May01

Does social media investment translate into business?

by admin on May 1st, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Posted In: Online Travel Segment, Travel & Tourism Sector

Return on investment (ROI) in social media

 

 

Myers Peter. (2012). Can the social web get travelers out of their armchairs? Reuters. 

In this article, the author tries to answer a million dollar question “Does return on investment in social media quantifiable?” The answer is “No”. Why?  Quantifying the rewards of the social media ad campaigns is difficult because analysis of a broad spectrum of factors is required. The entrepreneurs opine that social media is a good information tool but not the money generator. A large fan following on the Facebook page of a travel and tourism company does not convert into sales. However, the companies continue to integrate Facebook and other social media with official booking channels. Read complete article to understand views of more travel and tourism entrepreneurs.


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Apr04

5 helicopter companies for religious adventures in Uttarakhand

by admin on April 4th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Posted In: Adventure Travel, Travel Tips

Shrinking shrine distance

 

 

Winter has faded. Shortly, Badrinath, Gangotri, Kedarnath and Yamnotri temples (Uttarakhand,India) will welcome pilgrims again. The pilgrimage to all four shrines in the lap of the Himalaya requires courage and physical stamina because buses and helicopters do not drop you at the shrine. You have to walk / ride ponies for some distance before you reach the shrine. 

If you are rich, you may charter a helicopter for your family and friends. However, sudden height gain is not good for people, especially who have passive lifestyle. So take care. Today, we have compiled a short list of helicopter companies serving the pilgrimage route in Uttarakhand. 

Heritage Aviation sells 5-day four-dham (shrine) helicopter packages. The price starts from INR 131,000.00 (US$ 2,566.29, € 1,943.80, £1,615.54) per person. The price includes accommodation, palki (palanquin) at Yamunotri, VIP darshan (temple visit) at Kedarnath, dinner and breakfast. Read more about the heli service packages. 

Himalayan Heli Services Pvt. Ltd.’s yatra (pilgrimage) packages start from INR 160,000.00 (US$ 3,314.40, € 2,374.11, £1,973.18) for a group of four (4) persons buying ek dham yatra (one-shrine pilgrimage) package. However, the price does not include service tax. The company offers packages for Kedarnath and Badrinath.  Contact the company. 

Prabhatam Aviation Pvt. Ltd. offers helicopter services for Uttarakhand and Himalaya Darshan. Highlight of the Himalaya Darshan package is bird’s eye view of the Doon Valley, Ganga River, Mussoorie Hills, Haathi Parbat and other peaks. The price of 1-night 2-day pilgrimage package amounts to a few lakh (1 lakh = 100,000) rupees for a group of four (4) persons. Contact the company. 

Pawan Hans Helicopter Limited (P.H.H.L.) sells a Kedarnath Dham package. As of 2011, the price of Phata-Kedarnath-Phata journey amounted to INR 7, 310.00 (US$ 143.20, € 108.47, £ 90.15) per person inclusive of service tax. The Dehradoon – Phata- Kedarnath-Phata- Dehradoon charter for up to five (5) persons was priced at INR 176,480.00 (US$ 3,457.24, €2,618.65, £2,176.42). Read terms and conditions for booking. 

Timberline Charters offers do dham (2-shrine) and char dham (4-shrine) yatra (pilgrimage) packages. The 2-day package rate varies from INR 47,000 (US$ 920.73, €697.40, £579.62) to 525,000 (US$ 10,294.54, €7,797.48, £6,480.66) exclusive of service tax. The rate includes airfare, accommodation on twin sharing basis, all meals, jeep / car transportation and transfers as per itinerary.  The price of Chinyalisaur – Yamnotri – Gangotri – Chinyalisaur tour starts from INR 47,000 (US$ 920.73, €697.40, £579.62) per person for a group of five (5) people. Review all pilgrimage packages.


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Mar21

2 adventure gear rental stores in Uttarakhand

by admin on March 21st, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Posted In: Adventure Travel, Travel Tips

 

Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam’s (GMVN) Trekking and Mountaineering Division offers gear on rent for adventure activities.  A 2-person tent rent amounts to INR 65.00 (US$1.28, €0.97, £0.81) per day, whereas a sleeping bag rent is INR 25.00 (US$0.49, €0.37, £0.31) per day. The division also offers windproof jackets and gear for porters. The equipment is available at Muni-ki-reti, Rishikesh and Gangotri, Purola and Ukhimath in Uttarakashi. However, foreign travelers have to fill in their complete itinerary and passport details in the equipment renting application form. A security deposit is also required. 

Dias Memorial Funds Stores, the equipment store within the premises of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand, offers climbing gear on rent for nominal charges. For instance, you can rent a pair of climbing boots for INR 35.00 (US$0.69, €0.52, £0.44) per day plus INR 15.00 (US$0.30, €0.22, £0.19) towards cleaning / repairing / washing fee. Rent a tent for as low as INR 30.00 (US$0.59, €0.45, £0.37) per day and INR 20.00 (US$0.40, € 0.30, £0.25) towards cleaning / repairing / washing charge. You can choose from holofil, feather and Kapok sleeping bags for a good night’s sleep. Get more information on mountaineering equipment rental.


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Feb29

10% off on Everest base camp trek

by admin on February 29th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Posted In: Adventure Travel, Travel Tips

 

Capture a close up of Everest from its base camp.  One World Trekking is offering 10% discount on the 17-day Everest Base Camp Trek booked beforeMarch 31, 2012. The trip price starts from $ 3,360.00 per person.


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Feb28

Top 3 travel information sources

by admin on February 28th, 2012 at 5:00 pm
Posted In: Online Travel Segment, Travel & Tourism Sector

 

2011 Digital Travel Content and User Experience Survey. (May 2011). Frommer’s® Unlimited. Frommers.biz. 

This annual survey report concludes that travelers’ dependence on digital content is increasing. The increase in mobile travel content consumption is because of iPad launch, adoption of smart phones, mobile-friendly websites and various innovative travel applications. Almost one-fourth (24%) population of 18-34 age group uses social networks to plan their travel. Moreover, travel deals and special offers play an important role in travel planning.  The top three principal sources used for travel decision making are travel guidebooks (81%), travel websites featuring user generated content (UGC) (81%) and travel websites’ editorial content (80%). The company conducted the survey, focusing on online travel content and associated user experience, during March-April 2011. To read the full report, register here.


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