Sydney Travel Guide 2015

We were on a cruise circumnavigating Australia which embarked from Sydney Harbour, next to the Opera House. The sailaway was great fun because of the unique views of the Opera House from the water. While the lighting was soft, we had a view of the use of plates and triangular shapes which created the architectural wonder.I went into ecstatic raptures when I saw the Opera House for the first time. It was the same reaction I had when I saw the Great Wall of China.

It can't be age I'm after; I must have a thing for iconic sites. I'll need to test this out by going to the Taj Mahal and the pyramids. They are on my very long to do list. One of the great things about the Opera House is it looks different from every angle. I could never tire of it. We even went to watch a play there, which was great though it had moving pieces of scenery and they got stuck at one point, but, hey, we are in the Sydney Opera House, who cares about minor details?

The Sydney Opera House was designed by Jørn Utzon a 38 year old Dane who in 1957 won an International competition to design an opera house at Bennelong Point, Sydney. Utzon had spectacular plans for the interior of the building, too, but did not get the chance to complete his work. In mid 1965 a new Liberal government was elected in NSW. The Minster of Works Davis Hughes began questioning Utzon's designs, schedules and cost estimates.

Utzon was forced to withdraw from the project in February 1966. The Sydney Opera House was opened by Queen Elizabeth II on October 20, 1973. Jørn Utzon completed other architectural projects such as the Can Lis in Majorca (1972), the Paustian Furniture Store in Copenhagen (1987) and Can Feliz in Majorca (1995), Bagsværd Church (1976) in the suburbs of Copenhagen and the parliament building in Kuwait (1983). In 1999 after several approaches from the Australian government Utzon eventually came to Australia to see his completed masterpiece.

The Blue Mountains are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Located about a little over an hour out of Sydney, the Blue Mountains are nestled among plateaus and some pristine rain forest. It's home to places of interest like Flat Rock, which affords excellent views of the surrounding areas of the valleys. There's also the Scenic Tram that takes you across the gorge, and also another tram that's the world's steepest that will take you down the forest floor.

There are walkways along the forest floor canopy that will take you near the Katoomba mine area as well. So many tourists the day I went, even though it was winter. I can only imagine how summer would've been, lots of families out. You might be able to spot some local wildlife, especially a lot of birds. I caught sight of a little kookabura nestled on a telephone wire.

Towards the last half of the tour, we even spotted kangaroos off the side of the highway! Going to the Blue Mountains is something you should do when you visit Sydney. Most hotels can book you tours, so it's easy. I've provided the website of the tour company I used. The tours leave in the morning and return about 6 PM. Mine also included a river cruise at the end.

Paris France Travel Guide Information for Visitors

Loved the over all experience of visiting Eiffel Tower, but I failed to understand why is it often associated with Love, when it's history has got nothing to do with Love. (It was a structure made for an exhibition.) Anyways, the garden in front of the Tower is calm & you can spend hours just sitting there! We visiting there when it was raining, made the whole atmosphere more charming. Paris over all looks much more beautiful when it's raining. The only annoying part was the long queue to get to the top of the Tower.

Every night when the weather is nice there is a sort of spontaneous international picnic and tower-watching party on the grass of the Parc du Champ de Mars near the Eiffel Tower. We went there with a VirtualTourist group and had a pleasant time just standing or sitting around with hundreds of other people (it’s a big park) and going ouu and ahh once an hour when the tower started sparkling for a few minutes. Second photo: Lots of people on the grass. Third photo: VT members taking photos. The one facing us is Sonja (yumyum from Zürich, Switzerland) and the one with the tripod is Ann (aussirose from Perth, Australia). Fourth photo: The sparkling tower. My astronomer friends would no doubt decry this as unnecessary light pollution, but when you’re in good company on a warm evening it’s sort of nice.

Loved the over all experience of visiting Eiffel Tower, but I failed to understand why is it often associated with Love, when it's history has got nothing to do with Love. (It was a structure made for an exhibition.) Anyways, the garden in front of the Tower is calm & you can spend hours just sitting there! We visiting there when it was raining, made the whole atmosphere more charming. Paris over all looks much more beautiful when it's raining. The only annoying part was the long queue to get to the top of the Tower.

Rome Travel Guide 2015, See Ancient Rome

The Roman Forum stretches from the Colosseum to the imperial forum. This amazing collection of ruins truly was the political and business heart of Ancient Rome, and it included several monuments, temples, and meeting places. Our guided tour of the Colosseum included the option of a having a quick introduction to the Forum by an archeology student.

We met up with him at the exit of the Colosseum and followed him to the entrance of the Forum. During the 20-minute walk along Via dei Fori Imperiali (it doesn't really take that long, but we stopped on several occasions), our guide provided us with enough information to make me sorry he wasn't leading us through the Forum. We had bought a book at the Colosseum of Rome then and now, which basically shows pictures of the Roman ruins as you see them today, on top of which you can overlay graphical reconstitutions of what it once looked like.

Along with the descriptions provided in the DK Eyewitness guide I always carried with me, It turned out to be incredibly useful to understand what we were actually looking at and what all these pillars and columns were once part of. It truly was the next best thing to a guided tour (which I kinda wish we had booked), so I highly recommend buying one when you get to Rome. Besides, it makes for a very nice souvenir :o)

The Colosseum is located just east of the Roman Forum, the massive stone amphitheater was commissioned around A.D. 70-72 by Emperor Vespasian of the Flavian dynasty as a gift to the Roman people. In A.D. 80, Vespasian’s son Titus opened the Colosseumwith 100 days of games, including gladiatorial combats and wild animal fights. After four centuries of active use, it fell into neglect, and up until the 18th century it was used as a source of building materials. Though two-thirds of the original Colosseum has been destroyed over time, the amphitheater remains a popular tourist destination.

Sales Executive for TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific

JOB DESCRIPTION

Candidate Profile:

Young, courageous, communicative, ambitious, and always smiling…

The right candidate should:

have excellent communication skills in English and Thai or the respective local language

have excellent knowledge of Microsoft Office tools (Word, Excel, Powerpoint)

be able to participate in discussions on topics related to tourism, online business, digital advertising

feel comfortable with meeting new people as well as communicating with entrepreneurs and top managers from various nationalities

have the ability to speak with, listen to the needs of potential customers

be able to adapt accordingly to any working situation and environment from a gala dinner to a business party

take initiatives and responsibilities in order to create new opportunities for TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific in his/her region

be able to organise his/her time and be productive

be able to work as a member of a team

like to read and learn new things

Working Environment:

Five star hotels, gourmet restaurants, glamorous events, and generally the amazing and pleasant multicultural environment of the travel industry with people who have great travelling experiences and warm communicative personalities.

Responsibilities:

Sell advertising space (banners, advertorials, text ads, etc) on TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific.

Sell other services and products that the company may have (eNewsletters.travel, Seminars, Workshops, etc).

Make phone calls on a daily basis to major travel companies (hotels, travel agents, car rentals, conference organisers, tourism boards, etc) in order to arrange appointments, present TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific and sell advertising and/or other services.

Make 5-10 appointments every week with decision makers from major travel companies (hotels, travel agents, car rentals, conference organisers, tourism boards, etc) in order to arrange appointments presenting TravelDailyNews Asia-Pacific and sell advertising and/or other services.

Attend all major PR events of the travel companies (hotels, travel agents, car rentals, conference organisers, tourism boards, etc) in his/her base country.

Attend selected events, conferences and exhibitions in the region.

Keep a record on his/her contacts on the company’s CRM, on a daily basis.

Report on a daily basis to the Sales Manager of the company about his/her actions.

Priority Markets:

The right candidate should be based in Thailand (Bangkok).

In addition, sales executives needed for the following markets in priority sequence:

China (Beijing)

Indonesia (Jakarta)

Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur)

Vietnam (Hanoi)

Singapore

Opportunities:

The right candidate will receive high commissions and incentives to sell. After a period of six months he/she will have the opportunity to be promoted to a Country Sales Manager with negotiable package of benefits.

Response:

Bios are important so you can send them to theodore@tma.travel (c/o Theodore Koumelis, re. #TDNasia-SE0712) but most important thing is to "sell" yourself, so please send us a letter indicating why you believe you are the best of the best for his exciting job (500 words or less). - See more at: http://www.traveldailynews.com/classifieds/article/2198/sales-executive-for-traveldailynews-asia-pacific#.Ugps19K8mmo - See more at: http://www.traveldailynews.com/classifieds/article/2198/sales-executive-for-traveldailynews-asia-pacific#.Ugps19K8mmo - See more at: http://www.traveldailynews.com/classifieds/article/2198/sales-executive-for-traveldailynews-asia-pacific#.Ugps19K8mmo

The Hoteliers European Marketplace 2014 goes to Paris

Hoteliers European Marketplace is ETOA’s only B2B workshop focussed on a specific sector within the industry, bringing accommodation buyers (from wholesalers to tour operators and online intermediaries) directly to the table with hoteliers from across Europe.  HEM provides an opportunity for professional buyers to meet with global brands and independent hotels alike.  Previous HEM workshops have been attended by representatives on the accommodation side from major chains such as Accor, Best Western, Carlson Rezidor, Crowne Plaza, Holiday Inn, Marriott, Starwood and Wyndham.  Buyers have included Cox and Kings, Globus, Hostelbookers.com, Kuoni, Miki Travel and Shearings Holidays.

HEM 2014 will follow the highly productive B2B appointment format common to all ETOA workshops.  Each delegate is guaranteed a minimum of fifteen appointments and up thirty-two in one day.  HEM 2013 attained an 85% satisfaction score from both buyers and hoteliers,  Kate Sawbridge from Alfa Travel said the workshop was ‘a fantastic contracting opportunity - a day could not have been better spent in terms of productivity’.

The workshop itself will take place on Monday 17th February at Disneyland’s Hotel New York.  Buyers attending the workshop will be hosted and invited to enjoy a programme of fam trips and social events during the preceding weekend, organised by the Paris Ile-de-France Tourist Board, both at Disneyland Paris and in the centre of the city.  Hoteliers will benefit from preferential accommodation rates.

Francois Navarro, Director of Communications at the Paris Ile-de-France Tourist Board said: ‘The Paris Region Tourist Board is proud to welcome a new edition of the Hoteliers European Marketplace in 2014.  It is a huge opportunity for our destination and for all of our tourism professionals. Paris is the perfect setting for an important tourism industry event where European hoteliers to meet with leading tour operators.’

Eloi Courcoux, Director of Business Solutions at Disneyland Paris said: “As a leading European player in the business group industry, Business Solutions – Disneyland Paris is delighted to welcome Hoteliers European Marketplace to France next year and more specifically to Ile-de-France with the co-operation of the Paris Ile-de-France Tourist Board. Our teams are proud to showcase the diversity of their expertise to tourism and hospitality professionals’.

Tom Jenkins, Executive Director of ETOA said: ‘We are thrilled to be taking HEM to Paris Ile-de-France. Paris is one of the most compelling tourist destinations in Europe, and it is ensuring professional buyers experience some of its best attractions at a crucial moment in the contracting season. It also gives ETOA a wonderful opportunity to stage a workshop in the impressive conference facilities of Disneyland Paris.’ - See more at: http://www.traveldailynews.com/news/article/56156/the-hoteliers-european-marketplace-2014#sthash.haBoAwpa.dpuf

Smoking Ban on Hawaii's Beaches

Seaside cigarettes will be prohibited from January 1, 2014, while lighting up in parks, swimming pools and bus stops will also be outlawed. The ban will be preceded by a campaign to increase awareness among locals and tourists about the new rules. It will be enforced by beach lifeguards, with offenders facing a fine of $100. A statement from the Hawaii Tourist Board said the move would allow holidaymakers to “truly enjoy and relax in a healthy and beautiful smoke-free environment”. It is hoped the ban will prevent non-smokers from breathing second-hand fumes, as well as lessen the number of cigarette butts left on the shore. Last month a similar policy was proposed by Marisol Touraine, the French Minister of Social Affairs. Smoking was abolished in closed public spaces – bars, restaurants and similar – in 2008; an extension could extend the ban to beaches, parks, university campuses, outside school gates and inside bus shelters.Anthony Peregrine reported on widespread opposition to the plan for Telegraph Travel. A number of states in the US, including New York and California, have already imposed smoking bans on outdoor spaces, such as beaches. Smoker’s paradises Places where you can still smoke indoors Austria – still permitted in certain restaurants and bars Czech Republic – permitted in bars and restaurants Romania – smoking bars exist Russia – no ban in restaurants and cafes until July 2014 Japan – some local laws prevent it, but still widely permitted United States – 10 states, including Texas, still permit smoking in indoor public places Africa – several countries, including Cameroon, Malawi and Chad, still allow smoking Indonesia – banned in Jakarta and Bali, but permitted elsewhere China – ban in enclosed spaces, but not widely enforced

Hemel Hempstead has been named

3,000 votes, with perennially unpopular Luton, Slough, Bracknell and Birmingham all trailing in the Hertfordshire town's wake. Camberley in Surrey, which is also listed among the top 100 “crap towns” – due to be whittled down to 50 for the book “Crap Town Returns” in October – came sixth in the poll with 311 votes. One of the authors behind the survey, Sam Jordison, said: "I know exactly why Hemel did so well in the poll. I've been there once. And once was more than enough. "Although I am surprised that Coventry didn't do better: worse, following the number of people writing in to say it looked better just after it was bombed than it does now." Hemel Hempstead came top of the poll with 785 votes. Although it started slowly, registering zero votes in the first few hours or nominations going live, in June police did have to be called to rescue a man wedged inside a traffic bollard for two hours after putting it on his head as a joke.
The first edition of Crap Towns, published in 2003, sold more than 100,000 copies and provoked outrage, including from former Conservative leader Michael Howard, whose constituency of Hythe in Kent was included at number four. The successor scheduled for release in October is “back by unpopular demand”, its creators say. Some of the other town centres in the standings were Cumbernauld, a town in North Lanarkshire created in 1956 as a population overspill for Glasgow, and Coventry in the West Midlands. The full list of 100 Crap Towns controversially included Chipping Norton, the Oxfordshire town home to David Cameron, Jeremy Clarkson, and Rebekah Brooks. Not satisfied with declaring which is the ugliest town, now the website has a poll of the dullest towns in the UK. Once again Chipping Norton is listed, alongside Boston in Lincolnshire, Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk, and Maidenhead in Berkshire. Ugliest towns: the final standings Hemel Hempstead - 785 Luton - 592 Slough - 352 Bracknell - 338 Birmingham -312 Camberley - 311 Coventry - 295 Cumbernauld - 100 Hatfield - 51 Gateshead - 48 Dullest towns: the shortlist - Banbury - Boston - Bury St Edmunds - Burnham Market - Camberley - Chipping Norton - Fort William - Hatfield - Leamington Spa - Maidenhead - Rhyl - Thetford