Whistler in British Columbia is without a doubt one of the most beautiful places in Canada. The famous winter resort town is situated just a two-hour drive from Vancouver, making it easily accessible for those wanting to hit its famous ski slopes.
While Whistler does attract travelers year-round, offering up incredible hiking and mountain biking during the summer months, its true appeal lies during winter. It held a number of Olympic events when Vancouver hosted the 2010 Winter Olympics, and this only solidified its position as one of the world’s greatest winter ski resorts.
Come see what all the hype is in Whistler as I introduce you to the top ten winter activities that continue to lure travelers from all around the world every year.
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The pandemic has made many of us rethink our priorities and the way we live our lives. Many people are even considering relocating to a new country once the pandemic is under control and international borders open up more broadly across the world.
If you’re thinking of possibly moving overseas for work, school, or to simply to enjoy a bit of new culture and surroundings, here are some of the top countries that consistently rank the highest by expats in terms of opportunities and quality of life.
When choosing a new country, there are many factors to consider, like cost of living, employment, economic stability, personal freedoms, etc. Though where you choose will also largely depend on where you’re moving from and the availability of visas.
Whether you’re looking for a country that offers a lower cost of living, more fun and adventure, better careers, or simply more ideal weather and a better work-life balance, here are some of the top countries you should consider.
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Forms of gambling have been around almost ever since the Stone Age, with early dice games dating back to 3000BC in Mesopotamia. Flash forward several millennia and we see the first casinos rise up during the 17th century in Venice.
Today, gambling and casinos have become major drawcards that often lure tourists from all around the world to various top gambling destinations like Vegas and Macau. Even countries that once condemned gambling are starting to change their tune!
It seems like new multi-million dollar casinos are popping up every year; casino tourism has become big business for many countries, and when you add in horse racing and sports betting, it has become an unstoppable industry that accounts for a large percentage of tourism numbers.
So let’s take a look at three of the world’s major players when it comes to casino tourism as well as up-and-comer nations that have rather recently entered the casino and gambling tourism sector.
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Videos have quickly become the most engaging form of digital content, and whether you’re a traveler putting your footage out into the world, or a travel brand looking to expand your reach, there’s one platform you should be using:
IGTV.
IGTV, or Instagram TV, is a relatively new part of the Instagram experience, which allows you to post long-form, immersive video that isn’t limited to one minute, and when viewed, takes over your entire screen.
With over 1 billion Instagram users it’s incredibly powerful for making sure your travel videos are being seen. So in this article, we’re going to take a closer look at IGTV; what it is, how to use it, and tips on how to create the best videos to increase your reach.
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Covid-19 has impacted nearly every industry including the gambling industry. Many of the world’s top casinos have been forced to close intermittently as countries go in and out of lockdowns.
While things started to look promising for gambling tourism to return in 2021, the more serious Delta variant has forced many casinos to find alternative ways to appease their customers’ urge to gamble. One of these ways has included the increase of online live casinos.
Over half the world’s population gambles at least once a year, many of those choosing to do so in casinos while traveling. As the gambling industry has grown, it has become an integral part of tourism and the economy of many nations.
Casinos of course employ a great deal of people themselves, but it’s also the flow-on effect of drawing millions of international tourists and having them support local restaurants, hotels, and attractions that really impacts the local economy.
The pandemic has forced casinos around the world to take their gaming floors online, inventing new ways to enhance the experience to make it as close to the real thing as possible.
While online casinos may never fully replace real-life physical casinos, they have definitely found their place and are likely to stay given that there remains uncertainty of when many countries will open up their borders and restrictions will be eased enough to allow famous gaming floors to open to tourists once again.
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Thailand is known for being a popular, cheap backpacker destination offering up everything from wild full moon parties and delicious street food to ancient temples and exotic wildlife.
However, one thing that often gets overlooked in Thailand is camping, most likely due to the fact that many accommodation options such as hotels and backpacker hostels can be booked quite affordably.
Come see why a Thailand camping experience in one of the country’s national parks or reserves may just be the Thailand travel experience you’re after to escape the big popular cities and find a bit more peace and seclusion in the wilderness of Southeast Asia.
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Whether you’re considering selling your home and switching to an RV lifestyle, or simply want to plan an epic road trip around the country in a rented motorhome, there are a number of things to take into consideration.
Both permanent RV living and simple RV holidays both allow you to travel with your accommodation, giving you greater flexibility on where you can travel and stretching your travel budget considerably, but driving a motorhome is far different than road-tripping with a sedan or SUV.
Traveling via an RV, whether it be a motorhome, campervan, or caravan, allows you to travel while also maintaining many comforts of home since it does pretty much act like a home on wheels.
RVs allow you to ditch expensive hotels and instead opt for sleeping sometimes in stunning natural settings without needing to rough-it by pitching a tent. You can enjoy a comfortable bed, cooking facilities, clean private bathroom and shower, and more depending on the type of RV you purchase or rent.
If you’re new to the world of campervans and motorhomes, check out this comprehensive guide filled with beginner advice, safety tips, and essentials you’ll need to ensure your RV road trip or transition to an RV lifestyle is enjoyable and stress-free.
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Famous for excellent hospitality and luxury hotels, every traveler will have heard of the Hilton hotel brand. And with more than 584 hotels across six continents, there’s a lot of opportunity to stay with them!
But with such a competitive accommodation industry these days, why should you choose a Hilton property over another franchise, a boutique or family owned hotel, or alternative accommodation like resorts, airbnbs, or even house-sitting?
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We’re all looking for activities that allow us to practice proper social distancing nowadays, and many of our favorite travel pastimes like socializing at bars or checking out the local museums are no longer advisable in high transmission areas.
Thankfully though, many of us can still safely escape to the beach!
Outdoor settings such as beaches have been proven to be far less risky for spreading and catching the coronavirus, but there are still a few helpful safety measures to be aware of for both locals and travelers alike.
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As an independent travel agency, there’s so much you have to do in a day. But one of the most important things on the list is to promote the services you offer.
The travel industry is about building loyal customer connections, and especially now that travelers are looking for COVID safe experiences, trustworthiness is big. You need to present yourself as the most cost-effective and most reliable option out there, in a way that garners the most attention.
These days the most modern and effective way to promote your travel agency is to market it online. While putting up flyers in your neighborhood might help, the only real way to exponentially increase your reach and scale your brand is with digital marketing.
If the marketing aspect of your business seems overwhelming, don’t worry. We’re here to help! We’ve compiled our favorite strategies for promoting your travel agency online. Read on to find out what they are.
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Moving to a new state or country can be exciting, but you don’t have to fall into the modern stereotype of selling everything you own and starting over with nothing.
The pandemic has sparked a migratory wave across Australia, and moving out of the cities is something Aussies are doing now more than ever before.
But there are a lot of responsibilities involved, including packing your items, decluttering unused objects, sorting out the boxes, and transporting your belongings.
With Sydney being one of the biggest hubs from which people are fleeing, we’ve touched base with removalists Rouse Hill for tips which will help you choose the right removalists for your move.
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The rise of Instagram has not only inspired us to travel more, it’s also inspired us all to become better photographers. We’ve also seen the creation of the social media influencer, a potentially lucrative career that didn’t exist just a few years ago.
While the number of professional photographers was once quite limited and mostly employed by large publication companies, there is now a wide array of travel photography jobs available with many photographers simply working for themselves.
The idea of a photojournalist covering a war-torn region or capturing images of rare wildlife for National Geographic used to be the picture of a travel photographer, however today people are successfully combining their passion for travel and photography to make money in all sorts of ways.
Whether you’re interested in photographing food, landscapes, architecture, wildlife, people and cultures, products, or big events, there’s a place for you in the travel photography market.
You can score contracts working for tourism boards and hotels, make money from photographing the cuisine and interiors of restaurants for promotional purposes, become a destination wedding photographer, do studio portraits while working on a cruise ship, or even become a paparazzi who chases celebrities around the world.
If interested in monetizing your travel photography, here’s my informative guide to everything you need to know about starting down the path towards becoming a professional travel photographer.
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As cruise companies begin to successfully relaunch voyages around the world, it’s time to think about cruise holidays again. And especially if you’re a bit rusty when it comes to planning out vacations, you can make things easy on yourself and book a cruise where everything is taken care of for you.
Fully vaccinated travelers are now able to embark on a range of exciting cruises departing the U.S. whether you’re looking to explore the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, California and Baja Mexico, Florida and the Caribbean, or Hawaii.
While some cruises enforce the use of masks for certain areas of the ship, everything else is pretty much as normal, with endless dining, entertainment, activities, and of course shore excursions all available.
We all need an easy holiday right now, so leave it to cruise lines to manage everything for you including your meals, transport, activities, and daily full-service housekeeping.
Whether you’re into wildlife, food, shopping, scuba diving, or archaeological ruins, there’s a cruise to suit any personality. Here’s a deeper look into the top five cruise destinations within the U.S. to get you inspired.
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Traveling with CBD is fairly common; in fact, people have been using cannabis products to make traveling easier for years.
However, because the legality of CBD varies across the world, many people are unsure about whether they should or even can, pack it.
Here are some handy tips to know before you travel, meaning you can always have the best CBD capsules on hand when exploring the world.
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CBD oil doesn’t need to be a rarely used, expensive luxury item. Thanks to years of growing market pressure and a considerable amount of attention from society, CBD prices are lower than ever, and the products legal in many countries.
Thanks to these low prices and a significant variety of choices, CBD is now very accessible. However, many people travel a lot, making taking regular CBD oil a bit of a challenge. But it doesn’t have to be.
Here are 7 significant benefits of adding CBD oil to your travel kit. Before traveling, make sure you have completed the relevent research required to confirm that your products are legal in every country you’re visiting.
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Research has shown that upwards of 80% of diseases worldwide are waterborne, and while developed countries generally treat their public water supplies, this is sadly not always the case with many developing nations.
A range of harmful bacteria including E. coli and salmonella, parasites, and viruses, along with various toxic chemicals, find their way into the drinking water of many countries around the world. Drinking poorly treated or unfiltered water can lead to serious illnesses such as typhoid, cholera, giardia, and hepatitis A just to name a few.
Many of us take having easy access to safe drinking water for granted, but hundreds of millions of people around the world are forced to consume contaminated water that hasn’t been treated properly.
There are also times when even the residents in areas of well-developed countries including the U.S. and Australia will be issued a boil water notice or alert to treat their tap water due to the community’s water supply being contaminated whether it be because of flooding or problems with water treatment plants.
If you’re planning to travel to a destination where the local water is deemed unfit, here are some of the top methods for making sure the water you consume is safe to drink.
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While it may seem almost impossible not to fall in love with horses, not everyone’s always eager to book a horse riding holiday or tour. If you’re an avid equestrian looking to combine your love of horses and travel but find you’re having a bit of difficulty convincing your partner or best friend to tag along, there are thankfully a number of options for planning a horse riding trip that will appeal to even non-horse enthusiasts.
There are many reasons why people may not be eager to get in a saddle. Some may have a fear of horses or at least falling off one, had a bad experience in the past, or simply have never been around horses and are unsure of what is all involved with horseback riding.
Thankfully, there are a number of thrilling horse experiences available all around the world that can cater to a wide range of personalities and interests. Whether your partner is into sports, history, wildlife, or simply spending time in awe-inspiring landscapes, there is guaranteed to be a horse riding experienced that will appeal to even the fussiest of travelers.
If you’re ready to get back in the saddle and encourage your partner to as well, here are some ideas for planning a horse riding holiday that may turn you both into avid globe “trotters”.
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While Australia offers up casinos in each of its states and territories, there are even bigger gambling destinations right on our doorstep which offer up some of the world’s grandest casinos. From Southeast Asia to the South Pacific, and even our close neighbor New Zealand, there are some great international gambling destinations to consider that I’d be willing to bet any Aussie who loves placing a wager would enjoy.
Australia offers up a number of great casinos, especially in each of its capital cities (like Casino Canberra). You then have slot machines, or pokies as we call them, seemingly in every other pub and club. However, if there’s one thing Aussies love to do more than gambling, it’s travel.
Many choose to combine the two and head off on a casino tourism holiday. While Vegas, Canada, and Monaco may be some of the big craw cards, there are many closer options for those Australians looking to stay a little nearer to home.
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Currently with no active community transmission of Covid in the entire country, pretty much anywhere in New Zealand is an ideal spot for a holiday. And with any luck, international travel to New Zealand may still be on the cards late 2021 or early next year.
For now, planes to NZ may be as flightless as their adorable kiwi birds but when tourism does kick off again, here are the best places to visit across the nation’s North and South Island.
Regarded as the Adventure Capital of the World with endless natural wonders, New Zealand is firmly at the top of most travellers’ wish list. From hobbits and glow-worms to winter skiing and surfing along pristine beaches, New Zealand can be as relaxing or adventurous as you wish it to be.
Create an itinerary that revolves around hiking in the wilderness along famous treks like the Milford Track or stick to the cities and dine on delicious seafood while learning about New Zealand’s Māori culture and natural history through its world-class museums.
While it’s difficult to narrow down the country’s top destinations and attractions with so many places offering sheer beauty and adventure in sustainable ways, these are some of the best travel destinations you should check out on your next New Zealand adventure.
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When it comes to low-impact, low-intensity exercise, nothing beats hiking. Not only can hiking offer a wide range of physical health benefits, but simply being out in nature can also do wonders for your mental health. Hiking is something that nearly anyone can take up, as you can customize your treks to be as arduous or easy-going as you wish.
While simply going for a short hike in a nearby park or reserve doesn’t require much if any planning, those looking to take their hikes to the next level by planning a multi-day trek in the wilderness will be required to do a bit of preparation.
If you’re a beginner hiker who’s decided that trekking in the great outdoors beats the monotony of using a treadmill, you may have considered challenging yourself even further by planning your first multi-day trek.
The first step to planning a multi-day hike is to research your trail choices to make sure you’re selecting one that matches your current fitness level. The next step is making sure you pack all the essential items to ensure your comfort and safety. Here are my top recommendations for items every multi-day trekker should carry with them.
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We often picture camping as simply pitching a tent in the middle of the woods somewhere, but many of today’s European campsites offer a whole lot more.
Whether you do indeed enjoy roughing it a bit in the wild or are looking for more of a glamping type experience possibly along the Mediterranean with no lack of amenities, there’s a campsite to suit any personality.
From camping on a nearly deserted English island or high in the Swiss Alps to not even having to camp in the great outdoors at all, Europe offers the chance to enjoy some pretty crazy campsites. Here’s a look at some of the most notably beautiful and rather unique campsites worth a visit.
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Whether you find yourself moving to another country for work, school, volunteering, or to be with your international love, it’s common to feel a sense of homesickness at some point.
Despite the excitement of moving abroad, it’s common to feel a sense of loss being away from home and anxiety from trying to adjust to your new surroundings.
While many expats experience homesickness, the causes and emotional / physical impacts are different for each person; from acute emotional distress all the way to an almost debilitating depression which can impact your health.
Whether you’re taking up a lucrative employment offer in London or Dubai or simply researched incredible Bangkok condos for rent, understand that no one is fully immune to homesickness.
The key to dealing with homesickness is to be able to recognize the feelings and work through them, rather than trying to ignore or prevent them.
Feeling homesick is completely normal and nothing to be ashamed of, and there are a number of strategies that will help you to better cope with the various effects of homesickness.
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If you’re thinking about getting your feet wet in the world of scuba diving, it can be tough for beginners to know where to start. Your first challenge is understanding the types of certification you need, and then choosing dive sites that are suitable.
While you may be lured by the many incredible scuba diving sites that show up in your Insta feed, not all dive sites are suitable for beginner divers. Some sites are also much more rewarding in terms of guaranteed marine life along with safe and pleasant diving conditions.
Whether you’re in search of wrecks or reefs, planning your first scuba diving vacation can be quite exciting. Not only will you most likely be heading off to some exotic location, you will also be entering a whole new world.
As a new scuba diver who has recently learned to scuba dive with PADI, SSI, or NAUI, it’s important to realize you will be restricted in terms of what dive sites you will be able to visit as a first timer.
While you may wish to visit that dive site on an Attenborough documentary, it may not make an ideal choice for your first dive or you may simply not have the adequate level of certification that the destination requires.
To better help you get started in the world of scuba diving, I’ve offered a few safety tips, advice for choosing a location for your first dive, and a few of the top scuba diving destinations for beginners around the world.
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Travel costs often rank as one of the top five expenses businesses incur each year, with global estimates that businesses spend well over a trillion dollars annually on travel. While the recent pandemic has shown businesses that it is possible to reduce the need with tools like video calls instead of necessarily needing to meet in person, there are of course times when it is absolutely necessary for businesses to have their employees travel.
As business travel begins to get back into gear, businesses are rethinking corporate travel plans and are looking for ways to track their expenses more effectively and reduce costs whenever possible.
Saving money on business travel-related expenses is possible but it requires careful planning and effort from all your employees. While I may not have a large group of employees working under me (yet!) I do have to manage my own business travel expenses as a sole trader and use many of the strategies successful businesses utilize to track and reduce their travel costs.
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Whether you’re a light packer or an overpacker (guilty!), underwear is the one thing every traveler needs to pack. And every now and then, it does pay to give your underwear draw a refresh. But instead of buying the same old underwear you previously had (you know – the ones which gave you a wedgie in Morocco, and made you chafe in the Amazon’s humidity), a savvy traveler should aim to improve their underwear choices.
If you’re sick of wedgies, chafing, and odor in your suitcase (though underwear odor is a natural deterrent for having your suitcase hijacked), I have one word for you: Hemp.
Hemp is a cannabis Sativa fibre that is naturally antibacterial, anti-microbial, and a breathable fabric to wear. Hemp garments are not only strong, UV resistant and feel great against your skin, they’re also one of the world’s most sustainable fabrics.
WAMA Underwear specializes in ethical and sustainable hemp underwear, and since realizing the fantastic benefits of hemp undies for travel, I’ve stocked up on their boxers for Mike, and their underwear and bralettes for myself. Here’s why you should switch to WAMA hemp underwear for travel. I haven’t had a wedgie since!
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