TripSay blog

I was in the Travolution Summit in London last week. An interesting day full of interesting presentations. Also the weather in London was fantastic - no, really!

The most interesting session was about user experience where both Google and Frommer’s had done a lot of interesting research. The Frommer’s study pointed out that the weakest link online today are recommendations both on the destination itself and the activities/things to do in the destinations before choosing where to go. According to Frommer’s that’s what consumers want but feel are not getting from travel agents or the web today. This is great news for us as recommendations are exactly what we are doing – trying to help our members to get new ideas and tips on the places they find or might find interesting answering the questions “Should I go there? If so what are the most interesting places for me to see?”.

There a lot of coverage from the event on the Travolution site. See especially the Frommer’s study. Interesting stuff.

I participated the panel discussion regarding innovations in online travel. The session focused on HomeAway that has been hugely successful in a relatively short period of time. The discussion was over too soon and I would have loved to hear more about how they made it and what we other startups can learn from their experiences. There’s only so much time in a conference like this, unfortunately.

Thanks for the Travolution guys for inviting me over! I look forward to the next time.

How would you like to have six weeks of vacation each year? Well unless you get hit with six weeks of unpaid furlough days the chances of getting more than a few weeks off in the U.S. are slim to none.

The Danes are the lucky ones who lead the pack of generous paid vacation recipients. According to a ‘Hewitt Associates’ study Denmark workers average 31 days vacation, followed closely by Austria and Finland at 30 days. Americans, Canadians and Japanese average 10 vacation days a year. Mexicans are at the bottom of the list with only 6 days a year to enjoy the beautiful beaches in their country.

Remarkably 20 percent of Americans don’t use all of their vacation days, so either Americans love their jobs or they just aren’t as well versed at relaxing and enjoying long stretches away from the office as Europeans.

This leads us to the big European May 1st holiday or “May Day” that many Americans know little about. While the Americans head to work on May 1st the party has been going all night in many European countries. One tradition surrounding May Day is Walpurgis Night (Walpurgisnacht) is a holiday celebrated on April 30th or May 1st across Central and Northern Europe.

Historically Walpurgisnacht comes from various pagan spring customs. Bonfires were built to keep away bad spirits. This is followed by the return of light and the sun as celebrated during May Day. May 1st is also a big day for the European labor movement in many countries and it’s a great excuse for a party.

The bottom line is the May 1st holiday is “just another day AWAY from the office”. For Americans the expression is “just another day AT the office”. Fair, huh?

“Happy 1st of May!” or “Hauskaa Wappua, Glada Vappen!“, as we say in Finland.

The grass is slowly getting greener now that the snow has finally melted and more people are enjoying the nicer weather outside just in time for “Earth Day”. TripSay wanted to pass along a few “Green” EcoTravel ideas to commemorate this day.

One of our favorite destinations is Vancouver, B.C. and their Provincial, regional and municipal parks. All you’ll need is your hiking boots for the countless walking and hiking trails near the city. The best time of the year to hike on these trails is in the summer, when all snow and mud is completely gone. Of course, if you’re not planning on traveling to Vancouver this year there are plenty of other options for hikers.

Earth Day is a great excuse for a golfer to get out to the course…as long as you leave the carts parked at the Pro Shop. Those looking to book Golf trips have endless possibilities around the world. The Old Course at St. Andrews in Scotland, Augusta National in Georgia, New Jersey’s Pine Valley and Cypress Point in Pebble Peach, California are just a few of the top courses to see. You can play some of these courses by booking many months in advance, the others you’ll need to know someone to get on the grounds. Join our Golf Group to discuss the best golf destinations.

If you’re looking to travel to the U.S. for your green theme, look no further than the “Greenest City in America,” Portland, Oregon. A main attraction in Portland is the Oregon Convention Center, which you won’t need a car to visit with its eco-friendly light rail connection. The OCC was specifically designed with large windows to reduce the need for electricity and also features a water-friendly system to protect the Pacific salmon habitat.

Leave your car in the garage, turn off all your lights and electronics and celebrate Earth Day by walking, biking, hiking, and enjoying the great outdoors, not only on April 22nd, but throughout the year. If you have any suggestions on EcoTravel, lets us know and share your thoughts here.

As we head into Easter weekend TripSay wanted to pass along a few suggestions if you’re looking at taking a religious themed vacation in the near future. Those celebrating Easter this weekend have many options for spiritual getaways in all parts of the world.

The most popular destination for Catholics is the Vatican City in Rome. Each year 18 million people visit the Holy See to pay a visit to the Pope’s residence, and if they’re lucky, see ‘his Holiness’ in person during his weekly blessing in St. Peter’s Square.

The Vatican City also offers many attractions for tourist such as St. Peter’s Basilica, the Vatican Museum and guided tours of the Sistine Chapel.

If you’re headed to Paris, France this year, you might want to stop and take a look at the beautiful Notre-Dame Cathedral. 13 million people visit this historical landmark each year, which was built in 1250.

Jerusalem, Israel is another popular destination not only for Christians, but those of Jewish and Muslim faiths as well. Because it is visited by so many faiths, it is considered by many as the holiest city in the world.

If Israel is a little far for some travelers, Orlando, Florida is the home of a new religious based theme park called Holy Land. This unique park brings visitors back in time 2000 years to the land of the Bible with interactive shows and exact replicas of landmarks such as the Garden Tomb where the body of Jesus Christ was buried.

These are just a few examples of the many religious destinations around the world. Happy Easter everyone!