We are so excited…Kelly Spinks has just learnt she is a National finalist in the Avis Scholarships awards where on the 5th August the she will possible be named the winner.

Click on the picture below to read all about it.

Fantastic reward to a top class travel planner...Go Kel!!!

Our team are all so proud of Kelly and her achievements.

Please feel free to pass on to Kelly your best wishes and congratulations in the comments box below.

Go Kel…

John C Spark

Expert Travel Planner

]]> http://www.yourtravelplanners.com/kelly-spinks/albany-australia-travel-agent-finalist-in-avis-awards/feed/ 0 http://www.yourtravelplanners.com/travel-tips/travel-website-is-not-what-it-seems-be-warned/ http://www.yourtravelplanners.com/travel-tips/travel-website-is-not-what-it-seems-be-warned/#comments Fri, 21 May 2010 10:46:08 +0000 admin http://www.yourtravelplanners.com/?p=360

This is just a quick warning which I want you to know about.

Hopefully you have not been caught out as some travellers have already.

I am passing on word for word what I have read as well as the contact numbers below.

Consumer Protection is acting quickly to close down a bogus travel website which is offering ridiculously low airfares and operating without a licence. The website -www.AusFlightz.net- is hosted overseas and is using a travel agent licence number and ABN of a legitimate travel business. It is also falsely claiming to be an agent for major airlines. The physical address on the site does not exist and the phone number has been disconnected.

Consumer Protection Commissioner Anne Driscoll said the Department launched an investigation after receiving complaints from licensed travel agents who were approached by consumers asking them if they could match the low fares.

“To sell travel in Western Australia you must be licensed and this business definitely does not hold a licence, despite its claims,” Ms Driscoll said. “The airfares being advertised are well below market prices, with the site claiming that the fares being offered are cheap because they are exempt from paying fees and taxes. We strongly recommend that consumers avoid making any bookings or revealing any bank or credit card details on this site until our investigations are complete.”

Consumer Protection is approaching the web hosting company overseas to suspend this account and is continuing to investigate. If in any doubt, travel consumers are urged to contact Consumer Protection to check that the agent or website they are dealing with is on our register of licensed agents. Consumers who may have had dealings with this particular website are also asked to come forward by calling us on 1300 30 40 54  or by emailing consumer@commerce.wa.gov.au

Again please be careful when something seems to good to be true…well you know how it goes…right?

Next week I share the top 10 safest travel destination…so please check in regularly.

Take care.

John C Spark

Expert Travel Planner

A fresh fall of snow on Mt Authur-"Lord Of The Rings" Country

It is Friday arvo and very hot outside…like 39 plus.

Not your usual Albany day.

Thankfully my aircon is working.

I have resisted posting this post for 3 days now…

Not anymore!

You see I have been wrestling with how to talk to you no matter whether you are a first time or  a repeat traveller to New Zealand.

My goal is that you immediately see value for yourself.

After all that is why you are here isn’t?

Originally I was just going to cover in detail each of the questions I use when helping people with travel planning.

That was until I read what I thought I was going share to a couple of my colleagues.

They made some suggestions…I listened.

There’s got to be a better way!!!

So what is the best way in the world…

The best real way to…

CREATE THE ULITIMATE NEW ZEALAND TRAVEL PLAN-

” PURPOSE TRAVEL”

• No matter if this is your first trip or your 10th…

• No matter if you hire a car,motor home or take a coach holiday…

• No matter if you are limited or have unlimited time

• No matter if your budget is tight or bulging.

Wow! Can you you really cover all this with what I am about to show you?

Even if you are not interested in New Zealand?

YES YOU BET I CAN!

I’ve helped more people than I care to count (people just like you) to come back as raving fans after what they experienced while in New Zealand…the results speak for themselves.

And today, I am going to start a journey for you that is dear to my heart and could quiet literally be life changing  for you…

THIS IS NOT YOUR EVERYDAY TRAVEL!

No way…

That’s not for us!

Now before I go any further, let’s define “Purpose Travel”

For simplicity sake – we’ll define purpose travel thinking as a way of getting much more than a holiday experience. This is a mindset for travelling that will make a difference in your life and to the people you come in contact with…no matter when or where!

You might want to read that again…it says much more than it looks.

Of course we could expand that definition…and we probably will in future posts-but for now this will do.

So, lets begin…

I promise you I will be do my utmost to make this interesting and exciting on how you can…

ELEVATE YOUR THINKING, AND ELEVATE WHAT TRAVEL CAN REALLY DO IN YOUR LIFE!!!

In other words, you can now start to consider what other wonderful and powerful ways travel will serve you and your family.

Imagine…

You can still have a great holiday, but now it is possible with the right mindset and some thoughtful planning to add with minimal effort a life changing experience.

You may need to consider this just a bit…after all few people ever actively plan travel in this way. I actually think it is thought about much more than we let on. We just don’t plan for it.

So that’s what we are going to do…

More specifically I am going to show you why it’s so much more rewarding to…

FOCUS ON PURPOSE TRAVEL

Yep, you read that correctly…

And the good news it is easy to do with a little thought.

You just have know where to start and that is what I will show you.

But first…

And I am aware this is getting a little long…

So what I would like to do is to finish off today and leave you with a question we always ask our audience  at each of our in office presentation evenings:

What difference can travel make to…

• Your life?

• Your Family?
  

• How you are with your friends on your return?

• Your appreciation of others culture?

• Your ability to communicate more effectively
  

• Your own personal growth?

While you quietly ponder these question…think back to past travel and recall how perhaps one or all the above may have been impacted positively or negatively.

You will be surprised at how in fact the negative experiences…were possibly the most powerful.

I will be covering this in much more detail as we move forward in the coming weeks.

On my next post I will share a personal story to better illustrate what I mean…

Along with all important first question you absolutely MUST ask.

The temperature is dropping and Nilla is hurrying me along.

Remember to comment as I am sure a dialogue will be more powerful than a monalogue in serving us all.

I have a confession…it is now Sunday evening 10.55 pm… not Friday night.

Yup I have not pushed the publish button as I read and reread this just to make sure I am saying what I want in a way that can be very useful to you…I certianly hope I am.

Tomorrow I start on part 2…so stand by to learn some  things about travel planning you will not only be able to put use with a New Zealand Holiday…but any holiday for that matter.

Guaranteed!!!

So until next time…

enjoy all things good.

John C Spark

Expert Travel Planner

"I think I will stick to being a travel agent"

Hello again great to see you back…you have probably read my first introductory post telling you a little about my journey.  If not just go back and have a read….

Now that you know a little bit more about me, I will continue my story so you will have a better understanding of  who I am and the reason why I am so passionate about  travel.

My story continues…

Back in 2005  I was in Perth undergoing Radiotherapy, (which was a result of having been diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 2004),  away from my travel agency, family, friends and my home for over 8 weeks.  The procedure required me to visit the hospital  each morning for 10 minutes for my radiation treatment, which was emotionally more painful than physically debilitating (my skin was red and tender…radiation burn!!!)

I found myself with plenty of free time to rest and catch up with people whom I  would not have normally seen as I live five hours south of Perth,  a positive in all that is before us.

I really enjoyed the opportunity to have lots of coffee’s, meeting people for lunch or dinner and as usual the conversations would end up being around travel, travelling or wanting to travel, a great way to take my mind off what was happening!!!

What this  meant was that I could share my extensive travel knowledge and hard earnt skills to good use without having the  pressure of me making the bookings or my friends feeling like they had to book their travel with me.

As a result John and I discussed that this might be a good business idea to embellish on.

Unfortunately because of how I was emotionally and mentally this did not come to fruition

Five years later and a little bit wiser, John and I have re-looked at how this concept could work, as it would be a shame to not share my 30 years of  knowledge, wisdom and love of travel.   I want others to benefit from an award winning travel planner who has owned several award winning travel agencies.

Travel has developed into far more than a business… it is my passion and the vehicle I now know serves my lifes purpose…

“To lead, inspire and make a difference”.

Each week I will share with you my personal journey in travel,  how it has inspired me,  and how I have helped many of my clients achieve  some life changing travel journeys…

This has been very Powerful…

Travel has as many opportunites,  challenges and most of all, massive rewards…may I share with you one experience that had a powerful impact upon my thinking, while opening my eyes to the beauty and sincerity of another people and their culture… this happened on one of my trips to Peru where I was asked by the village Vice President to be god mother to his precious daughter, Benedicta.

Huilloq is Benedicta’s beautiful village which is nestled  high in the mountains near Cusco and the Inca trail.  This is another amazing story that I will share with you soon..

Travel has taught me so much and I feel that it is the most incredible learning tool.  It teaches you about yourself, other peoples cultures, food, communication and the list goes on.

John and I will be sharing our passion and insights into how travel can change your life… just like it has ours.  So you may want to  keep an eye on  www.yourspiritualjourneys.com as well.

Phew!!! I think that is enough for now…for those of you that know me…know that I can talk for hours without taking breathe, looks like I’m doing the same here…

Yes…there is more so keep in tuned to the next exciting episode of Nilla’s travel tales!!!

Thankyou for being part of our lives and I look forward to hearing you say…“thankyou for introducing me to the hidden wonders of travel via  www.yourtravelplanners.com“

Love and blessings

Nilla Spark

Expert Travel Planner

Well...what do you think of the South Pole?

Approximately 40,000 South Pole tourists in 2009 were either ignoring or ignorant of claimed scientific evidence that supports they contributed through the cruise ships they traveled on to increasing CO 2 emissions in this pristine environment.

Firstly I think we need to ask…“can scientists be believed when it comes to travel destination advice?”

Now I want to say I do not know if the studies done by Michiel Lamers, a Dutch Scientist reflect a true picture or not. I am a travel agent not a scientist.

What does interest me though is whether people will  knowingly travel to destinations even when they understand that their very presence may in fact be contributing to it’s  destruction.

Over the  years many people have come into our business wanting to visit somewhere before it is too late or not permitted. I have been guilty on a personal level of supporting such travel by offering travel advice. Now I wonder…was this the right thing to do?

What would you do in my position if someone asked you to arrange travel to the South Pole?

Maybe you can share whether you would personally take such a journey to a threatened destination…

Remember Your Travel Planners is here to help you make even better informed travel decisions…the key is sharing to gain.

Until next time…

enjoy all things good.

John C Spark

Expert Travel Planner