PLAYING ROULETTE ....WITH YOUR BUSINESS! As we now start to see a glimmer of light, at the end of the long Covid19 tunnel, what’s your opinion on travel companies dumping their rates? Here’s my take on it…. at the moment! Mixed Message If a hotel, airline or tour operator price themselves lower than the competition, they are likely to send a different message
SO WHAT MAKES A GOOD BUSINESS PARTNER? As you can imagine, there are many key attributes necessary for a business or businesses to be or become successful. However, it's very clear, 99% of time, that the core component is based on the people involved and how they work. Yes, it's all about the people! For Select Representation, we certainly have had our greatest success with our partners
SOUTH EAST ASIA'S SMALL & SLEEPY CAPITAL Vientiane is the capital of landlocked Laos, in South-East Asia. It combines French-colonial architecture with Buddhist temples, broad boulevards and tree-lined streets, together with many notable shrines, such as, Wat Si Saket and Wat Si Muang. Despite being the largest city in this tiny nation, there's really not a whole lot to do and that actually
THE KINGDOM OF BHUTAN AWAITS.... Bhutan, the land of the Thunder Dragon, is for many people, one of the dream locations to visit on their lifetime ‘bucket list’. This small landlocked nation sitting on the eastern side of the Himalayas (between Nepal, Tibet and India) is famed for its stunning and varied topography, including subtropical plains, verdant valleys and dramatic steep mountains. Foreigners
LET'S SUPPORT THE INDEPENDENT HOTELS You would think in this modern era that independent hotels would be booming, as people look for more distinctive and unique experiences. Unfortunately, this is not the case, as many independent hotels are either joining the big chains or shutting their doors. One of the biggest reasons independent hotels are disappearing is that they’re getting acquired by the
RICE FIELDS, VOLCANOES, BEACHES, CULTURE & SO MUCH MORE! Rice paddies, patchwork hillside terraces and beautiful sand beaches characterise this idyllic island. Encircled by turquoise waters, it's fascinating culture comes to life with traditional dancers adorned with vivid costumes and incredible stemmed fingers. We are talking about Bali, the tourist hotspot of Indonesia. BEACHES: Bali's beaches are great for action or plain relaxation; the
THERE'S NO TIME FOR BLAME.. It’s times like the dreaded ‘C19’ crisis when you learn who your ‘real’ friends and colleagues are. This really is not the time for political digs or gripes about what could or should have been done in the past. The current disaster is global and not just a localised problem. Let’s be honest here. There's never been a
SHOULD WE BELIEVE THE HYPE AND HYSTERIA? Okay, so we work in travel and are probably more used to dealing with the regular problems thrown at us over the years. We thought we had seen it all, with volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, tornados, hurricanes, earthquakes, forrest fires, swine flu, terrorist attacks, heatwaves, flooding, oil spills, currency fluctuations, airlines and tour operators going bust, transport
TREKKING IN AND AROUND SAPA Having been to Vietnam a number of times over the past decade, it was finally time to visit the fast-expanding mountain town of Sapa. This was one ticked off from my ‘bucket list’ for 2020. Getting to Sapa There’s 2 ways to get to Sapa from Hanoi. For some, the best way is via the overnight train. This
ASIA'S NO.1 STREET RACE.... IS BACK! Great news! The dates for the 2020 Formula One in Singapore have now been released. This year's night race spectacle, covering the streets of Marina Bay, will take place on the 18 - 20 September 2020. The Singapore Grand Prix (Asia's first ever night / street race - launched in 2008) forms part of the FIA Formula
