Be More Than a Tourist

A tourist, by definition, is someone who travels. So why then is a travel professional (me) telling you to be more than a tourist. Let me further explain. I want you to be more than a tourist, I want you to be a traveler. Is that clearer? Maybe not, so let me give you another definition. A traveler is defined as someone who “travels or has traveled to distant places or foreign lands.”

The two terms may seem synonymous, but they are not. Both the tourist and the traveler go to visit places beyond their own towns and cities, yet the tourist is not the same as the traveler. I can drive 3 hours to the east of my hometown and visit a city in which I have never stepped foot in before and be a tourist. I can go learn of its history and see its highlights and be 100% a tourist, but not a traveler. That city or town 3 hours away would still be a town I could relate to. The same types of folks would probably be in that town as they are near my home. I would have food choices that would be well within my comfort zone. I may or may not seek out anything that would be a “new experience” for me because I would not be forced to. So many like to travel only to those places that offer the same comforts of home and where they will not be forced to see things through the lives and eyes of people completely different from themselves.

A traveler, on the other hand, will embrace the “new.” They will seek out the unfamiliar and different as they journey across the country and around the globe. Each step or mile that a traveler takes is soaked in as part of the experience. Now I am not saying that you have to get a passport and plan a trip to across the ocean to a new Country. But what I am saying is that more “tourists” need to look at their trips as journeys and look at destinations that take themselves out of the norm. People need to start their journey from the time that they leave their home and until they return.

Try to look at things through the eyes and lives of others as you traverse from place to place. Take each moment and soak up the sounds and smells of each destination. Each place has more to offer than what is in the tour guide books. There are people who can teach you so much more just by being observant of how life is going on around you. The temptation is to always seek out the familiar when traveling to a new place, but I want to challenge you to search for things that you have never seen or tasted before and use your journeys as stepping stones to personal growth.

We all need to slow down and see the things around us when we take our journeys. My most memorable moments from any of my travels has been the interaction with those who make those places their homes and it is those moments that make me more than a tourist.

So are you a traveler? Do you like to see and experience people and cultures that are far different than your own? When and where was the last place that you journeyed to where you were taken out of your comfort zone? What was that experience like?

Traveling Tip: How to Pack a Suit

A good friend of mine has asked me to provide some tips on how best to pack a suit when traveling. You can do research on the internet and find out quickly that there are different ideas of which packing technique is the best. A lot of links will advise packing a suit in a garment bag and then place that bag in your regular suitcase folded up nicely etc. Most of these tips then go on to recommend that you remove the suit immediately upon arriving at your destination and hang it up in the bathroom as you run hot water to help "steam" any wrinkles out.

I want to provide you with one link and one video that I believe show the best comnbined options for packing a suit and arriving at your destination with minimal wrinkles and creases. First clink on the one below to see a step by step illustration how to best pack a business suit.

Packing a suit

Next...here is a video that shows you the best way to make use of the space in your suitcase when packing. Pay attention to the tip regarding tissue paper and apply it to the tip in the link above.

I hope this helps minimize those awful creases and wrinkles that plague travelers who need their suits or meetings, events, presentations etc quickly upon their arrival at their destination.

If you have additional packing tips that you would like to share, please leave a comment. Also...if this has been helpful in any way...I would love to hear from you.

Travel Tip of the Week-Beach Vacations

Read the Fine Print

I am sure you all have seen the famous hovercraft by now as it makes it grand entrance onto your television screen. The blue-suited pilot steps out to deliver the good news to some of the vacationers as the story goes. The good news is how “some” of the men or women will be receiving a rebate for part of their vacation costs because they booked with Orbitz online. The story (commercial) goes on to explain how someone booked their same hotel at a cheaper rate so these lucky travelers are getting refunded the difference which is $100 for the purpose of their commercial. But there is always a sad part of the commercial; there is always one poor soul who doesn’t get a refund because they didn’t book with Orbitz and the famous blue-suited man will then expound, “I think we have learned a valuable lesson here” implying you should only book with Orbitz who gives you this “wonderful price guarantee.”

Now here is the reality of this sort of commercial. First, there will be those who make a decision to book with Orbitz solely based on that commercial and with the idea that they will get a rebate if the price drops. Second, there will be those who book with Orbitz based on the commercial because they will also assume that Orbitz’s prices must be the lowest if they are going to give that sort of guarantee. And third, there will be those who never get rebates because they never read the fine print and they will still assume they got “the best deal.”

It is my job, as a travel professional, to help people weed through those sales ploys so travelers know exactly what they are paying and what they are getting for the price. So let me give you the “Terms and Conditions” of the “Low Price Guarantee” so you can see for yourself how hard it will be for anyone to get a refund from Orbitz.

1. Orbitz Price AssuranceSM is available to any customer who makes a qualifying pre-paid hotel booking through the Orbitz.com Web site. Qualifying booking must occur on Orbitz.com on or after May 1, 2009
2. Orbitz Price Assurance applies only to pre-paid hotel rooms booked on Orbitz.com, and only for rooms booked using a valid credit card with a United States or Canadian billing address.
3. Orbitz Price Assurance applies only to the hotel room cost and does not apply to differences based on taxes, booking, or processing fees.
4. If Orbitz finds, after you have booked your hotel, that another Orbitz customer subsequently books the same hotel, meaning the same check-in/check-out dates, room type, room description, number of rooms, number of travelers, at the same hotel and subject to the same restrictions, that is at least $5 lower than the hotel you booked on Orbitz.com, Orbitz will refund you the difference up to a maximum of $500.00 per reservation.
5. The confirmed hotel reservation you booked on Orbitz.com will be compared to the same reservation subsequently booked on Orbitz.com for drops in rates up until the day you stay. Rates are compared with like room descriptions, so for example, if a single room with two double beds is booked on Orbitz.com, it will not qualify for Orbitz Price Assurance if compared to a single room with one king bed found on the Orbitz.com Web site.
6. Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to lower room rates that are available on other Web sites, to rooms you cancel or change, or to reservations booked prior to yours.
7. If your qualifying hotel booked on Orbitz.com is canceled or changed by you after booking, your claim or any potential refund will not be valid or issued.
8. Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to hotel rates that are not available to the general public. Rates not available to the general public include, but are not limited to, corporate discount rates, private rates, government rates, military rates, meeting rates, wholesaler rates or consolidator rates.
9. Orbitz Price Assurance is only available on pre-paid hotel rooms, and is not available on hotel rooms booked on Orbitz.com where you pay the hotel directly, or reservations of five or more rooms.
10. Pre-paid hotel rooms qualify for both Price Assurance and our Low Price Guarantee.
11. Only hotels displayed with a "Price Assurance" symbol are covered by the Price Assurance Program.
12. Orbitz Price Assurance is for individual rooms booked on Orbitz.com and does not apply to package rates, such as rooms booked as part of a travel package.
13. Orbitz Price Assurance does not apply to hotels booked on Orbitz.com that have been reduced as a result of promotional code, dollar off coupon, loyalty program discount, or stay free offers. If you make a hotel reservation using a promotional discount code, you will not qualify for Price Assurance; if another traveler makes a hotel reservation using a promotional discount code, you will not qualify for a refund based on that traveler's reduced rate

There are more terms and conditions that are pretty standard after these that explain how they reserve the right to terminate this offer at any time etc., but I think you get the picture. If you read the parts in bold you will see that Orbitz makes it almost impossible to qualify for their “price assurance” program. So if you make a room reservation with them under the assumption you are protected against any lower price being found, think again and read the fine print. Also...if you remember the commercials, they show the man in the blue suit giving back checks in the amount of $100. If you read the terms again, you will see that it is almost impossible for you to have a room rate booked that someone else will come along on the same site and book it $100 cheaper than you did. False or misleading advertising anyone???

I say all of this to say, PLEASE know what you are paying for when it comes to travel. I see this sort of thing a lot and is not applicable only to sites like Orbitz. There are “deals” offered all the time that have caveats and terms that must be met in order to qualify and are often used and lead-in deals meaning they get you to look at their site or company under the assumption you are getting a great deal only then to learn that the deal is not applicable to you. But so many go ahead and book with that person or company because they were “sold” before they ever booked anything.

Again...it is my job to help you understand what you are paying for and also to help you have the best vacation possible which sometimes does not mean that you got the absolutely lowest price possible. Sometimes the lowest price means staying in a room in a much less desirable part of the hotel where it might be noisy or "miles away" from the pools or restaurants. Sometimes the lowest price means that you will be leaving for your vacation at the crack of dawn or arriving late in the night. Do you want to spend you entire first day of your vacation en route and in airports? A lot of travelers would not consider that an ideal start to their vacation.

Have you always found the "lowest price" also meant you got a "great deal?" Is price the only factor when looking for vacation options? Would you book with someone like Orbitz because of their low price guarantee? I am interested to get your feedback. Have you booked a trip based on a really low price to only later find out that some of the details were not that desirable? Please leave your feedback or comments.

Travel Tip (Answer) of the Week

I really felt the need to address a question that I have been asked quite frequently. Sorry it is a bit longer than usual, but I felt some things needed to be said.

High Speed Rail--My Thoughts

Antiquated. Unreliable. Costly. Congested. Overlooked. Nostalgic. Forgotten.

These are just a few words that come to mind when I think about our current public rail system here in the U.S. When someone is planning a domestic vacation, rarely do they say to themselves, "Hey let's look into taking a train to 'XYZ' destination." Taking a train from point A to B is something Americans seldom do with metro train and subway systems being the exception. But metro systems are not considered options for the leisure traveler as a rule. Amtrak is just not a viable vacation or transportation option for most Americans when you consider the cost of a round trip ticket and the time it adds to your trip. This fact puts the U.S. behind the transportation curve, so to speak, when you compare our Country to the rest of the developed world.

So imagine for a minute that you are sitting in a comfortable chair with a good book being whisked to your destination 3 States away at a quick 150-200MPH on a dedicated track with no slow downs or delays and at a cost less than what a round trip airline ticket would have cost. Are you seeing that as an option that you wish you had as a vacationer or business traveler? If you were in Europe or Japan, you would not have to be just imagining that option because high speed rail is a reality.

If you have ever spent time traveling through parts of Asia or Europe, you know for a fact that traveling by rail is a normal way of life for both traveler and resident. It is a fast and economical way of getting from town to town and even Country to Country. You can set your watch by the train system in Japan. In my 11 trips in and around Tokyo, I was never once late getting to where I was going because of some delay in their train schedules. They are fast, clean and reliable. The same can be said for the trains that carry passengers all throughout most of Europe.

So why does it seem that we (the U.S.) are stuck in the railway dark ages? Good question. lack of vision maybe? Tied too much to a transportation system built around the auto and airplane industries? Ahh...might be getting to the real issue now. An efficient and economical public rail system would offer a viable option that would compete heavily with flying or even driving to and from our vacation destinations. If high-speed rail options were introduced, even business travelers would have a great option to get them to their next out of town meeting potentially.

High Speed and more efficient rail systems here in the U.S. would open up travel options to so many who refuse to fly and who can't take the time off needed to drive to many vacation spots. Our nation is in dire need of a rejuvenated railway initiative. As time goes on...we are falling further and further behind other Countries.

My intent with this post is to draw your attention to a topic that is getting little press outside of the States where some of the high speed rail discussions are taking place. I want to make you aware of how this topic effects travel and tourism. I hope you will also see the connection between this topic and issues such as our environment.

More railway options also could mean less traffic on the highways which also translates into less pollution and a drop in fuel and oil consumption assuming the new rail infrastructure is operating on more energy efficient power systems. A viable and efficient public railway means there would be an alternative for travelers who are afraid to fly.

So here is what I ask you to do; take a moment and read some of these links that are devoted to shedding light on and who are promoting the idea of a high speed rail system and try to understand the benefits. Links such as:

California High Speed Rail Blog
Midwest High Speed Rail
Midwest High Speed Rail Association

Try to see how high speed rail would benefit the entire nation and not just those States who are currently investigating its implementation. Imagine then again how nice it would be to travel on less congested highways potentially. Let me know your thoughts and feelings concerning rail travel. Would you travel by train if it were quicker, more reliable and less expensive?

"Green" Travel

More and more travelers are becoming aware of or at least hearing the term "green travel." Maybe you are one of those travelers but you are not quite sure what it means. To me, a better term to use is "eco-friendly" which is synonymous with what we are talking about.

Resorts, cruise lines, some airlines, and major hotel chains are all starting to promote themselves as eco-friendly or "green." This means that they all are doing something to promote a healthier environment and do what they can to leave less of an impact on the environment around them. Cruise lines like Royal Caribbean have adopted programs such as "Save the Waves" where they adhere to strict recycling rules and convert waste water to gray, usable (non-drinking) water throughout the ship. Princess Cruise Lines has announced that they will connect to Vancouver's hydro-electricity grid when in port to reduce emissions from their diesel powered engines.


Then there are hotels like Marriott who design hotels that use less water and are more energy-efficient. Great Wolf Lodges in the U.S. has a "green" initiative called "Project Green Wolf" in which they are constantly looking for ways to reduce waste, reduce water consumption and even educate their guests on how they can help protect the environment.

Other examples of companies who have "green" or eco-friendly initiatives are:

Walt Disney World
Amelia Island Plantation
Inn at Chaa Creek-Belize
Harmony Studios-St John (USVI)
Sheraton Hotels and Resorts

These examples show how the travel industry is becoming more conscience of the environment and making efforts to be eco-friendly. More and more hotels and tourism-related companies are seeking to be designated as "green" by such organizations as the "International Ecotourism Society" and "Sustainable Travel International."

Are you interested in "green" travel? Do you see this as a trend for the future or just a passing fad? Do you already support those companies who are making the effort to have less of an impact on the environment in which they operate? I am interested to get your thoughts and comments.