For many of us September means the end of summer holidays to Ibiza or family trips to Utah and back to the grindstone of work and school.  Although the summer months for most are over, the celebrations certainly are not.  For the 30^th year running, the world’s tourism community will celebrate World Tourism Day on September 27^th.

Since 1980, the United Nations World Tourism Organization has celebrated World Tourism Day.  The purpose of this event is to raise awareness on the role of tourism within the international community and to demonstrate how it affects social, cultural, political and economic values worldwide.

This year the festivities will commemorate in the vibrant country of Ghana with the theme, ‘Tourism - Celebrating Diversity.’ The overarching tone will be to emphasize the importance of the world’s cultural wealth and the role of sustainable tourism.

Coinciding with World Tourism Day, South Africa takes the entire month of September to celebrate and honor the travel and tourism industry. This year, in anticipation of much travel traffic for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Cape Town is getting prepared.  Through its ‘Live It! Love It! Louder!’ campaign, Capetonians are getting ready to welcome the world in 2010.  Check out the Tourism Month’s Celebrate Diversity news in this article highlighting Cape Town.

.travel in turn is celebrating this month by unveiling its Fall Trade Show schedule as well as a special surprise after the Labor Day Weekend. **Hint: a NEW home page look featuring a NEW .travel video.

What you are doing to celebrate the World of Tourism this month?

With over thirty approved registrars, .travel continues to enhance its presence in the domain and travel industries.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL-September 2, 2009- .travel, the top-level domain for the travel and tourism industry, welcomes the addition of two new approved registrars:

AB NameISP and Domain101. Through continued .travel registrations and usage of the domains, the evolution of travel on the Internet is apparent and moving rapidly towards highly specified domains.

With over thirty global registrars, .travel continues to heighten its presence in both the domain and travel industries. AB NameISP and Domain 101 provide .travel with additional sales channels, which complement .travel’s existing strategy of reaching global travel businesses looking for their name in the travel channel of the Internet.

For more information about .travel, The Source for All Things Travel and a complete list of .travel’s approved registrars, please visit www.travel.travel.

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TheClub.travel is set to launch in September as a private members’ establishment dedicated to the travel industry

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL- August 17, 2009- Tom Nutley, one of international travel and tourism’s most experienced, innovative, and respected figures, is poised to break new ground - with the help of .travel, the Internet domain name specifically created for the travel and tourism industry.

Over the past three years, Nutley has searched to find a ‘home’ the industry can call its own.  His search is now over as he launches The Travel Club in the heart of London’s West End on September 29.

For 30 years, Nutley has been the man behind creating and expanding an impressive portfolio of regional, sector, and global exhibitions, including Arabian Travel Market, Luxury Travel Market, EIBTM, and the flagship World Travel Market.

“.travel and The Travel Club have a great deal in common,” said Nutley. “Both are helping to provide essential services dedicated to the international travel and tourism industry. Together we will help bind the industry into a more cohesive, more powerful universal movement that has major impact on economy, jobs, and lifestyle worldwide. Together the industry will become stronger and more focused.”

“Through the continuing success of exhibitions, it has been proven that travel business is best conducted face to face,” said Nutley. “However, I always wondered what happens at other times of the year?”

TheClub.travel is that central place where during those other times of the year the travel industry can conduct business in a relaxed, convenient environment, hold meetings, conferences, product launches, socialize, and network.

For further information about The Travel Club and membership, log on to www.theclub.travel To register your .travel domain name and learn more about .travel’s evolution of travel on the Internet, visit www.travel.travel

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With its clear branding and global recognition, travel businesses are making the decision to register and implement .travel domain names.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - August 10, 2009- More travel industry destinations and businesses are adopting the .travel domain and witnessing its clear benefits.  With such key industry players as the Ministry of Tourism of Argentina with www.Argentina.travel and the Colombian government with www.Colombia.travel, .travel is showing substantial growth globally and especially in Latin America.

As an industry specific domain name for travel and tourism, .travel is leading the evolution of the Internet into niche information verticals or channels.  Unlike the traditional and generic extensions of .com or .net, .travel is industry specific, thus, providing a clear message and brand security.  Only travel industry professionals can register a .travel domain name.  Each applicant for a .travel name is vetted to be a valid travel entity.  With this security, .travel is a sign of a true travel entity to the end consumer as well as B2B.

As this trust crosses linguistic and physical borders, .travel is globally recognized with destinations such as www.Poland.travel, www.SriLanka.travel, and www.Canada.travel using the .travel channel as their main marketing message.

Recently, both www.Ibiza.travel and www.Yucatan.travel adopted .travel. The web statistics are a clear sign of their success.  In 2008, www.Ibiza.travel received nearly 85,000 visitors.  For 2009, it is predicted to well surpass that number as the first quarter of 2009 had nearly 40,000 visitors.  Likewise, www.Yucatan.travel received over 194,000 visitors to its site.  In 2009, the organization expects to receive roughly 223,000 visitors, which would represent a 20% increase.

Knowing that travelers and the travel business community are looking for more specified information and more quickly, .travel provides this travel channel on the net.  To reap the benefits of .travel and receive more information about .travel, please visit www.travel.travel

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The Seychelles Islands, an otherworldly archipelago of 115 islands in the western Indian Ocean, is an island-hopper’s paradise. Famous for having some of the best, pristine beaches in the world, Seychelles invites one to walk along powder-soft sands and relax in the sublime, turquoise waters.

With such attractive options for travelers from near and far, the Seychelles Tourism Board (STB) decided in 2007 to adopt and launch www.Seychelles.travel. “As .travel is a global initiative for the travel industry, we felt it was necessary to adopt .travel,” stated Karen Confait, e-marketing manager of the Seychelles Tourism Board. “We wanted to move away from the millions of .com websites; establish ourselves as an authenticated, reputable travel website; and differentiate ourselves from our competitors. It also provided more visibility on search engines.”

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Travel is BIG Business…More than 75 Million Jobs Worldwide*

With concerns about the bottom line, employment, and pinching pennies, it is clear that the world has a different mindset than previous years regarding spending, return on investment, and job security.  The travel industry must remind governments and the general public that travel is a BIG business providing not only great revenue, but also numerous jobs spanning various skill sets.

In an article published late July 2009, the Daily Sentinel wrote, “According to Alabama’s official tourism Web site, www.alabama.travel, over $702 million of state and local tax revenues were generated by travel and tourism activities in 2008. Without those taxes, each household in Alabama would have to pay $404 in additional taxes to maintain current services, according to the site. Nearly 170,000 jobs - 8.5 percent of non-agricultural employment in Alabama, the site says - were directly or indirectly linked to the travel and tourism industry in 2008.”

That example alone would illustrate the travel industry’s importance in this economic crisis.  To strengthen this claim, the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) estimated that travel and tourism supplies more than 75 million jobs worldwide.  And, please note, that travel and tourism also promotes trade and enhances human understanding.

It is with this knowledge that .travel is proud to participate and plan a crucial role in the travel industry’s evolution to its next level.

What are you thoughts about the global economic crisis and the travel industry’s impact of the crucial times? Do you have other examples that you would like to share with the .travel community?

*According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) tourism is estimated to represent, directly and indirectly, 7.6% of the total workforce in 2009 (276 million jobs)

10 Reasons to Register Your .travel Name

Often times, the best way to convince an audience to buy a product or service is to have an endorsement. So, here is a list of various travel industry organizations that range from destinations to tour operators to responsible tourism initiatives.

If they are on board, what is your travel business waiting for?

10) Cancun CVB: www.cancun.travel

Cancun.travel is the official travel information website for Cancun, containing all the best information on Cancun hotels, restaurants and nightlife, and where to go for water sports, eco-parks and Mayan archaeological sites. The site is everything you need to plan your fun-filled Caribbean vacation of a lifetime.

9)  Utah: www.utah.travel

The website responsible for the promotion of all things travel for the State of Utah and its home for the “Life Elevated” campaign. Maybe you have seen their commercials?  Click here to view one of Utah.travel’s comical clips.

8)  Poland: www.poland.travel

Poland’s official travel website promotes its natural beauty and history, inspiring visitors to enjoy over 887 towns like it largest city, Warsaw, and its smaller villages with sentimental charm. Check out Poland.travel’s impressive stand at ITB 2009.

7)  World Hotel Link: www.whl.travel

whl.travel is a travel portal that provides a connection between travelers and local hotels and tour operators.  whl.travel prides itself as a site for people who really care about local destinations; people, cultures and environment. With a franchise model, whl.travel has local partners in each destination who do all the things best done locally, including working directly with the local accommodation providers and assisting travelers in person on site.

6)  SOS: www.sos.travel

SOS.travel is an online portal where users can access the latest critical information and communication tools in anticipation of, or in response to, natural and man-made crises with potential impacts on tourism.

5)  Climate Solutions: www.climatesolutions.travel

The aim of this UNWTO website is to be the central gateway for information on solutions available to help the tourism sector respond to climate change. Registration is free.  Join Climate Solutions in the global effort towards achieving Climate Neutral Tourism.

4)  TIAC: www.tiac.travel

TIAC, Tourism Industry Association of Canada, is voice of the Canadian Travel and Tourism business.  It has been on board with .travel since 2006 and a great supporter with its own .travel site as well as influencing thousands of other Canadian travel entities on board, including www.Canada.travel

3)  Promedia: www.promedia.travel

Promedia.travel is a business-to-business publishing company serving the travel and meetings industries. Promedia fosters an active community of buyers by providing the most timely and relevant news, trends, key industry insights and pragmatic advice.

2)  Discover: www.discover.travel

Discover.travel offers only Luxury Custom-made Trips from Pre-Selected Destinations, Accommodations, Packages and Tours to Travelers and MICE (Meeting, Incentives, Conventions and Events) clients seeking Differentiated Travel Experiences.

1)      Go Global: www.goglobal.travel

GoGlobal.travel is a leading travel wholesaler, dedicated to travel trade partners only, selling to over 15000 retail travel agents and tour operators.

Take the opportunity to make the wise business investment as those above did by adopting .travel.

To see if your .travel name is available, simply visit the www.travel.travel homepage and scroll to whois box on the bottom of the page.  Enter in your .travel name and VOILA….

Get on board with the .travel movement.

Names such as: touramerica.travel, skiholidays.travel, bargaintours.travel, tourwinecountry.travel, midwesttours.travel, and staywithus.travel are available!

Remember that no other domain name says what you do better that .travel.

You are in the travel business, get yourbusiness.travel today.

This weekend is Independence Day weekend, which typically signifies a long weekend getaway filled with red, white, and blue, bbqs, and of course fireworks.  If you have yet to make your travel plans, the .travel team did a little research and found some Fourth Favorites all across the country.

Check out these .travel websites with cool ideas for enjoying the Fourth.

• For a dose of history and an infamous parade head to Philadelphia and check out the festivities at PhiladelphiaUSA.travel
• Looking for fun and fireworks in Sweet Home Alabama? Visit Alabama.travel and its list of 40 firework displays across the state.
• How about a New York Times rated event called the Patriot’s Point Fourth of July Blast? Check out VisitSouthCarolina.travel

If you have another .travel favorite for the Fourth, let .travel know!

Mexican Tourism on the Rise

Over the past months with not only the global economic crisis but also the Swine Flu pandemic, Mexican tourism faced a challenge.  With cancelled flights, hotel reservations, and cruise lines skipping Mexican ports of call, very few in the travel industry missed the effects of changed itineraries.  However, it appears through recent articles such as Cruise Lines Revive Mexico Tourism featured in Travel Trade and Mexico’s tourist industry recovering from Swine Flu outbreak by Travel Daily News, that Mexican tourism is on the rise.

With the start of summer and schools now out, it looks as if travelers do not stay deterred from their Mexican vacations for long.  With great travel deals and health fears now subsided, it is evident that Mexico is on vacationers’ minds.

In fact, many of the most popular Mexican destinations are part of the .travel community with:

www.VisitLosCabos.travel

www.Cancun.travel

www.Yucatan.travel

www.SanJoseIturbide.travel

www.MyMexico.travel

and many others (muchísimos más)

Perhaps this turn of events with the Mexican tourism market is also a sign of the travel industry on a gradual upturn as mentioned to featured articles in this newsletter by both Management.travel and South-Pacific.travel

Let’s hope so! (¡Ojalá!)

For those of you wondering what to do for a little taste of Mexico for  El Cinco de Mayo, .travel has a couple of suggestions.  Check out these three .travel sites that can get you into the Cinco de Mayo mood:

1) VisitLosCabos.travel, launched last month, this site features the natural beauty and celebrity hot spot of Cabo San Lucas.  Located at the Southern point of Baja California, Los Cabos highlights include: surfing, fishing, diving, golf, and relaxing on its twenty beautiful beaches.

2) MyMexico.travel is a portal of all things Mexico.  With over fifty destinations, you can find information about Acapulco, Guadalajara, Puetro Vallarta, and many others.

3) Know as one of the  Spring Break favorites, www.Cancun.travel is ready to serve you white sand beaches, water sports, nightlife, adventure, and culinary exploration.  Why wait for Spring Break? Check out some deals for Cancun at FutureVacations.travel

Help us celebrate by letting us know of you favorite El Cinco de Mayo sites. Olé.