Best Holiday Lettings

Category: Holidays

  • World’s first meta search engine for Muslim travellers launches

    The concept of Halal travel takes a tremendous leap forwards this month because the world’s first ever meta search engine for Muslim travellers officially launches. LagiSatu.com’s Halal tourism concept taps into the emerging global trend for Halal travel.

    Pegged as one of several biggest initiatives within the burgeoning Halal tourism sector, LagiSatu’s special approach is predicated on a Halal stars rating system which rates and lists travel services and facilities in response to Muslim needs. Travellers can seek hotels and evaluate their accommodation options in keeping with the amenities and services provided on the destination specifically for practising Muslims.

    LagiSatu.com co-founder Faeez Fadhlillah said, “With a complete of 240 million people living in South East Asia regarded as Muslim, with Indonesian being the biggest Muslim country by population on earth, we’ve recognised that there’s a strong demand for the idea of Halal travel. We’re very happy to include HalalStars with LagiSatu and believe this may ultimately set us with the exception of other Meta search engines like google and other travel comparison websites. It was incredibly satisfying to have our innovation recognised by the WebInTravel awards and is a good start for our up to date concept. Around 40% of South East Asia residents alone are practising Muslims, suggesting global demand for the HalalStars concept shall be unprecedented within the travel industry.”

    Travellers going surfing to LagiSatu to look for his or her next hotel could be capable of compare their options using HalalStars. It is going to rate each hotel in accordance with various religious considerations. These include;

    Room Amenities

    *  Praying Mat
    *  Qiblah Direction
    *  Quran
    *  Ablution Facilities
    *  Hotel Services
    *  Qiblah Direction may be obtained
    *  List of Halal Restaurants could be obtained
    *  Local Praying Times may be obtained
    *  List of Mosques may be obtained
    *  Food
    *  Halal Room Service
    *  Pre-order Halal Food
    *  Halal Restaurant
    *  Iftar & Sahoor may be arranged

    As the world’s first meta search engine to include the Halal rating concept, LagiSatu.com is the natural online destination for business and leisure travellers planning their next trip. Visitors going online will find an appropriate hotel deals available online with only a single click. It compares prices on greater than 250,000 hotels in over 180 countries around the globe, with new hotels and destinations added daily. Partners include one of the crucial biggest names in global travel: LateRooms.com, Agoda, eBookers, Expedia, Hotelclub and lots of more.

  • Ukraine streamlines visa facilitation agreement with EU

    Ukraine made another step toward facilitation and extra liberalization of the visa regime with the ecu, enabling Ukrainian citizens to undergo improved, simplified and clear EU visa application procedures. Such is the summary of the statement which accompanied the hot Law of Ukraine “On ratification of the agreement between Ukraine and the eu Union introducing amendments to the visa facilitation agreement between Ukraine and the ecu Community”, signed by the President of Ukraine Viktor Yanukovych on April 8, 2013.

    The agreement expands the types of Ukrainian citizens eligible for the simplified procedure of having free and/or multiple-entry visas, improves visa issuing procedures for media representatives and determines clear periods of validity of multiple-entry visas.

    Thus, the representatives of civil society organizations traveling for the aim of academic training, seminars, conferences, including those inside the framework of exchange programs; participants in official EU programs of cross-border cooperation, resembling the eu Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument (ENPI), may apply for the simplified visa procedures. The simplified visa application procedures also are available to the members of pro and non secular organizations and teenagers (under 25) who perform events organized by NGOs abroad.

    According to the agreement, Ukrainian journalists may apply for multiple-entry visas for the term of as much as five years with a reference from their Ukraine-based employer rather than submitting the invitation from the european-based host party. Additionally, members of the media technical crew (videographers, sound editors, etc.) also are eligible for the simplified visa application procedure.

    The new law also offers simplified visa procedures to spouses, children (including adopted) parents (including custodians), grandparents and grandchildren, who intend to go to citizens of Ukraine legally residing within the territory of the ecu member states.

    On March 22, 2013, Ukrainian parliament ratified the amendments to the visa facilitation agreement signed between Ukraine and the eu Union on July 23, 2012 in Brussels.

    Reportedly, the ecu Parliament is scheduled to check the agreement between Ukraine and the ecu Union introducing amendments to the visa facilitation agreement between Ukraine and the eu Community on April 17, 2013.

    The visa liberalisation dialogue between the parties was initialed in 2006. Currently, Ukraine is at stage among the two-step Action Plan on Visa Liberalisation.

  • WTTC 2013: Scowsill requires private and non-private partnership

    “The private and public sector must come together and concentrate on longer term strategies, infrastructure and initiatives, not only short term goals, to make sure that our industry is previous to the expansion curve,” World Travel & Tourism president David Scowsill has argued. In his closing speech on the 13th WTTC Global Summit in Abu Dhabi, Scowsill explained that, by 2050, there’ll be three billion people enjoying middle class wealth – meaning more middle class consumers, enjoying more travel, creating more jobs and generating more GDP.

  • WTTC 2013: Changing demographics buffet tourism industry

    The ageing population, an increasingly connected society and fluctuating economic conditions are only three of the foremost factors with a view to set future trends inside the global travel and tourism industry, based on industry leaders who spoke at the first day of the arena Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit.

    Other factors include the expansion of the center class with its increased disposable income; in addition to the emergence of a brand new generation that prioritises travel and cares for its environment.

    “We live in new Renaissance, we are living in a period of unparalleled opportunity, which has changed in several ways we can’t start to imagine,” professor Ian Goldin, director, Oxford Martin School, University of Oxford, said during his address to the Summit.

    “The trends of the long run might be demographic, economic and ecological, globalisation is the foremost progressive, powerful force we’ve ever seen, nevertheless it must be managed,” he concluded.

    Professor Goldin spoke in the course of the first session of the Summit entitled ‘The Global Context’ on the two-day event held in Jumeirah by Etihad Towers.

    The opening keynote address was made by WTTC president David Scowsill, who said: “Travel is a lifestyle or even inside the toughest times, it remains to be a concern for populations world wide.

    “Travel and tourism drives economies and creates jobs; or even in challenging economic times, it still has the aptitude to grow, as consumer appetite for travel beyond national borders remains insatiable.”

    According to Dr Stelter, senior partner and managing director, The Boston Consulting Group there’ll be some ‘mega-trends’ shaping the industry.

    “The Travel and tourism mega-trends in order to impact the industry are changing customer needs simply by an ageing population; the shift to RDE; further globalisation; and more convenience and time compression,” he said to a packed auditorium.

    There can be hurdles thrown up by mobility, infrastructure challenges and effort scarcity; new technology and increased intermediation, he explained.

  • Business travel spending gains momentum as economy improves

    An improving economic outlook with business and consumer confidence at the rise is anticipated to raise business travel in 2013, leading the worldwide Business Travel Association to upgrade its forecast for the year.  Stronger corporate profits, increasing job development and enhancements in key export markets are fueling business travel spending after a sluggish fourth quarter that was dampened by political uncertainty as a result of “fiscal cliff” debate.

    According to the GBTA BTI™ Outlook – U.s.a. 2013 Q1, a report from the worldwide Business Travel Association sponsored by Visa, Inc., U.S. business travel is now expected to rise 5.1% in 2013 to $268.5 billion, that’s an upgrade from the 4.6% growth to $266.7 billion that GBTA predicted last quarter and a considerable increase from 1.8% growth in 2012.

    GBTA’s forecast upgrade should be driven partly by stronger growth in group spending, that’s now expected to extend 6.0% to $115.9 billion – up from 5.2% growth forecast in Q4.

    GBTA’s outlook for trip volume remains essentially the identical from last quarter – a slight decline of -1.1% to 431.7 million person-trips.
    “Business confidence is up and the necessity to compete inside the global economy is driving companies to speculate in business travel,” said Michael W. McCormick , GBTA executive director and COO.  “Despite continued political uncertainty within the U.S. and around the globe, businesses are starting to get away in their holding pattern and seek growth more aggressively.  While there are still many factors that may hamper the economy again, from the impact of sequestration to rising energy prices, business travel spending is on target to date in 2013.”

    “As corporate and consumer spending confidence rises, the business travel forecast within the Usa is commencing to brighten,” said Tad Fordyce , head of worldwide commercial solutions at Visa Inc. “While the report shows the trip volume among business travelers will remain steady, we remain optimistic that stronger spending might actually help 2013 business travel exceed its pre-recession high.”