Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO) in collaboration with the national carrier, Austrian Airlines kicked-off a three city road show for the travel trade in Mumbai yesterday. The road show in Delhi is being held today and the one in Chennai will be held tomorrow. “These road shows are mainly aimed to educate travel agents and tour operators on how to sell the several unexplored places of tourist interest in Austria,” said Christine Mukharji, Director, ANTO.

According to her, the primary aim of the road shows is to offer a platform for the Austrian and India Indian travel trade to interact and explore business opportunities. A host of B2B conferences, training workshops and sales missions will also be held in these cities. Besides these cities, ANTO has plans to host sales missions in Pune, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkota as well. “At present, travel to Austria is limited to leisure tourism. But, we are now looking to promote Austria as a year-round tourist destination in India, with special focus on the honeymoon, leisure and MICE segments,” informed Mukharji.

There has been a consistent increase in the number of Indian visitors to Austria, Mukharji maintained, pointing out that the number increased to 53,000 in 2006 compared to 22,000 in 2000. “Over the last five years, the number of Indian visitors has increased substantially. Earlier, most Indians visited Austria during the summer vacations in April-May, but now they are visiting Austria during the winters too, particularly the honeymooners and the group travellers,” Mukharji added. Earlier this year, ANTO had launched the Austria Tourism Specialist Programme for travel agents in India, which witnessed the participation of 90 travel agents. It is planning to conduct online Austrian Tourism Specialist Programmes for travel agents in mid-2008.

Many people are going on holiday without taking out adequate travel insurance, according to a study by Nationwide. One in three (35%) of those questioned do not always take out travel insurance when they go on holiday, so would not be fully covered in the event of any cancellation, medical emergency or theft of personal belongings.

When asked what precautions are taken for keeping valuables, such as currency and passports, safe while on holiday, many admitted to not always using a safety deposit box, instead preferring to store them: On their person (36%) In a suitcase (12%) In a drawer (9%) On the bedside table (2%) Over half (54%) of those questioned holiday more than once a year, yet only 30% of holidaymakers opt for annual travel insurance, preferring to take out single trip policies each time they go away. Nationwide’s insurance director, Robin Bailey, said: “It is astounding that people are prepared to take such a gamble when travelling abroad. You never know what’s around the corner and for that reason it is vital that you have adequate travel insurance in place.

Let’s start on the sunny side of the street. Traveling is a boundless pleasure, a wonderful privilege, a blessing, a boon – and don’t let anything that you’re about to read convince you otherwise. Because you have to keep loving the open road, searching for the thrill of the new and the joy of adventure, otherwise you’ve let them get to you.

They being the sharks, the cheats and the rip-off merchants who want to make wonga from your wanderlust by the most devious means possible; the innumerable slimy, scummy little spivs whose holiday scams and fiddles, stunts and diddles could dishearten the most dedicated traveler, making them timidly give up and stay home. But are you going to let these ratbags spoil your holiday? Hell, no. You’re going to be prepared, informed and able to spot their scams a mile off. Here are some of the most common swindles out there today, at home and abroad – don’t let them get you down.

Valentine’s Day is a chance to demonstrate your love by a gift to your loved one or by whisking them away for a romantic holiday. However, without proper insurance, what starts as a happy day could turn into a nightmare if things go wrong. If you are planning to give your beloved something expensive you need to make sure that both of you are properly insured. Insuring expensive items when they are taken outside the house is covered by “personal possessions” insurance which is either built in as standard or can be purchased as an optional extra to the home insurance policy.

Without this cover, any item of value that is lost or stolen away from the home is not covered. So, if you are intending to propose in a beautiful setting and you lose your nerve or the ring, you can be comforted that you will have another opportunity at a later date without having to dip into your savings. If you are planning a romantic holiday abroad, the importance of taking out travel insurance is well known, even if it is for only a few days. Costs of medical treatment overseas can be very variable and loss of baggage could prove very expensive without proper cover.

Single trip policies can be purchased online and there are many retail outlets, banks and building societies which offer competitive cover. What is less well known is what happens if something goes wrong when you are traveling to a destination in the UK. If you have already purchased an annual travel policy, It is important to note that with some annual policies, in order for cover to be provided you must have pre-booked at least 2 nights accommodation in a hotel, guest house or the like.

Your discussion about insurance left me confused about one point that might be worth addressing in a follow up article, if there is one. Regarding injuries that might be sustained in a bike-car accident, you write that it’s important to have high UM/UIM and PIP coverage on your own auto policy. But there is an additional insurance player that could become involved– my health insurer. Presumably in a tort liability state, if an at-fault driver has no insurance/assets and I have no Uninsured/Underinsured coverage, then my health insurance gets stuck with the bill, minus my deductible (and similarly if I have no PIP in a no-fault or hybrid state.)If this is the case, then do cyclists during traveling really benefit from buying UM/UIM/PIP with high limits (beyond their health insurance deductible)? I agree that it doesn’t make sense to talk about insuring a bicycle without mention of personal insurance, but am surprised you don’t mention the most basic personal insurance, medical. As far as I know medical insurance covers injuries caused by solo falls, other cyclists and uninsured/underinsured motorists travellers. Since many injuries don’t involve a vehicle, and medical insurance covers where auto insurance ends, I think it is much more important to have than UM/UIM and PIP policies.

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The Girl Scouts of Northeast Georgia had a global traveling experience Saturday without even leaving the area. On Saturday, the Georgia Mountains Center was decked out in a travel theme setting for World Thinking Day, which gives Girl Scouts the opportunity to learn about international cultures. Mary Hurst, membership marketing director, said Thinking Day “makes the world seem a lot smaller” to the girls. Out of the 25 counties under the jurisdiction of the Girl Scouts of Northeast Georgia, 17 were picked to represent a country of their choosing. Girl Scout participants were allowed to change booths during the event in order to learn more about each country and not just the one they had picked to study.

Countries were divided into three categories — European, North and South American, and African and Asian — and each was represented at a booth with information about its culture. For example, the China booth had displays of traditional Chinese decorations, samples of Jasmine tea, a game of Chinese hopscotch and a display of Chinese customs. Surrounding the booths were areas called “in-flight entertainment.” The entertainment was provided by presenters including Chaudron Gille, director of the Center for Teaching, Learning and Leadership at Gainesville State College, and University of Georgia professors Arvin Scott and Sarah W. Workman.

The presenters donated their time to provide slide shows and artifacts from many countries, including Fiji and Thailand. Scott, who teaches African, Caribbean and Brazilian hand drumming, performed throughout the day. He also invited 40 Girl Scouts to play an instrument on stage with him. The girls played with drums, shakers and bells while Scott led them with a steady beat and a song.

World Travel Awards (WTA) has announced that Eurostar, the high-speed passenger train service that links the UK and mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel, has signed a major sponsorship deal for WTA’s 15th Anniversary Grand Tour. The commitment includes sponsorship of the 2008 Asia Awards as well as the North America Awards, with the view to develop a long-term business relationship. Having operated to and from Waterloo station, London, for 13 years, Eurostar launched services from its new central London station, the magnificently restored St Pancras International, on 14 November 2007, and now offers even faster and greener rail travel as well as shorter travel times between the UK, France and Belgium.

The organization has been at the leading edge of innovation in the travel industry and prides itself on being the world’s first train operator to offer carbon neutral journeys, at no extra cost to travellers. “Eurostar is a pioneering enterprise,” commented WTA’s Executive Vice President Manon Han. “Partnering with a big name like Eurostar allows us the use of qualitative synergies of two thriving brands that both prioritize excellence in the travel industry.

This sponsorship pact is a milestone and gives us the possibility to further strengthen our position as one of the most reputable awards schemes in the tourism trade.” Michael Davies, Eurostar’s Head of International Sales, said: “As time becomes more precious, it is essential when people travel – whether it be for business or for leisure – that the whole experience is as seamless and as enjoyable as possible.

We need to encourage organizations involved in the travel industry to set the bar as high as possible, to deliver excellent customer service, attractive and competitive pricing and of course, quality. The World Travel Awards are at the heart of this impetus and we are delighted to have become a key sponsor. The partnership with the World Travel Awards will be a central part of our strategy of becoming a globally recognized brand.”