Get a Travel and Tourism Business Management Diploma in 46 Weeks

If you love travelling, and you have an aptitude for business, why not combine both and break into the world of tourism business management? All you'll need to do is enroll in a diploma program.

Designed to give students all the knowledge they need to be successful in the travel industry, tourism business management diplomas are comprehensive, but also relatively short. Most programs are approximately 1,000 hours in duration, spread over 46 weeks. This means that students can look forward to graduating and entering the work world in less than a year.

Not surprisingly, tourism management courses focus on the business aspect of the travel industry, and graduates complete their studies with a strong understanding of the economics of the travel world. Courses typically cover the following topics:

· Introduction to travel and tourism

· Accommodations basics

· Introduction to ground transportation

· Marine transportation basics

· Organizing tours

· Managing client bookings

· Understanding the airline industry

· Basics of airline fare structures

· Total client management 101

· Learning professional selling skills

· Designing group travel

· Marketing in the tourism business

· Tour guiding

· Business communications essentials

In addition to these courses, students are also exposed to the technology systems that are an integral part of tourism management, such as:

· Apollo "Live" GDS: the system used to manage flight, car, and hotel reservations

· SABRE: the system used to manage airline reservations

Instructors at most tourism business management schools have years of experience in the field. Since the classroom environment is very open, students have the opportunity to ask any question of their instructor in order to further their knowledge of the leisure and tourism field. Many schools also offer students a practicum. This part of the program is 160 hours of hands-on training in an actual tourism management environment. This allows students to apply their knowledge in a real-life setting, and in that way, learn more about their chosen career path.

Before you choose a tourism management school, do your homework. Ideally, your school should be an International Air Transport Association's (IATA) authorized training centre (ATC). It should also have an endorsement by the Canadian Institute of Travel Counselors (CITC). Finally, it should offer a curriculum based on the Canadian Tourism Human Resource Council of Canada's national occupational standards. In addition to this, you should research the school in order to find out what kind of reputation it has, and what employment help it provides to recent graduates. It's also a smart idea to visit an open house to see the campus and talk with teachers in order to get a feel for the school's philosophy.

If you love tourism, and you want to combine that with business, consider enrolling in a tourism business management school. It may be the best move for your career.

Travel Tips - How to Travel Light While Packing All the Essentials

If you're going on a trip abroad, it is best to be well-prepared with travel tips in mind. There are items that you need to bring as well as things that won't be much use on the trip. A tour of a country usually involves a lot of walking and transferring from one town to another; thus, it is best to travel light. One carry-all luggage should be enough for a 7-day and 6-night tour and a handbag that contains only the essential things you need for the trip.

There are things that you must bring and keep with you at all times. These are the items that must be placed inside your handbag. Thus, it is best to bring a large handbag with lots of compartments or a bag with an organizer inside it. This way, it will be much easier to find and retrieve items that you need. Here are the items that are recommended to be placed inside your handbag when traveling to any foreign country. Let these packing tips help you to travel light and pack only all the essential stuff.

• Passport with visa
• Airline ticket
• Identification preferably a driver's license
• Wallet with cash (US dollars), credit cards and an ATM card
• An international cell phone (a handy and cheap one will do)
• Digital camera that's lightweight with extended battery
• Small flashlight
• Sunglasses
• Calling card of the hotel you're staying at
• Map of the country you're visiting in case you get lost
• Pen
• Wet ones and small pack of tissue paper
• Medication if any
• Contact number of the person who handles your tour group

Depending on your needs and daily requirements, you may also need to bring other extra stuff in your handbag to make your vacation more enjoyable. A small sunscreen would be a great idea as well as any device that allows you to connect with friends and family via wireless internet. There are also people who bring their iPods with them so that they can listen to music while traveling in the bus. A book would also be a nice addition so you can read something while waiting for your flight. Just remember though, that bringing too many gadgets can make your handbag heavy. A great idea would be to bring only one gadget that already contains an eBook, music, contacts and wifi connection among other things. A cellphone or one gadget that comes with all of these features would be a great idea to travel light.

For your suitcase, make sure that it contains chargers for your gadgets, and the clothes that you will be wearing on the trip. Clothing must include a nice dress for the ladies, shirts, shorts, jeans, a rain jacket and disposable underwear. The latter makes traveling so much easier as you can simply throw these away after use; thus giving your luggage extra space on your return flight. A rain jacket, on the other hand may come in handy if you're going to a place with tropical climate. If you're expecting sun and rain on your trip, do bring a rain jacket but also include flip-flops and a bathing suit if you plan to do some swimming and sunbathing at the beach. While you want to travel light, you also need to keep in mind that bringing the above items will make your stay more enjoyable.

While there are things that must be brought, there are also items that are not necessary. The items that can just make your bag heavy are as follows:

• expensive jewelry
• water bottles
• umbrellas
• high-heeled shoes
• blow dryer
• shampoo, soap and conditioner
• towel
• first aid kit

On evenings out, girls can wear ballet flats instead of uncomfortable high heels as flat shoes are lighter. There's also no need to bring things that you can find in your hotel room such as blow dryer, shampoo, soap, conditioner, towels and lotion. Also ask if the tour you are joining has a first aid kit ready if in case something goes wrong. This way, you don't need to bring an emergency kit. Having a light luggage is so convenient as it let's you quickly pack and move from one hotel to another.

If you plan to do a lot of shopping, then it's alright if you pack only one or two outfits on your trip. You can buy new clothes and then just wear these clothes on the trip. Doing this allows you to further reduce the weight of your luggage while getting yourself new clothes to wear.

It is advisable to wear jeans on the plane as this is not only bulky when placed inside a suitcase, but it also allows a person to easily move when travelling. Also keep your jacket with you in case it rains. Wearing jeans and a nice rain jacket on the plane further gives your luggage less weight; thus, allowing you to really travel light to and from the country you're visiting.

Travel and leisure is fun and exciting. With travel tips in mind and knowing what items to bring and leave behind, you can properly plan your vacation and truly enjoy your stay. It is always an advantage to travel light while making your trip more comfortable by bringing only all the necessary items.

Woodstock, CT - Best Places For Your Home And Family In Connecticut

The northeastern "Quite Corner" of Connecticut shares borders with Massachusetts and Rhode Island. A picturesque rural New England town Woodstock was founded 1686. The charming hilltop village offers distant vistas of farms and orchards bordered by stone walls. Woodstock is Connecticut's second largest township by area and has a small but steadily growing population which helps to make it an ideal choice for your home and family.

Many of the elegant antique homes date from the early 1700's. The town boasts its very own Victorian mansion, "Roseland Cottage", also known as the "Pink House" or the "Bowen House". Here is a fabulous example of a gothic revival style summer house built by wealthy Woodstock native, Henry C. Bowen. US Presidents Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison and Rutherford B. Hayes all visited Woodstock and the pink house in its day, as did Henry Ward Beecher and John C. Fremont.

Roseland Cottage is a National Historic Landmark, and is open to the public for guided tours of the house and property. At the village crossroads, homes surround the village green along with quaint antique shops, boutiques, cafes, and a real English tea shop. There are over fourteen jewel-like lakes and ponds in Woodstock Township, varying in size from a hundred and eleven acres to thirty eight acres. Woodstock is a desirable community in which to live, works, and enjoy life.

Nestled among tall Pines you will find waterfront houses and homesites with beautiful views comparable to those of Vermont or New Hampshire, yet within commuting distance to Boston, Hartford and University of Connecticut Storrs. Many of these lakes offer recreational boating, swimming, skiing, and fishing. Woodstock Township maintains a town beach on St. Mary's Pond with changing sheds, picnic tables and a summertime lifeguard for its residents use.

The community has strong educational leadership exemplified by the town's schools. Founded in 1801, Woodstock Academy is an independent secondary school serving as a public high school for children from Woodstock, Canterbury Eastford, Pomfret, Union and Brooklyn. Woodstock Township and the community work hard to ensure that the unique rural character of the township lives abides for the enjoyment of locals and visitors alike. It has many parks, beautiful nature walks, and two golf courses.

The community's farming history has supported a popular annual agricultural fair held every Labor Day weekend since 1860 at the fairgrounds. It offers fun for all ages and is the second oldest country fair in all of New England.

From the rustic charm of the antique houses and farmlands to the finger lakes that dot the countryside, the "Quiet Corner" has a lot to offer making it one of Connecticut's best communities for your home and family.

Expedia Offers the Best Discounted Travel Options

The Internet-based travel agency Expedia provides discount travel and leisure-related trips to a multitude of destinations around the globe. The company website gives customers the ability to compare and calculate the entire trip expenses, the departure and arrival as well as additional fees. A page dedicated to provide the best information regarding the destination trip, airline seats, driving directions and maps is available along with many other information tools. Expedia provides everything from airline tickets down to car rentals and cruises in the desired destination. Families or businesses planning to go on a trip should check out excellent travel deals at Expedia.

Many other travel-related websites that are affiliates of the online travel agency Expedia offers coupon codes for sale. These codes are used to earn discounts in various travel services such as car rentals and hotel amenities. Even if a purchased travel deal is already seen as an excellent bargain, additional costs are cut down with the use of these coupons. Now wouldn't that be a great package overall?

Due to the high demand of coupons for Expedia, acquiring one is not an easy task though. Some websites claim to offer them, but whenever a visitor wishes to click on the link, they will discover that the deal has already expired or is not valid. Nevertheless, there are still websites such as Find Savings that offer genuine working coupon codes.

An online bargaining website committed to advertise discount coupons for Expedia, Find Savings has a broad database of its top dealers that offer goods and services such as apparel, food and drink, electronics, jewelry, pets, toys and games, computer hardware, automotive and many more. This website has a coupon category web page that is regularly updated based on the codes' expiration date or when new ones are made available for upload.

Before one can make use of Expedia coupon codes though, one has to have an account first of all. Interested customers are required to sign up for an account on the travel agency's website before they can opt to apply for any of the travel discount packages currently available. In some cases though, these coupons may require a minimum spending requirement. Thus before utilizing any available codes, the person should check if there is a certain amount of money needed to be spent in order to make use of them. Also, check for the expiration dates which is usually located right beside the codes themselves. Nothing can be as frustrating than to apply for a code that has already reached past its deadline.

A person can also choose to have an informative travel deals email sent to them. This email informs the receiver about the latest sales, promotions and money saving deals currently available in Expedia. Package updates are sent a few days before they are released in the website giving customers a lot of time to plan and research about the destination before they have them booked.

No wonder Expedia is the world's leading online travel agency. With the combination of great discount travel and coupon codes, Expedia offers the best flexibility to customers when it comes to budgeting their expenses.

Travel Agents

Becoming a Travel Agent

Travel agents need to become well-organized and detail-oriented in order to compile information from various sources in order to plan and organize their clients travel needs. They encourage people to travel and help them plan and prepare for their trip. Travel agents help travelers sort through large amounts of information in order to make the best possible travel arrangements. As an agent you are also expected to know how to advise travelers about their destinations, such as the weather conditions, local ordinances and customs, attractions, exhibitions, and money exchanges. These professionals increasingly specialize in specific destinations or by type of travel. Those who specialize in a travel destination, will have the best chances for success. Travel agents held about 101,000 jobs in May 2006 and are found in every part of the country.

Travel Agents face increasing competition from travel and airline websites for low-cost fares, but travelers still prefer using a travel agent who can cater to their specific needs. To attract these travelers, many agents specialize in specific interest destinations, travel to certain regions. Advanced computer systems and other networks make it possible for a growing number of travel agents to work from home; however, some agents desire to have an office presence for walk-in business. Opportunities should be better for agents who specialize in specific destinations, luxury travel, or particular types of travelers.

Visualize a vacation of self-indulgence in massages, savory culinary treats and boutique shopping. Furthermore, luxury and specialty travel is expected to increase among the growing number of Americans who are seeking out exotic and unique vacations and a growing part of travel agents business is organizing and selling tours for the growing number of international visitors.

The multi-billion dollar travel business is one of the largest industries in the country. Spending on travel is expected to increase significantly within the next 10 years. Much of the travel will continue to be related to business but as business activity expands so will business related travel. At the same time more leisure, longer frequent vacations, will also give people more time to travel for pleasure. As an Agent you will help travelers define their interests and needs, including time and budget concerns. Many new agents are under the impression that they are going to have to pay big dollars for travel agent training. Not so!

Travel and Leisure - Everybody Needs a Little Time for Themselves

Work is necessary. However, once in a while a person should also learn how to value one's self and give in to its wants and cravings. If the body reaches the point where doing the daily routines becomes almost impossible to bear, it is an indication that one should at least take the week off and go somewhere far from the responsibilities placed on one's shoulders. Some would regard this as a selfish act, leaving everything behind to relax and unwind. But take note, a tired soul is never effective when it comes to working because at the end of the day, he or she will just be working for everybody's sake. The goal is not to produce quality product but produce only.

Resting once in a while especially if the body asks to is not a sin. Wherever the vacation may take place-safari holidays, beach resorts, spas and salons or even at the comfort of one's house-it doesn't matter. The point is, the body, the mind and the soul have a short time for themselves only.

Travel and leisure, although a bit expensive, is recommended to those who have worked almost all their life forgetting about their own happiness. This will be more than worth it though because after a week-long vacation in one of the breathtaking safari holidays, the person can feel renewed and ready to work again.

There are other options aside of course from the safari holidays in South Africa. There is a wide variety to choose from when your goal is to travel and find leisure. Sports can be a good alternative as well since they energize your worn-out muscles. With travel though, you get the chance to see unfamiliar places and persons so you would feel like a new person. There are also other forms of leisure in different places, so it is like hitting two lions with one shot.

If the goal is to be one with nature and to reflect on things, certainly, those places near to Mother Nature is most suggested. An accommodation near the mountains, rivers, beach or the most wanted safari holidays would be of great help merely because you get the chance of seeing face to face the wildest creatures in the wild.

Travelling may not be your main activity. If that is so, going shopping may be the right one for you then. No need to exceed your credit card limit. Just a little upgrade in your wardrobe and a few things that would make you feel relax is what you need. New make ups for the females, or a new necktie for the males can change a lot.

You may choose to stay in your house instead of going out to spend thousands of dollars. But it is not a big deal. Bake cookies and breads to take your mind away from your responsibilities. Do the garden if you want or stay in your room for a beauty rest.

We are working very hard to earn money. But then what is the use of all the wealth if we can't even give in to our want to experience safari holidays even for once. We deserve this. And depriving ourselves with the right for travel and leisure may not be a good idea. Think about it.

New Zealand Air Travel and Auckland Airport Car Rental News

If you are planning a trip to New Zealand for business or pleasure, you'll be pleased to know what's new in the world of air travel to the Land of the Long White Cloud and car hire once you arrive. You now have more options for flights and your travel time is sure to be more comfortable. Find out about new info; New Zealand is the perfect destination for families, business associates or romantic couples.

Air New Zealand Adds a Skycouch Option

Do you want to fly in first class comfort to New Zealand but don't want to pay the hefty fare? Now Air New Zealand has added a new touch of class to its economy seats. It's called Skycouch and yes, you do have to pay a bit more for a seat with this unique feature, but it could well be worth it if you enjoy having extra space to stretch out during a flight. A "Cuddle Class" seat features a flip-up ottoman that turns your seat into a bed platform so you can lie flat. This is the most comfortable way to watch a film, read a book or simply catch up on your sleep, thanks to the sheets and pillows that come with your Skycouch seat. Particularly if you are traveling with young children, this could mean the difference between a long, boring flight and one where the whole family can relax.

More Australia-New Zealand Flights

Another change to New Zealand air travel is an approved alliance between Qantas and Emirates Airlines. The Ministry of Transport in New Zealand is pleased to approve the alliance in order to keep airfares between Australia and New Zealand from rising. What that means to the leisure or business traveler is a wider option of flight times and more convenient connections from cities such as Wellington and Queenstown. Whether you are traveling from Europe to the land Down Under or vice versa, you will find better coordination between Qantas and Emirates to make it easier to schedule flights at the most convenient times without extended layovers.

Auckland Airport Car Rental Companies Provide Convenient Services

Air travel is only part of the planning for a holiday or business trip to New Zealand. The second part of the equation is finding Auckland Airport car rental companies that provide all the services you require for a convenient, stress-free trip.

When you look for a car rental service, be sure they provide Auckland Airport shuttle services for each and every flight. This is a service that is essential if you don't want to be stuck at the airport waiting for a shuttle to take you to the car hire desk (and really, who wants that?).

Another service you should look for? Pickup and drop-off at locations throughout New Zealand. Some car rental companies don't charge a one-way hire fee so you can easily and inexpensively move throughout the country from the Auckland Airport without backtracking to drop off your rental vehicle.

Planning to travel back and forth between the North and South Islands? You will want to find an Auckland Airport car rental company that also provides Inter Islander Ferry tickets and allows you to transport the vehicle between islands.

When you are ready to book your travel to New Zealand, these new features and convenient options for airfare and car rentals will ensure you spend the least time and money while enjoying the best trip ever.