Vacation Blog

A sobering article appeared this morning that should have never been printed. It is news of a N.C. travel agent arrested on fraud charges for accepting monies for deposits on Hawaiian vacations from consumers and then canceling the trips without refunding these dollars. (per the Baltimoresun.com 03/27/08)

Consumers have a way to prevent this by asking the correct questions and qualifying information about the companies they do business with. This does not always prevent mishandling of fees though. There are additional resources of further verifications in the travel industry like the seller of travel registration programs in such states of California and Florida.

In California and Florida, there is an additional protection known as the "seller of travel" registration laws which businesses need to participate in when they sell to residents of these states. Specifically, in California, as of 2007, all seller of travel businesses, including ground companies (examples: transportation over land - limousine, motor coach, charter tour), are required to register with the state of California.

Selling travel includes all types of travel - a fun trip with your group in a motor coach for the evening to your local downtown for entertainment AND week long vacations, cruises, and air - travel adventures you enjoy. Consumers may receive more information of the California seller of travel program at: http://ag.ca.gov/travel/ and the Florida seller of travel program at: http://www.800helpfla.com/sot.html.

Travel businesses in these states are required to renew their registrations annually and must follow certain highlighted procedures (and more):

1. Display this registration number on all advertisements, including business cards, flyers, and websites, "visible" to the consumer. You will recognize this as: CST (or FST) # XXXXXXX-XX.

2. Establish a bank account or trust fund to be used for consumer deposits only, until the trip or vacation has taken place. Businesses may not co-mingle funds received from consumers with regular business funds until after the completed travel.

3. Sellers of Travel businesses need to have the established liability insurance to be eligible for participation.

As a seller of travel business in the state of California, you are required to participate with the Travel Consumer Restitution Corporation along with the regular Seller of Travel program. This is an additional agency where consumers who are residents of California may apply for refunds of monies that were not returned to them or failed to comply with the conditions stated in cancellation agreements.

Any business selling travel to consumers in California and Florida should acquire this registration in these states whether or not they are located in the respective states. Yes, even larger, household named corporations and organizations, need this identifier and sometimes fail to show this on their advertising materials.

Remember, there is another registration, a TCP license, a ground transportation company must additionally maintain with vehicles in California. Other states have additional procedures to comply with which your Travel Consultant should be able to provide information free of charge to you.

Additional information may be found at the named websites mentioned in the beginning of this article and if you have additional questions please ask your Travel Consultant and/or call these agencies as this only skims the surface of this issue. These programs have been in existence for many years - to protect consumers.

As mentioned earlier in this article, any professional seller of travel business in California and Florida will be delighted to offer free information to you about this protection. These business owners follow these procedures for any consumers in any state. And, these business owners rest peacefully at night knowing funds are set aside for the consumer to enjoy.

This article is written to increase awareness of the additional identifiers for the consumer to ask questions and should not be used as a legal document. Additional questions should be directed to designated agencies as mentioned. Owners of Seller of Travel businesses should be able to provide information and direct you to these agencies when asked.

Donna West
Lighthouse Travel & Tours
CST # 2053373-40
http://www.funtourguru.blogspot.com
Have you reserved your vacation yet?

A city renowned for its modern art and breathtaking scenery, Paris is an ideal location for a romantic weekend break - and if you have more time - it will make for a remarkable holiday, with heaps of great sites to see. To be honest, you wont see everything on a two or three day break. A minimum of a week is needed to view the main galleries, visit medieval castles and explore the fabulous gothic churches.

Paris is the capital of France, a glamorous city situated on the banks of the river Seine, in north-western Europe. A city famous for its fabulous architecture, remarkable good food and wine, and is renowned for its many street markets and galleries.

Once you arrive in Paris there are loads of attractions to visit. The best way to see most of these great places is to get one of the tourist buses that run regularly to all the key locations. This will be the cheapest way of travelling from location to location and if you are planning to stay a few days - you can get a three day ticket at special rates, which can be used as often as you like.

A trip down the Champs Elysees is a must when you visit Paris. This is Pariss most famous street with shops, cafes, and restaurants littered along the wide pavements. This is the upmarket area of Paris that attracts thousands of tourists each day.

Paris has a large range of accommodation on offer. Hotels in Paris tend to cluster together. Five star hotels are situated near the Champs Elysees - but hotels tend to be cheaper once you move outside the city centre.

Travelling through the city of Paris can be very pleasurable. Paris has an excellent underground system called the Metro; the Metro runs regular trains into the city centre and is very easy to understand. Cycling is also a great way to see the city.

There are so many great places in Paris to visit - way too many to write about them all. The main ones include: The Notre-Dame, Musee du Louvre, Jardin du Luxemburg, and the Arc de Triomphe

The Notre-Dame cathedral is a feat of medieval architecture. Pope Alexander the third laid the first stone in 1163 marking the start of 170 years of construction.

Musee du Louvre holds some of the most important art collections in the world, including Da Vincis Mona Lisa and sculptures by Michelangelo.

Jardin du Luxemburg is the most popular park in Paris covering over 60 acres.

The Arc de Triomphe was built by Napoleon as a victory salute to his men after the Battle of Austerlitz in 1805. The Arc stands in Place Charles de Gaulle where twelve of Pariss main avenues begin, including Avenue de Champs Elysees.

Paris as a city has attracted artists for hundreds of years and the streets are full of modern day artists trying to sell their work. Famous painters like Monet and Picasso spent many years here and many of their art works can be seen in Paris today.

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