Archive for June, 2009



Trouble for International Holidays

Posted By stevenlocke on June 3, 2009 @ 9:34 am

The entire world is reeling from the financial crisis that originated in the United States in the fall of 2008. What began as a U.S. crisis only has spread thorough the developed world and has began hitting emerging markets. The economic slowdown in the richer countries has made it very difficult for less developed countries to keep growing through exports.  

Bulgaria is one example. Bulgaria exports more than half of its production, mostly to European Union countries. The decline in activity of the German, U.K., Italian and other economies in the region has had an immediate impact on the Bulgarian economy. Beyond the trade in goods and services, however, a major negative impact is expected to come through the tourism industry. Tourism accounts for roughly 10 percent of Bulgaria’s GDP but its rapid development in the last several years has had a strong positive influence on the wider economy. The construction industry was mobilized to build thousands of new hotels and apartment buildings in the reports. Various other professionals including architects and attorneys were busy with the real estate boom. Much of the boom in the finance industry came from credits extended to build the resorts and then to finance the purchase of  villas and apartments.

All of this is poised to come to a halt in the next few months. Actually, a bulk of the activity has essentially ended. There are few purchases of real estate in the resorts by domestic or international investors. The construction industry has stopped the massive projects and banks have all but pulled out from lending. The impact has spread through the entire economy with devastating effects on employment in all economic sectors. In that environment, any glimmer of hope is highly appreciated. For some time Bulgarians have been banking on growth in their tourism industry. Its growth has indeed been spectacular in the last several years but even this pillar of economic activity is now threatened. How real is the danger?

Starting in the fall of 2008, many touroperators reported a drastic fall in inquiries and bookings, by as much as 40-50 percent compared to last year. Such a drastic decline in bookings would definitely lead to massive bankruptcies of hotels and other tourism establishments. Other regional competitors of Bulgaria in the tourism industry are prompting their destinations with marketing and discounts quite aggressively.

Looking more closely at developments, however, gives a more nuanced picture. Judging by the ski season which ended this month, early bookings were indeed extremely low contributing to the anxiety of touroperators and hotel owners. However, they rebounded in the last minute to get to the same level as last year. It appears that international visitors have not completely disappeared. Instead, because of the uncertain times, they wait until the season has almost started before arranging their vacations. This way they face less uncertainty about whether they can actually afford a holiday. They can also take advantage of last minute deals. It seems that international tourism is not dead, yet.

 




Top Three Wonderful Family Nebraska Tourism Destinations

Posted By stevenlocke on June 2, 2009 @ 6:11 am

Nebraska Tourism

Has your family chosen wherethey want to go on your summer vacation? You are not alone, most families have not yet decided where they want to go. It can be a quite time consuming process to find that ideal vacation escape, so explore the choices for your Nebraska tourism. You will discover lots of alternatives and it certainly will not be a simple decision!

However, if you are thoughtful and appreciate the time to do some planning, it should make your summer vacation easy and one of those “family stories” that you will treasure forever. The most common mistake people experience is first selecting a “destination.” The best vacations occur when you first choose “what you want to do”! Do you want to go hiking, tanning on a beach, playing and relaxing at a park, or touring educational or heritage attractions? By deciding “what you want to do” to start with, you are off to the best start of selecting that perfect family Nebraska travel guide destination!

Now that you know “what you want to do” – you can sort through the various tourism destination areas and find those appealing attractions that you hope to go see or do. By taking a little time planning, you can also select those destinations that include a number of attractions that are of interest to both you and your whole family. Online travel guides are invaluable that can help you choose detailed information about activities that are more detailed than a simple attraction name and address. Now that you know “what” you want to do and “where” you want to go, a professional high quality online Nebraska travel guide will provide you a quality article describing each attraction to assist you making an informed decision about what you want to do and where you want to go.

Here are 3 Nebraska vacation possibilities that you might want to consider:

Idea #1: Custer County Historical Museum – Broken Bow, Nebraska. Sharing the stories of the 19th century this museum such as the General Store display which has many of the original artifacts for you to see. There is also a drug store from the era on display. Things have certainly changed.

Idea #2: Omaha is the largest city in Nebraska, and as such is a major center of the tourist activity in the state. The “Gateway to the West” as it is often called, is situated along the Missouri River. One of its attractions is the Henry Doorly Zoo.

Idea #3: Chimney Rock National Historic Site – Chimney Rock National Historic Site – Bayard, Nebraska. Seeing the awe inspiring rock on the trip from the east coast on the Oregon, California and Mormon Trail made those traveling want to stop and leave something for those that would follow behind. There were pictures describing their trip west, words of “wisdom” and encouragement were left. All were part of a great movement of people and ideas that passed by Chimney Rock in the years 1812 – 1866.

As you have discovered, you have a wide variety of options available to you when it is time to select that perfect family Nebraska attractions getaway. Enjoy your time to plan carefully what you want to do and where you want to go. Use a quality travel guide to help you on those perfect Nebraska vacations. And you will find that you will experience a wonderful vacation with a lifetime of stories.




Discover the authentic London with London tour guides

Posted By stevenlocke on June 1, 2009 @ 12:03 am

Do you want to experience like a local when travelling and not feel like a tourist? Are you interested in local secrets of London? Then contact London tour guides for more details.

You can see and do lots of things in London without paying a fortune. Whether you like adventure and action or care for traditions and culture, London has a great offer of everything you can imagine. Fore sure you have heard about these attractions: the London Eye, Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, the London Dungeon and Westminster Abbey. And do you know where all the beautiful parks are like Hyde Park, St. James Park, Holland Park? Your journey in a London experience should include typical street markets like Camden Town, famous for second-hand goods, and Notting Hill for its antique shops, unique atmosphere and set of the famous “Notting Hill” movie starring Hugh Grant and Julia Roberts.

It would be nice to experience London in a more local or creative way, so what about learning about the dramatic changes with the construction of the 2012 Olympic Village and Park: You could explore the unprecedented urban regeneration in Newham and Stratford and discover parts of London that even Londoners themselves are unaware of.

But there is usually the same dilemma… It’s not easy to find out about local secrets in a few days on holiday. Only locals can help you discover secret places and a new viewpoint of one of the most important cities in the world with personalised tours.

With a private guide you won’t miss any detail about London and learn how locals really live. Read descriptions of customised services and reserve your next tour safely.

Local creative guides will make you experience culture, traditions and more with the eyes of a local. Contacting your private London guide now, you can feel like a local for some hours! And for locals: creating your own tour you will have the oppertunity to help people discover the most important secrets of this fascinating city!




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