| December 2, 2008 | News for travel agents |
 |  |
| Business and Industry Watch |  |  |
|
- Industry assesses damage attacks will have on India's tourism
Following the attacks that devastated Mumbai last week, the travel industry is trying to determine how the incidents will affect travel and tourism in India. Manav Thadani, managing director for HVS India, pointed out that the attacks occurred during the country's peak tourism season. "There is already an impact because of the economy. Business travel across India is down," Thadani said. "All the group travel is going to disappear. It is the high season, so we should have been running at 90 to 95% [occupancy] between now and February. Now we will probably run at half that." Travel Weekly
(12/1)      
-
India travel firm appeals to former ASTA exec for help: Rajeev Kohli, director of marketing for Creative Travel India, sent an e-mail to Mike Spinelli, former president of ASTA, asking for support from the travel industry following the attacks in Mumbai. "Never has India experienced such a blatant attack on our guests to our country. We grew up on the philosophy that the 'guest is god,' which makes us even more certain that these aggressors are culturally, and perhaps nationally, outsiders." Travel Trade
(12/1)
- Venice's floodwaters start to subside
Floodwaters in Venice hit 61 inches on Monday, the highest level since 1986 but well below the record of 76 inches recorded in 1966. The situation forced tourists as well as residents to either stay inside or brave hip-deep waters. This morning, the water had dropped to 39 inches, just below the official flood level. The flooding has reignited the debate over a controversial system of dams that would be designed to prevent such incidents. NYTimes.com
(12/2)
| Energy Observer | | |
|
- Gasoline prices drop but U.S. drivers remain thrifty
Average gasoline prices have dropped below $2 per gallon, but Americans still are not using as much of it as they were before prices spiked above $4 a gallon this year. Analysts say the reduction in spending on gasoline is tied to the plummeting values of homes, retirement accounts and stocks as the economic crisis continues. Los Angeles Times
(12/1)
| Trends and Technology | | |
|
- Cruise lines work with agents to boost sales
Travel agents say taking a cruise has become nearly as cheap as staying home as cruise lines continue to offer deep discounts to fill their ships. "We always say cruise lines are resilient to the economy, but we have seen a slowdown in the number of bookings compared to the same time last year," said Harrison Liu, a representative for Royal Caribbean International. "We're working closely with travel agents and all our partners to entice consumers." The Miami Herald (free registration)
(12/2)
- Column: Tips for choosing a quality travel professional
Columnist Christopher Elliott offers nine signs for determining whether a travel agent is above board or not. For example, Elliott recommends finding out if the agent is a member of a reputable travel industry group, such as ASTA. He also says that if an agent acts funny when asked about commissions, it may be a warning sign. "My pet peeve is to see an agent push a client into a cruise or tour that may not suit the client, but doing it anyhow because one, it's easy, and two, they get a better commission," said Patricia Dwight, owner of Adventure Travel in Summerville, S.C. MSNBC
(12/1)
| Home-Based Agent Update | | |
|
- Column: Innovation may be key to weathering downturn
Columnist Arnie Weissmann says that after the 2001 terrorist attacks, roughly 15,000 travel agencies shut down as they were unable to adapt to the new circumstances. Thousands of others, however, survived through innovation, focus, reducing expenses by becoming home based and making other changes. Weissmann says similar circumstances are now forcing agencies to make decisions about their future. He offers an educated guess about which agencies will survive while leaving room for other possibilities. Travel Weekly
(12/1)
| Consumer Travel News | | |
|
- Denver is formidable, contemporary destination
Denver may be overshadowed at times by the Rocky Mountains and the glitzy ski towns located within, but the Mile High City has plenty to offer on its own. Colorado's capital city has savvy restaurants, cutting-edge sporting venues and a bustling art and culture scene. Denver also has interesting neighborhoods, including the historic district of LoDo and the ArtDistrict. Hemispheres
(12/2008)
| Regulatory and Legislative | | |
|
- Continental-United alliance draws protest from Delta
Delta Air Lines has filed a protest with the Department of Transportation, seeking to block Continental Airlines from gaining antitrust immunity for its planned alliance with United Airlines and Lufthansa. Delta claimed in its filing that the alliance would allow Continental to dominate routes to Brazil and China, but Continental insists that its application is based on a desire to deepen its relationship with the other two carriers. The application awaits DOT approval. The Washington Post
(11/27)
| Best Practices | | |
|
- Presidential win offers lessons in innovation
The strategies employed in President-elect Barack Obama's win offer good examples of how true innovators are successful. The same patterns seen in breakthrough companies were apparent in Obama's campaign, this writer says, noting that when the competition assumes tomorrow's market will be the same as yesterday's, there is an opportunity to create new customers. FastCompany.com
(11/11), FastCompany.com
(11/12)
| ASTA Spotlight | | |
|
-
Webinars on ASTA.org keep you informed
ASTA.org's eLibrary is an invaluable resource to your agency and career as a travel agent or tour operator. You can view past webinars that ASTA has hosted in case you missed them or would like to review them again, such as the most recent Government Affairs webinar. Another valuable webinar, at popular request, teaches you about the many tools right at your fingertips on ASTA.org and how to use them. Take a quick tour and see which ones you can start to use today.
-
ASTA International Travel Agency Members: Register associates for $99
As an International Travel Agency Member, strengthen your global connection to travel agents by registering your employees as International Travel Associates of ASTA. Associate members may participate in local events, attend THETRADESHOW and ASTA's International Destination Expo, receive a listing on ASTA's Web site and much more. Develop contacts and see your sales improve. Get more information here, or e-mail bmills@asta.org.
| SmartQuote | | |
|
 | Anything that won't sell, I don't want to invent. Its sale is proof of utility, and utility is success."
|
| |
| |
|
Read more at SmartBrief.com |
|
A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including:
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| | Recent ASTA SmartBrief Issues:
- Monday, December 01, 2008
- Wednesday, November 26, 2008
- Tuesday, November 25, 2008
- Monday, November 24, 2008
- Friday, November 21, 2008
| | | Lead Editor: Angela Giroux-Scheide
Contributing Editor: Bridget Lux | Nancy Bennett
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005 | |
| |
|
| © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
