Travel Calendar

Tibet Travel Coop (TTC) is a collection of Tibetan-owned agencies, tour guides, cooks, drivers and other travel personnel. The coop focuses on sustainable practice, responsible tourism, and keeping local business in the hands of Tibetans. The Spirit of Minyak tour takes travelers to the Kham region of Tibet, where they can stay in local homes, visit cultural sites, and trek in the mountains.

Lhasa, Tibet (PRWEB) May 16, 2012

Tibet Travel Coop (TTC) is a collection of Tibetan-owned agencies, tour guides, cooks, drivers and other travel personnel. The coop focuses on sustainable practice, responsible tourism, and keeping local business in the hands of Tibetans.

“The Kham tour, called Spirit of Minyak, is unique to our organization,” a TTC spokesperson said. “The places we go and the people we stay with are our friends and family, people we’ve helped train to accommodate tourists through the coop, as part of our mission to improve the livelihood of rural Tibetans. Travelers get to see the beautiful landscape and experience Tibetan culture firsthand. It’s a win-win situation.”

Minyak is a region southwest of greater Kham and Dartsedo (Kangding) is its capital. The area is located in modern-day Sichuan Province, China. People speak a unique local dialect and have distinct way of living compared to other Tibetans from Kham.

The Minyak region is known for the famous mountain Minyak Gangkar, in addition to its monasteries, ancient murals, and warm and friendly people. For travelers looking for a unique experience, Minyak is a well-kept secret. TheTTC tour goes from Chengdu city in central Sichuan, the Khampa capital of Kangding located in the mountains of western Sichuan, to several mountain villages, a remote nunnery, and the sacred mountain Minyak Gangkar.

A highlight of the tour is a visit to the Tagong Monastery, which houses the second most important Shakyamuni statue in Tibet. Travelers can spend time meditating in the monastery and walking kora (circumambulation). Then travelers will visit the Tagong Thangka Center, a NGO-sponsored school for 48 orphans and disadvantaged children from the Tagong area of Kham.

Tibet Travel Coop focuses on community interaction and offers local homestays in the villages, something that is prohibited in Central Tibet. Part of the journey is also spent trekking. “This is a 12-day tour rich with cultural activities,” TTC said. “For travelers that want to connect with locals and use a local guide, this is best option. We created TTC because we care about our communities, and we want to share our lives and our culture with others.”

Tibet Travel Coop is a collection of local Tibetan travel agencies and guides working together to promote authentic travel experiences while contributing to the sustainability of host communities and their culture.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/5/prweb9508720.htm

With Memorial Day fast approaching, can the annual family vacation be far behind? That means that once again, many pet lovers will be faced with the dilemma of what do with their pets while they travel.

A 2009 Travel Industry Association survey indicated that 14 percent, or more than 29 million people, said they have taken a pet on a trip that was more than 50 miles away from home. Traveling animals included cats (15 percent), birds (2 percent), and either a ferret, rabbit or fish (3 percent). But 78 percent of the respondents listed the family dog as the most common traveling pet.

The inconvenient change from normal routine doesn’t matter much to a dog as long as it is not separated from its family. Dog owners feel the same way. Forty-three percent of pet owners said they feel guilty about leaving their dogs behind.

Dogtrekker.com, an online site that scopes out pet-friendly places to stay while vacationing, recently released results from a 2011 analysis of American leisure travelers that indicates eight out of 10 people who bring their dogs along when they travel find hotel policies and amenities important when selecting accommodations.

“What really stood out was not the numbers of those who travel with dogs, but the reasons why leisure travel dog owners do not travel with their dogs,” said David Kendrick, who founded Dogtrekker with his wife, Roxanne.

“Over 40 percent said that finding dog-friendly accommodations was difficult; a third said that their dog’s safety was a concern and over 30 percent said that finding things to do with (a) dog was difficult,” Kendrick said.

Of dog travelers, 43.6 percent said there is a poor selection of truly pet-friendly hotels and 17.2 percent said concerns about finding doggie day care in their vacation location kept them from bringing their dog along on trips.

“This survey sends a huge message to the lodging industry. The influence of this significant group of leisure travelers is rising and hoteliers should take note of their concern about expensive hotel pet fees and confusion over pet-friendly policies,” he said.

A hotel that promotes itself as “pet friendly” can really mean “pet tolerant,” and only just so. Many times the staff is really more interested in getting your business than welcoming your pet.

“No pets left unattended in the room” is the norm, said Janet Fullwood, senior editor of DogTrekker who was travel editor for the Sacramento Bee for 22 years.

“This is because a dog left in an unfamiliar environment can bark, whine, scratch, panic, tear up the furniture or otherwise cause a disturbance, damage property or terrify the housekeeping staff. Some properties’ exception is the dog is crated,” she said.

Planning for a trip that includes your pet is essential, said Fullwood, who shared this personal story about the headaches the unprepared traveler can run into on the road.

“The first time my family traveled with our new dog, we patted ourselves on the back for finding a dog-friendly hotel – and ended up eating in shifts at a Chinese restaurant across the street when we found out we couldn’t leave him alone, even in a crate.”

But the rule doesn’t apply just to canines. I once heard of a couple who traveled with pet parrots. The birds put up such a fuss when their humans left them alone, the manager used a public address system to ask them to return to their room.

Pet sitters are an option during dinner, Fullwood said, “but their services can easily cost more than a meal itself.” She said that many times, traveling with a pet requires compromise.

Fullwood provided these tips to help make your travel plans a vacation for every member of the family.

– Always speak with a live person before booking a hotel or vacation rental that claims to be dog-friendly. Many properties won’t accept certain breeds, some have weight restrictions and some allow pets only in their most undesirable rooms. Pet fees can be per day or per stay, so be sure to clarify.

– Don’t take off on a camping or hiking trip assuming that your dog can accompany you on trails. At many state and national parks, canines are restricted to campgrounds. Rules in national forests tend to be more relaxed.

– To minimize canine-caused distractions on the road, make sure your dog is safely secured in a crate or with a seat belt leash or harness.

– Familiar food, toys, bedding and other comforts from home will help the animal be more relaxed in new environments. Bring a gallon or so of water from home to minimize stomach upsets, and pack cleanup supplies and old towels for muddy feet. If you allow dogs on furniture at home, bring a sheet to cover beds and couches in hotel rooms.

– Make sure your dog is microchipped and has an ID tag that includes your cell-phone number. Tuck a copy of shot records in your canine travel kit and carry photos, just in case.

– “Leave no trace” principles are not just for camping. Always, always pick up after your dog.

Americans plan to travel in slightly higher numbers this summer, according to surveys, starting with the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

But many will hold the line on spending for items such as hotel stays and entertainment because of high fuel costs and rising airfares.

An annual survey by the American Automobile Assn. released Tuesday predicted that 34.8 million Americans will travel by all modes at least 50 miles from home during the holiday weekend, a 1.2% increase over last year.

Slightly more than half the 50,000 people who took part in the nationwide study said fuel prices won’t affect their travel plans. But the rest said that costs will force them to take shorter trips or cut back on spending in other areas.

The average distance traveled over the holiday weekend is expected to drop to 642 miles this year, from 792 miles last year, according to AAA.

“We have been seeing people sort of managing their trips,” said Jeffrey Spring, a spokesman for the Auto Club of Southern California. “If they have to spend more on gasoline, they will look for other ways to save, like eating out less.”

Jim Egnatoff, a carpenter from Arcadia, said he will be one of those being careful. “You always try to do the frugal thing, especially now with the gas prices up,” Egnatoff said.

He said he plans to take trips this summer to Pismo Beach and San Diego and will watch for ways to save, such as hotel deals. “That goes without saying,” he said.

Paul Neria, a federal worker from Covina, said he is worried about the price of gasoline but won’t let it disrupt his plans for a road trip in the next few weeks to Laughlin, Nev., where he plans to ride his jet ski in the Colorado River.

“Gas prices are going to slow people down,” he said. “But I’m going to enjoy my trip.”

The rising number of travelers this summer may reflect growing consumer confidence in the economy, said Adam Weissenberg, travel leader for Deloitte, a professional services firm in New York that also released a travel survey Tuesday.

“We’ve seen the travel numbers in the last two summers continue to grow, and the growth has been modest,” he said. “But it’s still good news, reflective of consumer confidence.”

The Deloitte survey showed that 54% of Americans expect to take a trip between June 1 and Labor Day, up slightly from the 52% who said they planned to take a summer trip last year. About 1,000 people nationwide took part in the online survey.

To save money, travelers will book flights this summer on airlines that don’t charge checked-bag fees and they will stay at hotels that offer complimentary breakfast, free wireless Internet and free parking, according to the Deloitte survey.

The expected uptick in travel over the next few months reflects a dramatic improvement for the travel industry from the recession, when travel dropped significantly. The hotel industry was hardest hit, with occupancy levels near 60%, the lowest since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strikes.

Gone are many of the more exotic deals during the recession, such as Southern California hotels that offered guests discounts on tattoos and free motorcycle rentals.

Hotels will continue to offer some discounts this summer but the deals won’t be as extreme, said Steve Joyce, chief executive of Choice Hotels, which oversees more than 6,000 hotels around the world.

“Our customers feel they have a God-given right to take a vacation,” he said. “I think that is going to hold true this summer.”

hugo.martin@latimes.com

CORPUS CHRISTI —
Gov. Rick Perry’s habit of carrying a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun while jogging would be useful information to anyone contemplating doing him harm. Perry hasn’t been shy about letting the world know this important detail.

The spending of tax money on his travel security detail has been judged an entirely different matter — by Perry, by the Department of Public Safety, by the Texas Supreme Court and, finally last week, by the lower-court judge whose initial ruling in favor of the people’s right to know was overturned.

“It’s a sad, sad world where we have to do this,” District Judge Scott Jenkins said, “and it leads to less transparency.”

Less transparency about how public money is spent, for sure. But Texans can see through the make-believe risk posed by travel expense records after the travelers have arrived home safely. The only real risk posed by this information is its potential for embarrassing Perry.

What threat, other than the taxpayers’ outrage, was posed by the previous disclosure of several-years-old expenditures for scuba gear and golf cart rentals during a trip by Perry to the Bahamas?

Jenkins ruled in 2008 that this type of information is public and should be disclosed in response to requests made under the Texas Public Information Act. Three large newspapers had sued in 2007 when the DPS sought to withhold travel security expense information.

In July, the Supreme Court recognized the right to conceal “information that substantially threatens physical harm” as an “other law” exception to the public’s right to the information.

The high court largely granted the DPS the benefit of the doubt in determining substantial threats. Before rendering last week’s ruling, Jenkins reviewed some of the travel records and said he could see patterns that could be useful in a plot to harm the governor. We commend his fertile imagination.

“It’s a sad day when every (public information) requestor is being treated like Osama bin Laden,” William Christian, attorney for the newspapers, told the judge.

More like a sad year and a half. The Legislature last year passed a law that makes the governor’s travel security financial records public after 18 months. A lot can happen in 18 months.

For example, the next session of the Legislature will conclude less than 18 months from now. Perry has asked legislators to sign a Texas Budget Compact, an austerity measure. Shouldn’t the legislators and the public have a full picture of whether Perry practices what he preaches before making up their minds?

Do you travel as often as you please? Would you hate me if I told you that I did?

Three years ago, I would’ve answered “yes” to the first question and responded to the second with a slap across the face. Unemployed and broke, I was also bitter: I wanted to travel the world more than anything, but assumed long-term travel to be a luxury reserved for the super wealthy who’d looted the economy in the first place.

It might surprise you to learn that today, I do travel as often as I please. Even more shocking, my income is modest and I have received zero help from either of my parents, whose incomes are almost as modest as mine. As the editor of a relatively popular travel blog I receive some free travel perks, but fund more than 95% of my travel out of my own pocket.

I’ve outlined the basic steps I followed to make travel my lifestyle. I firmly believe that by following the same steps, you too can make your travel dreams a reality.

1. Get the ball rolling
Although my ultimate goal was to travel the world, my immediate concern was that I had no money and no job prospects. I set the goal of moving to China and teaching English which would help me save money and give me a base for travel in Asia. Even if you don’t teach English or move to Asia, set a short-term travel goal that addresses the larger circumstances that prevent you from traveling.

2. Put it in writing
A goal is just a pipe dream if you don’t take action to achieve it. In my case, this action came in the form of aggressively applying and interviewing for jobs, signing an employment contract, applying for a Chinese work visa and, of course, buying a plane ticket. Action is commitment and commitment is scary, but if you don’t commit to achieving your goals, you will never achieve them.

3. Get on the plane
Conceptually, getting on a plane and flying to the other side of the planet for an indefinite period of time is easy, and maybe even exhilarating. But packing up everything you own and heading for the airport with just a couple bags in tow is terrifying! My advice? Don’t look back — and don’t look down. As a bit of graffiti I once saw in Laos said, “Jump, a net will appear.”

4. Savor, don’t stress
I’m a very “eyes on the prize” type person, and have been known to lock myself in seclusion for hours or even days when I’m focused on a task. Soon after arriving in Shanghai, however, I realized this would quickly drive me crazy. Don’t be afraid to work hard or discipline yourself, but also make sure to consciously enjoy as much of the experience as you can.

5. Close the deal
After eight months of living like a local, my credit card debt was gone and I had $3,000 in the bank. Even better, I had used the time I wasn’t out in Shanghai wasting money to procure contributor gigs with Shanghaiist, China’s largest English-language blog, and even CNN. Don’t stop working toward your goal until you achieve it, no matter how long it takes or how tirelessly you have to work.

6. Up the ante
Just before a planned two-week trip to Vietnam, I received an offer to begin work as a long-term, remote freelancer for a website content company, so I purposely missed my return flight to Shanghai! My new goal was to work as I traveled — and to travel indefinitely! Once you’ve achieved your original travel, set a new one — and make sure it’s bigger than the first one was!

7. Collect your winnings
It was difficult to make myself write for several hours per day as I traveled through Southeast Asia, the Middle East and Europe for months, but the thrill of setting foot on different streets every few days was more than enough to keep me focused. No matter how impossible your new goal seems, if you keep as focused on it as you were on your first one, you’ll realize it faster and more fully.

8. Pass “Go”
I left Austin, where I’d been living since graduating college, with the idea that I might return with my tail between my legs in the back of my mind. Returning to Austin not only allowed me to show the haters I encountered before I left that I’d had the last laugh, but also provided me with context for how much I’d achieved. Going “home” is the best way to get perspective on how far you’ve come.

9. Don’t “Go Directly To Jail”
No matter how much you love traveling, the prospect of “being home” will seem comforting. But I urge you: Do not get too comfortable, lest you get stuck. I was lucky enough to win a spot in a blogging contest in Thailand just weeks after I got back to Austin. Even if you aren’t as fortunate as I was, don’t plan to stick around for long.

10. Keep the ball rolling
After returning from Thailand, my next goal was to transform my then-personal blog into a comprehensive travel resource. To do that, however, I not only needed to travel more, but I also needed to write more. Over time, your travel goals should grow more elaborate and serve more and more specifically to facilitate more frequent, extensive travel.

11. Travel hard, work harder
Between then (December 2010) and now, I have traveled to South America, North Africa and Australia, and even returned to Europe and the Middle East. During this time I have not only produced more than 300 articles for my website, which now earns money, but have also continued freelancing for others. If you want to travel constantly, you must work constantly.

12. Quit while you’re ahead
As my own experience illustrates, long-term travelers never really go “on vacation.” As a result, travel isn’t a lifestyle that most people can comfortably sustain for their whole lives — and many who try become unhappy, lost souls. Travel as often as you can, but when you spend more days stressed out than blissed out, swallow your pride and settle down somewhere.

Follow Robert Schrader on Twitter:

www.twitter.com/leavyrdailyhell

Wed May 16, 2012 2:57am EDT

* To raise up to 1.37 bln riyals from 30 pct IPO sale

* Institutional portion oversubscribed nearly 5 times

* Share price range set at 45-57 riyals

* Listing seen early June

* Saudi IPO sector showing signs of revival

By Dinesh Nair

DUBAI, May 16 (Reuters) – Saudi Arabian group Al-Tayyar
Travel is set to raise up to 1.37 billion riyals ($365 million)
selling a 30 percent stake in a listing in the first week of
June, two sources familiar with the matter said.

The family-owned business group is offering 24 million
shares to investors at 45-57 riyals, two people familiar with
the process said. The IPO is open to retail investors and
expected to close on May 20.

The institutional part of the share sale has been
oversubscribed nearly five times, arranging bank Samba Capital,
the investment banking arm of Samba Financial Group,
said earlier this week.

“Demand for the IPO has been strong from the institutional
side. It has been priced attractively and most bids were at the
top end of the range,” one person involved in the IPO process
said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Al-Tayyar first looked to go public in February 2010,
planning to raise 1.2 billion riyals selling 30 percent of its
shares. Lacklustre market conditions forced the family group to
pull the process at the end of the institutional stage, the
first time a Saudi IPO had failed to complete after receiving
listing approval from the country’s regulator.

Renewed investor interest in local markets and ample
institutional liquidity was expected to see the firm launch its
IPO at the top end of the range this time.

Saudi Arabian bourse Tadawul has risen 10.7 percent
in 2012 on rising volumes. Talks of a potential opening-up of
the market to foreign investors has lured investor interest.

CHEAP VALUATION

Al-Tayyar’s first-quarter net income rose more than 20
percent, a second source said, adding the firm has paid a
dividend of around 5 riyals in the past couple of years.

IPO activity in the Gulf is showing signs of revival with
bankers and analysts expecting Saudi Arabia to lead the region.

Health Water Bottling, a firm owned by Saudi Arabian
conglomerate Olayan Group, is planning to go public by issuing
30 percent of its shares in a flotation in the first quarter of
2013, sources told Reuters in April.

Construction Products Holding Co (CPC), a manufacturer of
building materials and a unit of Saudi Binladin Group, plans a
30 percent listing and has mandated the investment banking arms
of Gulf International Bank and Samba for the sale.
($1 = 3.7503 Saudi riyals)

(Reporting by Dinesh Nair; Editing by Dan Lalor)

Americans plan to travel in slightly higher numbers this summer, according to surveys, starting with the upcoming Memorial Day weekend.

But many will hold the line on spending for items such as hotel stays and entertainment because of high fuel costs and rising airfares.

An annual survey by the American Automobile Association released Tuesday predicted that 34.8 million Americans will travel by all modes at least 50 miles from home during the holiday weekend, a 1.2 percent increase over last year.

Slightly more than half the 50,000 people who took part in the nationwide study said fuel prices won’t affect their travel plans. But the rest said that costs will force them to take shorter trips or cut back on spending in other areas.

The average distance traveled over the holiday weekend is expected to drop to 642 miles this year, from 792 miles last year, according to AAA.

“We have been seeing people sort of managing their trips,” said Jeffrey Spring, a spokesman for the Auto Club of Southern California. “If they have to spend more on gasoline, they will look for other ways to save, like eating out less.”

Jim Egnatoff, a carpenter from Arcadia, Calif., said he will be one of those being careful. “You always try to do the frugal thing, especially now with the gas prices up,” he said.

He said he plans to take trips this summer to Pismo Beach and San Diego and will watch for ways to save, such as hotel deals. “That goes without saying,” he said.

Paul Neria, a federal worker from Covina, Calif., said he is worried about the price of gasoline but won’t let it disrupt his plans for a road trip in the next few weeks to Laughlin, Nev., where he plans to ride his jet ski in the Colorado River.

“Gas prices are going to slow people down,” he said. “But I’m going to enjoy my trip.”

The rising number of travelers this summer may reflect growing consumer confidence in the economy, said Adam Weissenberg, travel leader for Deloitte, a professional services firm in New York that also released a travel survey Tuesday.

“We’ve seen the travel numbers in the last two summers continue to grow, and the growth has been modest,” he said. “But it’s still good news, reflective of consumer confidence.”

The Deloitte survey showed that 54 percent of Americans expect to take a trip between June 1 and Labor Day, up slightly from the 52 percent who said they planned to take a summer trip last year. About 1,000 people nationwide took part in the online survey.

To save money, travelers will book flights this summer on airlines that don’t charge checked-bag fees and they will stay at hotels that offer complimentary breakfast, free wireless Internet and free parking, according to the Deloitte survey.

The expected uptick in travel over the next few months reflects a dramatic improvement for the travel industry from the recession, when travel dropped significantly. The hotel industry was hardest hit, with occupancy levels near 60 percent, the lowest since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist strikes.

Gone are many of the more exotic deals during the recession, such as Southern California hotels that offered guests discounts on tattoos and free motorcycle rentals.

Hotels will continue to offer some discounts this summer but the deals won’t be as extreme, said Steve Joyce, chief executive of Choice Hotels, which oversees more than 6,000 hotels around the world.

“Our customers feel they have a God-given right to take a vacation,” he said. “I think that is going to hold true this summer.”