your exact travel requirements and preferences.

Tags: hospitality, hotels, kango, search-widget, Tourism, Travel, travel-blogs, travel-search