To celebrate Valentine’s Day, we step inside the strange world of the Japanese “love hotel”. They are short-stay hotels designed for amorous couples in search of seclusion, and have proven increasingly popular in Japan, where space, and therefore privacy, are at a premium.

This post is geared moretowards novice travelers than seasoned globetrotters. Read full post…

Greece still has much to offer tourists in 2012 despite its financial problems.

Greece has long been a popular destination for British travel insurance policyholders, with the countrys capital, Athens, and other destinations such as Crete proving to be the ideal places for many people to jet off to for a spot of summer sun.At the current time, however, Greece is suffering from severe economic downturn, with its economy and employment plummeting, leading to protest across the country. Read full post…

We’ll dispense with descriptions of shimmering sea, unspoiled beaches and sultry palm trees. You know why you want to visit Hawaii. It’s a place apart, in mind and fact. A couple of airlines are making it easy to get there. Here’s the rundown:

Hawaiian Airlines is running its Great Hawaiian Winter Getaway Sale just now. Book and buy no later than Oct. 3. Then, fly Nov. 21, 2011 through Feb. 9, 2012. There’s a Christmastime black out period embedded here, and neither taxes nor fees are included. These d

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Although the number of Brits visiting Tunisia dipped significantly in 2011 following the political unrest affecting the country from the end of 2010, UK holidaymakers are expected to return to the North African destination in greater number in 2012.

2011 saw the number Brits taking holidays in Tunisia drop by over 35 per cent to just 227,000. However, 2012 sees operators and airlines increasing capacity to the region in anticipation of Tunisia’s resurgence. S

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But one new rule that has perhaps received less publicity than it could have done is the requirement that drivers in France are now obliged to carry an individual alcohol breath test, and those that dont are liable to pay a small fine of 17 euros.

I havent been able to find a start date for the new law, or much else in the way of official information, but understand the law starts about now!

We dont have our own alcohol breath tests yet so perhaps its time to go shopping. If you are in France and looking for one make sure it has the official NF mark.

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In my inaugural address I chose to talk about the happiest place on earth and my lifetime home, Louisiana. I talked about the rich cultural history, the world-renowned music and the joie de vivre that makes Louisiana unique.

I hope you will take a few minutes out of your day to watch my inaugural address. I

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side·track (sīd´trăk): n. 1. A diversion from the main course.  2. A detour taken with children that you would never, ever take without them.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________ Who: Travel Savvy Mom founder Jamie Pearson, her husband, and their children (then 1 and 3, so set your time machines to way back).  This was our first ever sidetrack.

What and Where: Le Reptilarium Mont St Michel (since renamed Alligator Bay).  Normandy, France.  A reptile zoo with tortoises, snakes, and (according to their breathless brochure copy) the biggest group of alligators in Europe. At

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We promised wed make the New Year exciting for you. And here we are delivering on the promise we made! After creating quite a buzz with our revamped SimpliFlying Heroes initiative that saw almost 3000 votes pour in over just a week, were back with something even more exciting. So sit back, relax and enjoy the show that were bringing you today (and every fortnight hereon)!

Today, were launching SimpliFlying Podcasts a brand new product that should excite our readers, most of whom are travel marketers. Starting this Wednesday, SimpliFlying will be releasing Marketing Strategy podcasts for airline and airport marketers on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday of each month.

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Why do tourists go to Las Vegas?

Top answer, to borrow a phrase, would surely be gambling…and gambling-related activities (these include drinking, clubbing, watching big arena shows and other less salubrious pleasures too unpleasant to mention on a family website).

My guess is that fairly low down on visitors’ lists of priorities is the chance to sample good old British shepherd’s pie (offer Americans shepherd’s pie and they would almost certainly assume it was made out of shepherds: Oh my God, I’m grossing out here…!).

But yes one man is going to Las Vegas with the aim of offering shepherd’s pie and that man is Gordon Ramsay who is opening a new restaurant called Gordon Ramsay Steak in the Paris Las Vegas resort this Spring.

According to Gordon: Vegas has become a foodie haunt. With lovers o

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The online survey was conducted by Echo Research from Dec. 27 to 30, 2011, with results culled from a random sample of 2,000 U.S. adults. In addition to overall results, responses were divided into two sub-groups: Affluent—defined as having a minimum annual household income of $100,000 , and Young Professionals—defined as being younger than 30 year of age, with a college degree and a minimum household income of $50,000 .

Overall respondents deemed travel and vacations their No. 2 c

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Yet, unfortunately, the harsh truth is that here library visits are down, and fewer books are being borrowed. M

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Crossing the choppy waters of Bangkok’s Chao Praya river, ferries filled with tourists were making the short journey from the gold and emerald splendours of the Royal Palace to Wat Arun, a popular riverside temple. A little

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