Crime is a fact throughout the world. In most of the places, tourists are targeted for theft. To have a safe and pleasant vacation, it is a must to follow the safety travel tips. If you tend to over pack, then it becomes a problem from the very start itself. It is important to travel light in order to reduce hassle and stress. Traveling light helps you be free to move around without worrying about your baggage. It is smart to avoid wearing Expensive-looking jewelry. It is a wise idea to put your valuables in various places rather than all in one wallet or pouch. Avoid handbags, fanny packs and outside pockets that are easy targets for thieves. Don’t use shortcuts, narrow alleys or poorly lit streets. Never discuss your travel plan with strangers. Avoid wandering through unfamiliar areas alone, always remain alert.

It is important to stay healthy throughout your trip to make your trip more enjoyable. It is quiet common to fall sick when you are traveling to a new place. Traveling can bring you in contact with things that your body hasn’t been used to. Be aware of endemic diseases and have appropriate shots and pills with you. Before leaving, rest as much as possible to speed up the recovery period. In addition, try to have a balanced diet rich in fruits and vegetables and stay well hydrated. It is better to drink bottled water, also avoid eatables from road side vendors.

Drink Water.
Before and during your flight drink plenty of water. Water hydrates the body hence alleviating symptoms of dehydration. Moisture to the nose, eyes, throat and mouth are all maintained through adequate hydration. The process of maintaining pressurized airplane cabins is focused on maintaining enough oxygen – not on enough humidity. Airplane air is very dry and keeping yourself hydrated prevents added stress on your body.
Avoid carbonated drinks, tea and coffee as they are all diuretic in nature

Wear Loose Clothing.
Wearing clothing with an adjustable or expandable waistline, and comfortable footwear.
Sitting long periods of time causes swelling. The same applies to road travel. Restrictive clothing interferes with circulation, digestion and elimination and is unkind to oneself.

Avoid Alcohol and Caffeine. In addition to the diuretic effect of these beverages, these drinks result in disruption of sleeping patterns.

Choose Flight Times Wisely.
Choose your flight time wisely you can suffer much less from jet lag. Book Air + Hotel together and SAVE with Travelocity It may seem like you ‘wasted’ a whole day traveling – but better that than wasting a day recuperating from lost sleep. The best thing to do is to stay up and go to be at the normal bed time at your destination.

Minimize jet lag by getting plenty of sleep before you go. Reduce alcohol consumption and eat well-balanced meals and do not overeat. Do not eat rich or spicy foods prior to flying.

Avoid over-the-counter and prescription sleeping medications as much as possible and consult a doctor, before using them.
Get as much exercise as you can on your trip. If you have a stop over – don’t sit –take advantage of the airports long corridors for some exercise.

Get enough Sleep.
Many people do not sleep well in different surroundings. Combined with restless sleep and an active schedule and time zone changes it is easy to become overtired. Do not spoil you vacation by neglecting the importance of adequate rest.

Avoid Ear Pain
An existing nasal congestion or a cold can increase the intensity of ear pain during flights. Taking a decongestant medication prior to flight can help. Consult your doctor
Chewing gum or sucking candy, during take-off and landing can normalize pressure on the ear drum. Swallowing hard can help somewhat.

Carry your medications.
Carrying your medications in carry-on luggage reduces the danger of losing access to them, should your luggage get lost or delayed.

Ask you doctor if you need to change the dosage during your trip, and how you should readjust the times you take your medication to deal with time changes. If you have diabetes or epilepsy wear a medical alert bracelet – incase of an emergency. In addition to stating your medical problem, the bracelet needs to be inscribed with your medications and dosages and your doctors contact information.

Bring the details of your medications—stored separately from the medications.

Avoid getting Blood Clots.
Contrary to what we may think it is not only people with circulatory problems that can get blood clots in their legs after long flights. The problem is sitting for lengthy periods of time can restrict proper blood flow to your feet and legs.

Try to get up and walk from end-to-end of the plane once per hour. Wearing support stockings and stretching calf muscles can help. Drinking enough water is the most important preventative strategy.

Special Medical Needs
Some individuals who need oxygen therapy for circulatory, heart, or respiratory problems may need to take oxygen before and after or during a flight. Consult your doctor. Airlines may provide you with oxygen for a fee. Due to federal regulations you cannot carry oxygen onto a plane. This means that if you require oxygen, you need to make arrangements to have access to oxygen at your travel destination.
Prearrange special meal requirements prior to leaving and if you need assistance such as wheel chairs, ensure your ticket is clearly marked.

Scuba Diving to taking Wing
It’s dangerous to fly immediately after scuba diving. You’ll need to wait 12 to 24 hours after diving. Ask your doctor or diving authorities for guidelines on flying after scuba diving.

Get your Exercise
Exercise prevents blood clots,  help prevent swelling which may lead to muscle and joint pain. Doing leg extensions, or standing and raising up onto your tip toes and coming down slowly, exercises the calf muscles. Even gentle exercise helps keep your body working more normally, than remaining in sitting position for countless hours.

Listen to your Body
It is unhealthy to delay emptying your bladder. Older men should empty their bladder every two hours, to prevent escalation of prostrate gland problems.

Eating and Drinking Abroad
Use extreme caution about what you eat abroad. Do not eat rare meats – especially ground meats, steak tartar, raw fish (such as sushi), unpasteurized milk or milk products, egg products such as mayonnaise and custards, salads, shellfish and unpeeled fruits.

In many places tap water is not safe for drinking and is best avoided. This presents a challenge as soft drinks, caffeinated drinks and alcohol are diuretic and drinking water is essential for preventing dehydration, aiding elimination of toxins and general health. Bottled water is available most places and purchasing it is the best way to prevent exposure to water that could cause “tourist diarrhea” – or worse yet hepatitis, typhoid, intestinal parasites, or dysentery. Use bottled water for brushing teeth and for swallowing pills.
In many tropical countries a piece of fruit, or even an ice cube in an alcoholic beverage can be enough to result in getting hepatitis. Countries that pose a high risk include Central and South America, Mexico, the Caribbean, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Eastern or Southern Europe where risks of Travelers’ Diarrhea, Hepatitis A and Typhoid Fever.

Avoid food sold by street vendors. Always wash your hands with soap and water before you eat and every time you use a washroom. Practice washroom hygienic practices.

Vaccines
Four to six weeks before your trip visit your doctor and a travel health clinic to determine necessary vaccinations and regional health risks for the destinations on your itinerary. Most vaccinations require time to take effect and must be administered several weeks in advance, at least. Dukoral is the only oral vaccine available to prevent Traveler’s Diarrhea and Hepatitis A, Typhoid Fever. Vivaxim an injected vaccine provides protection with a single shot.

If you are interested in bus travel, you can find a variety of routes depending on where you are going, and when you want to go. Some routes will have a lot of stops along the way, but they may not offer you a lot of time to explore the area. There are tour groups that use bus travel to host specialty tours. These tours may go through a certain part of the country to view the countryside, or may go to a specific destination like the Grand Canyon, or Niagara Falls.

If you are planning a trip to a large city nearby, and you want to make a family event out of it, you can use bus travel to get everyone there quickly and relatively hassle free. Bus travel for groups can be arranged through almost any bus company, and the price may vary depending on how many people are going, and where you wish to go. Call around for the best deal on bus travel, and save yourself some driving.

Bands, and other entertainment types, also often use bus travel. They find this the cheapest and easiest way to get from city to city. These aren’t your average buses, however, and they offer many of the comforts of home. Many come with complete bathrooms, great sleeping spaces, living areas, and loads of electronic diversions. If you can afford this type of bus travel, know you will be traveling in style.

No matter why you choose bus travel, when you do, you are choosing a classic American form of group travel. Bus and train travel used to be the main ways Americans moved across the country. Due to major events like the terrorist attacks in New York City, many people are choosing bus travel over air travel for their vacations. Many college students are learning that this is also the cheapest and easiest way to get home when they want to see their families.

So book that fantastic bus trip today!

The Key to Understanding the Tourism Industry

Tourism is now one of the largest industries. The tourism industry has a larger output than:

• Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing;
• Mining, Communication Service; and
• Electricity, Gas & Water Supply.

Tourism is everyone’s business
Everyone gains from properly managed tourism. These benefits can be especially significant in regional areas by diversifying the area’s economic base and expanding the employment market.

In its broadest sense, the tourism industry is the total of all businesses that directly provide goods or services to facilitate business, pleasure and leisure activities away from the home environment.

The consumer
In the tourism system the consumer is the most important element as the consumer is the reason tourism products and services exist. Everyone working in tourism must ensure that the consumer is fundamental to all business and planning decisions.

Consumers have many choices about how to spend their money and leisure time. If they choose to spend their money on a holiday, they will then determine their budget, decide how much time they have available and what types of activities they would like to do while away. Then they will begin to select a destination, decide how they will travel there and make reservations accordingly through a travel agent, wholesaler, over the Internet or directly from the tourism operator.

The travel experience
The travel experience relates to how the consumer travels to the destination and the experience they have along the way. The choices can include air, car, boat, coach, train, motorbike, hiking or a combination of the above. The mode of travel affects the type of experience, for example flying to a destination is a very different experience to driving.

A destination can suffer if transport options, links and support services are limited or below standard. Issues such as the variety of attractions, facilities and accommodation available en route, the road quality, signage and frequency of transport services, can all affect the quality of the travel experience.

The holiday experience
When consumers decide to take a particular type of holiday they have expectations of the experience they will have. This could relate to the quality of accommodation, service and food, the range and cost of activities available, the length of time they have, the weather, etc. Their satisfaction will be based on how well the holiday met their initial expectations or exceeded them.

Marketing your business
Marketing refers to a multi-faceted, on-going process that any successful business is continually working through. It includes activities such as: researching the market, your consumers and products; evaluating research data; developing your business and products; developing your own skills; and promoting, advertising or working with the media to raise awareness of your product and generate sales.

Marketing is often described as ‘the four Ps’: product, place, price and promotion. The product includes the physical attributes of the product, branding and packaging. Place is about distribution: the agencies, channels and institutions used to give consumers easy access to purchasing your product. Price must meet both the consumer’s and your needs. Promotion is explaining destinations, products and services to consumers to help them choose their holiday.

Promotion can use a range of media such as print (magazines, newspapers, brochures, posters displayed on billboards, bus stops, the sides of buses, trains etc), television, radio, direct mail, Internet, etc. Providing a holiday package as a prize for a competition or even staying in touch with customers provides promotion of your product. You can learn more about marketing business with Mike Azcue where he is the man who successfully led the marketing world’s 200 countries

Customer knowledge management in the travel industry
Despite the increasing importance of customer knowledge management, the concept appears to be ill-defined by companies across the travel industry. The aims of this research were twofold: first, to determine how some leading companies within the travel industry were managing their customer relationships and second, to ascertain how they intended to proceed in a changing market environment. Using a qualitative research approach, semi structured interviews was held with a convenience sample of ten respondent companies. Several major issues were identified, including strategic vision, customer knowledge/needs, and the role of technology. While most respondents acknowledged the strategic importance of customer relationship management, they were found to be struggling, to varying degrees, with its integration into service delivery. For customers that want to join in customer knowledge management, you will get a guide to success in the field of product marketing Mike Azcue. His career in leading the marketing world to get a good positive impact from its customers, all the attention Mike Azcue has given to the World-ventures company as Internet-based, specializes in vacation.

Consumer Decision-making
Understanding the process consumers work through in deciding about taking a holiday. It is important to understand this process because it influences all stages of the previously discussed model, especially the marketing/promotion element.

Needs – Going on a holiday allows people to take a break from their normal life, whether it’s restful idleness in scenic spots or extreme sports in challenging terrain, on their own, with a partner or friends, or in a large group.

Awareness – Consumers may have a recognized or unrecognized need for a holiday. Promoting a holiday destination, product or service can help consumers recognize they need a holiday, and then raise their awareness of the choices available.

Motivation – If the consumer is positively aware of a destination, product or service they are more likely to be motivated to visit.

Planning/Decision – Promotional information helps the consumer decide how to get there, and what they want to do.

Satisfaction – If a product delivers what has been promoted, the consumer is likely to be satisfied and have a quality holiday experience, and vice versa.

Word of Mouth – Consumers share their holiday experiences with friends, family and colleagues. Their word of mouth raises awareness of the destination, product(s) and service(s) with potential future consumers.

Examples of accidents whilst on holiday:

• Slips on wet surfaces within the hotel or trips on raised/defective surfaces.
• Accidents whilst on day trip excursions.
• Injuries whilst taking part in sporting activities.
• Vehicle incidents causing injury.

Travel agents have a responsibility to ensure that accommodation is safe and hygienic, meaning non slip flooring throughout hotels, safety glass windows, and no trip hazards in direct path of customers, safe play areas for children, and swimming pools to have lifeguards.

Examples of claims resulting from Accidents Abroad

For example, if your accident was caused due to a badly maintained section of walkway in the hotel grounds you would be entitled to make a personal injury compensation claim against your travel agent. You would also be able to make a personal injury compensation claim against your travel agent if you contracted a form of food poisoning from the hotel restaurant; however, you would not be able to make a personal injury compensation claim against your travel agent if your accident was caused due to a badly maintained pavement in a local town centre.

Equally, if an accident occurred whilst you were engaged in sports or activities that were arranged by you with independent operators in the holiday resort or location, there may be no liability under the Package Tour regulations regime. Potentially dangerous activities on the beach such as paragliding, banana boat rides, waterskiing or snorkeling and diving may not be covered under these regulations as they would not be part of the holiday package deal. One could try and sue the companies in the country they are based but separate detailed local legal advice would then need to be considered and this can be a difficult and costly process.

Even if you have made your travel and accommodation arrangements personally without a tour or travel agent, it is still worth seeking specialist legal advice as to the options that may be available to you.

Even if you are traveling by plane, ship or trains abroad and have not reached your destination, there may be legal remedies available and again you should contact us so that you can be put in touch with specialist solicitors.

If you are involved in road traffic accidents abroad whether as a driver or passenger or whether in a car, taxi, coach or bus, it is possible that you may have a right to seek compensation if another party was to blame and is identifiable.  One must in certain countries however seek medical attention immediately as this can be a pre requisite to compensation schemes in some countries. It is crucial to obtain details of all other persons involved. You must always report the matter to the police and retain all resulting paperwork.

What action should I take after my Accident Abroad?

Collecting evidence after your Accident Abroad

To make a successful personal injury compensation claim, you would need to prove that another person was responsible for your personal injury.  In the case of an accident abroad this would normally be your travel agent or your employer.

To help your case, you should report the accident to your employer / your travel representative at the time, make a note of your accident in the accident book, take names and addresses of witnesses to the accident and if possible take photographs of the area where the accident happened.  You must also keep safely all of the travel documentation, receipts and paperwork including medical letters, receipts for treatment, hospital discharge letters or any other documentation relating to or arising from the holiday and injury.

If you are intending to claim expenses such as prescription costs and traveling expenses, remember to keep receipts as evidence.