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Month: August 2022

TOUR

Travel packages mired by pricey airfare, slowing tourism recovery

by Tracy J. Chu

Many that have been eagerly awaiting the full reopening of Thailand and the return of tourism, did not anticipate the severe cost of airfare and travel packages that has come with it. Now, tourism recovery in Thailand is threatened by the staggeringly high cost to fly, pricing many would-be travellers out of the trip.

The president of the Thai Travel Agent Association says that tour packages are skyrocketing in price, mainly as a result of expensive flight tickets driven in part by higher fuel costs worldwide, and higher operational costs. Long-haul flights such as those from the US and Europe are most severely affected by the high fuel costs, as well as shortages of workers as most airlines and related industries constricted severely during the Covid-19 pandemic and are now struggling to balloon back up to meet rising demand.

“Tour companies are promoting Scandinavian packages starting from 150,000 baht or around 170,000 baht per person on average, double the rate in 2019. Only 3% of outbound travellers can afford such pricey outbound trips.”

Some airfare prices doubled from the cost they were in 2019, before the pandemic, and travel agents putting together tour packages are finding increased operational costs across the board. Agents, therefore, have to shift their target demographic to just their top-tier clients who can afford the sharp increase in travel prices and who are less severely affected by the baht’s weak buying power and global inflation. Custom high-end packages and exclusive travel options are their aim to attract travellers wealthy enough to afford the rising prices.

Regional travel may be the one sector that can attract middle-income travellers in and out of Thailand. Trips to nearby destinations are on average 1000 to 2000 baht more expensive, while travel to Europe averaged about 5,000 to 6,000

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ADVENTURE

Urban Air Adventure Park opens in Livonia; trampolines, ninja course

by Tracy J. Chu
Trampolines are one of the options for play at Urban Air, which recently opened on Plymouth Road west of Middlebelt in Livonia.

Gavin Pike went from a typical business man to one who owns one of the most fun places in all of western Wayne County.

The Upper Peninsula native who now calls Toledo home recently opened his second Urban Air location, this one along Plymouth Road in Livonia. Instead of handling spreadsheets and routine business transactions, Pike owns a pair of places that are just bursting with enjoyment for customers.

“It’s just rewarding to see kids smile and have fun,” he said. 

The indoor adventure park has plenty for guests to do to stay active: trampolines, climbing play structures, a ninja warrior course,  and climbing walls. Some of the bigger highlights include the Sky Rider, which takes guests strapped to a harness gliding across a track attached to the roof of the building.

It’s a destination fit for a party as well: the center at 30090 Plymouth Road has several rooms dedicated for birthday parties, as well as a café serving up food such as pizza and other dishes.

Guests can stop by and use a day pass, or sign up for a monthly membership that allows them to return anytime.

The newly-built facility in the Livonia Plaza shopping center fulfills plans that were originally presented to the city back in 2018. Delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and other issues pushed back the work and the opening of Urban Air this summer.

The park is the third Urban Air to open in Michigan, though the first for Pike; others operate in Sterling Heights and Oxford.

Pike first opened Urban Air in Toledo. He said Livonia was the perfect spot to locate his second Urban Air franchise, saying it was in a central location with plenty of other major development nearby.

More:Livonia council gives mayor more buying power due

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TRAVELLING

Running Low on PTO? How to Travel Without Using Vacation Days

by Tracy J. Chu

You’ve planned a trip to the beach, only to realize you don’t have enough paid time off to go. Fortunately, there’s good news: You don’t need PTO to go on vacation because there are several things you can do to make it happen without taking much time off from work (maybe none at all). We’ll have you relaxing poolside and sipping your favorite drink in no time.

Need another reason to go on that much-needed vacation? Studies suggest you’ll be even happier after coming back from a short trip than you would after a long one. Plus vacations can help give you increased mental motivation when you return to work.

Instead of giving up on vacationing altogether, check out these ways to travel this summer when you have limited time or money to spare.

Get more tools to work through your vacation

Taking your work with you while your family enjoys vacationing may sound soul-crushing, not to mention counter-productive. But if you absolutely have to work, you can at least make the most of it by working from home from somewhere else. An ocean view beats the back of your co-worker’s head any day.

Pay for a plan to hotspot your phone. It’s worth the expense to be in surroundings that lighten your mood, and you can stop the subscription after you get back. Bring an external battery pack to keep your devices going if lounge chair outlets are limited. A screen glare reducer can help you actually see what you’re doing in bright sunshine.

Make sure you know how to work your corporate VPN so you’ll be able to access your files. If you have important meetings you can’t miss, that’s what video chat apps like Zoom or Slack are for. When the sun goes down, you’ll really

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VACATION

Encourage Your Team To Take A Vacation And Watch Business Productivity Soar

by Tracy J. Chu

In Europe, the summer break is sacred. There’s an unwritten rule that August is vacation season, and most things can wait until September. But while their European counterparts enjoy rest and relaxation, many U.S. workers are still at their desks. According to Expedia, Americans took the least amount of vacation days globally in 2021, leaving an average of more than four days or 29% of their paid time off (PTO) unused. However, with more than two thirds of American workers feeling at least moderately burned out, it’s more important than ever for people to unplug from work. And it’s in employers’ best interest to make sure they do.

WFH = Never Switching Off

With the rise of remote and hybrid work, the lines between home and work life have become increasingly blurred, making it difficult for people to switch off completely. Despite hybrid being employees’ preferred way of working and associated with improved wellbeing and work-life balance, data suggests it can be more emotionally draining than fully remote or full-time office working. “A predictable, consistent routine can help people cope with feelings of stress and uncertainty – especially during a pandemic,” says Elora Voyles, an industrial organizational psychologist and people scientist at TINYpulse. “Hybrid, however, requires frequent changes to those daily habits: workers have to constantly switch things up, so it’s hard to find a routine when your schedule is always in and out of the office.”

Even when people take time out, half admit to bringing their work laptops on vacation, and 41% frequently

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TOUR

New national parks res system causes headaches for tour operators: Travel Weekly

by Tracy J. Chu

A well-intended measure to promote sustainability at U.S. national parks is backfiring for the tour operators that offer those destinations. 

The reservation system, introduced at some of the most popular national parks earlier this year, often only allows bookings to be made within a few days or even hours of a park visit. It was designed to limit high visitor volume and better preserve natural resources. 

But it is causing tour operators, who book months in advance, to lose bookings due to the short reservation window, especially for international travelers, who book anywhere from six months to a year ahead. 

“If a family has long dreamed of visiting the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone and has planned, saved and scheduled their trip well in advance, they want to know their reservations to the park are booked and secure,” said Simon Russell, CEO of Authentic Vacations. “When we work with local national park suppliers and day tour operators and they cannot guarantee us a booked reservation within one of the parks, then we can’t give them the business and everyone loses — the traveler, us and the local supplier.”

In addition, most reservations must be made for parks that require them through Recreation.gov, a platform that National Tour Association (NTA) president Catherine Prather says is better suited for individual or family travelers and is “not designed for groups or tour operators.”

“Seventy-six percent of our tour operators package the parks,” Prather said. “The national parks are an important component or stand-alone feature of many NTA tour operators’ tours and packages.”

Foreign and domestic travel industry leaders are openly calling on the U.S. Interior Department to reform the reservation system and work with tour operators to find solutions that benefit visitors and also preserve the parks.

A letter drafted by the U.S. Travel

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ADVENTURE

Why do RAGBRAI cyclists ride across Iowa? For some it’s a memory while for others, an adventure

by Tracy J. Chu

It can be as simple as burritos or as meaningful as a father’s memory.

Every cyclist who pulls on bike shoes has a different reason for joining the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa. This year, more than 15,500 people from around the country and across the globe are signed up to ride.

They are excited for a new challenge, to push their bodies, to become healthier, to spend time with loved ones and honor those who have passed.

More: From the RAGBRAI 2022 route to its history, here’s everything you need to know

Here’s what some of them told the Des Moines Register about their reasons for biking across Iowa in a weeklong journey beginning Sunday.

Texan rides in memory of his father

Terry Swets is riding his first RAGBRAI in memory of his late father, right.

Terry Swets is riding his first RAGBRAI in memory of his late father, right.

Terry Swets felt fate drawing him to ride in this year’s RAGBRAI.

Swets, of the Austin, Texas, suburb of Georgetown, had heard a lot about RAGBRAI — his dad rode the route a few times and brought back his stories. They had planned on riding together, but various circumstances always intervened.

Then on Nov. 10 last year, Swets’ father passed away. He was 79.

Before his father’s death, Swets had been reading stories on the RAGBRAI Facebook page to see what the ride was like. After his father passed, he messaged the page’s moderators to share his Dad’s memories and tell them how wonderful the experience had been for his father.

Someone responded, he said, and thanked him for sharing — and told him that the ride’s co-founder, John Karras, had died the same day. The person also told him registration was opening in just a few days without the usual lottery system.

Swets signed up as soon as registration

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HOTEL

Earn 125,000 Points with Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex Card’s New Bonus

by Tracy J. Chu

Select’s editorial team works independently to review financial products and write articles we think our readers will find useful. We earn a commission from affiliate partners on many offers, but not all offers on Select are from affiliate partners.

Terms apply to American Express benefits and offers. Visit americanexpress.com to learn more.

American Express is relaunching the Marriott Bonvoy Business® American Express® Card with an increased welcome bonus and new perks to give business owners more rewards during their travels.

Select analyzes the new welcome bonus offer, and how travelers can maximize their rewards to get the most out of the points earned from the card.

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Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex Card’s welcome offer and features

The new welcome bonus is simple, yet valuable for all travelers. When you’re approved for the Marriott Bonvoy Business Amex card, you can earn 125,000 Marriott Bonvoy points after you spend $5,000 in eligible purchases on the card in the first three months of card membership. The offer is available through August 31, 2022.

And as you spend on the card, you’ll earn:

  • 6X points per dollar spent on eligible purchases at hotels participating in the Marriott Bonvoy™ program
  • 4X points per dollar spent at restaurants worldwide, U.S. gas stations, U.S. purchases for shipping, and wireless phone services purchased directly from U.S. service providers
  • 2X points per dollar spent on all other purchases with the card

If you meet the spending criteria for the welcome bonus you’ll earn at least 135,000 Marriott Bonvoy points. And with an average value of 0.7 cents per point, you’ll have $945 worth of points within the first three months.

To add to the savings, a

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TOUR

This New Four Seasons Travel Package Lets You Cruise Tuscany Behind the Wheel of a Ferrari

by Tracy J. Chu

The best way to see the Italian countryside? Behind the wheel of a Prancing Horse, of course. 

Four Seasons and Canossa Events have teamed up to offer discerning travelers a one-time opportunity to explore Tuscany from an autophile’s perspective. The week-long itinerary showcases the best of central Italy and puts you in the driver’s seat of prized Italian exotics. The exclusive road trip will take place from September 24 to 30. 

More from Robb Report

Known as Beyond by Four Seasons, An Exclusive Driving Journey Through Tuscany, the seven-day experience starts with your choice of vehicle. Up for grabs is a fleet of vintage and modern automobiles, including the Ferrari F8 Spider or 1966 Triumph Spitfire MK II. You can opt to drive your own car, but that wouldn’t be nearly as fun.  Four Seasons Hotel Firenze will serve as home base for trip. 

Four Seasons Hotel Firenze - Credit: Beyond by Four Seasons

Four Seasons Hotel Firenze – Credit: Beyond by Four Seasons

Beyond by Four Seasons

The guided journey fittingly kicks off with an alfresco welcome dinner at the hotel. The next day, you’ll hit the open road and make your way to the vineyards of “Chiantishire” for a private tour and wine tasting. Along the way, you’ll be granted private entry to hidden local gems—venues normally closed to the public. A traditional Florentine dining experience awaits at night. 

During the second leg of the trip, you’ll take a scenic drive through the picturesque landscapes of Siena and stop for lunch in the medieval city of Montalcino. You’ll also have the opportunity to visit the famous green cypresses of Bolgheri and the famed vineyards of Ornellaia. The journey concludes with a glamorous night out at the opera and a farewell breakfast the next morning.

Tuscan countryside. - Credit: Beyond by Four Seasons

Tuscan

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ADVENTURE

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure Cosplay Dives Into Stone Ocean With Ermes

by Tracy J. Chu

JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure is set to bring back the Stone Ocean on Netflix this September, with the previous finale seeing Jolyne Cujoh still trying to save the life of her father, Jotaro Kujo, while also trying to clear her name of a crime she didn’t commit. While journeying through Green Dolphin Street Penitentiary, Jolyne made a number of allies, with one of the biggest being Ermes Costello. Now, prior to the return of the Stone Ocean, one cosplayer has brought one of Jolyne’s strongest friends to life with a pitch-perfect take on the supporting character.

Ermes Costello’s Stand is known as Kiss, an ethereal being with some wild powers, even when it comes to what we’ve seen in JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure to date. When Ermes wants, she can slap a stamp onto a target, splitting it into two and creating a duplicate in the process. When the stamp is eventually removed, the two objects, or opponents, will merge back into one but create an explosion in the process that can be quite deadly. On top of this power, Kiss can also deal some machine-gun-like blows to opponents in some of the biggest Stand battles of the franchise created by Hirohiko Araki.

Instagram Cosplayer Bby Jemz shared this new pitch-perfect take on Ermes Costello, with the next part of the Stone Ocean season set to focus on both her and the allies that she has made while imprisoned in Green Dolphin Street Penitentiary as they dodge the advances of the villain known as Pucci: 

While the second series of episodes for the Stone Ocean will arrive in September on Netflix, it might be some time before we see the sixth season of the anime adaptation come to a close if it is following the story of the manga as there are

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