Seeking to get away for a short 4-day vacation I chose Jamaica without much deliberation. Since I was raised in New York City and had so many Jamaican friends, you could say I felt like I practically knew the place. Jamaica had been on my to-do list but it had taken a number of years for me to get to that item. Working with a travel agent I quickly settled on a resort in Ocho Rios, one of the major Jamaican resort destinations.

I flew Air Jamaica and I must say the smooth flight and their hassle-free policies lived up to every bit of their advertising. In Jamaica the favorite expression in the hospitality industry is “No Problem Man” and Air Jamaica certainly exhibited that general attitude too. I hadn’t anticipated that the ride from the airport to the resort would be that long and at times bumpy, but I was in a minibus with about six other tourists and everyone was in such high spirits that we just went with the flow. En route to the resort we stopped to rest at a location that included a Jerk Chicken shack. I had tasted Jerk Chicken before but I wanted to try it in the place that invented it. I soon placed my order and as I enjoyed my lunch I reasoned that if this humble rest stop could turn out such first-rate specialties, a resort should have even greater fare.

Arriving at the resort I was greeted at the front gate by the management staff that included 3 musicians as part of the welcome entourage. I wasted no time relieving one of the guitar players of his “axe” and launching into my version of Bob Marley’s No Woman No Cry. They all got a big kick out of this and accompanied me on vocals and box bass. On a few of the choruses, one of the musicians even performed an extremely polished Dancehall style rap. I asked him if he had thought about a music career and he mentioned that the music industry in Jamaica was so competitive that he hadn’t really given it serious consideration.

There were 5 restaurants, each with a different cuisine, and the food was absolutely outstanding. One night while sitting in one of the many outdoor spaces I heard the house band do a cover of the great Gregory Isaacs’ reggae song, Night Nurse and I was so impressed that I caught up with the band leader between sets to compliment him on the performance of the band. He explained that they had been the house band for about 3 years and worked there 5 nights a week. The only words to describe the music are “authentic” and “organic”. Jamaica had given the world Reggae and it was no accident that the music and the musicians that played it sounded so good here: it was the sound being conveyed in its natural habitat. I reflected that this is also true of American musical forms too: other nationalities could play it but to really understand it, it helps to go to America and hear the music in the proper cultural context.

From that night on, on spotting me in the crowd, the band would always dedicate Night Nurse to me and I could not help but marvel at the profound statement their music made. The rest of the trip was packed with enough Pina Coladas to last a lifetime as well as visits to popular landmarks but nothing could rival the sound of the Night Nurse on a cool Jamaican night.

If you want to travel abroad, you also have to bear in mind possibilities such as terror attacks along with travel hazards now, and not just the normal issues that crop up like booking tickets, visas, and so forth. This is becoming more important now as the world has been shaken up with terrifying terror attacks recently – take the terror attacks in Mumbai for example. Thus, when you are planning foreign travel to any country in the world, you should not forget about something which is imperative, and that is travel insurance. We have still not recovered from the impact of the recent terror attacks that shook up Mumbai. Such terror attacks were unprecedented in India. Plenty of globe trotters visit India when they think about foreign travel. They don’t travel abroad to other exotic country but visit India because of its lovely tourism as well as excellent hospitality industry. However, who could have ever thought that travel hazards could appear in the form of terror attacks here?

The travel industry in India has suffered a deep scar because of these terror attacks and the subsequent travel hazards. No one wants to travel abroad and risk his or her life. The impact of the terror attacks in India is already being felt. Business travelers, for whom foreign travel is a regular feature, are canceling their flight tickets. In fact, the world is no longer a safe place to travel abroad as it used to be. Life threatening travel hazards can affect anyone anywhere. However, if we have the assurance of travel insurance, then we won’t need to feel scared about foreign travel. In the current scenario of terror attacks, travel insurance gains primary importance, especially for foreign travel.

Terror attacks are not restricted to countries like India alone. We are all aware of the 9/11 terror attacks in the US. When there is loss of life because of terror attacks, then that loss cannot be replaced, but losses during foreign travel can surely be covered, provided you have the right travel insurance plan. Today, with the rising threat of terror attacks, you can have terrorists right inside your hotel. To combat that, you can opt for terrorism insurance.

Even your best-planned foreign travel tour or travel abroad trip can get disrupted with travel hazards and emergencies. Even if there are no terror attacks, your foreign travel vacation or travel abroad trip may not be a smooth ride. Travel hazards could range from anything like loss of baggage to medical injuries while you travel abroad. You have no idea what kind of travel hazards may attack you. You may fall sick, hurt yourself, injure yourself while driving, or need medical treatment. All these travel hazards can prove to be very costly. You can say goodbye to all these problems and travel hazards during your foreign travel with the right travel insurance policy. If you choose a good travel insurance plan then you can relax all through your foreign travels. Your travel insurance plan takes care of all kinds of travel hazards. If you want to stay safe from the time you leave home, travel abroad and return back, then go for a good travel insurance plan. Many travel insurance companies in India offer travel insurance plans designed to address travel hazards and help in foreign travel. It is a good idea to weigh the pros and cons of different travel insurance plans and find out which travel insurance suits you best for your travel abroad vacation.

Get travel insurance plan that provides the best coverage including baggage loss, medical evacuation, and travel abroad trip cancellation. Now you can travel abroad in peace without any worries!

Choosing a travel agency to handle your next vacation as opposed to dealing directly with an airline presents numerous benefits. Here are a few of the benefits you enjoy:

Wealth of information

Because of their experience and wide connections with people in the hospitality industry, travel agencies are in the best position to provide sound advice when it comes to the following points: off peak and peak travel times, budget travel, hotel and meal deals, excursions, shopping bargains, and other tourism-related topics. Much will depend on your preferences. For instance, are you interested in a golf holiday, a fishing trip, a museum jaunt or a spa type of vacation?

Discounted fares

Travel agencies and online travel agencies are great for bargain hunting and usually get the best deals from their network of contacts. They also purchase air tickets on volume, consolidated tickets, enabling them to buy air tickets at considerably higher discounts.

Extended network of suppliers and providers

Given that travel agents deal every day with hotel managers, restaurant owners and managers, bed and breakfast supervisors, tour operators, limousine companies, and other people who offer a specialized service, they know who and what are offering better prices and when. So travel agents have a wealth of information on just about anything related to travel, and because they network with other travel agents, they get to exchange valuable tips. Consider yourself fortunate if you happen to be dealing with a travel agent who seems to know “just about everyone” in the travel industry and who can offer you the discounts that she reserves for preferred clients.

Group discounts

If you tell your travel agent that you and your friends want to travel together or that you’re taking your family of four on a Kenyan safari, he or she might be able to slash off more dollars from your air tickets because you will be travelling in a group. Sometimes, when you buy three adult tickets, travel agents will let your four-year-old travel for free or at a much lower price. Travel agents can, at their discretion, extend courtesy discounts to groups. The more seats are bought and the more rooms are booked, the higher the discounts they receive.

Perks

Travel agents also have access to suppliers and service providers who hand out “bonuses” or perks. These are the nice extra incentives that say, hotel managers would give to agents so that the next time the travel agency has a large group of travelers, they choose the same hotel. Meal vouchers are another example that travel agencies have a constant supply of to give to loyal customers. For example, if you and your friends like to visit Las Vegas a lot, your travel agency may give you slot chips worth $50.00 to use on machines, or free passes to a stage show or concert. So you see, it does pay to develop good relationships with travel agencies especially if you’re a frequent traveler.

Specialization

Some travel agencies specialize in certain types of travel and cater to a certain age group or specific professional groups. Some travel agencies have more strengths and capabilities than other travel agencies. One travel agency may know the ins and outs of Eastern Europe or may know what the best budget restaurants in Tokyo are. Other travel agencies may cater specifically to retirees, students or government officials.

When a travel agency handles a large account like a mid-size company whose executives travel weekly, you can be sure that travel agency is in a position to offer significant savings on plane tickets or hotel reservations. If you have a friend who works for a large company and his company uses one travel agency, you could ask him to request the travel agency for special deals. Because travel agents are grateful for the continuing patronage of their company clients, they will most likely share tips on how to travel on a shoestring budget for the executives’ children.

Don’t let one unfortunate experience with a travel agency discourage you. Find another. If you deal with the airlines directly, you’re just another caller to them, whereas if a travel agent calls the airline on your behalf, the airline will recognize the travel agency as a regular customer and hence would be more inclined to extend courtesies.

What you need to do before calling a travel agency is to decide:

· Specific travel dates

· Where you want to go, where you want to stay and whether you’ll need a car or rail passes

· If you’re willing to travel on a restricted ticket or as a standby passenger

· What activities you’d like to do once you arrive in your destination

By giving your travel agency complete information, she can be more efficient in helping you plan your next vacation.

Traveling exclusively for pleasure is expensive but if you can find work in the travel industry or find a job at your desired destination, you can achieve your traveling goals while earning a living.

Travel jobs are the solutions to your wanderlust predicament. Unless you are wealthy, there is no other way more that is more practical or effective. If you have definite traveling goals like a preferred destination for instance, you should research what kind of jobs you can get in that location.

You can find jobs that are offered in a particular place through the Internet Search for jobs that are offered to foreigners like you. There are a lot of opportunities you can take advantage of.

Then again, if you are not really as selective about your destination and just want to travel and explore, you are able to increase your options. You can find work while traveling almost anywhere no matter what skills and expertise you possess. When finding travel jobs, the obvious industries to consider are tourism, hospitality, business, and the health care industry.

Travel is parallel with tourism. If you are a person with exceptional people skills, you can work as a tour and travel guide. With organizational skills, you can become a travel organizer; you can create itineraries for groups. You may travel with them and lead the excursion.

You can land tour organizer/guide by attending seminars and training. Get a certification and research your preferred location; history, geography, and even folklore. Increase your chances with language and speaking training. You can apply at agencies and get experience from starting at the bottom. Eventually, if you want to make a full-time career out of it, you can become a freelancer or contractor.

The hospitality industry offers a lot of job opportunities as well. You can get entry level jobs with decent compensation. Tips can also help you financially. One good thing about hospitality jobs is you can climb the career ladder if you are performing well. Hotels offer most of the positions. The work setting is great; the more luxurious the establishment, the better the pay and benefits.

Like tourism jobs, you can search for hospitality jobs on the web. There are reputable agencies that can help you with the job placement. You just tell them where you would like to go and what kinds of jobs you can perform.

Medical and health care workers also have travel prospects in line with their profession. Travel nurses have a very high demand especially in places with staffing scarcity problems. Medical and allied health care professionals can work on a contractual basis in various hospitals or medical institutions all around the world.

Assignments are usually around 3 months or more. You can jump from city to city or country to country if you want to. Eventually, you can decide the perfect place for you to settle down with your career.

As you might already known, travel jobs are abundant. They involve many different industries; hospitality, security, engineering, tourism, and dozens more. However, let us focus on travel jobs that do not require specialized education and can be taken by common folks.

The best travel jobs for an unskilled worker is usually found in the tourism and hospitality industry. They have positions for persons with limited education and experience but also allow growth and upward mobility in their careers. Entry level jobs tend to have small salaries but since you are dealing with affluent travelers and vacationers, you can usually receive tips and rewards.

Food and accommodation is usually free, paid for by the company. If you spend your money thriftily and wisely, you can save a lot in the end. People with this kind of travel job can climb up the career ladder. Of course, excellence in performance and service is a requirement.

For instance, you may work as a cruise ship crew as your starting position. With hard work and eagerness to learn, you can earn a higher position and you can eventually become a cruise director. Another example, you can have an initial position as a bellman in a hotel but you can eventually be given managerial duties if you persevere enough.

Being a tour guide is also one of the better travel jobs. If you love the outdoors and being one with nature, you can lead treks along scenic terrains. You can create an online page and acquire clients from all over the world. You’ll get to meet interesting people while giving them a gratifying experience touring the local sights.

Adventure guides are quite different. Skills in daring activities are required. This is the suitable tour guide job for adrenaline junkies. Responsibilities include leading and instructing clients to go through various extreme activities. It is fun and if you are the type, don’t pass up this opportunity. Pay is decent but the exuberance makes it worth your consideration.

Now if you are not really on the adventurous side of things, you can become a standard tour guide that does all the basic stuff; educating the travelers with history, a bit of geography, and folklore. Extensive knowledge about the destination is required. Communication and organizational skills are also essential in this kind of travel job.

Artistic and technical skills are great attributes to have when you want to work traveling. Skills in photography, for example, can be an asset. Travel photographers can earn an excellent living if they can capture striking photos and market their work effectively in the market. Publishers of travel magazines, tourism companies with ad campaigns, and the local government are just some of the typical buyers.

In summary, travel jobs are great opportunities for everyone. Do not let the lack of education and experiences discourage you. Work while traveling is for all.