Travel Industry

(Dive Travel Business News - September 29, 2011) -- Toronto-based tour operator Gap Adventures has changed its name to G Adventures, following a June copyright-infringement ruling in a suit brought by clothing giant Gap Inc.

In a June 24 decision in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, Judge Alvin Hellerstein ruled in favor of Gap Inc. on trademark infringement, saying, "Gap Adventures has used similar marks in commerce such that there is likelihood of confusion."

Four days after the ruling, Gap Adventures founder Bruce Poon Tip called the decision "unfounded" in a letter to the industry, and the company said it would appeal the decision. However, in a letter to the industry dated Sept. 27, Poon Tip announced a change in the company name, with no mention of the lawsuit. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - September 26, 2011) -- Dedicated to sustainable and accessible travel, Indian Valley Travel will be exhibiting at the DEMA Show 2011 from November 2-5, 2011 in Orlando Florida. The company will be offering "deliberately different" dive travel packages where all trips 100% based on new and existing volunteer projects throughout the world. These unique packages are geared to the burgeoning "Adventure Voluntourism" market where dive travelers head to an exotic dive destination and become directly involved in a volunteer project that helps the local community, while still having plenty of time for diving and exploring local culture and attractions.

Co-founder David Valaika explains,“At the heart of everything we do at Indian Valley Travel is our vision … to be the global leader in providing sustainable and accessible adventure "voluntourism" opportunities for purpose-minded travelers” read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - April 25, 2011) -- Despite predictions that the demise of the travel profession is all but arrived, travel professionals are experiencing an unprecedented come-back.  With natural disasters causing flight cancellations, revolutions putting tourist destinations off limits, and airline and rental car agencies confounding travelers with increasingly complex fees, vacations are becoming increasingly difficult to plan and execute.  On top of this, the Internet generates so much information that it has managed to confuse consumers trying to plan their own vacations.

A recent article in The Washington Post touts consumers are increasingly turning to travel professionals to handle their travel needs. Travelers are on information overload when it comes to planning their own trips. A study by Forrester Research found that the number of leisure travelers who enjoyed using the Web to plan and book their vacations dropped from 53 percent in 2007 to 47 percent in 2010. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News April 14, 2011) -- A long time Travel Agent and friend to many in our industry, Terrie Dold passed away most unexpectedly, shorty after five p.m. on Monday, April 11, 2011 after suffering a cerebral aneurysm on Sunday morning from which she was unable to recover.  Terri and her husband Gene became Travel Agents for Scuba Travel Ventures in San Diego after owning and operating their own business, Aqua Dreams Travel, for many years.  

Terri was born in Fontana, California and defined the term, "A Lust for Life."  She traveled the world as a travel industry professional and avid diver.  Terri and Gene, well known in the dive industry and have been selling adventure dive travel since 1994.  A love for adventure and a spirit of fun abounded in Terri, whether it was for traveling, scuba diving, or motor cycle riding. 

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(Dive Travel Business News - December 6, 2010) --The application deadline for the World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) 2011 Tourism for Tomorrow Awards is fast approaching.  The WTTC invites tourism businesses and destinations worldwide to enter in one of the four categories: Global Tourism Business, Conservation, Community Benefit and Destination Stewardship, showcasing best practice in sustainable tourism.

WTTC's foremost awards, which include an international panel of expert judges and a rigorous on-site evaluation process, recognize and celebrate these advances in sustainable best practices. Finalists and winners will receive worldwide exposure, setting the standard for sustainable practices and projects.

Winners and Finalists will be publicly recognized during a special ceremony at the 11th Global Travel & Tourism Summit , held from 17-19 May 2011 in Las Vegas, USA, in the presence of government and industry leaders. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - November 7, 2010) -- A British reputation management company, KwikChex, is gathering unhappy hotel owners and travel providers in a group to fight TripAdvisor: It's threatening to file class action suits in Britain and the United States for defamation and libel unless TripAdvisor changes its policies about posting user-generated hotel reviews.

The KwikChex group wants TripAdvisor to remove reviews that aren't verified but make serious charges such as crime, injury or illness. It wants other unverified insulting reviews taken down.  As part of its anti TripAdvisor strategy, KwikChex might also attempt to identify individual negative posters and go after them legally.

The advent of online reader review databases has been a positive development: Most anonymous reviews like those found on TripAdvisor can be honest, accurate and insightful. These reviews can help travelers and reward the best travel providers. Reviews can also pressure hotels to improve their service quality and property offerings so everyone wins.  read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - November 14, 2010) -- This month Reef & Rainforest is relocating its business headquarters to Portland, Oregon. The relocation to Oregon supports the adventure travel  company’s plan for growth in the scuba travel market.

(Dive Travel Business News - Sept 8, 2010) -- Earlier this summer, the U.S. Government raised U.S. passport fees substantially, increasing the cost for US citizens traveling abroad. This fall, the focus will be on inbound travel with the new U.S. Travel Promotion Act:  This Act, which goes into effect next week on Wednesday, September 15, calls for a $14 fee to be levied on travelers from 36 nations who enter the U.S.

The 36 nations are those that fall under the U.S. Visa Waiver Program, which allows visits to the U.S. of up to 90 days without the necessity of a seeking a visa (for non-work related travel).

Travelers from Visa Waiver Program countries will pay the $14 when they register online for U.S. travel through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. Of the $14 fee, $10 will go toward tourism marketing and $4 will cover the operating costs of registering the travelers for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization. read more »

(Dive Travel Business News - July 17, 2010) --  Carnival Cruise Lines has suspended all excursions that include the Coki Beach area on St. Thomas, after a 14-year-old female passenger from the Carnival Victory was killed by a stray bullet in a gang related shoot-out on Monday July 13, 2010. read more »