Costa Women Blogs

Building on cultural and economic links with Spain, EUROAL 2013 International Travel Market for Latin America and Europe saw José Luis Córdoba, Director of Andalucía Lab Tourist Innovation Centre in Marbella, host a conference on “How to become smart destinations and not die in the attempt.” Held at Torremolinos Palacio de Congresos (6-8 June), 11 themes were highlighted:   1. The transformation of destinations explained how travellers are increasingly looking for holidays with different added value elements and stressed the importance of tour operators investing in customised adventures and experiences.   2. Offering enriched experiences satisfies travellers’ interest in documenting and photographing personal experiences ‘on the go’ to share on blogs and social networks, enabling tourism companies to inform clients of where to go, what to buy, special offers, etc.   3. User-driven content demonstrates people’s trust in information provided by their peers rather than from traditional sources such as Tourist Information Centres and Town Halls.   4. The separation between browsing on computer versus mobile devices indicates people’s desire for information on the go. As José Luis explained, “Tourism is one of the most information-intensive industries” and tourist guides are optimizing content to fit mobile and tablet display and keypad functions.    5. Googling “what to see in London” produces 1.85 billion search results. This ‘Big Data’ is an example of travellers’ information demands – opportunities for providers to upload quality content promoting their products and services.   6. As emerging countries become more affluent and destinations become more accessible, we’re seeing a shift in traveller choices – for example, the Chinese have become the highest spending non-European visitors to France.   7. Now more than ever it’s essential to know your market – find out as much as possible about clients’ interests and demands.       8. The luxury travel sector is increasing. On 3 June 2013, management consultants PricewaterhouseCoopers recorded an 8.8% rise in high-end hotel reservations.   9. According to PhoCusWright travel market research, nearly 1 in 3 leisure agencies is hiring with the American Society of Travel Agents reporting a 57% increase in independent agents’ business over 2011.   10. Managing a hotel’s online reputation is important in a market where purchasing decisions are influenced by holiday review sites such as TripAdvisor.   11. As web browsing shifts to mobile devices, Apps are becoming an increasingly important information access point for travellers with the added advantage that online connectivity isn’t needed once the App is downloaded.   Conference attended and translated by Chris Dove, Pro Write and Edit, Málaga, www.prowriteandedit.com

I updated this information yesterday and thought I may be of use for anyone travelling to the area over the Summertime   My practical tips to visit the city of Granada or get your hands on Alhambra tickets!   Full post here: http://www.piccavey.com/blog/granada-andalucia/   Kind regardsMolly  

Having braved a week long trip abroad with a 10 year old and a 5 month old last year, I thought I’d put together a few tips to get you through flying with a baby.  It seemed to do the trick for us and we were left with a baby who slept for both take off and landing, plus the vast majority of the flights and was happy in the airport, which is a bit of a result as I’d been absolutely dreading the flight! Read more

I run two blogs – one for writers and one for readers of crime/thriller fiction. I am currently running weekly interviews on both blogs. If you are a published author and would like to feature on either blog, please let me know. For crime/thriller authors the blog link is: http://francesdiplinoreviews.blogspot.com.es/ For all other genres, the link is: http://thewritersabcchecklist.blogspot.fr/ You can contact me for the interview questions for either blog at: lorraine@lorrainemace.com

If you’ve got a business back home, a move overseas has an added layer of stress. How do you deal with contacts, staff, suppliers? Will your firm survive your expatriation? Start-up businesses in particular are vulnerable. In the first two years of trading, you are building up your customer base and your reputation. Any move, nationally or internationally, is bound to result in some downtime and lost leads. But what are the benefits of branching out? I spoke to Daniel Abrahams, co-founder of MyCurrencyTransfer.com, who recently relocated this thriving internet start-up from the Google @ Campus in London to TechLoft in Tel Aviv. Their business is expanding rapidly. MyCurrencyTransfer.com and its sister site, MyTravelMoney.co.uk, have already helped more than 1.2 million visitors find a fairer and cheaper deal on both travel money and international payments. However, the opportunity to move their headquarters to Israel, known as the ‘start-up nation’, for three months was hard to resist. “We want to be immersed in one of the most dynamic and successful startup hubs in the world,” Daniel said. “During our stay in Tel Aviv, we will meet face-to face with other high impact startups, entrepreneurs, and investors. In the first week of being here, we’ve spontaneously met literally dozens of high impact, high potential companies that are only too happy to knowledge share.” When it came to making the decision, Daniel turned to a good old-fashioned list of pros and cons. The pros won out and, now, he wants to inspire other Brits with a business big or small to take the plunge.“You’ve got to focus on the pros,” he said. “Think of the Serendipity Factor – if the opportunity arises to move overseas, perhaps that’s happened for a reason? It’s an opportunity to build your company culture and widen your network. And, with advances in technology, there’s no reason why you can’t have your PR firm, accountant and admin in London while you relocate. That’s where cloud computing excels!” Moving also keeps you on your toes. “Getting too comfortable in one environment can be your own worst enemy,” Daniel said. “I want to see the world and new business environments. There’s also a good chance that you may be able to  find and nurture local talent you might not otherwise come across.” Do you agree? Share your start-up experience on Twitter – follow @mytravelmoneyuk and @currencytransfr

    I have written this post about Working in Spain as an Expat. I hope you enjoy the read. It is also part of a Writing Contest. Can you spare a ´Like´ or add a quick comment after clicking on this link? http://www.expatsblog.com/contests/469/working-abroad-in-spain   Thanks!    ¿Tienes un momento para ´Me gusta´ o añadir un comentario al enlace? grcs Molly www.piccavey.com/blog