6 Luxury Travel Trends To Know Now | www - Yes

There was an audible gasp in the room when Francis Ford Coppola came on stage to speak to 4,000 luxury travel advisors, hoteliers, cruise lines, tour operators and more last week at The Bellagio in Las Vegas. Cameras and iPhones started clicking and hundreds of flashes went off. He was a surprise guest at the newly rebranded?Virtuoso Travel Week, The Bellagio's largest meeting of the year, and spoke about The Godfather (of course), his family, friends, and career as a winemaker and hotelier in Belize and Italy. "If you're doing something you love with people you love to be with, that's a great start," he reflected.

Francis Ford Coppola Speaking at Virtuoso Travel Week

This love for a career in selling luxury travel and relationships was flourishing in Las Vegas. Our leisure time is valuable, and this week in Vegas is where many travel trends are established and announced. 350,000 (yes you read that number right) "speed-dating" appointments between advisors and suppliers in cavernous Bellagio ballrooms set the tone. Luxury travel advisors treat this as a buying trip for their clients and instead of clothing, they are selecting the best travel experiences around the world. The previous name for this long-running event of 24 years,?Virtuoso?Travel Mart, sounded too corporate and even boring. The gathering works - they estimate that $450 million in annual sales is generated from advisors who attend.

Speed-dating appointments at Virtuoso Travel Week

I had the opportunity to attend and learn more about this community of like-minded travelers, as well as gather information on what advisors are selling to clients and what should be on your radar for the upcoming year. First and foremost, there are millions of luxury travelers on the road and they are eager for new experiences. Sustainability was a common thread of many conversations I had, and while still important, it's nothing new.

1. River Cruising

River cruising is the fastest growing sector of the travel business, and it's not just in Europe. Gary Murphy, the VP of National Accounts for?AmaWaterways, says the company is growing faster than 10% a year. Their first ship was built in 2006 and there are 15 ships now. It is still a great option for older travelers but AmaWaterways has seen a younger clientele booking, and has spent $600,000 putting free WiFi on the ships for those that need to be connected. They also claim they are the only river cruise line that has built dedicated storage facilities for bikes, very popular with active cruisers.?Viking?is continuing to roll out their improved Longship-style boat, for a total of 14 new ships over 2 years, with cutting-edge technology and spacious suites. For exotic, truly impressive river cruising,?Aqua Expeditions?was all the buzz, announcing a new Mekong River cruise in Cambodia and Vietnam in January 2014, while still filling their popular Amazon River/Peru experience.

2.?Younger, More Affluent Travelers

Virtuoso says they have seen major growth in the traveler from 40-55 years of age using advisors to help plan their trips. Many advisors told me that young, successful families in their early 30s and 40s are planning adventurous trips with young children and even babies. They want their children to have these experiences young and they don't want to give up their own travel freedom.

3.?Undiscovered, Unfamiliar Locales

Bhutan is high on the list for travelers searching for something new. The Ambassador to Bhutan, Lhatu Wangchuk, spoke at the event about Bhutan, a small country "under the protection of the great Himalayas." Bhutan was isolated for centuries and is now experiencing incredible growth, with 50 hotels currently being built. Luxury brands like Aman and Taj have properties there. However, "we have no plans for Disneyland or bungee jumping," the ambassador joked. Other countries on hot lists include Colombia, Russia, Vietnam, Cambodia and for the next ten years, South America will continue to shine with Peru, Ecuador, and Argentina growing even more in popularity.

4.?Space Travel

We've been hearing about it for years, but it's closer than you think.?Virgin Galactic?is one of the companies developing suborbital space flights and they are currently in the advanced stages of flight testing, with over 500 people booked on flights. Tony Poe sells these flights and says "We are not just selling space flights. This is a whole new era in tourism." Virtuoso has already sold more than $10 million for Virgin Galactic, including its first full charter (6 seats). Space tourism should bring in between $600 million and $1.6 billion in revenue in the first ten years, says?Reuters.

5.?More All-Inclusive Options

James Shillinglaw, Editor-in-Chief of Agent@Home, Vacation Agent, andTravel Pulse, mentioned that travel has been headed to more all-inclusive options for quite some time, citing frustrations that travelers have with resort fees, airline fees, and huge cruise line add-ons. The image of an all-inclusive experience is changing with more hotels and cruise lines delivering great options. Stacy Small, President of L.A. based?Elite Travel International, recently returned from?The BodyHoliday LeSport in St. Lucia?raving. "I am always skeptical about "all-inclusives" but LeSport is in a category all its own after $25+million in renovations with more planned, including rooms and the entire spa. I was most impressed with the healthy and gluten-free dining options and range of fitness classes from spinning to paddleboard yoga. This is the IT spa of the Caribbean," she says. On Seabourn cruises, known for small, intimate all-suite ships, all dining venues are complimentary, from room service to restaurants. There are open bars all over the ship and tipping is not required or expected.

6.?New Value From Luxury Operators

Abercrombie & Kent, a name synonymous with luxury travel, unveiled one of the biggest pieces of news in Vegas, announcing their new?Connections?line debuting in September 2012. The 17 small-group itineraries around the world including India, Peru, Croatia, Africa and Australia will cost 30% less than their average trip, using hotel brands like Fairmont, Hyatt Regency, Marriott and Intercontinental.

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Source: http://americanlimousinesales.blogspot.com/2012/08/6-luxury-travel-trends-to-know-now.html

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Boston Baby Mama: Parenting Two Kids = NO JOKE

Today marks two weeks since I had my second child, Val. Let me start this post by saying that in these last two weeks I have gained more respect than I ever thought I could for mothers and fathers of two+ children. Holy crap, this job is no joke. I have so much to report that I could separate this one post into many, but I am going to just give you the facts.?

Here is Mama J's two week report:?

- I have a house husband. And I freaking love it - and love him even more than I did before for taking over all of my?responsibilities, except breastfeeding baby Val. He has pretty much taken sole responsibility of M, he is taking the dog to the park every day, he lets me sleep all I want, he does the dishes, he does the grocery shopping and any other errands that need running. I rue the day he has to go back to work (next week at some point) but as he explained in order to keep our house, he needs to work, so I guess he needs to go back. Boooooo.?

- My boobs were made for breastfeeding. As I have mentioned a million times, I didn't breastfeed M. I pumped for 14+ weeks. This time with Val I was determined (and scared shitless) to breastfeed. Well, she took to it like a champ and my giant melon jugs are falling right in line with her. I am not in pain (except when milk comes back in), nips are good to go, and she latches like she was born to breastfeed. In the last 2 weeks she has put on one pound 5 ounces!?

- It is nearly impossible to get out of the house with two children. I used to laugh when my friends would talk about how hard it is to get out of the house with two kids, when I should have been giving them the benefit of the doubt. This shit is no joke. Just the sheer packing of the diaper bag for two kids takes 15 minutes. Diapers, wipes, change of clothes, burp cloths, snacks, drinks, tissues, Nose Frida, boogie wipes (M has been sick the past week), my wallet, phone, keys, nursing pads, hooter hider...and guaranteed I go up and down the stairs at least 3 times during the getting ready...and have to go back in the house once we are already out of the garage. And this is with two parents at home! I think when my husband goes to work I am just going to stay home all the time.?

- M loves Val, but does not like her. When M came to visit us in the hospital she was on the brink of tears the entire visit (only 15 minutes) and said repeatedly "I wanna go home." The second visit was even less successful and resulted in tears, for both her and I. When we got home she wouldn't even go in the same room as Val. A few days later we got her to remain in the same room, and a few days after that we got her to give Val a high five...and then a kiss on the head. And that is about as far as we have gotten. I tried to take a photo of the two of them (see right) and this was the best I could do after basically throwing Val down on the couch next to M and her realizing what was happening and trying to bolt (notice my husbands hands holding her down and the look of fear on her face). I am doing my best to include M in all I do for Val, but she has not shown any interest at all as of yet. I keep hearing it gets better - hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.?

- The second child is much easier than the first. When you have your second child in the hospital you are immediately in a different class than people who are there having their first. The nurses check in on you much less often, and basically give you your space as they feel like you have been to this rodeo before so you know what you are doing. For the most part that is true, but you really do forget a lot about living with a newborn. They like to be held, a lot - which I have no problem with of course, but trying to run after a 2.9 year old with newborn on your shoulder is not easy. They sleep a lot, and poop a lot, and like to eat a lot. All of this scared me the first time around, but this time around I feel like it is so much easier in general. I can change her diaper in 5 seconds flat. I find myself basically throwing Val around (not literally of course) where I was so freaking scared to move M when she was little.?

- The hard part isn't the baby, it is the toddler. I have found that since Val has been home M seems to be regressing a little bit. She is constantly asking to be picked up and given hugs and kisses (which I love, but most times it is when I have Val in tow, or we are out and about and I can't pick her up). She has been sick with a chest cold, so I know that has something to do with it, but she has been so much more whiny lately. When Val cries or whines M starts to whine or fake cry and she will say "Val is sad...M is sad too!" We had also began attempting to potty train her, but that has gone out the window and she wants nothing to do with the potty. Hopefully things will regulate soon, otherwise Mama is going to be turning to the bottle herself - the red wine bottle!

- Everyone assumes this is your first child. Whenever I have been out the last two weeks with just Val in tow every person that I talk to assumes (rightfully) that this is my first child. My favorite scenario was when I was at Isis, and a class was released as I was checking out, and a group of young moms with babies who were about 6 months old comes over to me and says "Oh she is so cute! How old!" and I said, "10 days," and they were all "I bet you are tired! Don't worry it gets better...I remember when my daughter was that age and...yada yada yada." I just smiled and acted naive - but I wanted to say "in about a year that sweet child you are holding won't be so sweet anymore!"?

So life is good - crazy and tiring - but good...actually great. I truly feel like our family is complete and love having baby Val in our lives. Stay tuned for many more posts about being a mother of two!?

Source: http://www.bostonbabymama.com/2012/08/parenting-two-kids-no-joke.html

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How to get on page 1 of Google | Learn How To ... - Online Business ...

To have a successful online business and make sales, you will need customers to come to your website or blog and in order to achieve this you must have a good marketing idea to generate the traffic. With the internet full of textual information you need something that stands out.
So what catches people?s eye? What to do to attract a certain customer and how to present your content in a way that will have customers flocking to your site. Videos, OK this is not new and there are videos all over the web but when people search for something online, they are expecting the search results to show text headers, one on top of the other.

It?s the normal way of promoting a business online. Online or offline, businesses depend on good marketing. A good campaign can make all the difference to a new business.

If you are presented with a video clip after you type in your search words to the search engines, your eyes are drawn to the stills picture that is inviting you to click on it to see the video. We are often intrigued by the video and prefer to see a video clip for what we are looking for rather than read a headline.

After clicking on that clip, you are immediately taken to the marketing video. The company has created to deliver visitors to a website or page on the internet. You will then spend some time watching that video normally they are short, from 2 to 10 minuets.

Below the video is a well placed link to the company?s website, page or blog that invites you to go for more information, free gift or eBook. The main object of the video was to get the potential customer to this final destination and hopefully their website is designed well enough to convert the visitor into a sale.

Video marketing is big business with some major companies charging thousands of dollars an hour to produce a marketing video for the websites specific niche. But with many online video programs now available to everyone who has an internet connection, it?s possible for anyone to make and produce their own videos and upload them to web hosting companies like YouTube.

If you do try video marketing, it is very powerful and converts traffic into sales extremely well, also providing something very different from text style adverts, the smaller online businesses are now taking advantage of this and generating larger amounts of traffic to their websites.

The internet is full of textual headlines in the search results, maybe its time to try something a little different. Video marketing has been here for a while now but still many small businesses have not tried it, have a try, you may be surprised at the results.

See How You Can Get Loads more Traffic here?..http://www.learnhowtostartonlinebusiness.com

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Source: http://learnhowtostartonlinebusiness.com/blog/?p=284

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Source: http://jcshelton.typepad.com/blog/2012/08/how-to-get-on-page-1-of-google-learn-how-to-online-business.html

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Selling the GOP Platform: 2 Good Men, 1 Hard Job ... - Yahoo! Finance

Front and center on the Republican convention agenda in Tampa is jobs and economic growth, rightly getting the top billing among six main categories within the GOP 2012 Platform that range from Foreign Policy, National Security and Defense, all the way to Family Values and Faith Based Issues.

While the weather will be the biggest wildcard at this quadrennial event, Financial Policy Analyst Ed Mills, of FBR Capital Markets says the big topical push will be about reining in a government that's out of control and ineffective.

"They're going to give this presentation that, if they get control, they'll cut spending and cut regulation and allow the free market to work again," Mills says in the attached video. "There's not much they (the Republicans) can do except hope that voters see what Obama has done with the economy, and dislike it."

Along with spending, Mills says to expect plenty of talk on the tax side of the equation as well, with particular emphasis on their commitment to lowering rates on all individuals and corporations, closing loop holes and limiting deductions -- except the mortgage interest deductions.

"That's never going away," he says of the annual interest write-off taken by 65% of American who have a mortgage. Even though it is the biggest and most expensive deduction allowed, Mills says it will always rank "dead last" on a list of possible tax tightening targets.

Perhaps the big goal of the convention, Mills says, will be to sell the voting public on the idea that Romney and Ryan are good men facing a hard job and to "get the likability factor up."

Another key area of outreach falls under the Government Reform heading, which also doubles as a side entrance for Ron Paul supporters to get into the big Republican tent. Issues here are many and diverse, but none is more charged than overturning Obamacare, or more appealing than reducing the burden of government regulation.

The convention itself has been tightened by one day, but the must-see events are still intact, including the keynote speeches Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings by New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, Vice Presidential pick Paul Ryan, and finally Mitt Romney himself.

Source: http://finance.yahoo.com/blogs/breakout/selling-gop-platform-2-good-men-1-hard-162938537.html

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Man seizes flag from Japan ambassador's car in Beijing

By Reuters

Updated 10:15 a.m. ET: BEIJING --?A man ripped a Japanese flag from a car carrying Japan's ambassador in Beijing on Monday, triggering a protest from Tokyo in the latest flare-up of a territorial row that provoked the worst anti-Japanese protests in years.

The Japanese embassy issued a statement saying the ambassador, Uichiro Niwa, was unhurt in the incident. It said two other vehicles forced his car to stop and a man got out, broke off the Japanese flag and ran off with it.

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But Japan's Foreign Ministry later said the flag had been snatched after the ambassador's car had become stuck in a traffic jam. A ministry spokesman said it would be too strong to describe the incident as an attack.

Both Japanese accounts said no one was injured and the car was otherwise undamaged.

Much at stake for US as tensions rise in troubled China Seas

The embassy said it had "filed a strong protest with the Chinese Foreign Ministry." It said that in response a senior ministry official called the incident "extremely regrettable" and pledged efforts to ensure the safety of Japanese citizens and businesses in China.

The incident occurred amid heightened tensions over disputed islands since mid-August, when the Japanese coast guard detained Chinese activists who sailed from Hong Kong and landed on the islands. Anti-Japanese demonstrations have taken place in Chinese cities over the past two weekends.

Disputed islands
The uninhabited islands known as Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China have long been a source of friction between Tokyo and Beijing and competing territorial claims to the islets and surrounding fishing areas and potentially rich gas deposits.

Tokyo also remains locked in a dispute with South Korea over another contested island chain.

In a symbolic, but rare gesture the Japanese parliament on Friday passed two resolutions asserting Japan's sovereignty over both island chains, calling Seoul's control over one of them a "illegal occupation" that should end soon.

The resolutions prompted rebukes from Seoul and Beijing.

Japanese nationalists land on island claimed by China

But in an effort to avert a further flare-up, the Japanese government on Monday refused to let Tokyo metropolitan authorities land on the islands claimed by Japan and China.

Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara has proposed buying the islands from their private Japanese owners and has sought permission to send a team of officials to survey the land.

Despite close economic ties, bitter memories of Japanese militarism run deep in China and South Korea. The territorial disputes show how the region has failed to resolve differences nearly seven decades after the end of World War Two.

More world stories from NBC News:

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/27/13504791-japan-protests-after-man-seizes-flag-from-ambassadors-car-in-beijing?lite

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Why is Credit Counseling Required When Filing Bankruptcy ...

August 27th, 2012 by Reed Allmand

The Bankruptcy Court requires debtors who file for bankruptcy protection to complete a financial management course before a discharge is granted for your case. Part of the reason for the requirement is due to changes made in bankruptcy laws in 2005.

The credit counseling and financial management requirements are there to educate and inform debtors on various aspects of their finances. The courses are aimed to help consumers make informed choices about their budget, obtaining credit, and other finance issues.

The courses are fairly simple to complete but debtors who are considering bankruptcy should review requirements carefully for these courses. There are financial management and credit counseling courses available by agencies approved by the Bankruptcy Court. If you are not sure which agency you should obtain counseling from, contact your bankruptcy attorney to obtain information.

Make sure you obtain a certificate of completion from the agency. You?ll need to present the document when you file. Keep in mind of the timetable of your filing; you should obtain your credit counseling within 180 days of filing your bankruptcy petition.

There is a financial management course that should be completed prior to receiving your discharge. This can be completed within 6 months of your bankruptcy filing, but many have completed the course prior to the meeting of the creditors or as soon as 10 days after their bankruptcy case has been filed. Having this course completed soon after your case is filed with the court helps avoid conflict in getting eligible debt discharged.

The counseling courses have helped many gain a better understanding in how to manage their finances. Plus, consumers gain financial tools to help them transition into the fresh start they have been seeking.

http://www.duncanlawonline.com

About Reed Allmand

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Allmand's vision is rooted in his own financially precarious childhood in Abilene "My father always had difficulty holding a job and supporting our family, so after my parents divorced when I was 12, my sister and I got jobs to help make ends meet," he recalls. "I remember what it felt like as a child to worry that our car would be repossessed or home foreclosed on."

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Source: http://allmandlaw.com/bankruptcy/why-is-credit-counseling-required-when-filing-bankruptcy?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=why-is-credit-counseling-required-when-filing-bankruptcy

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Benefits of Starting Business Online and Internet Marketing

Because of the great advancement in engineering, it has become super easy to begin making money on line while in the comforts of your property. The online market place is one big place wherever pretty much anything at all may be sold. Starting off internet business may be both equally easy to set-up and rewarding likewise.

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You can also find a lot of household centered businesses which commence generating revenue on the net by giving their companies with other business like website creating. This kind of business enterprise and that is service centered is often begun instantly without the need of the necessity to take a position on stock. There are also some websites which permit you have their particular products marketed in the site and at the time these solutions are marketed, you will be granted a commission. Hence, there can be various types of revenues which youll get paid y just starting off a company on-line. If that which you will market is often a provider, you are able to charge your client per deal foundation these kinds of as in internet design or on hourly rates. If what you will have can be an on the net retail store for items, you can expect to receive revenue from the sales. You may additionally generate commissions if you will likely be working with affiliates which happen to be typically a percentage of the revenue.

To summarize, everyone must just take the chance being supplied by the advance in technology. Establishing online business can guarantee us cash-flow if only being coupled with emphasis and dedication.

Nick Walsh internet marketing coach, affiliate marketer and online business blogger. Visit if you want to know how to write ebooks.

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Source: http://twpresent.com/2012/08/26/benefits-of-starting-business-online-and-internet-marketing/

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