Just imagine soaking the sun rays on St. Thomas and touring some of the ancient ruins. Stand in the footsteps of people who changed the world, like Sir Francis Drake. Recover from the stress and frustration of modern city life, and do so at agent only prices. Following are some of the highlights of a trip to St. Thomas.
Tillett Gardens . Tillett Gardens was once an old Danish farm. While it has been largely changed in order to incorporate present uses; it is one of the few old farm buildings on St. Thomas that is open to the public. It was transformed into a center for local artists and performers by Jim Tillett, an English silkscreen artist, who arrived on St. Thomas in 1959. Tillett described the garden as "a peaceful sanctuary of creativity and wonderment." In the shops at Tillett Gardens, you will find silkscreen prints, paintings, enamel jewelry, candles and many other locally hand-crafted items. There is a lovely restaurant located in the garden. It is a great spot to enjoy a cool drink or have something to eat while shopping for local art. Arts and crafts shows and classical music concerts are hosted at Tillett Gardens throughout the year.
Frenchtown. Frenchtown is located about a half-mile southwest of Charlotte Amalie. It is popular with tourists and locals for its restaurants and bars. Frenchtown was settled by immigrants from the French Caribbean island of St. Barthelemy in the late 1800's through mid-1900's. Many of the men were fishermen and so the area became a fishing village and is still today. In the early morning you can watch fishermen coming in with their small fishing boats, or cleaning and selling their catches from the jetties and from the Quetel Fish Market. Many of the older French people still speak Creole, a French dialect. In the middle of Frenchtown is a hill crowned by St. Ann's Catholic Church. A small museum contains several hundred artifacts of historical interest related to the area and to the French community including photographs, pottery, tools and furniture. The French Heritage Museum is located next to the Joseph Aubain ballpark.
Red Hook: Originally the Red Hook area was a little town connected to the rest of the island by dirt roads. Today, it has become a busy village. There are various stores located there, many of which cater to the boating community. Ferries to St. John and the British Virgin Islands depart from the Red Hook Ferry Dock. Many charter boat companies are located in the vicinity as there are numerous marinas in the area. Red Hook is home to several good bars and restaurants.
Become a Travel Agent and Live the Lifestyle of Your Dreams. Where in the world would you like to travel? You can transform your vacation dreams into PAY-cations! Capitalize on the tremendous growth of travel spending internationally. Travel is the world's largest, fastest growing industry. Online travel booking is growing at a fast pace.
There is no single marketing tool to guarantee your success in the travel industry. Travel is not just an industry, it is a lifestyle. And we share your passion for this lifestyle in everything that we do. As a travel agent, you will be able to take advantage of incredible travel deals. Best of all, your clients will receive great travel deals and you can earn big commission!
Copyright (c) 2008 Tom Jackson
The first reason for the decline of the travel agent is that the air travel companies truly hate agents. The main issue is that air companies since 2001 haven't been able to afford the five percent taken by a travel agent. This is a misconception however as the cost encountered by an air company to take a direct booking probably exceeds that five percent anyway. The main reason is that the airlines want the travel agent taken out of the booking equation as they are able to give expert advice on how to lessen airfares. This is the crux of the issue for airlines.
A good travel agent will not only be able to find the best deals on airfares but perform a lot of tasks that are related to your air travel. They can negotiate priority seating and boarding and act as a representative should anything happen to go wrong and sometimes find discounted tickets. The airlines to do not appreciate these kinds of services provided by a good agent as they actively work to lose them money and pursue a better deal for travellers.
Unfortunately for the average travel agent they receive a great deal of bad press; seemingly everyone is gunning for the travel agent. It is usually part of the 'shoot the messenger' syndrome that affects many of us when we are angry. The agent is usually the firs person who gets it in the neck when something goes wrong, it is rarely the airline who receives the abuse, even though many of the time it is their mistake or action that has caused the problem.
Unfortunately for the travel agent, the majority of people have no clue how the industry works; for instance the prices of airfares can change many times in a minute dependent upon demand. Then customers are surprised when prices for the same trip itinerary vary wildly from one agency to another. Simply it is not he agent's fault; it is the airline that changes the prices and once again the 'shoot the messenger' effect occurs.
It is not only customers who lay blame upon the travel agent; often suppliers are just as willing to pass the buck. Hoteliers and airline operatives will readily blame the agent if anything does go wrong that is not directly related to them. Often it is the case that the problem is in their sphere of influence but the option to pass on the compliant to the party who are not present, usually the agent, is the easier course of action.
So what can the average agent do to solve these problems? First and foremost a formal training program must be implemented to increase quality control in the industry generally. That way the number of bad agents would be reduced and the industry would benefit immensely. It would also mean that the knowledge base for agents would be increased meaning they could advise customers more efficiently and help them find the ideal package for their holiday.
The other option for the high street agent is to specialize in certain holiday types. An all encompassing approach is no longer viable and agents should instead focus either on a specific location, for instance, Australia or focus on a type of holiday such as adventure trips. By consulting on specific issues it is possible to make oneself an authority on an area and become an indispensable resource.
Most travel agencies are at a crossroads in terms of development, in the current quagmire of disrespect that affects most agents it is only through proactive measures that survival will be guaranteed. The best way forward is to become an expert in a chosen field and provide customers with information that is hard to find elsewhere. By doing this the agency industry should be able to survive and compete with the increase in internet and self created holiday bookings.
Both Tom Jackson & Thomas Pretty are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Tom Jackson has sinced written about articles on various topics from Family Travel, Wedding Photography and Computers and The Internet. You can make a very good living in the travel industry. Where else can you become involved in an industry that allows you to make an excellent income, yet you do not have to attend university for six or eight years. The key to success in this industry is. Tom Jackson's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.
Thomas Pretty has sinced written about articles on various topics from Formula One, Debts Loans and Interior Design. Industry expert Thomas Pretty looks into ways that the high street can diversify in an increasingly competitive marketplace.. Thomas Pretty's top article generates over 1500000 views. to your Favourites.