Travelogger

We wander for distraction, but we travel for fulfillment.

Chinese Tourists Still Flocking to Japan Despite Tensions

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Tension may still be high between Japan and China as their diplomatic ties are challenged by the territorial disputes they’re involved in but when it comes to tourists, this issue does not matter. Proof of this is the rise in the number of Chinese tourists that visited Japan this year to experience the Cherry blossoms.

The Japan National Tourism Organization recently reported that in March alone, Chinese tourist arrivals went up 80 percent. This translates to a total of 184,200 people from China visiting Japan starting in January 2014. For that period, some 79,000 group visas and 30,000 individual visas were issued to the Chinese. These figures are said to be the highest number of visas ever issued since the start of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s administration in 2012.

Chinese tourists in Japan

Chinese Confidence in Japan

The rise in the number of people from China is clear proof that the Chinese still love Japan, its products and culture. This positive trend was noted in July 2013 when an estimated 60,000 visas were issued. [Read more…]

Remember Michael Jackson By Touring

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I guess you can do it on your own – pick key places in the world where the King of Pop had gone or visited before his death and create your own Michael Jackson tour. If you do not have the time to plan the whole trip, though, there is someone who is willing to do it for you for a price.

STA Travel in the United Kingdom is currently offering a King of Pop Pilgrimage, which will take Michael Jackson fans across 5 continents in 126 days. Seeing that there are only 365 days a year, it is pretty obvious that anyone wanting to go on this tour will need to plan his life way ahead of time.

The pilgrimage will cost die hard fans ₤12, 000 for the entire tour. If you’re short on money, though, you can opt to go on separate legs. A leg can cost ₤2,759 each – still a considerable cost if you ask me. Then again, if you are that much of a Michael Jackson fan, the cost shouldn’t be much of an issue.

There are 10 legs in the journey, starting in London. Dubbed Explore London, this leg lasts for 2 days.

Leg 2 is the European Pioneer Tour, which lasts for 36 days. The leg starts and ends in London as well, but cities such as Paris, Venice, and Athens are included.

Leg 3 will be a night in Bahrain in the UAE, where Michael Jackson used to go for a quick break every now and then.

Leg 4 takes 20 days – from Johannesburg to Cape Town. This is dubbed the South Africa Encompassed tour.

Leg 5 takes you to Asia – 2 nights in Brunei, where Michael Jackson spent time with his friend the Sultan.

Leg 6 will have you spend 2 nights in Tokyo, where some of the most ardent fans can be found.

Leg 7 takes you down under to spend 2 nights in Sydney. This is where he married Debbie Rowe – but you may already know that!

Leg 8 starts and ends in San Francisco – a total of 15 days.

Leg 9 – 45 days for the Southern Cross tour, which will take you from Rio to Lima. Some of MJ’s music videos were filmed here.

Leg 10 saves the best for last – the Big Apple.

Interested?

2009: Second Safest Travel Year

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I guess that’s just a bit of information that is not really of much to use the average traveler today. Yeah, last year could very well be one of the safest years of traveling – we’re very much alive despite going on several trips last year, right?

Now, enough sarcasm. The data may seem trivial to me (and maybe some of you) but I am sure someone will make good use of it. According to the International Air Transport Association, or IATA, in the year 2009, there was only 1 accident for every 1.4 million flights. That’s an impressive figure, isn’t it? However, the numbers only take into account Western-built jets. Then again, I don’t think I’ve ever flown in a non-Western jet. Have you?

Here are more details from Reuters:

IATA said the 2009 rate was a 36 percent improvement on 2000 levels.

“Having made aviation the safest way to travel, further improvements will come only with careful data analysis,” said IATA Director-General Giovanni Bisignani.

“We must understand the underlying safety risk trends, not just from the handful of accidents each year, but by bringing together and analyzing data from millions of safe flights.”

Here is something else that you might find useful – which parts of the world had the worst accident rates? The IATA pinpoints Africa and the Middle East. The safest, on the other hand, are North Asia, Latin America, and the Commonwealth of Independent States – they had no losses last year.

I wonder what 2010 will bring. I guess we’ll get the figures in 2011.

US Travel Sector Gives Aid To Haiti

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-b254d89a1a6d62d7_largeA lot of people are forever griping about how the travel sector – specifically airlines! – are always out to make more money out of travelers. You can’t really blame the people who complain. We know just how unfair many practices are. However, when the news about Haiti’s plight made the headlines, we have to give credit to the travel industry for their quick response.

Various airlines have already flown a considerable amount of relief supplies. Airlines such as American Airlines have flown several planes to Haiti to deliver goods such as medical supplies, food, and other essentials. Even other airlines which do not have regular flights to Haiti have set aside some of their planes just so they could be used for relief services. I think that yesterday, I even read something about doctors and other medical personnel being encouraged to go to Haiti and volunteer – the flight is free of course.

Another way by which the airlines are helping out is by encouraging their regular customers to give monetary donations to accredited organizations. These include the Red Cross, UNICEF, and Yele Haiti. The idea is for a person to make a donation – there is a minimum amount – and they will receive free miles in return. The details of the rewards vary from one airline to another, but the idea remains the same.

A variation is for users who have rewards points or frequent flier miles – they can opt to donate these points. This is what United Airlines is doing in conjunction with the Red Cross. The miles that are donated can be used by the charity to fly aid workers to necessary areas.

Travel Deals For The Expecting Couple

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18_baby_storkNo, we are definitely NOT expecting, but I can just imagine how difficult it will be for new parents to continue with their “traveling lifestyle” a year or so after their child is born. There are so many things to consider; aside from the obvious fact that they have a baby to think about (you can hardly go trekking up a river with a months-old baby!), money can be quite tight. For those who are expecting the stork to drop off that package in the next few months or so, you might want to take that trip – it might be the last one you’ll be taking in the next year or so.

Luckily for couples in this situation, there is such a thing as a “babymoon deal.” Truth be told, I only discovered this by accident, through Travel Ticker. It is a web site where you can find all sorts of deals, from hotels to transportation. They compile information from all over the web and present it to their readers.

One of their hottest compilations focuses on expecting parents, hence the babymoon deals. Where did the inspiration for the idea come from? Barbara Messing, Vice-President of the site shares that she is a new mom herself. She goes on to say that “”It is great for a couple to take one last vacation before embarking on the life-changing experience of having a child and there couldn’t be a better time to do so. Travel-Ticker.com has some great and affordable escapes that can make the perfect babymoon a reality.”

So, parents-to-be, do not think that your chance to travel is gone. Check out their deals at Travel Ticker and you just might find yourself on a vacation!