(Las vegas casino hotels) Last Minute Holiday Savings Is So Last Year
No commentsBy Roger Munns
In recent years booking a last minute holiday has made a lot of sense - with ever more destinations available, a flexible tourist has almost been certain of being able to grab a last minute holiday at a bargain price.
But things are changing, and a new report suggests that for those who book next year’s holiday well in advance they could be the ones who will be paying less, and with holiday companies cutting back on the number of holidays they sell due to recessionary times, last minute holiday bookings could be more expensive.
The report, by a leading consumer organisation, studied holiday prices for July and August this year, and compared the prices to the same holidays when they first went on sale last summer.
Those holidays were on average a thousand pounds (around US 1700 dollars) higher in cost for those who had waited to book last minute, compared to those who had booked a year in advance, changing the trend of the holidays market in Europe from the previous five years.
Last minute holidays, and the niche travel industry that has grown up around it as more people switched from brick and mortar travel agencies to booking holidays on the internet and becoming their own travel agent, has grown as internet usage has grown.
Before the internet was widely used the British market for example traditionally saw the highest number of bookings for a summer holiday in January and February, and while the first two months of the year are still high booking months, their importance has slowly declined in the last decade as a whole section of the population took advantage of tour operators slashing prices when their flights and accommodation weren’t full.
With a recession tour operators will be cutting the number of flights and available hotel rooms to popular holiday islands like Malta for 2009, making a bargain last minute holiday even more difficult to find than in the summer of 2008.
But times change, and after the report the equivalent of an earthquake hit the British travel industry when the country’s third largest tour operator, XL, went bust in September.
According to one Malta holidays travel site - and the majority of Malta’s tourists originate from the UK - holidaymakers could well now not have cheap prices as their number one priority, but whether the travel company they book with is still going to be in existence by the time their holiday comes around - with a resulting swing back to holidays booked last minute, not because of the prices, but the chances of their holiday company still being in business is higher.
So in the fast moving travel industry, a trend away from last minute holidays as the savings weren’t there to the same extent as in previous years could be back as quickly as it went as other considerations factor in - such as a travel company’s ability to survive a recession, and medium size travel firms could be squeezed as holidaymakers place their faith in the biggest companies, hoping that the chances of them being able to fulfil a holiday are higher.
For more on-line travel news for the island of Malta including Luqa Airport and cheap Malta flights see yourmalta.com
They also have other Malta holiday categories such as the Malta weather, a map and photograph galleries.
10 Best Vietnam Destinations
By Anna08 Anna08
The Best Vietnam Holiday Destinations
There are tons of exciting destinations in Vietnam with the best Vietnam destination among others being Halong Bay. This place is thought of as an 8th wonder of the world and is known to the Vietnamese people as the bay of the descending dragon. Its checkered past has caused many people to think of Vietnam as being hostile, but to travel Vietnam will soon allow you the opportunity to witness the most amazing Vietnam beaches, exciting resorts Vietnam and many wonderful sights and sounds.
In Halong Bay you will find over 3000 islands to choose for your exciting and most romantic honeymoon trip to Vietnam and at each island you will find of the most outstanding resorts Vietnam has to offer. Beautiful scenery awaits and breathtaking opportunities for photos will have you ready to come back to this beautiful country time and time again.
You will find many wonderful reasons to stay in Vietnam and keep coming back, and with many islands making up the region of Halong Bay, you have a multitude of adventure travel Vietnam destinations and romantic Vietnam vacation accommodation. Aside from Halong Bay, you can embark on a Vietnam holiday to one of the other cities like Ho Chi Minh, Hanoi the exciting capital, the massive Mekong Delta, Nha Trang, the forests of Sapa on the Himalayan mountain range, the red river delta town of Ninh Binh in the province of the same name, and the cultural and beautiful city of Dalat in the central highlands.
For a wonderful Vietnam experience you can make your way to the southwest of the country where the Mekong Delta is located, or the Nine Dragon River. Here is the region where Ho Chi Minh City is located and you will find very interesting geographical elements and natural wonders like the mangrove swamps.
A Vietnam holiday will not be complete without visiting the Ninh Binh province. The scenic beauty of the place will amaze you with rice paddies that stretch for miles and beautiful forests and nature parks all along the Northern Delta. You can visit the Cuc Phuong Nature Reserve and the Van Long Wetlands area with a Vietnam tour operator and enjoy some peaceful relaxation.
A gorgeous place in Vietnam is the mountainous frontier town of Sapa on the border with China. Here you can enjoy the mountains of the Himalayas and the lovely terraced fields and market places. This area offers plenty of unique plant life and forest areas which are stunning.
For a more stylish Vietnam holiday you will find that the Nha Trang City is one of the best places to go. Here, some of the most affluent travelers come on vacation and there are pristine beaches with excellent activities and accommodation facilities. The Miss Universe Pageant was held here in 2008. Nha Trang is the capital of the South Central Coast Province and attracts most international tourists in Vietnam.
Hue is one of the best places to go if you are interested in architecture and historic buildings and monuments. This is the largest city in Vietnam and was previously known as Saigon. Here you must make sure to visit the Complex of Hue Monuments which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are hundreds of other historic monuments and buildings to see such as citadels, pagodas, ancient steps, dynastic urns and much more. On your trip to Vietnam be sure you get a Vietnam responsible tour guide to show you these amazing places.
John Wong is author of this article on Vietnam honeymoon trip.
Find more information about Vietnam best beaches here.
Is it possible to get fantastic International Travel Deals in High Season?
By Jerry Waxman
The Seasons to Travel:
All year long is the best season for travel: However there are times when it is easier to plan a holiday. There are other times when it’s more difficult because so many people are traveling.
Seasons of travel are not determined by weather. They are determined by how many visitors go to a specific destination at a particular time of year.
1. Low season means few travelers can be expected at that time of year. Many seasoned travelers would rather travel during low season because it’s quieter, and prices are lower. Tourists also like the authenticity of international travel destinations when they have more opportunity to meet the local people.
2. High season is when many travelers can be expected. In heavily traveled places, there is a flurry of activity, hotels are completely booked, prices go up, and streets are filled with tourists. Most travelers who take trips during high season, do so for one or two reasons. They seek better weather, or it’s the only time they can take a vacation.
3. Peak season is much like high season. Different destinations have different periods when multitudes of travelers visit. These peak seasons generally occur around a holiday or special event peculiar to that place. For example, while the winter holidays and New Years are peak seasons in much of the world, the Superbowl is a peak season for one city in the U.S. revolving around a football game.
The question is not when the best time to travel is. All year is good for traveling, depending on what you want to accomplish on your holiday.
Low season tourists like the quiet and the lower prices. High season travelers travel to take a break from routines.. And peak season tourists tend to have a specific holiday or event in mind.
The question is: Are the Best International Travel Deals only in Low Season?
On the whole, you can find very good travel deals during low season, especially if you’d like to stay in good hotels for cheap.
High season also has possibilities. Some travel consultants run special travel packages in high season. Normally you need to book these packages three to six months before high season begins.
Many tourists economize by going on heavily discounted travel packages. These include small and large group tours, theme park packages (Think Disney, for example.), and air and hotel packages.
Believe it or not, there are even international travel deals in peak season. Peak season usually surrounds a holiday or an event, such as Christmas or the Superbowl. Look early (three months to twelve months before the event) for special holiday packages.
Another peak season travel deal is one you don’t necessarily have to book early. Occasionally, you can find a last minute special in peak season. A hotel still has rooms available, or an airline still has some seats, or a travel agency still has some holiday packages. They will offer last minute booking at reduced rates.
There is one more peak season travel deal you shouldn’t overlook. The best day to fly is often the day of a major holiday. That’s right. Most people don’t think of flying on Christmas Day or New Years Day. So airlines typically give lower season rates for flights on those days..
Which Season has the Best International Travel Deals? The answer is: “Look for domestic and international travel deals all year. There’s always something.”
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Jerry Waxman is an international traveler and writer. Discover how you can get the best cheap tickets, plane travel and hotel deals.
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Monday, November 3rd, 2008 at 5:15 pm and is filed under travel. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
