In timeshare news, two Cheshire based companies that offered to help owners dispose of valueless timeshare products and also marketed a potentially worthless cash back scheme have been wound up in the High Court following an investigation by the Companies Investigation Branch (CIB) of the Insolvency Service.

CIB's investigation found that Full Circle Management Ltd (which traded under the style of FC Management) targeted existing timeshare owners, who were invited to attend a presentation at which they were persuaded to pay the company a fee, in return for which they were promised they would be "rid of the [timeshare] problem once and for all". Clients were also invited to participate in a cash back scheme through which they were offered the opportunity to earn back what they had lost on their timeshare investment. The cost of the combined options varied between £1,800 and £8,000 and the company signed up nearly 450 clients between September 2006 and March 2008, generating a turnover of more than £2m. However, the inquiry found that almost £1m of that sum had been diverted to a Gibraltan company under common ownership and could not be accounted for.

Furthermore, CIB's investigation also established that the timeshare disposal contract was not legally binding on the timeshare management company who, in the event of default by Full Circle, would continue to look to the client for outstanding management fees; a fact that was not made known to the client by Full Circle. As at February 2008 the company had potential future annual management fees of more than £150,000 but less than £12,000 in its bank account.

Regarding the cash back scheme, the investigation established that Full Circle had received more than £280,000 as agents for the cash back providers (in addition to £95,000 in sales commission) but that, as at March 2008, had handed over only £107,000 of that sum. As a result, 51% of clients are prevented from pursuing their claim to cash back, having not received the required paperwork, whilst the potential of the scheme for the remaining clients cannot be assessed.

Recent information reveals that the company ceased to trade in July 2008, having been abandoned by its management team, who are ex-patriots living in Spain and who failed to co-operate fully with the investigation.

Full Circle's sister company, FC Management Ltd, although dormant, was also wound up by the Court on the grounds that its name was identical to the trading style of Full Circle and could lead to confusion in the minds of the general public.

In winding the companies up the District Judge commented that Full Circle's business model appears to be one that significantly disadvantages the public.

It is already the business story with everything: political gambles, patriotic sensitivities, all-night talks in smoky rooms and uniformed flight attendants chanting protest slogans beneath the prime minister's window. All that was missing from the saga of Alitalia's demise and planned rebirth was the police and a whiff of suspected illegality.

No longer. Officers of Italy's revenue guard turned up yesterday at the Rome headquarters of its bankrupt flag-carrier and walked out with 10 years' worth of company accounts. The operation was mounted by prosecutors investigating the airline's demise.

They opened an inquiry after the company sought bankruptcy protection on August 29, acting on a petition from a consumer association, Codacons, which represents shareholders and employees.

The president of Codacons, Carlo Rienzi, welcomed yesterday's raid. "Now we want the responsibilities and names of those who have brought about, or contributed to, the wrecking of Alitalia to be determined and made public."

According to Italian media reports, no one has so far been placed under formal suspicion. The police operation was mounted as government ministers, union leaders and the investors who stand ready to buy the firm struggled to reach an agreement. Under the terms of a rescue plan designed to ensure Alitalia remains Italian, a consortium of businesspeople assembled by the prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, would take on the airline's more profitable units and merge them with its main domestic rival, Air One.

The investors are due to meet tomorrow and have warned they will walk away from the deal unless the workers' representatives agree to their industrial plan and new contracts.

The main trade union federations have given their blessing to the consortium's industrial plan but the smaller, more militant unions that represent the pilots and cabin crew were cut out of the negotiations. By last night, talks on the new contracts had barely started.

The collapse of Alitalia would spell big political trouble for Berlusconi, who has invested a vast amount of his personal political capital in the exercise. As the hours ticked away, the prime minister warned that, if Alitalia went under, he would order a "drastic" reduction of the generous welfare support promised to the 3,250 workers who would be laid off.

Under the terms of an outline plan agreed with the main trade union federations, they would receive 80% of their salaries for up to seven years. Thousands more workers would be found jobs in other companies, though in many cases on lower pay.

In perhaps the most eloquent comment on this increasingly bizarre affair, the leader of the radical SDL union, Paolo Marras, said: "No one knows anything about how it will turn out."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2008/sep/17/theairlineindustry.italy

The case remains open and there are few details about the police operation at present.

More than 20 people have been arrested in a timeshare fraud on the Costa del Sol.

The National Police are investigating the case which could have affected hundreds of people, most of them foreigners.

The arrests are now known to have been made last week and new detentions have not been ruled out and several promoters are reported to be under investigation.

La Opinion de Málaga reports that the fraud could consist of offering the purchaser a set time in the property without confirming that the time has already been previously sold.

The paper says that investigations remain open and more arrests will take place shortly.

http://www.typicallyspanish.com/news/publish/article_18018.shtml

Jet2.com has had a very good summer season, with planes full and profits up, compared to what many other carriers in the troubled airline industry have been experiencing. According to the carrier’s chief executive, Philip Meeson, the half-year profits for the airline’s parent company are expected to exceed GBP30 million.

Meeson explained: “We have been able to hedge our fuel, plan ahead and ensure we offer Jet2.com’s low fares to our customers’ favourite European leisure destinations from our six regional UK bases. And we have recorded our best ever load factors – in excess of 90%.”

As compared with other travel operators in the UK, a sector that has seen a number of failures this year, he added: “Our ATOL-protected package holiday business, Jet2holidays.com, has also had another bumper year. The airlines and tour operators that have had problems have been those with a bias towards trans-Atlantic and long haul flights…and this is an entirely different market to ours.”

The parent company of Jet2.com, Dart Group PLC, issued a statement recently about its overall performance, noting that Group’s profits before taxation for the six month period ended 30 June, is expected to exceed GBP30 million, and that its full-year results are currently in advance of all market expectations.

http://www.asap.co.uk/news/jet2-reports-record-profits-5633642.html

Bluegreen Corporation Agrees to Extend Exclusive Negotiating Period with Diamond Resorts International

BOCA RATON, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 15, 2008--Bluegreen Corporation (NYSE: BXG) ("Bluegreen"), a leading provider of Colorful Places to Live and Play(R), announced today that it has agreed to extend until November 15, 2008 the period during which Diamond Resorts International has an exclusive right of negotiation to acquire all of the Bluegreen common stock at a price of $15 per share. The parties have agreed to continue to work to reach a definitive agreement for the acquisition of Bluegreen at the earliest possible time.

Alan B. Levan, Chairman of the Board of Bluegreen commented, "Diamond Resorts has advised us that it is continuing to move forward with the acquisition of the Company at a price of $15 per share, but needs the additional period to finalize due diligence and its financing arrangements. Diamond Resorts has also agreed to pay us an amount approximating Bluegreen's expenses in connection with the transaction."

As previously announced, it is anticipated that the definitive agreement will include a "go-shop" provision permitting Bluegreen to actively seek alternative transactions which would provide greater value to its shareholders. Bluegreen is engaging a financial advisor to assist in this process.

The parties have agreed that if, notwithstanding their efforts, a definitive agreement is not reached by November 15, 2008, they will continue to work towards such agreement until December 15, 2008, but that during such period Diamond Resorts will no longer have an exclusive right of negotiation and Bluegreen may actively seek and negotiate alternative transactions.

Full Story: http://phx.corporate-ir.net/phoenix.zhtml?c=112002&p=irol-newsArticle&ID=1197063&highlight=

The collapse of tour operators such as XL and Seguro Holidays has led to significant increases in the price of foreign holidays during the October school break.

Travel agents say thousands of the companies' customers who had organised their autumn breaks have been attempting to book alternative trips. But many have found that the cost has soared by hundreds of pounds, with some packages even trebling in price.

While tourists stranded abroad by the collapse of XL continued to fly home yesterday, travel agents warned that demand was soaring and a lack of availability was leading to an increase in the price of holidays.

Mark Brock, associate director of Barrhead Travel, said: "We've had about 4000 people trying to rebook holidays and out of those we've rebooked about 500, but 250 have cancelled because we can't get them another holiday they can afford.

"The costs have been rising significantly - we have seen price increases of double or more."

Holidaymakers whose trips are covered by the Air Travel Organisers' Licensing (Atol) scheme, run by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), will receive a full refund on the cost of their break, but with prices for replacement trips during the October school holiday rising, some people will be unable to afford one.

In one case, the cost of a seven-day break to a hotel in Ibiza had been advertised for £260 per person at the start of September. By last night, the same holiday cost £770 per person.

Mr Brock said that, even after the October break, average prices for holidays were expected to remain higher than before XL's collapse. He added: "The prices will come down again, but they will not be as low as they were before - there was overcapacity in the market then, but there is now undercapacity.

"People are wanting to book with established brands and are very wary of booking with brands they are not familiar with, especially during the credit crunch."

As more of the 90,000 holidaymakers stranded by the collapse of XL flew back to Britain yesterday, fears were raised that the airline's £42m Atol bond would not be enough to cover all refunds and flights home.

That means the CAA will have to use the Air Travel Trust Fund as a back-up funding source. Customers who booked flights directly with XL Airways and paid with a debit card may not be eligible for compensation.

A CAA spokesman said: "A couple of years ago we did recommend that all air travel should be protected in some way, but the government rejected the idea."

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly yesterday met CAA staff dealing with the fallout of the XL collapse when she visited the authority's headquarters in London.

She said: "I have a great deal of sympathy for both customers and employees of XL and I wanted to visit the team at the CAA and personally thank them for their hard work co-ordinating this huge repatriation effort.

"The CAA have a wealth of experience in dealing with these matters and I'd like to thank them and the travel industry for the positive way they have reacted to this situation."

Elsewhere in the aviation industry, talks were continuing last night to try to sort out a rescue package for Italian airline Alitalia.

Full Story: http://www.theherald.co.uk/news/news/display.var.2446990.0.Firms_collapse_hits_the_price_of_holidays.php

The price of flights and holidays has suddenly rocketed.
Just who are the companies profiteering out of the collapse of XL Leisure?
Perhaps if they are named and shamed on a few of the holiday websites such as this one, they may not be so keen to be seen to be cashing in on the situation.

ONE OF the biggest airlifts ever attempted swung into action over the weekend, as the Civil Aviation Authority struggled to rescue the 85,000 people left stranded by the collapse of Britain's third-largest tour operator.

Despite the herculean scale of the task, the CAA promised that all passengers would be home on their original return dates or, at worst, the next day on specially commissioned "repatriation flights". Peter Wyatt, XL's chief executive, said the £20 million operation would be "the most challenging ever undertaken".

Specially chartered flights have been brought in, while spare seats on already scheduled flights are also being used to bring passengers back to the UK.

Alongside the 75,000 customers covered by Air Travel Organisers' Licensing - that covers overseas package-tour passengers - room will also be available for the 10,000 people who booked XL flights independently, although they will have to pay for the privilege as customers who booked using debit cards do not have insurance cover, sometimes to avoid an extra fee levied on credit-card users.

Tavish Scott, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, has called for an end to the extra administration fee which is often charged if customers choose to pay for items such as flights with a credit card as opposed to a debit card.

He said: "Paying for holidays and flights with a credit card gives a level of insurance which debit cards do not offer. However, many people choose to make their booking with a debit card because they would face an extra charge for administration if they used their credit card."

In Glasgow, flights from Turkish airline Freebird replaced journeys to and from Dalaman in Turkey and Tenerife. Most flights went out within hours of the original ones.

Many airlines, including easyJet, which offered a £75 reduction on flights for XL customers, were helping the rescue effort, but it was Richard Branson who has proved to be the saviour for many, offering cut-price or free flights on Virgin. About 300 XL customers were flown in to Manchester from Orlando on a Virgin plane, with more flights last night and today. The airline said that XL passengers who find themselves stuck at airports in Florida and the Caribbean will be offered special one-way fares to fly home until the end of September.

The Virgin boss called yesterday for an urgent review of rules governing failed airlines in light of the XL fiasco.

Branson said new procedures should be brought in to allow a collapsed firm's fleet of planes to continue to fly under the watch of the aviation regulator, making for less disruption across the industry.

Branson said: "It does seem that there should be an urgent review, if there are going to be more airlines and tour operator casualties, of the way in which the rescue operation is conducted.

"It does not make sense for aircraft to be lying idle at UK airports when they should be used to bring back stranded passengers of that airline."

Kayley Hunter and her two friends flew home from Orlando, Florida, with Virgin after being informed of XL's collapse by their tour operator.

The 23-year-old legal adviser from Darlington said: "Thank you to Richard Branson and his team, you were fantastic."

Monarch Airlines is also helping with the repatriation effort: seven specially chartered fights arrived into Gatwick airport from Tenerife during the early hours of yesterday morning, along with one from Orlando.

At Gatwick airport on a specially chartered Monarch Airlines flight from Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt, Alison Hill spoke of her relief at being back.

The 37-year-old from Redditch, Worcestershire said she was left in tears.Ms Hill said: "No-one actually told me, I had to find it out for myself. I spent the whole day in tears in reception with a very unhappy two-year-old, wondering if I was ever going to get home.

"We were meant to leave at 11pm and ended up getting this flight at 3.30am, so you could say we were one of the lucky ones."

Some 200,000 people have seen future holiday plans go up in smoke as a result of the tour operator's collapse.

Barrhead Travel is trying to mop up after XL's collapse, rebooking holidays by using "deeds of assignment", which means it pays for a replacement holiday and then claims back the money from the CAA, or selling customers new holidays.

Bill Munro, Barrhead's chief executive, said that some companies are bumping up prices. He added: "We help where we can. But it's a huge exercise, bundling people onto planes and sending them home. But there's even more people that were waiting to go out, who'd been saving up all year. We've been able to help by rebooking a lot of them. Some people are trying to capitalse on other people's misfortune by charging an extra £50 or £100 a head for a flight.

"Now they're charging £600 for a week's self catering, when two days ago it was £200. Some people might say it's market forces; others would say it was capitalising. Prices shot up overnight. The big airlines have all put their prices up. Some of the air fares are now ridiculous.

"A flight to Tenerife on October 2 now costs £705, whereas before it would have been £250-£300."

http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2446144.0.the_holiday_horror_story.php

here are thousands of holidays open for bids on the auction site - but are the deals too good to be true?

Not long ago, we were a nation of jet-setters, paying peanuts for seats and larging it across Europe with our bulletproof currency. Now we’re broke, but that doesn’t mean we want to stay indoors. We still want holidays, but we’d rather not pay full price for them. So, this week, I’ve been hunting for bargains - and by bargains, I mean bargains.

I don’t mean “pay for four nights, get one free” offers, or “one kid stays free if he sleeps in the bath” deals, or “destroy your marriage by booking a mystery hotel because it’s cheap” promotions. I want good stuff, dirt cheap, and eBay says it’s the place to find it.

The auction site has long fancied itself as an online travel agency, and has been running trials in Germany of software that will allow bidders to put together their own holidays within the website. The technology won’t be available in the UK until next year at the earliest, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a bargain in the meantime.

When I looked, eBay’s travel section was pregnant with promise, listing 1,931 accommodation offers, 126 air tickets, 137 package deals and 511 short breaks. The search, though, was far from straightforward.

The first bargain I found was a week for four in the Canaries, including flights and transfers, going for £16.75, with just 12 minutes to seal the deal. The ad showed a picture of paradise - turquoise pool, palm trees and a cloudless sky - but closer examination revealed the tiny caption “Picture for illustration only”. The sales blurb set off more alarm bells. “This Is a Great Offer,” it insisted. “All You Will Have to Pay Is a £39 Per Person Booking Fee and Your Own Airport Taxes and Travel Insurance.”

Further examination revealed that the product up for grabs was “an unclaimed prize from a national promotion”. In other words, a scratch card. It’s a nice little earner: you collect the free scratch cards that fall out of magazines and sell them, sometimes for hundreds of pounds, to the desperate and gullible.

“There are almost always conditions that mitigate against these prizes being dream holidays,” says Jim Potts, of Lan-caster Trading Services. “People who have won cruises discover they’re sharing a cabin with a stranger unless they pay a huge supplement or winners from Somerset are told their flight goes from Glasgow. Availability is limited to the least desirable periods and many trips are linked to timeshare presentations. Claiming these prizes is like playing Russian roulette.”

When I spoke to eBay about the scratch-card holidays, it expressed surprise and pledged to investigate the matter with a view to suspending the sellers. I decided to let the Canaries dream holiday go. It sold to some other poor sap for £18.

My next eBay discovery looked more promising. For a Buy It Now price (see below) of just 99p, I could buy details of a “secret travel agent’s website” that would guarantee me holidays abroad for just £40. The transaction was like a cold-war dead-letter drop: I paid the cash via PayPal and waited for the secret web address to be sent to my inbox. It’s not often eBay can make you feel like Harry Lime.

In the meantime, I found a seller in Southport who was shifting vouchers entitling the bearer to “Stay anywhere in top European resorts”. With 45 minutes to go, the price in the eBay auction stood at £5.50. The voucher had “a face value of £475”, said the description, but it was another scam. It turned out that I’d need to pay £336 - on top of the booking fee, the flights, the taxes and whatever I ended up paying for the £475 voucher - to secure my holiday.

Then I found a Tuscan villa, just outside Lucca, going for 99p a night, with two days of the auction left and no bidders. If you booked this property via the website, it would cost £380 for the week, so why was Tuscan Fine Villas selling it so cheaply? The offer turned out to be less generous than it looked.

“The price is correct at 99p for one night, plus cleaning and utilities,” the agency said. “The hope is that people will take extra nights at £46 each.” I hadn’t noticed that in the small print - but still, worth thinking about for a cheapo weekend.

Ignoring a wily eBayer selling a $100 note for £58.53 - 7p more than it would cost from Travelex - I stumbled across a week for two in a guesthouse in the Gorce National Park, Poland, for £57, with three bids so far and a day to go. The deal included flights, transfers and food. Too good to be true? Glowing testimonials for the seller, Alternative Holidays (www.alternativepoland.com ), from 264 satisfied customers suggested otherwise.

Suddenly, I was sniffing out deals like a Piedmont truffle hound. Four nights in a suite in Riad Mur Akush, in Marrakesh, was waiting for the gavel’s crack at £79. The riad’s website (www.riadmurakush.com ) had the same stay for £286. Then I found a lovely-looking apartment in the Alpine village of Sainte Foy, sleeping eight, in the sellout spring half-term week, up for grabs at the Buy It Now price of £1,399. Identical properties in the same building for the same week were on sale elsewhere for £2,800.

There was a two-night break for two in Oslo’s Radisson SAS hotel for £55, with two bidding on it and just six hours to go. A last-minute bidding war took it to £107 - still a steal, as the same stay, booked through the hotel’s website, was £321. Other Radisson lots included a weekend in Berlin at £155 - official price £577 - with one day to go. Radisson confirmed that these deals were for real, but said the promotion is coming to an end.

WHERE ELSE should bargain-hunters be searching? You could try the Thomson auction site (www.thomsonauctions.co.uk ), where the holiday giant unloads its unsold stock. Last week, a sevennight stay for two in Minorca went for £300. A sordid parade of booking fees, auction charges and other costs added £100 to the price, but if I’d booked the same holiday on Thomson’s main website, it would have cost £580.

If online auctions aren’t your thing, look instead at the holiday website Travelzoo (www.travelzoo.co.uk ). Last week, it had a 14-night trip to Goa for £539pp, including flights, and an 11-night holiday on St Lucia with Hayes & Jarvis for £429pp - less than half the list price of £886.

Finally, there’s that “secret travel agent’s website” I bought for 99p. You thought it was going to be rubbish, didn’t you, but it’s actually rather good, listing not one but 23 websites offering discounted holidays and low-cost flights. There’s little on eBay that you couldn’t find by yourself on Google, but the “secret travel agent’s website”, called Comtec, was new to me - and, after logging on, I found some serious deals, including a week on Diani beach, in Kenya, for £537pp with Monarch and seven nights in Barbados for £451pp with Virgin Holidays. I can’t pass on the address, though, because it really is a secret.

“That website is a product that is sold to travel companies under licence,” said Comtec’s rather suspicious sales and marketing director. “You shouldn’t have it.” I’ll delete it, then, but not before I’ve found a cheap weekend in Vienna.

Top tips for eBayers

1You need to register at www.ebay.co.uk before you can bid. Packages, accommodation and flights are sold either at a fixed Buy It Now price or as an auction-style listing in which the highest bidder wins. Be prepared for most bids to happen in the last minute.

2If a deal looks too good to be true, it probably is. Reread the small print and be sure you know exactly what’s on offer. Are you dealing directly with the supplier or not? Are flights included? Is the price for the entire stay, or is it merely a deposit? Are you buying a scratch card?

3If you buy transferable air tickets, be aware that the airlines can charge up to £80 for name changes.

4If a deal goes wrong, your chances of compensation are limited. If pushed, eBay offers a maximum of £120 in compensation, less £15 for “processing costs”. Comparable deals can be found at listings websites such as www.travelzoo.com .

5Before bidding, read seller feedback and cross-reference with other sources, such as www.tripadvisor.co.uk or www.holidaywatchdog.com .

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article4740497.ece

The UK aviation watchdog is coordinating a massive airlift with airlines and tour operators today after the XL collapse left at least 85,000 holidaymakers stranded abroad in the US, the Caribbean and Europe.

The Civil Aviation Authority is chartering planes from airlines, lease companies and tour companies after Britain's third-largest tour operator entered administration, leaving a further 200,000 people with holiday bookings that are now worthless.

The boss of Europe's largest tour operator, TUI Travel, urged the government to impose a £1 rescue levy on all airline tickets after it emerged that 10,000 of the stranded holidaymakers will not receive compensation or a replacement flight home because they are not covered by the tour industry compensation scheme.

Around 75,000 XL customers will be flown home by the CAA, airlines and tour operators because they are protected by ATOL, a fund that all UK holiday companies are required to pay into. However, the 10,000 people who booked flights through XL's charter subsidiary XL Airlines must pay for their flight home, as Virgin Atlantic warned that any customers stranded in Florida or the Caribbean who are not covered by ATOL face several days of delays because flights are fully booked.

"These customers probably thought they were protected and that is ridiculous. There will be more airline failures because they cannot cope with this pressure," said Peter Long, TUI Travel chief executive. Long added that the ATOL scheme was designed to cope with an XL-scale collapse but would be severely depleted. "It will have to be rebuilt," he said.

The rescue of XL customers in Mediterranean resorts is being led by TUI subsidiaries Thomson and First Choice in partnership with rival Thomas Cook, who have used XL Airways as the carrier for thousands of holiday packages. Virgin Atlantic is leading efforts to repatriate holidaymakers in Orlando, Florida, and the Caribbean.

The CAA said around 25,000 XL Airways passengers had been booked on to flights through tour operators, who are legally obliged to find them alternative flights home.

The CAA said it was coordinating the return of 50,000 holidaymakers who had booked packages with XL and have no flight home. "We are chartering airlines from other charter companies and tour operators, where they have capacity," said a CAA spokesman. The CAA's flight and hotel costs will be covered by the ATOL scheme, the watchdog added. However, the 10,000 people who booked direct flights with XL Airways but had no holiday package will have to wait at the back of the queue, teh CAA said.

"If there are any tickets available we will get them onboard these aircraft, with fares at the minimal cost price. But there is no guarantee that the CAA will offer them seats."

Paul Charles, Virgin Atlantic's director of communications, said: "Our scheduled flights are full. It will be difficult to bring people home over the next few days. There is also the question of where will they stay the night and who will pay for the accomodation."

Ryanair has offered an airplane, with crew, to the CAA and Flybe and easyJet were offering special fares to stranded passengers this morning. British Airways is sending a Boeing 777 to Orlando this afternoon to pick up 220 XL customers.

The CAA added that it would pay the accommodation costs of travellers covered by the ATOL scheme who were due to fly back today or over the weekend. A spokesman said that many of the 85,000 XL customers abroad currently will still be on holiday and will not be due home soon.

"If you arrived in Tenerife three days ago and your holiday is for two weeks, the flight the CAA has booked will be as near as possible to your scheduled departure. You will not be coming back any earlier or any later." In a move to reassure stranded holidaymakers who are due home over the next 48 hours he said: "The CAA will provide them with hotel and putting them up. We pay tour operators to act on our behalf and look after them."

Holidaymakers making their way home from Spain today were greeted with chaotic scenes. There were a total of 1,538 places on XL Leisure flights to and from Tenerife Sur airport. Eight flights were arriving and eight were due to leave with passengers travelling through Gatwick, Manchester, Glasgow, Bristol East Midlands and Newcastle airports.

A crisis meeting is to be held later today at the airport to discuss what can be done for the passengers.

The CAA is working to find places on other flights to get the affected passengers home from Tenerife and other Spanish locations, said Nani Dominguez, a spokesman for Aena, the Spanish airports' operator.

Alberto Martin-Carbagal, Aena spokesman at Tenerife Sur, said: "At present most of those affected do not seem that angry. But if no places can be found for them to return to Britain then we will have to find rooms in hotels. We are helping out but it is the responsibility of the CAA to get these people home."

Two flights from Reus, in Catalonia, thought to be to Ireland, and two in Menorca to British destinations, were cancelled. A British Embassy spokesman in Madrid said: "We have had quite a few calls into the consulates in Las Palmas in Gran Canaria and Alicante. We are offering consulate help."

Last month Zoom became the latest airline to fall victim to fuel prices Photo: Getty
So far this year, as many as five airline companies operating from the UK have failed, leaving thousands of passengers stranded and out of pocket. And with the current fragile state of the airline industry, coupled with increasing fuel costs and looming recession, aviation experts are warning consumers to brace themselves for more bad news.

While there are some safety nets in place that will provide passengers with help and compensation when an airline goes bankrupt there are circumstances where you could find you’re unprotected if the worst happens. So what can you do to make sure you’re not caught out?

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) scheme known as ATOL (Air Travel Organiser’s Licence) gives financial protection on flights which form part of a package – where accommodation and travel are combined in one transaction – if bought through a licensed agent or airline. If the ATOL-holder goes out of business, the CAA will give a full refund to holidaymakers who have yet to travel, or arrange for those stuck abroad to fly home, having completed their holiday. A spokesman for the CAA says its refund process takes between six and eight weeks, depending on the claim.

This scheme isn’t limited to package holidays. Passengers who have bought a seat-only fare on a charter airline should also be protected by this licence (for the flight only) and the protection can extend to scheduled flights bought through licensed travel agents.

However, the contract must be with the agent rather than with the airline and you have to make sure your confirmation includes an ATOL number together with the travel company’s name (see below).

But if you buy a scheduled flight straight from the airline and it subsequently goes bust, the situation is less straightforward. In this case there is no scheme set up either by the CAA or any other body to protect money or administer claims. It’s up to you to make sure you’ve protected your money and your safeguards will depend on the way you paid for the flight, or on the small print in your travel insurance policy.

If you paid by credit card, and the fare was more than £100 you should be protected under the terms of the Credit Act and should contact your credit card issuer for a refund. This protection applies to some debit cards (under their own rules), but by no means all, so you may feel that the fee charged by airlines for credit card transactions is worth paying for the extra protection it affords.

Some fare agents include “scheduled airline failure insurance”, usually at the cost of a few pounds which are added to the fare price. Alternatively, airline failure may be covered on your regular travel insurance policy – but there’s no guarantee of this. Neither of the two biggest travel specialist insurers, Direct Travel and Preferential, offer this protection as standard.

However, Direct Travel does sell an enhanced “Backpacker” policy which provides up to £1,000 cover if a scheduled airline goes bankrupt and it’s considering including this benefit in other policies in the future.

If you haven’t safeguarded yourself in the ways outlined above, you’ll be an “unsecured creditor” and to get your money back, you’ll have to contact the bankruptcy administrator through The Insolvency Service (020 7291 6895; www.insolvency.gov.uk). But you’ll have a fight to get back even a fraction of your money. So if you’re booking a flight always bear the following in mind:

As well as looking for the ATOL logo on brochures and websites, check whether an operator or agent has an up-to-date ATOL licence by contacting the CAA (020 7453 6430; www.atol.org.uk). The website lists current licence-holders.

Check with your travel company that all your holiday arrangements are covered by its ATOL and ensure your invoice includes the ATOL number; if it doesn’t you may not be protected.
Has your agent arranged separate scheduled airline failure insurance (this is usually abbreviated to SAFI)?

Buy scheduled flights through a reputable agent such as Trailfinders who will liaise with the airline on your behalf, guaranteeing to arrange alternative flights or a full refund at no extra cost.

Check cancellation conditions on accommodation and car hire if you are tying these in with a scheduled flight: if the airline fails and you are unable to travel, they are unlikely to be covered.

Details of protection offered by credit cards at www.consumerdirect.gov.uk.

By Sophie Butler

Full story: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/columnists/sophiebutler/2705940/Travel-advice-Dont-get-stranded-if-your-airline-fails.html

Thousands of holidaymakers may be stranded as travel company XL 'collapses'

Thousands of holidaymakers could find themselves stranded abroad today with XL Leisure Group, Britain’s third biggest travel company, on the verge of collapse.

Last month XL Airways cancelled all its flights to the Caribbean from the beginning of November

The demise of the tour operator threatens to cause travel misery with customers booking flights through XL Airways, the UK airline, likely to lose their money.

It was reported to have filed for administration.

It is the latest setback for holidaymakers, almost 2,500 of whom were stranded when package holiday firm Seguro collapsed on Wednesday.

The companies collapsed after failing to cope with high fuel costs and the economic downturn which has led consumers to cut their spending on holidays.

Travel industry experts said those people who had booked holidays through tour operators should receive a refund but some of those booking flights direct through XL Airways are likely to lose out.

Customers who bought flights with credit cards should be insured but debit cards users could find themselves out of pocket.

XL Airways flies to more than 50 destinations across the world, including Europe, North Africa and the US from a dozen airports in the UK.

Last month XL Airways cancelled all its flights to the Caribbean from the beginning of November.

The airline blamed rising fuel costs and the falling popularity of the routes.

The airline also announced it was cutting its daily scheduled service between Gatwick and Knock from the beginning of September.

It remains unclear what effect the administration will have on West Ham United, the Premiership football club which has a £2.5m-a-year shirt sponsorship deal with XL Leisure. The London-based club only signed the deal with XL last February.

XL underwent a management buyout in 2006, and quickly grew to become a big player in the UK holiday market, behind the two dominant firms TUI Travel and Thomas Cook.

The company is the third largest tour operating group in the UK, consisting of charter and scheduled airlines, holiday companies and flight-only tour operators.

The group sells holidays under a diverse range of brands including Kosmar, XL.com, Freedom Flights and Travel City Direct.

It made an operating loss in its last financial year to October 2007. Figures filed at Companies House revealed that net liabilities increased from £8m to £59m during the period. The money owed to creditors grew from £114m to £205m.

Before its collapse, more than 17,000 people had made advance bookings with Seguro, which sold holidays and flights to Spain, Portugal and The Canaries.

Seguro, which also traded as Seguro Holidays and Kent Escapes, sold mainly through travel agents and those people who booked a package holiday will be protected by the Air Travel Organisers’ Licensing (Atol) system.

Travel companies in the Atol scheme provide the Civil Aviation Authroity with a financial guarantee bond which can be used to bring customers home from abroad and compensate those with future bookings.

The company’s collapse came after Zoom, the low-cost transatlantic airline, went into administration last month. The failure left hundreds of people stranded with about 40,000 losing bookings. Zoom blamed its failure on the “horrendous” price of jet fuel.

Fellow carriers including Maxjet, Eos, Silverjet and Oasis Hong Kong Airlines have also gone under this year.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travelnews/2801371/Thousands-of-holidaymakers-may-be-stranded-as-travel-company-XL-collapses.html

nc.com (Inc. Magazine) has recognized New Hampshire based Sell My Timeshare NOW LLC as the fastest growing, privately held timeshare advertising and marketing company in the US. Founded just five years ago, Sell My Timeshare NOW LLC, is the global leader in the marketing and advertising of timeshare resales and timeshare rentals, via the Internet.

Dover, NH - September 12, 2008 -- Sell My Timeshare NOW LLC adds to its growing list of accomplishments, earning Inc.com's recognition as the fastest growing, privately held timeshare advertising and marketing company in the United States for 2008.

Soon to celebrate its five-year anniversary, the timeshare resales advertising and marketing company began with only three employees. Rapid growth has taken Sell My Timeshare NOW to more than 130 employees and an average of over a million dollars per day in offers to buy or rent timeshare. The company demonstrated a business growth rate of 520.9 percent between 2004 and 2007. Jason Tremblay, founder and CEO says, "Sell My Timeshare NOW is growing because consumers need and want to be able to buy, rent, or sell timeshares on the resale market."

Inc.com honored Sell My Timeshare NOW as number 44 on the Top 100 list of Advertising and Marketing companies nationwide and number 637 overall on the Inc. 5000 list of over 7 million privately held companies. The company ranked as the second fastest growing business in any field in the state of New Hampshire and Sell My Timeshare NOW also ranked number 21 among the Top 100 Businesses in the Boston-Cambridge-Quincy, MA-NH metro area.

As Tremblay explains, "We established Sell My Timeshare NOW to provide timeshare owners a simple, efficient, and reliable way to advertise their timeshare resales to a global marketplace of interested buyers."

Each day more than 76,000 visitors on average come to the company's website interested in advertising their timeshare for sale or rent or in buying or renting a resale timeshare. Heading into the Labor Day weekend, offers to buy or rent timeshares at SellMyTimeshareNOW.com totaled $320,296,963, which is already 17 percent ahead of the offer total for all of 2007.

Jason Tremblay is available for media interviews at (603) 516-0649 or by emailing steveluba(at)sellmytimesharenow.com

About Sell My Timeshare NOW LLC:

Sell My Timeshare NOW LLC is a privately held company that provides advertising and marketing for timeshare resales and timeshare rentals via the Internet. In 2007, Sell My Timeshare NOW presented its customers over $274 million in offers to buy or rent timeshares.

http://www.timesharesdaily.com/index.php/20080911205/Latest/Sell-My-Timeshare-NOW-Listed-as-the-Fastest-Growing-Privately-Held-US-Timeshare-Advertising-Company.html

This message appears in you try to access the Sugero Holidays website:

Seguro Travel Limited and its subsidiary Seguro Aviation Limited which trade under the style Seguro Holidays and Kent Escapes ceased trading on 10 September 2008.

Customers who have booked to travel by air from 10 September onwards should refer to the Civil Aviation Authority website (www.atol.org.uk) where further advice is given.

The directors of the company deeply regret the closure of the business which has been brought about by the failure of Futura Airlines last weekend.

I hope no readers of this forum are affected by this, but if you are, I hope you are not too inconvenienced.

Regards
David

The September edition of The Owners Perspective Magazine is now out on the net.
There is an article about how best to use RCI points which some may be interested in having a look at.
Other than that there is nothing in there this month that floats my boat.
To view, you have to create a user name and password but nothing too exhausting.
http://www.ownersperspective.com/category/login/

If the credit crunch has proved anything, it is Britons are pragmatists. As the economy has slowed we have swapped Waitrose for Lidl, the Hilton for the Travelodge and BMWs for bikes. Decadence has been exchanged for prudence.

But when it comes to holidays, we have done quite the opposite. Instead of staying at home and counting our coppers, more Britons have left their mounting fuel and food bills at home and travelled further afield than ever before.

The Association of British Travel Agents (Abta) reported that middle and long-haul travel have boomed in the past year, especially to the near east, while trips to Europe have remained static and even declined in areas such as Germany. Two hundred thousand more people travelled from the UK to Turkey, and an extra 100,000 visited Egypt this summer.

Leading tour company On The Go Travel recorded a 15% increase in travel to Egypt, Turkey and Russia this summer. Thomas Cook recorded similar figures, adding that bookings to Egypt this winter were up 25%.

Crucially,#8194;these#8194;destinations#8194;are outside the eurozone. Last week the pound hit its lowest point against the euro since the single currency was launched 10 years ago. A euro now costs 85p.

According to Abta, these recession-threatened times have ironically made us take holidays in even more exotic locations such as the near east - where the pound is strong against local currencies - that were previously seen as the preserve of the rich.

"Holidays are one of the last things that people will cut back on," said Frances Tuke, an Abta spokeswoman. "As time has gone on, flights have become cheaper and destinations have become more accessible. So now people regard travel as a necessity rather than a luxury.

"That certainly seems to be the case when you look at winter holidays, people are still holding on to them."

Bookings for snow sports holidays and destinations for people seeking winter sun are already 2% up on last year, according to Abta figures. Thomas Cook have recorded above-average#8194;bookings#8194;for#8194;next summer already.

"We#8194;have become much more adventurous travellers and are pushing boundaries," Tuke added. "And our members are expanding in their middle to long-haul areas. That is where they see the potential for growth."

On The Go Travel is one company benefiting from a strong euro. It doesn't organise trips to anywhere inside the eurozone.

Their guides in Egypt, Turkey, India, China and Russia have reported#8194;that#8194;a#8194;significant number#8194;of#8194;their#8194;customers chose their destination because of the weakness of the pound against the euro.

"From#8194;personal#8194;experience,#8194;I went on holiday to Greece and I was astonished how little money I got back for my pound - it was quite horrifying," said Pru Goudie, On The Go's marketing manager.

"So#8194;if#8194;you're#8194;taking#8194;a#8194;holiday#8194;in India, your money goes a long way. It certainly does in Egypt, it certainly does in Turkey, even in Russia. Russia is just relentless at the moment. Even with Moscow prices, our travellers dig out the places to eat that won't cost an arm and a leg."

The long-distance holiday is not the only growth area in a slowing economy. This week it was reported that the no-frills Beefeater and Brewers Fayre restaurants have experienced a 9% rise in business. Pub group JD Wetherspoon, which offers a burger, chips and a pint for £4.59, also reported a boost.

Halfords and Blacks Leisure both claimed a boom in camping equipment as people decide to exchange bed and breakfasts for canvas, while cheap but fashionable high street store H&M enjoyed a hike in sales.

http://www.sundayherald.com/news/heraldnews/display.var.2442299.0.pyramid_selling_how_the_credit_crunch_has_changed_our_summer_holidays.php

THESSALONIKI, Greece: The Greek prime minister on Saturday vowed to defend troubled Olympic Airlines by cutting staff with a voluntary redundancy program and transfers to other state jobs.

Greece's national carrier is under increasing financial pressure after a European Union court ruled in February that Greece had failed to recover some €130 million (US$185 million) in illegal subsidies paid to the airline.

"Regarding Olympic, the aim is to (create) a robust and competitive company which will retain its logo and name but will be free of debts and problems with the European Union," Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis said.

He made the remarks during an annual speech on the state of Greece's economy.

Karamanlis issued a similar pledge to restructure Greece's financially troubled National Railway Company, or OSE.

"Among our highest priorities is the (effort) to find a solution for Olympic Airlines and OSE," which he said together cost taxpayers at least €2.7 million (US$3.8 million) a day.

Olympic employs around 8,500 workers. Repeated efforts to restructure and privatize the company have failed. Local media reports maintain that about half of Olympic's staff will be axed.

Karamanlis, 51, was re-elected last year. But his conservative government is facing strong opposition from unions which argue that its financial and labor reforms are hurting low-income Greeks.

More 10,000 union-backed protesters rallied Saturday in Thessaloniki, Greece's second largest city, where Karamanlis gave his speech.

Karamanlis' problems have been heightened by the conservatives' slim majority of just two seats in parliament — allowing government dissenters to publicly doubt Karamanlis' decisions with impunity.

But in Saturday's speech, Karamanlis staunchly defended his government's financial performance. He said Greece had largely weather the global financial downturn with a modest drop in economic growth, from a projected 4 percent GDP increase to a 3.5 percent increase on an annual basis in the first six months of the year.

Key for economic stability, he said, were two major pipeline deals signed in the past year: One project that will eventually carry gas from Azerbaijan across Turkey and Greece to Italy, and Greek participation in Russia's South Stream pipeline project.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/06/business/EU-Greece-Economy.php

Two more UK travel operators failed this week, meaning that thousands of British holidaymakers could potentially lose their holidays. Both companies cited the difficult economic environment as the reason for their collapse.

Crawley-based Pure Flights and the Van Haydon Travel company of Leicester both ceased trading earlier this week.

Reductions in service also had an impact on UK travellers this week. First Choice withdrew services to the Bahamas because of a lack of demand and Virgin Atlantic is reducing its flight frequency on the Washington, New York, Caribbean and Bombay routes. XL Leisure, the UK’s third-largest holiday operator, has announced that it is engaged in urgent discussions about refinancing.

These are the latest in a series of travel companies facing severe financial difficulties. Last week, trans-Atlantic budget carrier Zoom Airlines folded, as did the Bristol-based stag party company, Brilliant Weekends. Two specialists in Mediterranean holidays, Greece and Cyprus Direct, as well as Irish-based Great Escapes have also become victims of the current economic climate.

The demise of Zoom raised renewed demands for scheduled carriers to be brought into the ATOL consumer protection programme.

The Association of International Tour Operators (AITO) and the Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) both said the current financial difficulties facing airlines has raised the urgency of providing protection for all passengers, and not only those who made their bookings through tour operators.

http://www.asap.co.uk/news/uk-travel-company-collapses-continue-5633573.html

It’s rare to get all three in one holiday. Now you can, courtesy of the latest hotlist of eco-destinations

At one time, choosing a holiday was a no-brainer. The only question anybody asked was: “Where are you off to?” Now, of course, other concerns whisper in our ears. How green is the holiday? How ethical?

Is my cash supporting some despotic regime? Will I destroy an area of rainforest the size of Shropshire every time I take a shower? Is the hotel stealing the locals’ drinking water for its golf course? In these days of greenwash and hogwash, it is hard to be certain of the answers.

However, help might be at hand. Every three years, Ethical Traveler (ET), an American grass-roots amalgam of tour operators, travel agents and outfitters, publishes a list of the top 10 ethical destinations, with a focus on developing countries. It analyses more than 70 nations, focusing on each one’s commitment to the environment, social welfare and human-rights record.

ET admits that none of its winners is perfect. Bulgaria, for instance, has huge corruption issues and has suffered a rash of unregulated construction; ET is reconsidering its inclusion. With the value of oil and mineral reserves soaring, some countries, such as Argentina, are aggressively expanding exploration.

As America has found in Alaska, oil and wilderness protection don’t always mix. South Africa has hardly covered itself in glory with its treatment of Zimbabwean immigrants.

Bolivia has social issues because of its historical treatment of indigenous people (although having an Amerindian president has helped). Amnesty International has highlighted indigenous land rights as a source of unrest (and sometimes repression) in Chile.

So, a few of 2008’s inclusions may cause jaws to drop, but that doesn’t mean ET’s effort to highlight excellence isn’t worth making.

Each country also has individual pockets of excellence, where tour operators, hotel owners and the locals are working together to make sure they don’t kill what could be the golden goose of ecotourism. So, here are the 10 finalists, along with some ideas for sampling them yourselves in ways that don’t cost the earth.

Unless stated, packages are per person and include flights

ARGENTINA Ethical Traveler says: “Scores high for its efforts to build an attractive and sustainable travel and tourism infrastructure.”

See for yourself: the Yacutinga Lodge & Wildlife Nature Reserve is set in its own 560-hectare nature reserve in northeast Argentina. It has fantastic jungle right on its doorsteps, day and night excursions through the undergrowth and English-speaking guides to point out ancient trees, medicinal plants, orchids and rare birdlife.

There are also river excursions and treetop observation towers where you can watch parakeets fly at eye level. It uses alternative energy systems and employs a strict recycling policy. A 10-day trip with Journey Latin America (020 8747 8315, www.journeylatinamerica.co.uk ), with nights in Buenos Aires and at the Iguaçu Falls, starts at £1,402pp for land arrangements (some full-board, some B&B), plus about £880pp for flights.

BOLIVIA Ethical Traveler says:“With 22 national parks (one with 800 species of birds) and great biodiversity, Bolivia is a real treasure.”

See for yourself: Bolivia’s appeal lies in its mix of dramatic scenery, from high mountains to low deserts, fascinating indigenous culture and a rich prehistoric past. Rather than stay at a single destination, sample the Andes, Lake Titicaca, subtropical Santa Cruz and more.

Cox & Kings (020 7873 5000, www.coxandkings.co.uk ) has a 13-night tour from £2,995; its guides receive regular training on Bolivia’s ecosystems, the flora and fauna, and the importance of recycling and energy-saving.

BULGARIA Ethical Traveler says: “The first EU country with a biodiversity strategy... great potential.”

See for yourself: much of the coastline has been ruined by overdevelopment, so it is rural Bulgaria that is most eco-enticing. There you will find the Rila range, a spine of mountains that contains more than 200 lakes, a famed monastery and Bulgaria’s highest mountain. Not far away is the Pirin National Park, a Unesco World Heritage Site,with waterfalls, caves, 60 alpine peaks and another 70 lakes.

Plus the odd brown bear. Walks Worldwide (01524 242000, www.walksworldwide.com ) has an eight-day guided exploration (for keen hill-walkers) from £775; Naturetrek (01962 733051, www.naturetrek.co.uk ) has a less strenuous 10-day wildlife tour, Bulgaria in Spring, from £1,250.

CHILE Ethical Traveler says:“It could become an ecotourism destination par excellence.”

See for yourself: Patagonia is the place to head for, especially the Torres del Paine National Park, 1,900 miles south of Santiago by road and a Unesco biosphere reserve. The dramatic wilderness incorporates lakes, striking mountains, glaciers and magnificent ice fields to the south. It has kayaking, climbing, hiking, pumas, condors and, now, a little touch of luxury on its doorstep.

The new Patagonia Camp is more glamping than roughing it, with sheepskin-lined yurts, designed by local artists, and imaginative food that’s a cut above bush tucker. They also serve blue pisco sours that match the turquoise of the lake the camp overlooks. It’s 100% eco-friendly, with solar power and top-quality waste management. Tim Best Travel (020 7591 0300, www.timbesttravel.com ) has a 10-day itinerary to Chile, with four nights, full-board, at Patagonia Camp, for £3,210.

COSTA RICA Ethical Traveler says: “Sets the Latin American standard for sustainable ecotourism, social welfare and civil rights.”

See for yourself: try the 16-room, family-run Tiskita Jungle Lodge, in the middle of a private 400-acre rainforest reserve on the south Pacific coast. It offers guided walks and horseback tours into the rainforest, and there’s a three-mile stretch of beach below the reserve, the nesting site of ridley, green and leatherback turtles. Sunvil Latin America (020 8758 4774, www.sunvil.co.uk ) has a 14-night tour of Costa Rica, with three nights, full-board, at the lodge, from £3,164. The operator contributes $10 per client to the Tiskita Foundation, a not-for-profit local educational organisation.

CROATIA Ethical Traveler says: “Since its entry into the EU, Croatia has made a real effort to support sustainable ecotourism ventures.”

See for yourself: one of the most spectacular “green” developments in the country is the Eco Centre Caput Insulae, at Beli, on the island of Cres. It’s dedicated to saving the rare whiteheaded griffon vulture, but Goran Susic, the man behind it, has a touch of the Guillermo del Toro, creating fantastical stone labyrinths deep in the surrounding forests.

Volunteers (who do everything from trail construction to sheep-shearing) stay for a minimum of seven days and pay between £80 and £120 a week, depending on season, plus £32 to cover food. For details, visit www.supovi.hr or contact the Croatian National Tourist Office (020 8563 7979, www.croatia.hr ). Fly with Ryanair (www.ryanair.com ) to Pula, or with Croatia Airlines (00 385 1 487 2727, www.croatiaairlines.com ) to Pula or Rijeka, then catch a ferry to Cres.

ESTONIA Ethical Traveler says: “One of the world’s best-ranked countries for protected areas per capita, with the lowest CO2emissions in Europe.” (Note: since ET’s report was written, Estonia is no longer considered a “developing country”.)

See for yourself: you can flaunt your green credentials by cycling; the countryside is good and flat, so it won’t take that much effort. Regent Holidays (0845 277 3317, www.regent-holidays.co.uk ) has a nine-day trip that starts in lively Tallinn, with its Prague-like medieval core, then switches to the island of Saaremaa for the pedalling part. It’s quiet, rural and mostly tourist- and traffic-free. Each night is spent in a locally run farmhouse, many of which have saunas for treating any aches and pains. Prices start at £650, B&B, including flights, bicycle hire, maps and mobile rental.

NAMIBIA Ethical Traveler says:“with abundant wildlife, great national parks and locally owned and managed conservancies, Namibia is a relatively undiscovered gem” - although reports that the government is sanctioning licences to hunt endangered desert elephants bring into question the Namibia’s ethical integrity.

See for yourself: this is a country with enough space for truly spectacular landscapes, indigenous people and wildlife to coexist without too much conflict. Sample all three on a 13-day trip with Explore Worldwide (0844 499 0901, www.explore.co.uk ) trip.

It takes in the Erongo mountains and Brandberg, with its unique ancient rock art, spends time with the Himba, the nomads of the Kaokoveld in the remote north, and concludes at the Etosha Pan, for elephant, wildebeest, eagle, oryx, lion, hyena and jackal. There’s plenty of off-roading and some basic camping, but at least you have a hotel and pool bar to look forward to at Windhoek. You will alsobe supporting the Afri-Leo Foundation, which nurtures Namibia’s lion population. The trip costs £1,895, full-board.

NICARAGUA Ethical Traveler says: “Fair-trade ventures with local farmers, impressive civil liberties (except for some issues around gay rights) and a mushrooming variety of sustainable ecotourism destinations convinced us to add Nicaragua to the list.”

See for yourself: how about a cup of coffee? How about one grown on your doorstep? The Nicaragua Lodge and Coffee Plantation - aka Finca Esperanza Verde Ecolodge - is situated in high, misty, tropical mountains in the heart of Nicaragua. It offers guided hikes along the nature trails, bird-watching, night walks, homestays with locals, cooking classes and a chance to help with the coffee crop.

Solar- and hydroelectric-powered, it sleeps 26 in bunkhouses. Prices start at £28pp per night, including meals. For more details, call 01273 600030 or visit www.responsibletravel.com/nicaraguaecolodge . If you want something more luxurious, the best option is the the splendid Morgan’s Rock Hacienda & Ecolodge (www.morgansrock.com ). Continental Airlines (0845 607 6760, www.continental.com ) has flights from London to Managua from £589, via Houston. Or try Expedia (0871 226 0808, www.expedia.co.uk ).

SOUTH AFRICA Ethical Traveler says: “South Africa receives high marks for supporting eco-friendly, community-based tourism ventures, as well as for species protection and vigilance against poaching.”

See for yourself:the eight thatched chalets of Djuma Bush Lodge are in the Sabi Sand reserve, which borders the Kruger. Apart from its excellent ecological credentials - it has the coveted Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa kitemark - it’s a fine place to spot the Big Five, as it’s rare to encounter other safari vehicles.

With Rainbow Tours (020 7226 1004, www.rainbowtours.co.uk ), a sevennight safari at Djuma Bush Lodge starts at £2,445pp, including meals and game-viewing. Sybarites should upgrade (£390pp extra) to the nearby Djuma Vuyatela Lodge, the luxury option: eight more chalets built and operated by the same owners. They can even arrange private silver-service bush dinners for you (with guards to stop you being on the menu).

Full Story http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/holiday_type/green_travel/article4681669.ece

$29 Million in Timeshare Rental Offers Highlight a Fast Growing Segment of the Vacation Industry

With offers to rent timeshare already up by 170 percent over the past year, a leading timeshare resale and rental advertising company, points to timeshare rentals as one of the fastest growing segments of the timeshare resale industry. CEO Jason Tremblay Jason explains, "Last October we created Rental Assist to enhance our service to clients who want to rent timeshare. People recognize that renting timeshare is a cost effective way to enjoy luxurious vacation property."

The privately held Dover, NH based timeshare advertising and marketing company posted impressive second quarter growth numbers. Timeshare offers to buy or rent through SellMyTimeshareNOW.com average more than one million dollars per day, with offers to rent timeshare totaling $29,922,343 through the end of the second quarter this year.

Their Rental Assist manager, Peter Emery, says, "Rental Assist works directly on behalf of the customer. As far as I know, there are no other programs on the Internet like this." He adds, "Rental Assist has tripled in staff and I expect that expansion to continue. This is a direct result of our new outreach programs designed to facilitate renting timeshare."

Emery goes on to explain that the advantages of renting a timeshare over a hotel are huge, with lower cost, for the most part and larger accommodations on average. Additionally, there are often amenities including kitchens, dining areas and in-unit washers and dryers that hotel rooms rarely offer.

While other segments of the vacation industry are feeling the pinch of a tight economy, timeshare resales continue to thrive. Recognizing that demand and interest in timeshare rentals was growing, SellMyTimeshareNOW.com created their Rental Assist program offering in-house client matching for timeshare renters and available timeshare rentals. Timeshare owners can use their timeshares as rental properties, offsetting their own fees or payments during times when they have chosen not to use their timeshare themselves.

Their website advertises timeshares for sale or rent, building a vast inventory of available timeshare properties. Consumers from anywhere in the world can easily buy timeshare or rent timeshare at a discounted price, with the number of offers to buy or rent timeshare through the website up 56 percent over last year. They deal directly with the current owner, shopping online for the vacation resort that fits their needs and their budget. In 2007, over $274 million in offers to buy or rent timeshare were made for timeshare advertised on the company's website.

http://www.timesharesdaily.com/index.php/20080806172/Latest/$29-Million-in-Timeshare-Rental-Offers-Highlight-a-Fast-Growing-Segment-of-the-Vacation-Industry.html

Las Vegas, Nevada (PRWEB) September 7, 2008 -- Diamond Resorts International® (DRI), a global leader in the vacation ownership industry, has appointed Sandy Knapp as National Promotions Director, Co-Branded Alliances. Sandy will focus on relationship marketing including corporate and retail alliances. She will report to Joel Lazar, Vice President, Marketing, East Region.

"Sandy has a proven track record of success in the industry," said James R. Danz, RRP, DRI's Chief Marketing Officer. "This includes promotions, lead generation, call center, mail programs, package sales, owner revisit, and referral and OPC operations for some of the biggest companies in the industry."

Most recently Sandy was a consultant with Princeton Resorts Group assisting in all marketing programs and was the National Director of Promotions with Preferred Equities Corporation.

"Sandy brings over 22 years of experience in the timeshare industry with a strong background in lead generation and all aspects of field marketing," said Simon Crawford-Welch, DRI's President & Chief Operating Officer. "She will be a strong asset to our company."

Full Story : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/09/prweb1294794.htm

As travellers feel the pinch of the current credit crunch, the number of fraudulent claims on travel insurance policies has soared by as much as 80 per cent, according to insurance company figures.

Insurance firms report that the fraud takes on many forms, including policyholders pretending that expensive items such as cameras and iPods have been stolen, and others who misrepresent the value of an item stolen in an actual case of theft.

Other travellers, realizing they can no longer afford the trip they booked months earlier, are feigning illness and cancelling trips, often finding doctors who will issue certificates that state they are not well enough to travel. Most travel cover features cancellation refunds when a policyholder falls ill before the start of a trip.

The Association of British Insurers reports that its member companies are definitely seeing an increase in fraudulent claims. “Travel insurance is always susceptible to fraud and when times are tough, people look at ways of raising what they believe is easy money,” commented association spokesman, Malcolm Tarling. “Because the losses are abroad and police overseas are often not interested in investigating, people can claim possessions have gone missing.”

He pointed out, however, that claims adjusters are primed to spot the “telltale signs” of false claims, but added: “I won’t say what those are though.”

http://www.asap.co.uk/news/fake-insurance-claims-rise-as-travellers-feel-economic-pinch-5633574.html

Contrary to popular belief, not all real estate sales are down.

In fact, a number of timeshare companies are reporting double-digit growth.

Take Orlando-based Westgate Resorts, which reported sales were up 22 percent in June. Although the July numbers are not available, the company set a seven-day sales record the week of July 4 when it recorded gross sales of $33 million. Two weeks later, the 2,000-member Westgate sales staff came within $5 million of that mark with $28 million in gross sales.

And with August historically one of Westgate's highest-grossing months, the company has reason to be optimistic about the rest of the year. Last year, Westgate posted $1.1 billion in revenue, said Westgate Chief Financial Officer Tom Dugan.

http://sanantonio.bizjournals.com/orlando/stories/2008/09/08/story10.html