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The
Chance To Travel Mexico And Stay At Some Beautiful Mexican Resorts
by: Mike Yeager
Cancun vacations offer white sandy
beaches, warm tropical sun and beautiful blue water. Some of the finest
Mexico resorts can be found in Cancun. One of the great things about deciding
to travel Mexico is the short time it takes to get there. Only a couple
of hours flying time and you can be staying at one of many Mexico resorts
offering you the chance to relax, tan and even travel Mexico.
When you decide to travel Mexico
you'll find that even though you're in a foreign country, there are many
familiar U.S. hotels and restaurants. Beautiful Mexico resorts, beautiful
beaches and people are all waiting for you.
The very best in lush Mexico resorts
are on the internet, so you can travel Mexico in style.
When you decide to travel Mexico
here are some of the things to consider doing: snorkeling in warm, blue
water in the afternoon. Renting some jet-ski's and feeling the spray of
the surf splash your face as you frolic like a kid with a new toy. Have
you ever felt the thrill of being lifted into the air under a big, billowy
parasail? What an experience! Imagine the breathtaking view you would have
as you floated above the sun, the sand and surf with the warm tropical
breeze blowing through your hair. All this and more is yours when you choose
to "get away from it all" and travel Mexico
Remember, the dollar is very strong
in Mexico and your travel money will go a long ways towards your vacation
expenses.
About The Author
Mike Yeager
Publisher
http://www.a1-travel-4u.com/
mjy610@hotmail.com
Courtesy of http://www.ArticleCity.com/
Travellers:
Make Your Health Policy Work For You by: News Canada
(NC)—The purchase of travel health
insurance is a sensible idea for anyone taking trips outside Canada. If
you get sick unexpectedly or have an accident while you are away, the health
services in other countries are generally much more costly than those which
OHIP covers. When buying your insurance however, it is important to take
all the time needed to fully understand the coverage as well as the limitations
of the policy. Be sure to determine your own needs first, say industry
specialists, then read the policy thoroughly to be sure those needs are
covered.
The Financial Services Commission
of Ontario (FSCO) reminds the travelling consumer that it is not enough
to simply buy travel health insurance; travellers must also know how the
policy works and how to use it. FSCO is an agency of the Ministry of Finance
that regulates Ontario's insurance industry. Its suggestions in this regard
are based on records of what went wrong for others.
It is important for example, to compare
the policies offered by different companies, not just for price, but also
for the amount of coverage, pre-existing conditions, deductibles, limitations
and exclusions. Your health, age, the medication you take, the length of
your trip and the destination are all factors that affect the price of
a policy and the types of medical costs your insurer will cover. In some
cases you may have to find an insurer willing to write a policy tailored
to your circumstances.
To better compare each policy before
purchase, take a look at the Travel Health Insurance Policy Checklist,
posted on the FSCO Web site. Here's a sample:
-
Compare the maximum each policy will
pay above Ontario health plan limits.
-
Look for age limits or medical criteria
that might apply to you.
-
Compare how the policies define terms
such as pre-existing condition, or a medical exclusion. Do they affect
your coverage?
-
Compare deductibles and/or co-payment
clauses to understand your own obligation.
-
Compare payment procedures. Do you pay
for the medical services first, followed by a reimbursement, or is the
payment made directly from the insurer to the facility?
-
Check if policies require you to use
"preferred" doctors and hospitals.
-
Are you covered for participation in
the sports and activities you have planned, or are they excluded?
-
Can you buy extra coverage if you extend
your trip?
-
What is the full package cost of each
policy?
Don't forget, says FSCO, you may already
have sufficient coverage from your credit card company or employee benefits
plan. Don't buy more insurance if you are covered. Additional information
on this subject is available online at www.fsco.gov.on.ca.
Or, for a copy of their booklet Shopping for Travel Health Insurance phone
(416) 590-7298 (Toll Free: 1-800-668-0128).
- News Canada
Editors, these articles are for
use in Ontario only
About The Author
News
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often. Visit
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and learn more about the NC services.
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What
Is A Home Based Travel Agent? by: Jennifer Dugan
Many people are unclear about the
travel industry. Travel agents are often thought to be the same as real
estate agents. Becoming a travel agent or more specifically a home based
travel agent is an exciting career change or retirement option. Some people
do it full time while many do it as a part time business.
A travel agent books travel for customers
and is paid by suppliers a commission on the booking. For bookings that
suppliers do not pay a commission on, a travel agent also can charge the
client a service fee for his/her time. An example is if you were to book
a hotel for a client, the hotel would then send a check to the agency after
the client checked out. Most hotels pay 10% of the price of the hotel before
taxes and fees. A $100 per night hotel reservation would mean $10 a night
for the travel agent who made the booking. This hotel would cost the same
whether the customer uses a travel agent or books through the hotel directly.
In many cases the travel agent can get a better price. It costs the customer
nothing to use the travel agent unless the travel agent charges service
fees.
Can anyone do this? In order to work
with suppliers, you must have an account set up with the supplier. Most
require an agency to hold an IATAN, CLIA or ARC number. IATAN stands for
International Airlines Travel Agent Network. CLIA stands for Cruise Lines
International Association. ARC stands for Airline Reporting Corporation.
Each of these memberships requires different things including sales, money
in the bank, experience or training in the industry, and membership fees.
Many will require Errors and Omissions insurance of $1,000,000 or more.
For the average travel agent, membership
is not a possibility with some organizations so the agent will team up
with an agency and work as an independent agent or outside agent. There
are also advantages of working with an agency because most travel agents
cannot make enough in sales with a particular supplier to obtain higher
commission levels and bonuses. Working with an agency with many agents
can increase the commission percentages the agent gets because of the joint
sales of all the agents at the agency. Support is also a very important
aspect of being a successful agent. Agents who do not work with others
tend to feel more isolated and have to learn to do it all solo. Since no
agent can have the experience of being everywhere in the world or staying
at every hotel or resort, having others that you can get advice from is
really helpful.
The future of travel agencies is
always questioned. The truth is the industry has changed in many ways.
Some changes were for the better, some for the worse. Many airlines have
cut commissions for travel agents. However, there are many other suppliers
who are paying travel agents more than they were ten years ago. Cruises
used to be booked by only the rich and now people in every income book
cruises. Each year more and more people go on cruises. Most people say
they want to go on a cruise at least once and many who go on their first
come home to want to book another.
You can earn commission on many travel
reservations.
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Hotels
-
Rental Cars
-
Tour Packages
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Cruises
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Some airline tickets
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International airline tickets
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Travel insurance
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Ground transportation including limos
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Attraction tickets
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Train tickets
People all need travel arrangements
at some point in time. Those who take road trips need hotel reservations.
Those who need to travel for business need airline tickets, rental cars,
and hotel reservations. Families want to experience vacations with their
loved ones. People visit family and relatives. Most people who win money
say they are going to spend it to take a nice vacation. Newly married couples
go on honeymoons. You are not selling something that is hard to sell. People
contact you for help, you are not calling them or approaching them trying
to sell them something they don’t want.
Educating the public is the main
thing any travel agent must do. Most people put travel agents into the
same category as real estate agents. They believe it costs additional to
use a travel agent. This is untrue. In many cases a travel agent can get
a better price than the general public through the suppliers who work only
with travel agents. Many people do not know all the options for booking
a vacation. A good travel agent does. Once people are educated on how a
travel agent gets paid, they are more willing to work with travel agents.
If a person knows that if he or she let you book a hotel and it will cost
the same price regardless, she or he will work with you. It is important
to let people know how you can help them save time and money on their travel
arrangements.
So how do you get into the industry?
Many people think they must go to school or become certified. This is not
true. You can get into the industry and begin training. I don’t recommend
anyone spend thousands on a travel school until he or she knows this is
a career that he or she will really want to pursue. The truth is you do
not have to spend thousands to get trained. There are many courses free
to travel agents from suppliers. There are also organizations such as ICTA
(Institute of Certified Travel Agents) who offer courses as you get more
years experience in the industry. CLIA also offers courses. There are some
agencies that will offer training. Even if you decide this is a career
you would like to pursue, you do not need to spend thousands to become
an educated and competent travel agent. There are many courses you can
take with suppliers and organizations to get a better education in travel.
I truly believe a hands’ on approach is the best way to become a better
travel agent. Learning to work with suppliers and how to find the information
your clients need is an important part of becoming a good travel agent.
How can you find an agency to work
with? There are a few organizations dedicated to independent travel agents.
NACTA and OSSN are the top organizations. NACTA stands for National Association
of Commissioned Travel Agents. OSSN stands for Outside Sales Support Network.
You can also search online for home-based travel agent programs. I would
never recommend anyone spending a lot of money to start this business.
It is key to first try and see if it is something you would really want
to do and get training before you invest too much money into it. Get involved
in the industry first and see if it is really a career that is best for
you.
Jennifer Dugan CTA
Owner of Dugan's Travels
Travel agent since 1993
http://www.duganstravels.com
Copyright 2004 Jennifer Dugan
About The Author
Mother of two who started a homebased
travel agency in 1997. She has over 200 outside agents working with her
agency and is active in the travel industry. She has been an agent since
1993. She is the author of three ebooks.
Courtesy of http://www.ArticleCity.com/
Entrepreneur
and Mom by: Jennifer Dugan
When I was 12 years old, I had surgery
with complications. I was told there was a chance I would not be able to
have children. Growing up I could not imagine my life without children
and worried about it often. When I got married close to my 21st birthday,
my husband and I hoped that we would be lucky enough to have children.
Luckily, I found out I was pregnant almost a year later. However, soon
after the great news, I got very sick. I was working full time at a corporate
travel agency and I could not work. My doctor told me that I had to take
care of myself or I would be at risk to lose my baby. My employer got very
nasty with me and was not compassionate about my sickness. I almost lost
my job, but my doctor was able to get me medical leave from the family
leave act. The experience was horrible. I vowed to never have to choose
between my career and the health of my baby. I began to look for ways to
work from home. I tried Mary Kay Cosmetics but I was terrible at it. It
didn’t feel comfortable and I really had nothing to make me want to be
successful.
When my son Dillon was born in February
1997, it was one of the best days of my life. I quit my job and tried to
stay home full time. I was able to stay home until Dillon was three months
old. Then I went back part time at a travel agency. I hated leaving him
even for the few hours I had to. So I decided to start my own travel agency
from my home. I knew the travel business well enough to be on my own, but
I did not know very much about being a home business owner. For the next
two years, I had to learn so much about running a home business. I got
help from other work at home moms. I met them online and it was so helpful.
I created a website and began actively
advertising for business. I read anything I could on having a home business.
I learned as much as I could about the internet. I began brainstorming
on how I could expand my business. I decided to specialize in family vacations
since I had a growing family. My second child, Travis was born January
1999. I began to learn how to balance having a family and a business. I
worked whenever I could. Many nights I work late at night when my children
are sleeping. My husband is very supportive.
I finally started becoming successful
and was gaining more customers each day. I started taking on independent
agents and helping them start their own agencies. I let them work with
my agency because I had already paid what it took to start the agency.
I trained them and began building my business by helping others get into
the industry. I took a small percentage of their commissions for running
the agency. It slowly turned into a full fledge training program with a
handbook and a website dedicated to my agents. I also created a website
for people who wanted to join the agency. I marketed to find those who
would be interested. The agency has continued to grow as the word has spread.
What I offer people interested in the travel industry is unique since I
accept those without prior experience and train them for free.
I have been interviewed by several
magazines and featured in books on home businesses. Currently I have over
200 independent agents working with my agency. Our sales have skyrocketed.
In 2002, we did $20,000 in sales for Royal Caribbean Cruise Line. In 2003,
we did $147,000 in sales. We are growing in so many ways. I am still very
active in the agency. I still answer my emails myself and strive to personally
know all my agents. I do not have anyone helping me at my home office.
I do have my very first agent as well as many who have been with me for
years helping out. I handle all the bookkeeping, shipping, daily business
issues, advertising, website maintenance, and many other of the important
operations needed to run this business. It has become a part of me.
My goal is to have 300 agents by
the time I am 30. I hope to be able to get some help handling day-to-day
operations. I would also like to continue to grow to become more recognized
in the travel industry. I want to help as many people as I can who want
to start their own home based travel agency. I want to continue building
my business and each year find something new that I can do to be more successful
at this business.
I wrote my own ebook on starting
a home travel agency. This offered information to those interested and
helped spread the word about my agency’s program. Each year we grow more
and more. I have written two other ebooks since my first one. One is on
juggling a home business and family. The other is on marketing a home business
on a small amount of funds. I am just now beginning to have more money
available for advertising. What I have done to date has been still on a
limited budget. I am just now beginning to spend more money on advertising.
My family has been very supportive.
My boys are now 5 and 7 years old and they try to help me out as much as
possible. We go on family vacations and I can use it to help my business.
I have been able to save on childcare from not having to work outside the
home. I was able to be with my children as they have been growing up. I
didn’t miss their first words or steps. I also have been teaching them
that anything is possible. I want them to know that if they have the drive
to do something, they can do it. Every day that I got discouraged, I would
think of the fact that if I did not succeed, I would have to go back to
work full time and put my children into daycare.
My 5 year old was diagnosed with
type 1 diabetes last May. This was a hard adjustment for our family. He
needed me more than ever. I was able to be there and everyone involved
in my agency understood. I was able to take the time I needed to stay with
him in the hospital and learn how to handle his diabetes. My agents pulled
together and helped me out. I can’t imagine how things would have been
if I had a full time job outside the home. I was able to take care of my
child without worry.
I feel very fortunate. I had a dream
and I was able to make it come true. I also have something I can call my
own. I love being a mom. I also love being an entrepreneur. It is very
satisfying looking at what I have accomplished in 6 years. I know the possibilities
are endless. I know as long as I continue to work hard and be creative
in growing my business, I will continue to be successful. I am now able
to help others who want to start a home business. I wrote three e-books
and I get to write articles to help others. 6 years ago I would have never
imagined this would be my life. It just proves that anything is possible
if you really want it bad enough.
------------------------------
Jennifer Dugan CTA
Owner of Dugan's Travels
About The Author
Mother of two who started a homebased
travel agency in 1997. She has over 200 outside agents working with her
agency and is active in the travel industry. She has been an agent since
1993. She is the author of three ebooks.
Courtesy of http://www.ArticleCity.com/
Online
Travel Statistics by: Radha Khalsa
The Travel Industry Association of
America (TIA) released their annual Travelers’ Use of the Internet study
in December 2003. The study shows an increase in the number of people using
the internet to research and book travel.
TIA found that 30% of the adult U.S.
population (63.8 million) consult the web for travel information. These
travelers spend (on average) $300 more on travel, and nearly 40% had an
annual household income above $75,000.
Online travelers surf to two or more
travel websites, spending an average of 37 minutes. They research and compare
prices, check schedules and book trips. The number of people actually booking
online increased by 8% over 2002 and grew to 42.2 million people in 2003.
Within this group of online travelers, 32 million people made travel arrangements
exclusively through the internet (a figure expected to grow according to
the TIA).
10 million travelers responded to
email campaigns, causing the TIA to believe that email campaigns are stimulating
unplanned travel.
TIA stated that the top 10 travel
websites are:
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Expedia
-
Travelocity
-
Orbitz
-
Yahoo Travel
-
Cheap Tickets
-
Hot Wire
-
VIPfares
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Priceline.com
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ITN.net
-
TravelNow.com
If your business supplies lodging, real
estate, shopping, recreation, dining, events or tourist related specialty
services, it may be wise to place advertisements with these websites. If
you are not making full use of the internet for your marketing campaigns
you are missing 30% of your potential market.
As online travelers’ habits become
more sophisticated you will find them expecting to find and book everything
from one location.
About The Author
MARKETING COORDINATOR and WEBSITE
DESIGNER-Radha Khalsa, has extensive experience in the areas of marketing
analysis, strategic planning and project management.
info@khalsaweb.com
Courtesy of http://www.ArticleCity.com/
