What's happening in the world of travel

andBeyond is now offering yoga safaris. Picture: Supplied. Source: Supplied

An artist's impression of the SKYCITY development at Darwin. Picture: Supplied Source: Supplied

DARWIN's casino revamp will be unveiled next month, and an Australian company is offering novel "boatshare" opportunities.

1. Darwin casino in major revamp

SKYCITY Darwin will reveal a multimillion-dollar extension next month, with a man-made lagoon with a swim-up bar, a new endota spa, new bar and restaurant.

Additions to the casino and hotel complex in the Northern Territory include 32 luxury rooms and two villas.

The existing 5-star development has also had a facelift, with the renovation of many guest rooms and refurbishment of two restaurants.

See skycitydarwin.com.au

2. Relax on safari

FANCY a morning yoga session with the Masai Mara?

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What's happening in the world of travel

Furious World Tour – Furious Pete in Kiev, Ukraine – Abenteuer Leben – Video

28-06-2012 12:11 Click 'Like' if you enjoyed this episode and share it! Thanks! Please Subscribe to weekly videos - New Furious Pete shirts!! - More World Tour Episodes - Furious Pete Shirt CLEARANCE - My place for all my Fitness and Supplement Needs - Check out everything Furious Pete - Follow Me Facebook - Twitter - Google+ Check out my other Channels: Vlogs - Supplement Reviews - The Furious Dog - Furious Eats - Furious GamePlay - Thanks for subscribing! For Bookings - info [@]

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Furious World Tour - Furious Pete in Kiev, Ukraine - Abenteuer Leben - Video

Travel with Travelscope eMagazine

June 28, 2012 -

PHOTO COURTESY OF TRAVELSCOPE

Travelscope crew enjoys Tokyos cherry blossoms.

The Travelscope Magazine is a quarterly perspective on travel, food and entertainment. Every issue includes links to information and great bargains. Want to take the news with you on your next trip? Just download a complete copy of the award-winning Travelscope publication for free!

While we were shooting the second show of Season 7 in Tokyo, we took the blossoming of the cherry trees just before we departed as a good omen for the future.

Check out the latest eMagazine (travelscope.net/magazine) for travel news and tips, ideas, insights and inspirations on where you should head for your next adventure.

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Travel with Travelscope eMagazine

Research and Markets: Delta Airlines Inc in Travel and Tourism (World): Its Fuel Cost Management Programme Has …

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/zlj5vm/delta_airlines_inc) has announced the addition of the "Delta Airlines Inc in Travel and Tourism (World)" company profile to their offering.

Delta Airlines has started to reap the benefits of the Northwest acquisition, and is now the second largest air transportation group in North America. The company is well positioned domestically; and strong in Europe and the Asia Pacific with weaknesses still lingering in Latin America. Its fuel cost management programme has rendered positive results in Q1 2012, and ancillary revenue diversification is well on track to help strengthen the airline's leading position.

Euromonitor International's Delta Airlines Inc in Travel and Tourism (World) Company Profile offers detailed strategic analysis of the company's business, examining its performance in the Travel and Tourism market. The report examines company shares by region, financial performance, its marketing strategies, challenges from the competition and future prospects. Use it to understand opportunities and threats facing the business and the factors driving success.

Data coverage: market sizes (historic and forecasts), company shares, brand shares and distribution data.

Why buy this report?

- Get a detailed picture of the Travel and Tourism market;

- Pinpoint growth sectors and identify factors driving change;

- Understand the competitive environment, the market's major players and leading brands;

- Use five-year forecasts to assess how the market is predicted to develop.

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Research and Markets: Delta Airlines Inc in Travel and Tourism (World): Its Fuel Cost Management Programme Has ...

UK & World News: Further travel chaos after floods

Jun 29 2012

Floods have wrecked road and rail travel again, with major train routes closed and some highways shut to traffic.

The two main London to Scotland train companies - East Coast and Virgin West Coast - had services disrupted, with East Coast unable to run any trains between Newcastle upon Tyne and Edinburgh.

The storms, which led to the death of teacher Mike Ellis in Shropshire, also resulted in a spate of road closures, particularly in Worcestershire, Cheshire and Cumbria.

While transport continued to be disrupted there was better news from forecasters who predicted that the worst of the storms were over, at the end of a month likely to be one of the wettest Junes on record.

Due to flooding and a landslip near Berwick, there were no trains running between Newcastle and Berwick, with the line not expected to open until Saturday morning.

The Berwick problems meant there were no East Coast services to and from Glasgow Central or Inverness.

ScotRail services in the West Highlands were being badly delayed by a 24-wagon freight train derailment between Tulloch and Corrour, and a landslip occurred between Ardlui and Arrochar. There were delays of up to 90 minutes, with service alterations and bus replacements in some areas.

Passengers have spoken of enduring a 15-hour London to Scotland rail journey due to flooding and landslips.

In a separate incident on Thursday, passengers on a 5.20pm Birmingham to Glasgow Virgin Trains service did not arrive in Glasgow until 4am on Friday after an engine fire forced an evacuation.

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UK & World News: Further travel chaos after floods

Pupils ‘travel world’ as school embraces Games

Last updated at 14:00, Thursday, 28 June 2012

A BARROW school embraced the Olympics to learn about countries from across the world.

Title Author Copyright

Description

Pupils at Cambridge School, in Barrow, took part in an Olympic flag procession on Monday. (25/6)

The event was aimed at boosting the childrens international awareness and pupils from all years joined in the fun.

Flags on display included those of Jamaica, Cyprus, Trinidad and Tobago, France and the USA.

Headteacher Linda Dean said: It was the launch of our involvement and interest in the London 2012 Olympics.

A flag procession was one of the suggested activities and we thought it would be a good way to get involved.

The pupils designed and made flags from different countries and we did a procession through the school, outside into the street, back through the playground and into the main hall.

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Pupils ‘travel world’ as school embraces Games

Qoos.com Launches Qoos Travel: Featuring Great Hotel Rates, Trip Bookings and Travel Forums

New partnership with Macau.com and Expedia Affiliate Network makes Qoos Travel a great choice for booking outbound trips around the world!

MACAU, June 28, 2012 /PRNewswire-Asia/ -- Qoos.com (http://www.qoos.com), Macau's number one online social community has launched a brand new travel channel, Qoos Travel (http://travel.qoos.com). Qoos Travel combines travel-related forums, listings and news with the global online hotel booking platforms used by Macau.com and Expedia Affiliate Network (EAN). Qoos.com users can now book hotel packages leveraging Expedia's great rates and inventory at more than 149,000 hotels worldwide.

(Photo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2012/06/27/20120627182025990311.html )

(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2011/08/18/20110818788901-l.jpg )

(Logo: http://www.prnasia.com/sa/2012/03/13/20120313092734689531-l.jpg )

Qoos Travel also delivers all-round travel information from the popular Qoos.com travel forums to listings and news. Visitors can check out user-generated travel tips and articles on their dream destinations. Qoos Travel aims to offer a genuinely comprehensive online travel experience to users in Macau, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

When Qoos.com users search for a hotel on the website, they can find out best deals on hotel rooms, industry leading availability and rates - so they can have a full picture of hotel profile and customer reviews.

Mark Hammons, Managing Director of Qoos.com' parent company, Ignite Media Group, is pleased to be offering these services to Qoos.com's growing user community. "As the most popular Macau-based website and one of the most active online communities in Greater China, we are excited to announce Qoos Travel and its destination tips and booking services to our vibrant user community," he says. "Qoos Travel will bring you all the best offers and getaway experiences."

Qoos is the number one site visited by global internet users in Macau, according to Alexa Traffic Rank, with over 1.33 million unique visitors per month (according to Google Analytics).

ABOUT QOOS.COM

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Qoos.com Launches Qoos Travel: Featuring Great Hotel Rates, Trip Bookings and Travel Forums

Airbnb Transforms Social-Travel Discovery With Wish Lists

SAN FRANCISCO, CA--(Marketwire -06/27/12)- Airbnb, the world's leading marketplace to list, discover, and book unique accommodations, today unveiled a major new product: Wish Lists. Wish Lists transform the Airbnb platform from one that simply enables search and booking to one that empowers its members to explore an array of remarkable spaces, discover their friends' favorite listings, and plan their own dream trips. Wish Lists give users a deeply visual way to browse Airbnb listings while allowing them to seamlessly create their own fully customized lists.

"When we created Airbnb, we never dreamed that one day we would be offering everything from treehouses to entire private islands," says Brian Chesky, CEO and co-founder. "Airbnb photographers have now taken over 1,000,000 images of these unique listings, creating one of the largest collections of interior design photos in the world. Combined with the functionality of our reservation system, Wish Lists allow our community to discover some of the planet's most inspiring destinations."

With the introduction of Wish Lists, Airbnb is breaking new ground in the field of social travel discovery. For the first time, potential travelers can not only share and discover experiences recommended by friends and trusted experts, but also turn their dreams into reality via an integrated booking experience.

"We thought deeply about how sharing not only empowers trips, but also fuels discovery and inspiration. Where else can users build their own aspirational lists that contain Frank Lloyd Wright architecture, the iconic Tower of London and castles owned by the Borges family?" said Joe Gebbia, co-founder and CPO. "With Wish Lists, we've not only transformed Airbnb to illustrate our passion for design, we've woven social into this product from the ground up, so discovering, creating, and sharing Wish Lists is a simple, sleek experience for users."

Airbnb has teamed with thought leaders from industries ranging from technology through entertainment to fashion in order to surface truly inspirational properties. Featured Wish Lists will include contributions from luminaries such as world-famous designer Yves Bhar, actor and entrepreneur Ashton Kutcher, and several others. They will also showcase the best of Airbnb's offerings around the world, including Wish Lists of igloos, castles, boats, and airplanes.

How Wish Lists workFrom any listing page on Airbnb.com, people can save a listing to any of their Wish Lists.

About AirbnbFounded in August of 2008 and based in San Francisco, California, Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world -- online or from a mobile phone. Whether an apartment for a night, a castle for a week, or a villa for a month, Airbnb connects people to unique travel experiences, at any price point, in more than 19,000 cities and 192 countries. And with world-class customer service and a growing community of users, Airbnb is the easiest way for people to monetize their extra space and showcase it to an audience of millions.

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Airbnb Transforms Social-Travel Discovery With Wish Lists

The Most Bang for Your Travel Buck: Expedia.com Releases 2012 Insiders' Select List of the World's Best-Reviewed Hotels

BELLEVUE, WA--(Marketwire -06/27/12)- Expedia.com (EXPE), the world's leading online travel agency, today announced the Expedia 2012 Insiders' Select rankings, an annual crowd-sourced list of the world's best-reviewed hotels. Celebrating its 6th year, Insiders' Select rankings are largely determined by the more than 500,000 Expedia customer reviews received during the course of 2011. Hotels that consistently deliver value, in the form of competitive pricing, pristine amenities and superior customer service, will see that commitment rewarded in their ranking.

Only 650 hotels from among the more than 150,000 properties available on Expedia sites are designated as Insiders' Select hotels. Marrol's Boutique Hotel, a five-star property in Bratislava, Slovakia, topped the 2012 Insiders' Select list, edging Hotel Al Codega of Venice, Italy. The top American hotel was the Four Seasons Miami, listed at number five. The top ten hotels in this year's ranking include:

1. Marrol's Boutique Hotel (5 stars, Bratislava, Slovakia) 2. Hotel Al Codega (4 stars, Venice, Italy) 3. Hotel Royal Corin (4 stars, Costa Rica) 4. Hilton Garden Inn Aberdeen (4 stars, Aberdeen, Scotland) 5. Four Seasons Miami (5 stars, Miami, Florida) 6. Madison Hotel Hamburg (4.5 stars, Hamburg/Hanover, Germany) 7. Element Omaha Midtown Crossing (3 stars, Omaha, Nebraska) 8. Sonnenalp Resort of Vail (4.5 stars, Vail-Beaver Creek, Colorado) 9. Taj Lands End (5 stars, Mumbai, India) 10. Mr. C Beverly Hills (5 stars, Los Angeles, California)

"Expedia is excited to release our 2012 list of the World's Best-Reviewed hotels. We call this list Expedia Insiders' Select. The rankings are crowd-sourced, largely determined by the more than a half a million Expedia customer reviews received during the course of 2011. Which means real travelers have collectively found the hotels that offer the best value and quality," said Joe Megibow, vice president and general manager, Expedia.com. "Expedia Insiders' Select list gives customers options and confidence to feel like they are booking the right hotel for them. Whether they want a five star experience, a beach hotel or something that's family friendly, our customers will find the best we have to offer."

Only 35% of the 650 hotels are categorized as "luxury," leaving numerous options for travelers of every style and budget. In particular, "green/sustainable" hotels had an outsized presence in the final rankings, with nearly 17% of properties (108) meeting that definition. Included on the list are:

The 2012 Insiders' Select list reflects a cross-section of properties in different regions, representing various accommodation types and star ratings. The 650 hotels in the 2012 rankings are found in 295 cities in 74 countries. 28 percent of Insiders' Select hotels are in America, 25% in Europe, 3% in South America, 19% in Asia and 25% elsewhere.

Insiders' Select ranks hotels using three sets of data:

Hotels that are named to the Insiders' Select list stand to benefit from substantial exposure to the millions of consumers who visit Expedia sites to shop for and book travel every month. Recognition programs like Insiders' Select also underscore the significance of traveler opinions on the reputation and future success of a hotel.

Expedia.com travelers can find Insiders' Select hotels in the Hotel Preferences amenity drop-down menu. For more information on Insiders' Select, visit http://www.expedia.com/insidersselect.

B-roll and soundbites from Expedia will be available via satellite feed and download on Wednesday, June 27th, 2012.

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The Most Bang for Your Travel Buck: Expedia.com Releases 2012 Insiders' Select List of the World's Best-Reviewed Hotels

Travora Media Announces MANGO, the World's First Travel-Style Mobile Marketing Platform That Makes Mobile Moments Matter

NEW YORK, June 27, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Travora Media announces MANGO, the first travel-style mobile marketing platform. MANGO, which stands for Mobile Ad Network on-the-GO, represents top travel and lifestyle publishers, providing advertisers with unparalleled scale for reaching travelers at all stages of their travel plans.

At launch, MANGO provides access to over 350MM monthly mobile pageviews from best-in-class travel and lifestyle brands, spanning pre-trip planning to in-destination research and post-trip sharing. Content providers and brands include FlightView, MyWeather, GuidePal, Trazzler, Let's Go, Matador Network and more.

"MANGO gives brands marketing power at these new mobile moments that matter," says Nan-Kirsten Forte, Travora CEO. "We represent an elite selection of leading edge publishers and bring our expert sales & marketing team to the technically complex mobile marketplace, offering the latest in 'lat-long' targeting, geo-fencing and augmented reality for mobile branding solutions. MANGO extends our ability to deliver highly targeted, relevant messaging to travelers at scale."

MANGO provides today's always-connected traveler with reliable, real-time and inspired content. For consumers who are in a destination looking for activities, needing directions, accessing local weather or checking their flight status, MANGO publishers deliver easily accessible solutions for the mobile device, with a consumer experience tailored to the mobile format.

"The Travora MANGO Platform is a win for brands, consumers and content providers alike: our carefully selected publishing partners receive support, access to advertisers, and increased monetization opportunities," notes Josh Steinitz, Travora Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President of Business Development.

The platform is growing toward a goal of one billion mobile webpage views of travel-style content and information. "These are the metrics that matter in mobile," says Travora CEO Nan-Kirsten Forte. This follows growth in Travora's desktop inventory, as noted by hotelmarketing.com on April 25: Travel Sites Grow 10% in March, with Trip Advisor and Travora in the lead. Where Trip Advisor's focus is on public reviews, Travora's publishers provide custom curated content and solutions for the entire travel lifecycle. "MANGO is ready to go for brands seeking relevance in the palms of consumers' hands. Combine that with a multi-platform solution across our existing Web audience, and brands get a powerful new way to make an impact."

ABOUT TRAVORA MEDIA

Travora Media Inc. (www.travoramedia.com) is a media company representing the next generation of Travel + Lifestyle content, with hundreds of travel publishers delivering desktop and mobile solutions to 26 million qualified travelers worldwide. Travora offers exclusive publisher solutions across all stages of the travel lifecycle and exclusively represents travel brands including 10Best, Matador, TripWolf, Let's Go, Wanderfly, GuidePal and more. Travora delivers turnkey revenue solutions for travel publishers, and total access to a Travel + Lifestyle audience across local, social and mobile platforms for brands. Travora Media is headquartered in New York City, and has received funding from Rho Ventures, Village Ventures and StarVest Partners.

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Travora Media Announces MANGO, the World's First Travel-Style Mobile Marketing Platform That Makes Mobile Moments Matter

The Benson Hotel Earns 2012 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

Honored as a Highly Rated Hotel as Reviewed by Travelers on the World’s Largest Travel SitePortland, Ore. (PRWEB) June 25, 2012 The historic Benson Hotel today announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence award. The accolade, which honors hospitality excellence, is given only to establishments that consistently achieve outstanding traveler reviews on TripAdvisor, and ...

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The Benson Hotel Earns 2012 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

Research and Markets: Asia-Pacific Online Travel Report 2011

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/cjj5sr/asiapacific_onlin) has announced the addition of the "Asia-Pacific Online Travel Report 2011" report to their offering.

The Asia-Pacific region includes online economies at opposite ends of the development spectrum. Australia, Japan and South Korea have advanced digital infrastructures with mature e-commerce and online travel sectors. At the other end of the spectrum, countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia are less developed but fast-growing. However, it is the massive travel markets of China and India that are driving regional growth. The Asia-Pacific Online Travel report analyzes the diverse digital economies of the region with special emphasis on India. In India, the online travel market will grow an average of 46% annually from 2007 to reach $4 billion in 2011.

The report analyzes the APAC travel market by evaluating the diverse digital economies of the region with special emphasis on India.

The report answers several key questions to help OTAs in the APAC region to enhance their market share.

Key questions answered in this report are:

a. How large are the online travel markets in India?

b. What is driving growth in the Indian markets?

c. What are the unique features of India online travel markets?

d.What are the major risks and hurdles of the online travel business in the Asia-Pacific region?

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Research and Markets: Asia-Pacific Online Travel Report 2011

Southern California Independence Day Travel to Jump by 5.2 Percent

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--

Southern Californians will enjoy leisure travel on Independence Day in near-record numbers this year, according to the Automobile Club of Southern California. Following a dip in travel for last years holiday, more than 3 million Southland residents are expected to take Fourth of July trips in the coming days a 5.2 percent increase from 2011s 2.88 million travelers.

Seventy-eight percent of Southern Californias traveling residents, or 2.38 million, are expected to drive to their holiday destinations a 4 percent increase from last years 2.29 million car travelers. Another 359,000 are expected to go by air a 9.8 percent increase from 2011s air travel number of 327,000.

The projected numbers for Southern California and statewide travel are nearly the highest in the last decade. In 2003, 4.89 million Californians traveled over the July Fourth holiday; this year, the statewide number of travelers is expected to be 4.88 million (also a 5.2 percent increase from last year).

The number of Californians expected to go by car on July Fourth getaways is 3.68 million, while the number of plane travelers is projected at 577,000.

Nationally, Fourth of July travel is expected to rise by 4.9 percent, to 42.47 million from last years 40.29 million.

With the Fourth of July holiday falling in the middle of the week this year, we are finding that more travelers are taking longer trips than they would on a typical three-day holiday weekend period, which is partly why air travel is up this year, said Filomena Andre, the Auto Clubs vice president for travel products and services.

According to a survey of AAA Travel agents, the top five destinations for Southern Californians this holiday are: 1) San Diego 2) Las Vegas 3) San Francisco 4) Grand Canyon 5) Central Coast (Santa Barbara to Monterey)

The July Fourth holiday forecast was conducted by IHS Global Insight on behalf of AAA. Historical travel data is provided by DK Shifflet, the worlds most comprehensive consumer travel measurement provider.

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Southern California Independence Day Travel to Jump by 5.2 Percent