Segmentation strategy: How to use SEO to connect with specific segments of your hotel’s market

There is no one-size-fits all. Your hotel's website serves the primary function of allowing customers to book rooms online with ease, but not all of your customers are so easily satisfied.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1RLIIxK

Segmentation strategy: How to use SEO to connect with specific segments of your hotel’s market

There is no one-size-fits all. Your hotel’s website serves the primary function of allowing customers to book rooms online with ease, but not all of your customers are so easily satisfied.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1RLIIxK

OTAs continue to handle the majority of TripAdvisor Instant Booking

UBS presented new data for TripAdvisor Instant Booking and metasearch across 10.000 hotels in the US & Canada. According to the report, OTAs handle the majority of bookings and Booking.com remains the leading Instant Booking partner.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1UtrOs4

When a robot books your airline ticket

Virtual travel assistant services are now popping up worldwide, just as major hotel chains like Starwood and Hilton are incorporating robots into their everyday operations.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1O4etrc

Expedia looks back at some of its booking milestones

Over the past 20 years, Las Vegas has been the most searched destination on Expedia.com and the top market for hotel rooms sold in the past 10.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1XeLC6K

3 Common Energy Efficient Window Treatments

Energy-efficient window treatments can help provide effective insulation that maximize or minimize heat gain as needed.  In this post we'll discuss 3 common energy efficient window treatments, including: awnings, shades and draperies.

Image Source: Flickr

Awnings
Window awnings can reduce solar heat gain in the summer by up to 65% on south-facing windows and 77% on west-facing windows. You can use an awning to shade one window or have an awning custom-made to shade the entire side of your house.
Awnings require ventilation to keep hot air from becoming trapped around the window. Grommets (eyelets) or other openings along the tops and sides of an awning can provide ventilation. The awning may also open to the sides or top to vent hot air. Source: Energy

Shades
The DOE considers window shades the simplest and most effective way to save energy with window treatments. Proper installment is key. Mounting shades as close to the glass as possible and right up against the adjacent wall creates a tight seal that minimizes both heat gain and loss. Shades with dual layers of fabric — a light color on one side and a darker color on the other— add more functionality. Try reversing the shades based on the season; the light color will reflect heat in summer, while the dark color will absorb heat during winter. Source: Houzz

Draperies
Like shades and shutters, draperies are only efficient when they're closed. However, if they're used in conjunction with another window covering, such as a honeycomb shade or a wood blind, you can let sun in during daylight hours and effectively shut out colder air at night. When fully closed, the R-values of thermally lined drapes range from R-3 to R-5, depending on the type of fabric and the thickness of the lining and interlining.
To maximize energy efficiency, Korby recommends floor-to-ceiling drapes that fold back against the wall. This allows the drapes to seal off the window, preventing drafts and loss of heat through convection. Source: HouseLogic

 

Contact:
Universal Blinds
601 – 1550 W. 10th Ave
Vancouver, V6J 1Z9
Canada
Phone: (604) 559-1988

The post 3 Common Energy Efficient Window Treatments appeared first on Universal Blinds, Shades & Shutters.

from Universal Blinds, Shades & Shutters http://ift.tt/1sKAtNR

Sharing economy trend favors travel agents

The same forces that are driving the growth of Uber, Airbnb, and Rent the Runway are a powerful ally of retail travel agents, according to an expert on the sharing economy.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1sKBoh2

Airbnb lets neighbors complain about noisy guests

Instead of just showing how it can build up market share in cities around the world, Airbnb today launched a site dedicated to hearing complaints from neighbors.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1UtrREe

3 Common Energy Efficient Window Treatments

Energy-efficient window treatments can help provide effective insulation that maximize or minimize heat gain as needed.  In this post we’ll discuss 3 common energy efficient window treatments, including: awnings, shades and draperies.

Image Source: Flickr

Awnings
Window awnings can reduce solar heat gain in the summer by up to 65% on south-facing windows and 77% on west-facing windows. You can use an awning to shade one window or have an awning custom-made to shade the entire side of your house.
Awnings require ventilation to keep hot air from becoming trapped around the window. Grommets (eyelets) or other openings along the tops and sides of an awning can provide ventilation. The awning may also open to the sides or top to vent hot air. Source: Energy

Shades
The DOE considers window shades the simplest and most effective way to save energy with window treatments. Proper installment is key. Mounting shades as close to the glass as possible and right up against the adjacent wall creates a tight seal that minimizes both heat gain and loss. Shades with dual layers of fabric — a light color on one side and a darker color on the other— add more functionality. Try reversing the shades based on the season; the light color will reflect heat in summer, while the dark color will absorb heat during winter. Source: Houzz

Draperies
Like shades and shutters, draperies are only efficient when they’re closed. However, if they’re used in conjunction with another window covering, such as a honeycomb shade or a wood blind, you can let sun in during daylight hours and effectively shut out colder air at night. When fully closed, the R-values of thermally lined drapes range from R-3 to R-5, depending on the type of fabric and the thickness of the lining and interlining.
To maximize energy efficiency, Korby recommends floor-to-ceiling drapes that fold back against the wall. This allows the drapes to seal off the window, preventing drafts and loss of heat through convection. Source: HouseLogic

 

Contact:
Universal Blinds
601 – 1550 W. 10th Ave
Vancouver, V6J 1Z9
Canada
Phone: (604) 559-1988

The post 3 Common Energy Efficient Window Treatments appeared first on Universal Blinds, Shades & Shutters.

from Universal Blinds, Shades & Shutters http://ift.tt/1sKAtNR

3 Common Energy Efficient Window Treatments

from Universal Blinds, Shades & Shutters http://ift.tt/1sKAtNR

A first look at new Instagram business tools

The Facebook-owned company worked with hundreds of business users to understand what was needed to enhance their Instagram experience, and three key needs became clear.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1XeLOTD

Spring hotel bookings provide promise in majority of US markets

The spring booking bounce is spreading this season, with 22 of the top 25 North American markets showing committed occupancy growth compared to last month.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1O4eDP9

Top five secrets to building a successful hotel multichannel marketing campaign

How do you engage today's multi-device, multi-channel travel consumer and inspire a direct booking? This question fuels hotel marketers' digital strategies and marketing dollars.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1UtrNod

OTAs continue to handle the majority of TripAdvisor Instant Booking

UBS presented new data for TripAdvisor Instant Booking and metasearch across 10.000 hotels in the US & Canada. According to the report, OTAs handle the majority of bookings and Booking.com remains the leading Instant Booking partner.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1UtrOs4

When a robot books your airline ticket

Virtual travel assistant services are now popping up worldwide, just as major hotel chains like Starwood and Hilton are incorporating robots into their everyday operations.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1O4etrc

Expedia looks back at some of its booking milestones

Over the past 20 years, Las Vegas has been the most searched destination on Expedia.com and the top market for hotel rooms sold in the past 10.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1XeLC6K

Sharing economy trend favors travel agents

The same forces that are driving the growth of Uber, Airbnb, and Rent the Runway are a powerful ally of retail travel agents, according to an expert on the sharing economy.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1sKBoh2

Airbnb lets neighbors complain about noisy guests

Instead of just showing how it can build up market share in cities around the world, Airbnb today launched a site dedicated to hearing complaints from neighbors.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1UtrREe

A first look at new Instagram business tools

The Facebook-owned company worked with hundreds of business users to understand what was needed to enhance their Instagram experience, and three key needs became clear.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1XeLOTD

Spring hotel bookings provide promise in majority of US markets

The spring booking bounce is spreading this season, with 22 of the top 25 North American markets showing committed occupancy growth compared to last month.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1O4eDP9

Top five secrets to building a successful hotel multichannel marketing campaign

How do you engage today’s multi-device, multi-channel travel consumer and inspire a direct booking? This question fuels hotel marketers’ digital strategies and marketing dollars.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1UtrNod

How Veteran Real Estate Investors Buy Homes At A Bargain, *Hint* It’s NOT About The Price

 

 

 

It's NOT About The Price! 

 

When I met a veteran real estate investor a few years ago, that was when I learned that's NOT about the price.  Unlike the typical real estate buyer or the so called "investor" who cares about lowballing and buying below tax assesssed and getting the property at below market value, the Veteran Real Estate Investors don't always think like that.

They think differently.  They think outside of the box.  They think about terms.  

 

 

What?  What do you mean?  Isn't it about the price?

 

That's what I thought too.   But, often veteran real estate investors are willing to pay market value or EVEN ABOVE MARKET VALUE if the terms are favorable.  

 

What do you mean if the terms are favorable?

 

What if you could get the seller to give you a mortgage at an incredibly low interest rate?  That would be called a vendor take back mortgage, a term that describes a seller giving you a mortgage so you if you can't your banks to give you money or give you a good rate, the seller would give you that mortgage and you'd be making your mortgage payments to the seller, either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly or whatever you guys agree to.  

The post How Veteran Real Estate Investors Buy Homes At A Bargain, *Hint* It's NOT About The Price appeared first on Gary Wong Realty Vancouver, BC.

from Gary Wong Realty Vancouver, BC http://ift.tt/1O3hZSF

How Veteran Real Estate Investors Buy Homes At A Bargain, *Hint* It’s NOT About The Price

 

 

 

It’s NOT About The Price! 

 

When I met a veteran real estate investor a few years ago, that was when I learned that’s NOT about the price.  Unlike the typical real estate buyer or the so called “investor” who cares about lowballing and buying below tax assesssed and getting the property at below market value, the Veteran Real Estate Investors don’t always think like that.

They think differently.  They think outside of the box.  They think about terms.  

 

 

What?  What do you mean?  Isn’t it about the price?

 

That’s what I thought too.   But, often veteran real estate investors are willing to pay market value or EVEN ABOVE MARKET VALUE if the terms are favorable.  

 

What do you mean if the terms are favorable?

 

What if you could get the seller to give you a mortgage at an incredibly low interest rate?  That would be called a vendor take back mortgage, a term that describes a seller giving you a mortgage so you if you can’t your banks to give you money or give you a good rate, the seller would give you that mortgage and you’d be making your mortgage payments to the seller, either weekly, bi-weekly or monthly or whatever you guys agree to.  

The post How Veteran Real Estate Investors Buy Homes At A Bargain, *Hint* It’s NOT About The Price appeared first on Gary Wong Realty Vancouver, BC.

from Gary Wong Realty Vancouver, BC http://ift.tt/1O3hZSF

Ten More Dive Sites Close in Thailand

In an effort to stem damage done to the ecosystem of popular tourist spot Koh Tachai, Thai officials last week announced its indefinite closure to visitors. The island, which regularly sees thousands of daily arrivals, will close to allow the natural environment, both above and below the water, to recover from its current dismal state.

Since then, three other islands have been added to the list —  Koh Khai Nok, Koh Khai Nui and Koh Khai Nai are now also closed until further notice and, most recently, the government added more than 10 popular dive sites to the list as well, according to CNN. The dives include sites at the islands of Koh Ma Prao and Koh Chumpon, where up to 80 percent of the corals have been reported as severely bleached. The move to ban diving here is deemed necessary if the corals are to have any chance of survival.

Many of the areas close yearly for the monsoon season, but unlike other years, they will not reopen once the monsoon is over. And closures may not stop here; the Thai national park administration is currently deciding if it should close more popular sites, including the Phi Phi Islands, Phang Nga Bay and Nopparattara Beach.

Loved to Death

Coupled with this year's stronger-than-usual El Niño, the overarching problem in Thailand is one of popularity. The country used to be a seasonal destination with the bulk of visitors, mostly backpackers, coming in the high season from November to February. Now, Thailand has become a mass-tourism destination, with daily flights from practically every nation in the world landing at its airports, and yearly visitors counting in the tens of millions. Thailand has also become a year-round destination, with travelers increasingly seeking the lower prices and somewhat smaller crowds of the off-season. This means that the local wildlife, whether land-based or aquatic, has little or no time to rest and recover from the droves of tourists.

While there have been some local initiatives to make Thai tourism more sustainable, these have been few and far between, and have been dwarfed by the mass-tourism trade. Thai authorities have claimed to be caught unprepared for the challenges of the sudden influx of tourists, but critics point out that the government has been well-prepared enough invest in larger airports, develop infrastructure to and from tourist destinations, and issue permits to build more and larger hotels.

A few other countries have taken similar steps to limit the damage to their most popular dive sites. Malaysia has famously instituted limits on visitors to Sipadan Island, and recently even added scuba-diving park rangers to ensure that divers respect the national park rules.

The post Ten More Dive Sites Close in Thailand appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/1XM6fFL

Ten More Dive Sites Close in Thailand

In an effort to stem damage done to the ecosystem of popular tourist spot Koh Tachai, Thai officials last week announced its indefinite closure to visitors. The island, which regularly sees thousands of daily arrivals, will close to allow the natural environment, both above and below the water, to recover from its current dismal state.

Since then, three other islands have been added to the list —  Koh Khai Nok, Koh Khai Nui and Koh Khai Nai are now also closed until further notice and, most recently, the government added more than 10 popular dive sites to the list as well, according to CNN. The dives include sites at the islands of Koh Ma Prao and Koh Chumpon, where up to 80 percent of the corals have been reported as severely bleached. The move to ban diving here is deemed necessary if the corals are to have any chance of survival.

Many of the areas close yearly for the monsoon season, but unlike other years, they will not reopen once the monsoon is over. And closures may not stop here; the Thai national park administration is currently deciding if it should close more popular sites, including the Phi Phi Islands, Phang Nga Bay and Nopparattara Beach.

Loved to Death

Coupled with this year’s stronger-than-usual El Niño, the overarching problem in Thailand is one of popularity. The country used to be a seasonal destination with the bulk of visitors, mostly backpackers, coming in the high season from November to February. Now, Thailand has become a mass-tourism destination, with daily flights from practically every nation in the world landing at its airports, and yearly visitors counting in the tens of millions. Thailand has also become a year-round destination, with travelers increasingly seeking the lower prices and somewhat smaller crowds of the off-season. This means that the local wildlife, whether land-based or aquatic, has little or no time to rest and recover from the droves of tourists.

While there have been some local initiatives to make Thai tourism more sustainable, these have been few and far between, and have been dwarfed by the mass-tourism trade. Thai authorities have claimed to be caught unprepared for the challenges of the sudden influx of tourists, but critics point out that the government has been well-prepared enough invest in larger airports, develop infrastructure to and from tourist destinations, and issue permits to build more and larger hotels.

A few other countries have taken similar steps to limit the damage to their most popular dive sites. Malaysia has famously instituted limits on visitors to Sipadan Island, and recently even added scuba-diving park rangers to ensure that divers respect the national park rules.

The post Ten More Dive Sites Close in Thailand appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/1XM6fFL

So you want to become location independent?

The more I travel and blog around the world, the more I have begun to realize that there's this idea that it's the dream job. At least that's what everyone tells me when I open up about what I do. But you know what? After all these years, I think they are wrong.

Now, don't get me wrong, being a full time travel blogger can be a dream job, but there's a glitch in the system that nobody talks about. What happens when travel becomes your work?

Well let me tell you, it changes everything.

Now I am not enough of a hypocrite to stand here and say, MAN I wish I hadn't quit my job to travel. Um yeah right.

Because 3 years later it is still one of the best decisions I've made. But I will say I was fixated on the glitz and glamor of this amazing life of travel that I had only heard about, and I wanted it. After these years I've realized just how hard it really is, how competitive, how challenging it is to actually make a real income from it, and I want people to know that and be prepared. You have to want it with every fiber of your being and be willing to risk failure and put it all on the line if you are going to make it in this industry. (More on our Travel Boot Camp in Sydney on June 18th here).

Because becoming a professional travel blogger or influencer isn't your only ticket to having a life filled with travel. There are plenty of others ways to live abroad and travel the world without being a travel blogger or having a nice big fat trust fund. And there are plenty of ways to hack the system and make it happen.

The trick is finding a way to work overseas or better yet, to become location independent entirely.

A nice pretty buzz phrase that people toss around, isn't it? Location independent. Digital nomad. Or if your my parents – being a backpacker bum around the world with no clear ambitions? Sigh, some things never change.

But after all these years I think it's not a question of deciding between having a "real job" and having a "travel job" – when there is option C, perhaps the least obvious one – having a job that lets you have the flexibility to work anywhere in the world. As long as you have internet.

I think that's the best way to make this life work. You want to live and travel the world? Why can't you do it with a job. You just need to find the right job for you.

I've made a lot of friends around the world who are location independent with their work. They travel and spend a few months at a time in a new place, or they lease an apartment for a year somewhere or they just stay on the move living out of a backpack. Their travel is separate from their work. They spend their days exploring new places and their nights on their laptops or vice versa.

I have heaps of friends with this lifestyle, especially in Southeast Asia where the living is great and it's cheap as hell (imagine earning a normal wage in the US and living on $400 a month like a king?). Or I have friends that teach English overseas, or work jobs where they work month on month off and then travel on that time off. I know people that travel hack their way to free flights around the world and couch surf or housesit for free accommodation. Hell, I did this for years until I could live off my blog.

If you want to travel more than 10 paid vacation days per year, trust me, it's not only possible, it's not that hard if you set your mind to it.

I think it's a mistake these days to inundate the interwebs about lucrative ways to quit your job to travel. Why is it fair to assume that what works for one person will work for everyone, and is it just me, or is it really fucking pretentious to tell people how to live their lives? I hate it when people do it to me, so I imagine I am not the only one that feels this way.

What I want to do is to show people that there is an in between in all of this. You don't have to quit your job just rethink how you work if you dream about having this location independent lifestyle.

There are ways to make it work. Here's one way to help you make it happen.

Meet the Paradise Pack

This week The Paradise Pack goes on sale for 90% off. This only happens once a year with different products, and it ends on June 6th. Time to get moving.

A collection of online courses and tools to help you become location independent and build a life of travel that will help you be able to live and work anywhere in the world, the Paradise Pack contains dozens of courses, educational products and tools to make that happen. It's worth over $2500 and it's on sale for one week only for $197. If you play your cards right, you can earn it back immediately.

If you have been wanting to travel more and don't know how to make it happen without just working, saving and quitting and you're looking for a different option – NOW IS YOUR CHANCE.

Some of the courses offered will teach you how to learn a language in 3 months, build a travel business, become a freelance writer, learn affiliate marketing, converting your blog into a business, how to land a book deal, and fly around the world for super cheap, and heaps more.

I've already bought my pack so I can keep growing and expanding my business and continue to learn and try new things, and you can too.

One of the reasons I've become as successful as I have is because I'm always trying to learn by reading about new tactics to watching video tutorials to signing up for courses online, it's all about being proactive. Investing in the Paradise Pack is the first step towards following your travel goals if that's what you're after.

This year I am all about trying new business tactics and dreaming really big. A few of these courses I know will help me get there by teaching me new skills that I don't already know (hello book deal!) and will continue helping me on my goal to become location independent for the next few years.

And since many of these courses and products are worth over $197 just on their own, it makes sense to buy a pack (though I wish I had known sooner, to be honest, because I already bought one of them!).

The Paradise Pack sale ends on June 6th at midnight PST then it's gone forever, so now is the time to join me in learning new ways of learning how to become location independent.

PS some of the links in here are affiliate links that help foot the bills. Cheers!

The post So you want to become location independent? appeared first on Young Adventuress.

from Young Adventuress http://ift.tt/1RIjgcw

So you want to become location independent?

The more I travel and blog around the world, the more I have begun to realize that there’s this idea that it’s the dream job. At least that’s what everyone tells me when I open up about what I do. But you know what? After all these years, I think they are wrong.

Now, don’t get me wrong, being a full time travel blogger can be a dream job, but there’s a glitch in the system that nobody talks about. What happens when travel becomes your work?

Well let me tell you, it changes everything.

Now I am not enough of a hypocrite to stand here and say, MAN I wish I hadn’t quit my job to travel. Um yeah right.

Because 3 years later it is still one of the best decisions I’ve made. But I will say I was fixated on the glitz and glamor of this amazing life of travel that I had only heard about, and I wanted it. After these years I’ve realized just how hard it really is, how competitive, how challenging it is to actually make a real income from it, and I want people to know that and be prepared. You have to want it with every fiber of your being and be willing to risk failure and put it all on the line if you are going to make it in this industry. (More on our Travel Boot Camp in Sydney on June 18th here).

Because becoming a professional travel blogger or influencer isn’t your only ticket to having a life filled with travel. There are plenty of others ways to live abroad and travel the world without being a travel blogger or having a nice big fat trust fund. And there are plenty of ways to hack the system and make it happen.

The trick is finding a way to work overseas or better yet, to become location independent entirely.

A nice pretty buzz phrase that people toss around, isn’t it? Location independent. Digital nomad. Or if your my parents – being a backpacker bum around the world with no clear ambitions? Sigh, some things never change.

But after all these years I think it’s not a question of deciding between having a “real job” and having a “travel job” – when there is option C, perhaps the least obvious one – having a job that lets you have the flexibility to work anywhere in the world. As long as you have internet.

I think that’s the best way to make this life work. You want to live and travel the world? Why can’t you do it with a job. You just need to find the right job for you.

I’ve made a lot of friends around the world who are location independent with their work. They travel and spend a few months at a time in a new place, or they lease an apartment for a year somewhere or they just stay on the move living out of a backpack. Their travel is separate from their work. They spend their days exploring new places and their nights on their laptops or vice versa.

I have heaps of friends with this lifestyle, especially in Southeast Asia where the living is great and it’s cheap as hell (imagine earning a normal wage in the US and living on $400 a month like a king?). Or I have friends that teach English overseas, or work jobs where they work month on month off and then travel on that time off. I know people that travel hack their way to free flights around the world and couch surf or housesit for free accommodation. Hell, I did this for years until I could live off my blog.

If you want to travel more than 10 paid vacation days per year, trust me, it’s not only possible, it’s not that hard if you set your mind to it.

I think it’s a mistake these days to inundate the interwebs about lucrative ways to quit your job to travel. Why is it fair to assume that what works for one person will work for everyone, and is it just me, or is it really fucking pretentious to tell people how to live their lives? I hate it when people do it to me, so I imagine I am not the only one that feels this way.

What I want to do is to show people that there is an in between in all of this. You don’t have to quit your job just rethink how you work if you dream about having this location independent lifestyle.

There are ways to make it work. Here’s one way to help you make it happen.

Meet the Paradise Pack

This week The Paradise Pack goes on sale for 90% off. This only happens once a year with different products, and it ends on June 6th. Time to get moving.

A collection of online courses and tools to help you become location independent and build a life of travel that will help you be able to live and work anywhere in the world, the Paradise Pack contains dozens of courses, educational products and tools to make that happen. It’s worth over $2500 and it’s on sale for one week only for $197. If you play your cards right, you can earn it back immediately.

If you have been wanting to travel more and don’t know how to make it happen without just working, saving and quitting and you’re looking for a different option – NOW IS YOUR CHANCE.

Some of the courses offered will teach you how to learn a language in 3 months, build a travel business, become a freelance writer, learn affiliate marketing, converting your blog into a business, how to land a book deal, and fly around the world for super cheap, and heaps more.

I’ve already bought my pack so I can keep growing and expanding my business and continue to learn and try new things, and you can too.

One of the reasons I’ve become as successful as I have is because I’m always trying to learn by reading about new tactics to watching video tutorials to signing up for courses online, it’s all about being proactive. Investing in the Paradise Pack is the first step towards following your travel goals if that’s what you’re after.

This year I am all about trying new business tactics and dreaming really big. A few of these courses I know will help me get there by teaching me new skills that I don’t already know (hello book deal!) and will continue helping me on my goal to become location independent for the next few years.

And since many of these courses and products are worth over $197 just on their own, it makes sense to buy a pack (though I wish I had known sooner, to be honest, because I already bought one of them!).

The Paradise Pack sale ends on June 6th at midnight PST then it’s gone forever, so now is the time to join me in learning new ways of learning how to become location independent.

PS some of the links in here are affiliate links that help foot the bills. Cheers!

The post So you want to become location independent? appeared first on Young Adventuress.

from Young Adventuress http://ift.tt/1RIjgcw

Behind Expedia’s headquarters move

The Wall Street Journal spoke with Mark Okerstrom, Expedia's chief financial officer and the man in charge of the move, about building a modern workplace from scratch.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1WW1URh

Is your hotel’s optimization and personalization strategy on target?

In the future, hotel guests will expect their stay to be personalized around a set of choices they make at the time of booking or prior to arrival. Hoteliers must be able to meet those expectations.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1XaMGIK

Google Trips app now being beta tested

A few days ago, Google sent an email to some of their local guides about testing a new beta version of the Google Trips Android app. Here are a few screenshots of the current state of the app.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1UqLCfQ

Iceland plans Airbnb restrictions amid tourism explosion

Proposed legislation seeks to restrict the number of days residents can offer Airbnb rentals in their properties to 90 days a year before they must pay business tax.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1XaMpWk

Is your hotel’s optimization and personalization strategy on target?

In the future, hotel guests will expect their stay to be personalized around a set of choices they make at the time of booking or prior to arrival. Hoteliers must be able to meet those expectations.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1XaMGIK

Google Trips app now being beta tested

A few days ago, Google sent an email to some of their local guides about testing a new beta version of the Google Trips Android app. Here are a few screenshots of the current state of the app.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1UqLCfQ

Iceland plans Airbnb restrictions amid tourism explosion

Proposed legislation seeks to restrict the number of days residents can offer Airbnb rentals in their properties to 90 days a year before they must pay business tax.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1XaMpWk

Behind Expedia’s headquarters move

The Wall Street Journal spoke with Mark Okerstrom, Expedia’s chief financial officer and the man in charge of the move, about building a modern workplace from scratch.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1WW1URh

Hotels to lead global public relation robots market through 2020

The need to improve operational efficiency by implementing delivery robots at hotels and automate the routine tasks in hotels are some of the driving forces, according to a new report.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1UqLdtU

Facebook’s director of product design on why websites may be a dying business

It feels like we were facing the end of print only years ago, but the time may be ripe to begin lamenting the end of the website.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1XaMklt

Increase your hotel’s revenue through storytelling

In the hotel business there is one constant challenge - how to best engage a potential guest and increase financial success for the property. Telling a great story can get you a long way.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/22vh5ko

The science of supply and demand: Is your hotel maximizing room revenue?

The theory of supply and demand is one of the fundamental principles of economics. And when it comes to maximizing your hotel’s revenue, supply and demand is a principle that should be cleverly implemented.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1WW1cn6

Hotels to lead global public relation robots market through 2020

The need to improve operational efficiency by implementing delivery robots at hotels and automate the routine tasks in hotels are some of the driving forces, according to a new report.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1UqLdtU

Facebook’s director of product design on why websites may be a dying business

It feels like we were facing the end of print only years ago, but the time may be ripe to begin lamenting the end of the website.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1XaMklt

Increase your hotel’s revenue through storytelling

In the hotel business there is one constant challenge - how to best engage a potential guest and increase financial success for the property. Telling a great story can get you a long way.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/22vh5ko

The science of supply and demand: Is your hotel maximizing room revenue?

The theory of supply and demand is one of the fundamental principles of economics. And when it comes to maximizing your hotel's revenue, supply and demand is a principle that should be cleverly implemented.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1WW1cn6

River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond

Following the success of Intracorp's One River Park Place, we are pleased to bring you and your clients the newest addition to Richmond's riverfront Oval Village. RPP II will be Richmond's brightest new neighbourhood and will feature the most sought-after amenities within minutes, while paving the way with progressive and illuminating technological details.

RPP II will feature 127 vibrant one, two and three bedroom homes. Views of the mountains, the river or the city centre will celebrate both the natural setting to the north, and a bustling epicentre of amenities to the south. Without even leaving your front door, Intracorp's quality and industry-leading excellence is proven with state-of-the-art recording and practice rooms, a business centre, games and study rooms – all within steps – and all part of the luxury amenities at RPP II. Also enjoy a peaceful yoga room, an innovative gym space, and the ultimate car wash.

The post River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos http://ift.tt/1RGUBF5

River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond

Following the success of Intracorp’s One River Park Place, we are pleased to bring you and your clients the newest addition to Richmond’s riverfront Oval Village. RPP II will be Richmond’s brightest new neighbourhood and will feature the most sought-after amenities within minutes, while paving the way with progressive and illuminating technological details.

RPP II will feature 127 vibrant one, two and three bedroom homes. Views of the mountains, the river or the city centre will celebrate both the natural setting to the north, and a bustling epicentre of amenities to the south. Without even leaving your front door, Intracorp’s quality and industry-leading excellence is proven with state-of-the-art recording and practice rooms, a business centre, games and study rooms – all within steps – and all part of the luxury amenities at RPP II. Also enjoy a peaceful yoga room, an innovative gym space, and the ultimate car wash.

The post River Park Place – Phase 2 coming to Richmond appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

from Buildings – Vancouver New Condos http://ift.tt/1RGUBF5

Top 10 Signs That You’re a Scuba Addict

Are you a scuba addict? (If so, you're in good company). Here we've provided a handy checklist in order for you to quantify the depth of your addiction — answer more than five of these in the affirmative, and you're a bona fide scuba junkie.

1. You wear a big, bulky watch.

Fellow divers will know that your prized timepiece is not only a watch, but a dive computer. Non-divers will wonder why your watch is so big.

2. You have an impressive collection of dive t-shirts.

You've been there, you've dived it — from the dive centers to the liveaboards to the sites themselves, you've got the swag to prove it. Bonus points if you wear your dive t-shirts from different destinations on your current dive vacation.

3. You plan all your vacations around diving.

You might compromise on the specific destination if your spouse or friends don't dive, so that you can go diving while they do something else. As long as you're ticking off a box on that giant diving bucket list you've got in your head, you're happy. And when someone tells you about somewhere you haven't been, your first question is, "do you know if there's diving, and is it any good?"

4. You have a pet named Nemo, Sharky, or Scubadoo.

(And it doesn't matter if it's a fish, dog, cat or hamster.)

5. You have a dive-certification card in your wallet.

Or you've got several C-cards in your wallet, right next to the other essentials, such as your driver's license. You know, just in case you randomly need it (or want to show off a bit).

6. You know an extra language.

It's 100 percent possible for you to have a full conversation in hand signals with your diving friends.

7. You're never short of ideas when people ask you what they can get you for your birthday.

We all know you've had your eye on that snazzy new dive watch (see above) or that new mask. Because you've mentioned it 12 times.

8. You always get into trouble in customs.

You don't want to check your regulator, camera, or gear in general — we get it. Just know that customs staff is going to make you unpack it all every time.

9. You have an amazing memory…

…at least when it comes to what you've seen underwater, and where. You can happily recount when you saw your first shark/turtle/ray/whale, etc. Or your best dive. Or your first dive. Or your worst dive.

10. You use the "OK" sign for everything.

If someone asks you how it's going, you're sure to flash them the "OK" signal. You'll bust it out when you're happy. Or when you're ready. Or basically when you agree with anything. You use it all the time, and people can easily confuse you when they give you the thumbs up instead.

The post Top 10 Signs That You're a Scuba Addict appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/1UozpZ5

Top 10 Signs That You’re a Scuba Addict

Are you a scuba addict? (If so, you’re in good company). Here we’ve provided a handy checklist in order for you to quantify the depth of your addiction — answer more than five of these in the affirmative, and you’re a bona fide scuba junkie.

1. You wear a big, bulky watch.

Fellow divers will know that your prized timepiece is not only a watch, but a dive computer. Non-divers will wonder why your watch is so big.

2. You have an impressive collection of dive t-shirts.

You’ve been there, you’ve dived it — from the dive centers to the liveaboards to the sites themselves, you’ve got the swag to prove it. Bonus points if you wear your dive t-shirts from different destinations on your current dive vacation.

3. You plan all your vacations around diving.

You might compromise on the specific destination if your spouse or friends don’t dive, so that you can go diving while they do something else. As long as you’re ticking off a box on that giant diving bucket list you’ve got in your head, you’re happy. And when someone tells you about somewhere you haven’t been, your first question is, “do you know if there’s diving, and is it any good?”

4. You have a pet named Nemo, Sharky, or Scubadoo.

(And it doesn’t matter if it’s a fish, dog, cat or hamster.)

5. You have a dive-certification card in your wallet.

Or you’ve got several C-cards in your wallet, right next to the other essentials, such as your driver’s license. You know, just in case you randomly need it (or want to show off a bit).

6. You know an extra language.

It’s 100 percent possible for you to have a full conversation in hand signals with your diving friends.

7. You’re never short of ideas when people ask you what they can get you for your birthday.

We all know you’ve had your eye on that snazzy new dive watch (see above) or that new mask. Because you’ve mentioned it 12 times.

8. You always get into trouble in customs.

You don’t want to check your regulator, camera, or gear in general — we get it. Just know that customs staff is going to make you unpack it all every time.

9. You have an amazing memory…

…at least when it comes to what you’ve seen underwater, and where. You can happily recount when you saw your first shark/turtle/ray/whale, etc. Or your best dive. Or your first dive. Or your worst dive.

10. You use the “OK” sign for everything.

If someone asks you how it’s going, you’re sure to flash them the “OK” signal. You’ll bust it out when you’re happy. Or when you’re ready. Or basically when you agree with anything. You use it all the time, and people can easily confuse you when they give you the thumbs up instead.

The post Top 10 Signs That You’re a Scuba Addict appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/1UozpZ5

3 Security Tips to Consider When Moving

Moving between homes can be a very exciting time. However, you are more likely to be burgled before and after your move. Here are some security tips to consider when moving, including: replacing the current locks, bolstering sliding doors and establishing a safe haven.

Continue reading to learn more about these 3 security tips to consider when moving:

Replacing the Current Locks
The first thing you should do when you move into a new house is to replace the current locks to your home using a vetted, inspected and qualified locksmith.
Ideally replace locks with a patented or a restricted locking system, do make sure you pick the correct lock though. Patented keys carry legal protection, preventing copies being made without providing proof of ownership, while restricted keys are unlikely to be copied due to their unusual design and unique mechanical features. This means that extra keys can't be made without your knowledge and previous owners or tenants do not still have access to your home.
In addition, when patented keys are stolen or go missing, the existing key can be deleted from a locksmith's key code database, the lock re-configured and new keys issued, ensuring that lost or stolen keys no longer work. Source: Locksmiths

Bolstering Sliding Doors
Balcony doors are great for sunshine and views, but they can pose a hazard if they are not properly secured. An unsecured sliding door can provide an intruder with a relatively untraceable and quiet entrance to your place. While it's important to always lock your balcony door when it's not in use, many sliding doors have inadequate locks and come off their tracks with just a nudge. For optimal security, make sure to arm your sliding door with an inside bar lock or a pole on the track. You can also install a secondary locking mechanism with a metal pin inserted through the doorframe and into the sliding door. Source: SafeWise

Establishing a Safe haven
Follow three basic steps in setting up a safe-haven in your home:

• Designate an internal room;
• Install a two-way communications system or telephone; and
• Furnish the safe haven with an emergency kit.

It is highly unlikely you would spend more than a few hours in a safe haven; however, the supplies listed below are suggested for your maximum safety. Your security officer can tell you more about how to select and secure your safe haven. Source: State

The post 3 Security Tips to Consider When Moving appeared first on Mr Locksmith Calgary.

from Mr Locksmith Calgary http://ift.tt/22tTsbT

3 Security Tips to Consider When Moving

Moving between homes can be a very exciting time. However, you are more likely to be burgled before and after your move. Here are some security tips to consider when moving, including: replacing the current locks, bolstering sliding doors and establishing a safe haven.

Continue reading to learn more about these 3 security tips to consider when moving:

Replacing the Current Locks
The first thing you should do when you move into a new house is to replace the current locks to your home using a vetted, inspected and qualified locksmith.
Ideally replace locks with a patented or a restricted locking system, do make sure you pick the correct lock though. Patented keys carry legal protection, preventing copies being made without providing proof of ownership, while restricted keys are unlikely to be copied due to their unusual design and unique mechanical features. This means that extra keys can’t be made without your knowledge and previous owners or tenants do not still have access to your home.
In addition, when patented keys are stolen or go missing, the existing key can be deleted from a locksmith’s key code database, the lock re-configured and new keys issued, ensuring that lost or stolen keys no longer work. Source: Locksmiths

Bolstering Sliding Doors
Balcony doors are great for sunshine and views, but they can pose a hazard if they are not properly secured. An unsecured sliding door can provide an intruder with a relatively untraceable and quiet entrance to your place. While it’s important to always lock your balcony door when it’s not in use, many sliding doors have inadequate locks and come off their tracks with just a nudge. For optimal security, make sure to arm your sliding door with an inside bar lock or a pole on the track. You can also install a secondary locking mechanism with a metal pin inserted through the doorframe and into the sliding door. Source: SafeWise

Establishing a Safe haven
Follow three basic steps in setting up a safe-haven in your home:

• Designate an internal room;
• Install a two-way communications system or telephone; and
• Furnish the safe haven with an emergency kit.

It is highly unlikely you would spend more than a few hours in a safe haven; however, the supplies listed below are suggested for your maximum safety. Your security officer can tell you more about how to select and secure your safe haven. Source: State

The post 3 Security Tips to Consider When Moving appeared first on Mr Locksmith Calgary.

from Mr Locksmith Calgary http://ift.tt/22tTsbT

Distribution becomes top of mind for hotel investors

At many of the major real estate and investment conferences, the hot topics today during the main general sessions are not about mergers and acquisitions. Rather, distribution is usually one of the first things talked about.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1PbhWV8

As occupancy levels stabilize, RevPAR growth decelerates

After nishing 2015 at peak occupancies, US hotels struggled to maintain occupancy levels during the rst quarter of 2016, according to PwC's latest Hospitality Direction US report.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/25vzAdJ

“No reason” Airbnb and Uber can’t be sold via GDS

Airbnb, Uber and other shared economy companies could be incorporated into the GDS in future, if there was demand for it, Travelport has revealed.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1TQGxNO

How the Starwood-Marriott merger will impact Hyatt

Even though Hyatt wasn't successful in the bidding war to buy Starwood Hotels, CEO Mark Hoplamazian tells Fortune's Susie Gharib the giant Marriott-Starwood combination is actually an "opportunity" for his company.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1WUmH7D

Starwood’s loyalty program is experimenting on Snapchat

Travel marketers aren't limiting themselves to millennials or Instagram. Instead, some are already marketing to Generation Z and making big moves on social media platforms like Snapchat.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1REBWKd

5 competitive advertising strategies to outsmart your competition

Here are five brilliant competitive advertising strategies you can use to get in front of your competitors' customers and (with a little work) turn them into your customers instead.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1sGGhHS

Phocuswright launches new innovation products

This expansion comes in the form of a new suite of innovation products, the Phocuswright Innovation Platform, which ranges from conference components, and a university program, to networking and consulting.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1PbhZjK

Six reasons why revenue management technology is important to small independent hotels

Similar to larger hotels, smaller ones are constantly generating data. Especially if the property has a restaurant, spa, bar, or other ancillary sources of revenue. Without automation, it is difficult to compile and analyze all this continuous information.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1sGFE1g

Distribution becomes top of mind for hotel investors

At many of the major real estate and investment conferences, the hot topics today during the main general sessions are not about mergers and acquisitions. Rather, distribution is usually one of the first things talked about.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1PbhWV8

As occupancy levels stabilize, RevPAR growth decelerates

After nishing 2015 at peak occupancies, US hotels struggled to maintain occupancy levels during the rst quarter of 2016, according to PwC's latest Hospitality Direction US report.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/25vzAdJ

“No reason” Airbnb and Uber can’t be sold via GDS

Airbnb, Uber and other shared economy companies could be incorporated into the GDS in future, if there was demand for it, Travelport has revealed.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1TQGxNO

How the Starwood-Marriott merger will impact Hyatt

Even though Hyatt wasn’t successful in the bidding war to buy Starwood Hotels, CEO Mark Hoplamazian tells Fortune’s Susie Gharib the giant Marriott-Starwood combination is actually an “opportunity” for his company.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1WUmH7D

Starwood’s loyalty program is experimenting on Snapchat

Travel marketers aren’t limiting themselves to millennials or Instagram. Instead, some are already marketing to Generation Z and making big moves on social media platforms like Snapchat.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1REBWKd

5 competitive advertising strategies to outsmart your competition

Here are five brilliant competitive advertising strategies you can use to get in front of your competitors' customers and (with a little work) turn them into your customers instead.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1sGGhHS

Phocuswright launches new innovation products

This expansion comes in the form of a new suite of innovation products, the Phocuswright Innovation Platform, which ranges from conference components, and a university program, to networking and consulting.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1PbhZjK

Six reasons why revenue management technology is important to small independent hotels

Similar to larger hotels, smaller ones are constantly generating data. Especially if the property has a restaurant, spa, bar, or other ancillary sources of revenue. Without automation, it is difficult to compile and analyze all this continuous information.

from HOTELMARKETING.COM http://ift.tt/1sGFE1g

Diving the SS Arrow in Cape Breton

It’s a contrary kind of morning on Chedabucto Bay. The sun is shining, but it’s cold and there’s a brisk wind blowing from the southwest; it’s churned up the waters here, between Cape Breton Island and Nova Scotia. We’re pounding through 4- to 6-foot swells in a 25-foot (8 m) rigid hull inflatable boat (RIB), heading out to dive one of the premier wrecks on the east coast of Canada — the SS Arrow. The ride out to the dive site is turning out to be a bone-jarring experience. All this for dive that still has huge question marks beside it in my mind.

First of all, given the state of sea, I’m not sure whether we’re going to be able to descend. Getting out of the boat isn’t going to be a problem — but crawling back into it when the boat is bobbing through a 10-foot arc is a real concern.

My other question: What will we find? When the Arrow went down on February 4^th, 1970, it was an environmental disaster of massive proportions, one that — at the time — rivaled the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. The ship was hauling 108,000 barrels of Bunker C fuel. It was old and lacked proper navigational instruments and, as a result, it struck Cerberus Rock at 9:30 a.m. and ran aground. Initially it wasn’t a disaster; the ship’s hull held firm. Attempts were made to haul it off the rock, but before the work could be completed, bad weather hit the coast and it split in two. The resulting oil spill contaminated 190 miles of coastline and ruined the local fishery. Eventually, a salvage vessel managed to extract some of the oil from the hold of the ship, but the question still remains — will I find a thriving artificial reef, or a still-leaking environmental killer?

As we approach the reef where the Arrow struck, the seas flatten out — marginally. Ingo Vollmer, owner of Vipi Lodge and Dive Shop, decides we’re good to go and we’re over the side and dropping down the descent line. My dive buddy is Ingo’s wife Anita, who decides we’ll do a circuit around the superstructure and top deck. The rough weather has churned up the seas and the visibility is poor, but we’re only at 50 feet (15 m), so the light penetration is excellent. Masses of shaggy seaweed cover the gangways of the superstructure, and thousands of small baitfish, a kind of ocean perch called cunners, swarm the top of the wreck. As we work our way down the length of the main deck, Anita points out a wonderful macro feature — the pipes and machinery that used to move the oil are covered in miniature, orchid-like sea anemones. As I approach, some of the pipes they look as if they’re covered with frosty clouds of cotton candy. We hit the far end of the wreck and I notice a couple of very promising swim-throughs — old hatchways that lead down to the forward hold and out the front of the wreck. I make a mental note to revisit them on the next dive with good visibility. We hit our turnaround time and head back for the boat, and I can’t help thinking there’s more to this wreck than I’m seeing under these conditions.

As we hit the surface, the dive gets a little tricky. The winds have picked up again, and the RIB is swinging wildly. There’s no dive ladder; instead, we have to catch hold of a rope and, while hanging on the side, remove our BCDs and weight belts, hand them up to the boat tender and then heave ourselves in. My arm and shoulder get severely yanked around and it takes some real work to hang on, but eventually I manage to get all my gear off and haul myself up over the side. I’m getting too old for this stuff, though I have to admit I feel a little like a Navy SEAL when it’s all over. Ingo asks me how the dive went. When I tell him, he says: “We’ll try again tomorrow.” He fires up the engine and we head for shore.

Diving the Arrow: Day Two

Day two begins on a promising note as I poke my head out of my cabin and see the sun shining. Even better, the wind has died completely. I head up to the dive shop and quickly pack my gear into the RIB. This time the journey out is magical. We blast along on a calm sea, past islands covered with sea birds. Eagles perch in the trees that line the bay. Every time I turn and look, a harbor seal is poking its head out of the water. In the distance, I see the back of a fin whale break the surface. Ingo tells me that sunfish (mola mola) often visit the bay in the summer. Suddenly Chedabucto Bay has come to life.

Our trip to wreck takes only a few minutes today, and we’re over the side of the RIB in record time. As soon as I submerge, I know the dive is going to pay off. I can see the top of the superstructure 50 feet (15 m) below me, and as I descend, I start to get a sense of the scale of the wreck. It’s massive, around 400 feet (122 m) long, 60 feet (18 m) wide and about 50 feet (15 m) high. We swim past the superstructure and head deeper to do a circuit of the main hull. Swimming 30 feet away from the wreck and parallel, I’m dwarfed by size of the structure. With such great visibility, I also start to notice a few other details — the bottom surrounding the ship is covered with scallops and lobster. We circle around to the front of the ship, where the bow of the Arrow tore away from the stern. Jagged and twisted plates and beams poke out from the hull, looking vaguely like a surreal, metallic space squid. There’s enough clearance to swim in for a quick look and I make a mental note to bring a reel or two the next time I come. When we pop back out and head for the main deck, I’m beginning to get a sense of just how alive this artificial reef has become. In the midst of the shaggy seaweed is an abundance of starfish, crabs and cod — it’s little wonder that harbor seals stop at this underwater smorgasbord regularly to feed.

Surrounded by such an abundance of life, it’s hard to picture the wreck as an environmental disaster of staggering proportions, but later Ingo tells me that inside the hull he still occasionally comes across globs of oil. Long before I’m ready to surface I’m out of bottom time. This time it’s an easy pull to get into the RIB and a gentle ride back to shore. I’ve finally gotten a good glimpse of this sunken oil tanker that I was so curious about. If there is any long-term damage in and around the Arrow, then I’ve certainly not seen anything to indicate it. From my brief visits I’m left only with the impression that, given time, the sea has an almost infinite capacity for resilience.

The post Diving the SS Arrow in Cape Breton         appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/25tYF8I

Diving the SS Arrow in Cape Breton

It's a contrary kind of morning on Chedabucto Bay. The sun is shining, but it's cold and there's a brisk wind blowing from the southwest; it's churned up the waters here, between Cape Breton Island and Nova Scotia. We're pounding through 4- to 6-foot swells in a 25-foot (8 m) rigid hull inflatable boat (RIB), heading out to dive one of the premier wrecks on the east coast of Canada — the SS Arrow. The ride out to the dive site is turning out to be a bone-jarring experience. All this for dive that still has huge question marks beside it in my mind.

First of all, given the state of sea, I'm not sure whether we're going to be able to descend. Getting out of the boat isn't going to be a problem — but crawling back into it when the boat is bobbing through a 10-foot arc is a real concern.

My other question: What will we find? When the Arrow went down on February 4^th, 1970, it was an environmental disaster of massive proportions, one that — at the time — rivaled the Deepwater Horizon disaster of 2010. The ship was hauling 108,000 barrels of Bunker C fuel. It was old and lacked proper navigational instruments and, as a result, it struck Cerberus Rock at 9:30 a.m. and ran aground. Initially it wasn't a disaster; the ship's hull held firm. Attempts were made to haul it off the rock, but before the work could be completed, bad weather hit the coast and it split in two. The resulting oil spill contaminated 190 miles of coastline and ruined the local fishery. Eventually, a salvage vessel managed to extract some of the oil from the hold of the ship, but the question still remains — will I find a thriving artificial reef, or a still-leaking environmental killer?

As we approach the reef where the Arrow struck, the seas flatten out — marginally. Ingo Vollmer, owner of Vipi Lodge and Dive Shop, decides we're good to go and we're over the side and dropping down the descent line. My dive buddy is Ingo's wife Anita, who decides we'll do a circuit around the superstructure and top deck. The rough weather has churned up the seas and the visibility is poor, but we're only at 50 feet (15 m), so the light penetration is excellent. Masses of shaggy seaweed cover the gangways of the superstructure, and thousands of small baitfish, a kind of ocean perch called cunners, swarm the top of the wreck. As we work our way down the length of the main deck, Anita points out a wonderful macro feature — the pipes and machinery that used to move the oil are covered in miniature, orchid-like sea anemones. As I approach, some of the pipes they look as if they're covered with frosty clouds of cotton candy. We hit the far end of the wreck and I notice a couple of very promising swim-throughs — old hatchways that lead down to the forward hold and out the front of the wreck. I make a mental note to revisit them on the next dive with good visibility. We hit our turnaround time and head back for the boat, and I can't help thinking there's more to this wreck than I'm seeing under these conditions.

As we hit the surface, the dive gets a little tricky. The winds have picked up again, and the RIB is swinging wildly. There's no dive ladder; instead, we have to catch hold of a rope and, while hanging on the side, remove our BCDs and weight belts, hand them up to the boat tender and then heave ourselves in. My arm and shoulder get severely yanked around and it takes some real work to hang on, but eventually I manage to get all my gear off and haul myself up over the side. I'm getting too old for this stuff, though I have to admit I feel a little like a Navy SEAL when it's all over. Ingo asks me how the dive went. When I tell him, he says: "We'll try again tomorrow." He fires up the engine and we head for shore.

Diving the Arrow: Day Two

Day two begins on a promising note as I poke my head out of my cabin and see the sun shining. Even better, the wind has died completely. I head up to the dive shop and quickly pack my gear into the RIB. This time the journey out is magical. We blast along on a calm sea, past islands covered with sea birds. Eagles perch in the trees that line the bay. Every time I turn and look, a harbor seal is poking its head out of the water. In the distance, I see the back of a fin whale break the surface. Ingo tells me that sunfish (mola mola) often visit the bay in the summer. Suddenly Chedabucto Bay has come to life.

Our trip to wreck takes only a few minutes today, and we're over the side of the RIB in record time. As soon as I submerge, I know the dive is going to pay off. I can see the top of the superstructure 50 feet (15 m) below me, and as I descend, I start to get a sense of the scale of the wreck. It's massive, around 400 feet (122 m) long, 60 feet (18 m) wide and about 50 feet (15 m) high. We swim past the superstructure and head deeper to do a circuit of the main hull. Swimming 30 feet away from the wreck and parallel, I'm dwarfed by size of the structure. With such great visibility, I also start to notice a few other details — the bottom surrounding the ship is covered with scallops and lobster. We circle around to the front of the ship, where the bow of the Arrow tore away from the stern. Jagged and twisted plates and beams poke out from the hull, looking vaguely like a surreal, metallic space squid. There's enough clearance to swim in for a quick look and I make a mental note to bring a reel or two the next time I come. When we pop back out and head for the main deck, I'm beginning to get a sense of just how alive this artificial reef has become. In the midst of the shaggy seaweed is an abundance of starfish, crabs and cod — it's little wonder that harbor seals stop at this underwater smorgasbord regularly to feed.

Surrounded by such an abundance of life, it's hard to picture the wreck as an environmental disaster of staggering proportions, but later Ingo tells me that inside the hull he still occasionally comes across globs of oil. Long before I'm ready to surface I'm out of bottom time. This time it's an easy pull to get into the RIB and a gentle ride back to shore. I've finally gotten a good glimpse of this sunken oil tanker that I was so curious about. If there is any long-term damage in and around the Arrow, then I've certainly not seen anything to indicate it. From my brief visits I'm left only with the impression that, given time, the sea has an almost infinite capacity for resilience.

The post Diving the SS Arrow in Cape Breton         appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/25tYF8I

Koh Tachai Closing to Tourists

Thailand is one of Asia's most popular tourist destinations, and not just among divers. But that popularity has, in the opinions of many, to some extent compromised the country's appeal. From large-scale resorts along the Phuket waterfront to bleached and damaged corals underwater, the cumulative effect of millions of tourists every year is visible everywhere.

And now the Thai government has taken extreme measures to prevent the total loss of some of their most popular areas. Koh Tachai is one of nine islands within the Similan Islands National Park, one of the most popular dive destinations in the country, and is known for its natural beauty. But now, the authorities have issued a notice that they are closing Koh Tachai to all tourists indefinitely. The entire national park closes yearly from May 15 to October 15 due to unsafe weather conditions, but Koh Tachai will remain closed beyond that point. As of now, there's no news about when, or if, Koh Tachai will open to tourists again.

Koh Tachai Under Threat

In recent years, many visitors to the island have reported that it was in a harrowing state, with overcrowded beaches, bleached or dead corals, and few fish to be seen on the reefs. As a consequence, the authorities have ended all tourist visits in order to let nature recuperate, "before the damage done is irreversible," said Tunya Netithammakul, head of Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation, to the Bangkok Post.

Numerous environmental organizations have attempted to draw the attention of the authorities to the problem, but with millions of dollars in potentially lost tourism income at stake, action has been scarce. And according to some, the problem isn't limited to Koh Tachai, but is widespread among many of Thailand's most popular tourism and dive spots.

Professor of marine biology Thon Thamrongnawasawat of Bangkok's Kasetsart University has long criticized the state of Koh Tachai, pointing to the fact that a number of the beaches on the island can only sustainably host around 70 guests a day, and yet the number is often over 1,000. Restrictions on food carts and other vendors have also been lacking, as have instructions for visitors about how to best help protect the corals and wildlife around the island.

In Koh Tachai, a big problem for the reefs is that divers and snorkelers often lather on a thick layer of sunscreen, but when they jump in the water, that sunscreen washes off and coats the corals in a thin layer that essentially strangles them. (For a selection of coral-safe sunscreens, check here).

Thailand received a whopping 29.8 million tourists last year, and this year is expected to be even busier. Without clear, nationwide policies, however, Thailand's natural beauty and resources are in danger of being loved to death.

The post Koh Tachai Closing to Tourists appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/24dcfaL

Koh Tachai Closing to Tourists

Thailand is one of Asia’s most popular tourist destinations, and not just among divers. But that popularity has, in the opinions of many, to some extent compromised the country’s appeal. From large-scale resorts along the Phuket waterfront to bleached and damaged corals underwater, the cumulative effect of millions of tourists every year is visible everywhere.

And now the Thai government has taken extreme measures to prevent the total loss of some of their most popular areas. Koh Tachai is one of nine islands within the Similan Islands National Park, one of the most popular dive destinations in the country, and is known for its natural beauty. But now, the authorities have issued a notice that they are closing Koh Tachai to all tourists indefinitely. The entire national park closes yearly from May 15 to October 15 due to unsafe weather conditions, but Koh Tachai will remain closed beyond that point. As of now, there’s no news about when, or if, Koh Tachai will open to tourists again.

Koh Tachai Under Threat

In recent years, many visitors to the island have reported that it was in a harrowing state, with overcrowded beaches, bleached or dead corals, and few fish to be seen on the reefs. As a consequence, the authorities have ended all tourist visits in order to let nature recuperate, “before the damage done is irreversible,” said Tunya Netithammakul, head of Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Conservation, to the Bangkok Post.

Numerous environmental organizations have attempted to draw the attention of the authorities to the problem, but with millions of dollars in potentially lost tourism income at stake, action has been scarce. And according to some, the problem isn’t limited to Koh Tachai, but is widespread among many of Thailand’s most popular tourism and dive spots.

Professor of marine biology Thon Thamrongnawasawat of Bangkok’s Kasetsart University has long criticized the state of Koh Tachai, pointing to the fact that a number of the beaches on the island can only sustainably host around 70 guests a day, and yet the number is often over 1,000. Restrictions on food carts and other vendors have also been lacking, as have instructions for visitors about how to best help protect the corals and wildlife around the island.

In Koh Tachai, a big problem for the reefs is that divers and snorkelers often lather on a thick layer of sunscreen, but when they jump in the water, that sunscreen washes off and coats the corals in a thin layer that essentially strangles them. (For a selection of coral-safe sunscreens, check here).

Thailand received a whopping 29.8 million tourists last year, and this year is expected to be even busier. Without clear, nationwide policies, however, Thailand’s natural beauty and resources are in danger of being loved to death.

The post Koh Tachai Closing to Tourists appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/24dcfaL

Captain Cook’s Endeavour Found

 

Even though the Great Age of Sail ended more than 150 years ago, famous shipwrecks from that era still turn up from time to time. Recently, marine archaeologists discovered what is believed to be The Queen Anne's Revenge, the flagship of famous pirate Blackbeard.

Now, an equally significant ship may have been discovered: the HMS Endeavour, the vessel of famed British explorer and naval captain James Cook. Cook is most famous as the man who "discovered" Australia, sighting its east coast (what is today called New South Wales) in 1770, after mapping New Zealand. He also recorded the first official sighting of indigenous Australians, was the first westerner to visit the Hawaiian Islands, and made detailed maps of Newfoundland, making a total of three expeditions to the Pacific, on the ship, HMS Endeavour. On his third expedition in 1779, he was killed by native Hawaiians when he went onshore.

The Endeavour had a few near-misses in its sailing career, not least during its expedition to Australia, where it ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef. Following the accident, the crew sailed cautiously into a river mouth, where they beached the Endeavour for seven weeks to make repairs.

However, in spite of Cook's — and the Endeavour's — fame forever being tied to the discovery of Australia, the ship was found off the coast of Rhode Island, only a few hundred feet from shore.

Like many ships in the Great Age of Sail, the Endeavour led an interesting life, starting out as a bark called the Earl of Pembroke. The British Admiralty (the non-military merchant and exploratory department of the British fleet) bought the ship about 3 and ½ years after it first launched; it was then that it was rechristened the HMS Endeavour. When the Australia expedition ended in 1771, and after its near-miss on the Great Barrier Reef, the ship, to some extent, disappears into the shadows of history. It is believed that it sailed to the Falkland Islands before being sold to a private company, only to be transferred back again to the British Navy, which used it first for troop transport under the name Lord Sandwich and later as a prison ship.

It is also believed that the Endeavour was part of the blockade of Rhode Island, one of the battles in the American Revolutionary War. A number of ships were sunk trying to prevent enemy ships from reaching Rhode Island, and the Endeavour, or the Lord Sandwich as it was known by then was one of them. A total of 13 ships went down that day, and when the Endeavour was found, it was located in a cluster of four other ships.

So, while the Endeavour discovery is of great marine-archaeological interest, it won't shed much more light on the ship's most famous captain, or his global expeditions. However, simply knowing the location of one of the most famous ships in history is of historic significance, as is having some confirmation of its fate.

The post Captain Cook's Endeavour Found appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/20KqEKF

Captain Cook’s Endeavour Found

 

Even though the Great Age of Sail ended more than 150 years ago, famous shipwrecks from that era still turn up from time to time. Recently, marine archaeologists discovered what is believed to be The Queen Anne’s Revenge, the flagship of famous pirate Blackbeard.

Now, an equally significant ship may have been discovered: the HMS Endeavour, the vessel of famed British explorer and naval captain James Cook. Cook is most famous as the man who “discovered” Australia, sighting its east coast (what is today called New South Wales) in 1770, after mapping New Zealand. He also recorded the first official sighting of indigenous Australians, was the first westerner to visit the Hawaiian Islands, and made detailed maps of Newfoundland, making a total of three expeditions to the Pacific, on the ship, HMS Endeavour. On his third expedition in 1779, he was killed by native Hawaiians when he went onshore.

The Endeavour had a few near-misses in its sailing career, not least during its expedition to Australia, where it ran aground on the Great Barrier Reef. Following the accident, the crew sailed cautiously into a river mouth, where they beached the Endeavour for seven weeks to make repairs.

However, in spite of Cook’s — and the Endeavour’s — fame forever being tied to the discovery of Australia, the ship was found off the coast of Rhode Island, only a few hundred feet from shore.

Like many ships in the Great Age of Sail, the Endeavour led an interesting life, starting out as a bark called the Earl of Pembroke. The British Admiralty (the non-military merchant and exploratory department of the British fleet) bought the ship about 3 and ½ years after it first launched; it was then that it was rechristened the HMS Endeavour. When the Australia expedition ended in 1771, and after its near-miss on the Great Barrier Reef, the ship, to some extent, disappears into the shadows of history. It is believed that it sailed to the Falkland Islands before being sold to a private company, only to be transferred back again to the British Navy, which used it first for troop transport under the name Lord Sandwich and later as a prison ship.

It is also believed that the Endeavour was part of the blockade of Rhode Island, one of the battles in the American Revolutionary War. A number of ships were sunk trying to prevent enemy ships from reaching Rhode Island, and the Endeavour, or the Lord Sandwich as it was known by then was one of them. A total of 13 ships went down that day, and when the Endeavour was found, it was located in a cluster of four other ships.

So, while the Endeavour discovery is of great marine-archaeological interest, it won’t shed much more light on the ship’s most famous captain, or his global expeditions. However, simply knowing the location of one of the most famous ships in history is of historic significance, as is having some confirmation of its fate.

The post Captain Cook’s Endeavour Found appeared first on Scuba Diver Life.

from Scuba Diver Life http://ift.tt/20KqEKF