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Los Angeles (commonly abbreviated to LA ; pronunciation in Italian : [los andʒeles] ; pronunciation in English : [lɒs ændʒələs] ; pronunciation in Spanish : [los aŋxeles] ; original name: El Pueblo de la Iglesia de Nuestra Señora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciúncola de Asis , which means “City of the Church of Our Lady, Queen of the Angels of the Portiuncula of Assisi “, is an important city in California , the largest of this state and second of all the United States of America . Along with New York and Chicago is one of three cities of the country’s most important and is a center economic , cultural , film and science of global significance.
Become the city on April 4 1850 (five months before California became the thirtieth state of the Union), is the capital of the county . At the census of 2004 , was estimated population of 3,845,000 inhabitants. Los Angeles, with an area of 1,200 square kilometers, over the extension of other cities, like New York or Chicago . Its center is approximately 270.5 miles south-west from Las Vegas , on the Pacific coast.
The mayor is Antonio Villaraigosa , the first Hispanic to hold that office since 1872 .
Index

In 1769 , the explorer Catalan Gaspar de Portola led an expedition in southern California with the Franciscan Junipero Serra and Juan Crespi . Portola called a river they had discovered ” El Río de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles de Porciúncula “. Along the river, Brother Crespi had noticed a suitable place to build a mission , but in 1771 he founded a brother Serra at Whittier Narrows . After a flood in 1776 , the mission was moved to San Gabriel .
On 4 September 1781 , 44 settlers Mexicans emerged from the San Gabriel Mission to found a new settlement site near the river that had been identified by Brother Crespi. The city, called El Pueblo de Nuestra Señora la Reina de los Ángeles sobre el Río Porciúncula , remained a small agricultural center for decades. Today the general characteristics of the Pueblo is preserved in a small historic district, also known as Olvera Street .
The independence of Mexico from Spain was achieved in 1821 , but a much greater change occurred in 1847 when, after the Battle of Rio San Gabriel in today’s Montebello and the subsequent Treaty of Cahuenga ( 13 January 1847 ), fell under the California American control.

Olvera Street
Los Angeles was established as a municipality in 1850 , when its population was only 1,610 people. The railroad reached Los Angeles in 1876 , the work of the Southern Pacific .
The first police force was founded in 1853 and was one of the Los Angeles Rangers, made ​​up of volunteers, which was followed by the Los Angeles City Guards, also composed of volunteers. The famous LAPD, which stands for Los Angeles Police Department , which provides police service today in Los Angeles, was founded in 1869, when six officers were appointed by the Chief of Police William C. Warren. Today there are over 4000 patrol officers, not including the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, which covers the entire county of Los Angeles, working in small part, even nell’aerea urban.
Until the early twentieth century , Los Angeles remained a relatively small city. The first development was the driving force for oil . It was discovered in 1892 and within a few decades the industry hydrocarbons had a huge increase. In 1923 , the area of Los Angeles provided a quarter of the oil consumed in the world.
More importantly for the city to develop the water was. In 1913 , William Mulholland completed the ‘ Aqueduct Los Angeles aqueduct , which ensured the coverage of water needs of the city. Since 1915 , many small towns nearby, without an independent water supply, became part of the City of Los Angeles.
Since the twenties of last century, the development of Los Angeles received a further boost by the creation of two new industries.
In 1992 broke what was then called the ” Revolt of Los Angeles “, due to the beatings, made ​​from white police officers, a citizen of African American Rodney King , which caused the death of 52 persons.
Geography

Climate [ change ]
Los Angeles climate is Mediterranean – Subtropical ( Köppen classification of climates : CSB on the coast, Csa inland ), and receives an annual rainfall barely enough to not be classified as semi-arid climate (Köppen: Bsh ), with a average of just 35 days with measurable precipitation, and concentrated only in the winter months. [2]
The average winter temperatures are about 13 ° C and summer about 28-29 ° C during the day and 17-18 ° C during the night. Note how the contrast between the warm desert air and the colder air near the Pacific Ocean give rise, especially in late spring and early summer, a dense and persistent fog and overcast skies, especially along the coast: the phenomenon is locally called May Gray or June Gloom . Overall, the majority of days in Los Angeles are very hot and sunny in summer and in winter they are warm and not too rainy.

Climatic data of Los Angeles
( USC campus ) [3] Months Seasons Year

The city is administered by the mayor and city council . Since 2005 , the mayor is Antonio Villaraigosa . For the purposes of the election of the council, the municipal area is divided into 15 districts. Other elected positions are those of city attorney ( city attorney : currently Rocky Delgadillo ) and that of city controller (now Laura Chick ). The city prosecutor is pursuing minor offenses ( misdemeanors ) made ​​within the boundaries of municipalities. The district attorney, who shall be elected at the county level, pursues the same minor violations in the territory of the county is not provided with city administration ( unincorporated areas ) and in 78 of the 88 municipalities in the county. The most serious offenses ( felonies ) are still the responsibility of the district attorney.

The Town Hall of Los Angeles
The police of the city of Los Angeles is the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), made ​​famous in many movies and countless television series. The Sheriff’s Department provides police service for the unincorporated areas and some municipalities in the county (such as Calabasas , Temple City , West Hollywood and Compton ) that, without a city police department, have a roaming agreement with the ‘ Sheriff’s office.
The LAPD, the system of public libraries and school district are among the largest organizations of its kind in the United States.
The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power makes supplies of water and electricity to individuals and companies.
In certain areas of the city, the municipal government is perceived as inefficient. The city administration would, in other words, the priority problems of the most densely populated areas, such as Mid-City and Downtown at the expense of the suburbs. This resulted, in 2002 , the birth of a movement for secession of the San Fernando Valley and Hollywood , which had no effect.
Legal System
The Los Angeles County Superior Court has jurisdiction over all cases governed by state law, while the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California deals with matters of federal jurisdiction. Both courts are housed in a large complex of public buildings in the Civic Center.
Unlike the country’s largest cities, New York , Los Angeles and most of its major suburbs are all within the confines of a single county. Consequently, both the court of the county because the federal district court are at the top of national rankings for legal loads.
The processes of state jurisdiction can be appealed to the Court of Appeals for the Second District , which is always located in the Civic Center and, in the last instance, the California Supreme Court , which is based in San Francisco , but also holds court in Los Angeles (always in the Civic Center). The federal cases are appealed to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals , which discusses them in Pasadena . Last degree of judgment of the federal system is the Supreme Court found, as is known, in Washington .
Economics
County of Los Angeles
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from Los Angeles County )
County of Los Angeles County
Administrative data
State United States of America
Federated State California
Chief town Los Angeles
Date of establishment 1850
Territory
Coordinates
of the capital Missing coordinates
Surface 12 307.6 km ²
People 11099466 (2011)
Density 901.84 inh. / km ²
More information
Time zone UTC-8
Location

Corporate website
The County of Los Angeles County is the most populous U.S. (10,245,672 inhabitants in January 2006 [1] ) located in southern California .
The county is home to 88 cities and several unincorporated areas of the city. The coastline of the county is largely urbanized, except for some desert areas in the Santa Clarita Valley , and especially in the Antelope Valley , which includes the northeastern part of the county and the adjacent Kern County , which borders the County of Los Angeles north. Among the large desert portions of the county – which occupy 40% of the land – and the urbanized areas of central and south are the San Gabriel Mountains , including the Angeles National Forest . The whole southern part of the County of Los Angeles, which is the institutional center of the region, is mostly urbanized.
This region contains most of the major cities that make up the so-called Los Angeles area , and is the most important of the five other counties in the area. According to 2004 estimates, it is more populous than 42 U.S. states and is home to over one quarter of the population of California. Moreover, if the County were a country, occupy the seventeenth place in the world economy.

The city is governed by five members of the Council of Ministers, which is elected by the people. The small number of members of the Committee requires that every minister is more than 2 million citizens. The Council has powers legislative, executive and semigiudiziari. As the legislative authority, it may pass ordinances for unincorporated areas. As the judiciary, the Council may give directions to the county departments and as quasi-institution, it represents the last instance of appeal processes, and is responsible for public hearings on various issues on the agenda.
The government is directly chaired by the chairman of administration (currently David Janssen), and is organized into different departments, each of which is enormous compared to the average of other counties in the United States .
Despite being a liberal county, many peripheral cities are relatively conservative, particularly in the Palos Verdes Peninsula . Twenty-six cities in the County of Los Angeles voted for George W. Bush in the presidential election of 2004: Arcadia , Avalon , Covina , Diamond Bar , El Segundo , Glendora , Hidden Hills , Industry , La Canada Flintridge , La Habra Heights , La Mirada , La Verne , Lakewood , Lancaster , Palmdale , Palos Verdes Estates , Rancho Palos Verdes , Rolling Hills , Rolling Hills Estates , San Dimas , San Marino , Santa Clarita , Torrance , Vernon , Westlake Village , and Whittier . The remaining 89 cities have voted the other hand, Bush’s opponent, John Kerry .
Legal System
The Supreme Court of the County of Los Angeles has jurisdiction over cases that occur within the limits of the laws of the State, while the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California is responsible for all federal cases. Both are combined to form the headquarters located in a complex of government buildings in the civic center.
Unlike the largest U.S. city, New York , each city adjacent to Los Angeles is confined within a single county. Consequently, both the Supreme Court that the Federal Court are among the busiest in the nation.
Many celebrities like OJ Simpson were heard in the courts losangeline. In 2003 , the television show Extra made ​​known processes involving many celebrities for the county, so that was later dedicated to them an entire program, Celebrity Justice .
Geography

With its 10,517 km ², the County of Los Angeles is about 110 km of the Pacific Coast and is covered by the following rivers: the Los Angeles River , the Rio Hondo , the San Gabriel River and the Santa Clara River . The main mountain ranges are the Santa Monica Mountains and the San Gabriel Mountains . It also includes the western portion of the Mojave Desert , the ‘ Island of San Clemente (LA) and ‘ Santa Catalina Island (LA) .
The majority of people live in the south and southeast of the county. The major population centers are the Los Angeles Basin and the valleys of San Fernando and San Gabriel . Fewer people live in the valleys of Santa Clarita , Crescenta and Antelope . The northern portion of the Santa Clarita Valley is predominantly mountainous and has a mild climate in summer, which promotes the life of coniferous forests and receives plentiful snow in winter, which often result in snowstorms. This area is sparsely populated. The mountains in this area include those of San Emigdio , the northwestern part of the Tehachapi Mountains and the Sierra Pelona Mountains .
The county covers a total area of ​​12.308 km ².

Los Angeles, California
The ‘ economy of Los Angeles has its greatest strengths in international trade , the audiovisual industry ( film , TV productions , music ), in the fields of aeronautics and aerospace , in ‘ agriculture , the tourism industry and oil . Los Angeles is one of the largest U.S. manufacturing industry. Taken together, the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are the largest seaport of North America and the world. Generally all economic sectors are well represented, including those related to telecommunications , to banking , financial and legal , to the health and transport .
In three cities are located in the list of companies included Fortune 500 : The Northrop Grumman , working in aerospace, energy company Occidental Petroleum Corporation and KB Home , a builder of great houses.
Other companies headquartered in Los Angeles include Twentieth Century Fox , the Herbalife , the Univision , the Metro Interactive LLC , the Premier America , the CB Richard Ellis , the Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP , the Guess , the O’Melveny & Myers LLP , the Paul, Hastings, Janofsky & Walker LLP , the TOKYOPOP , the The Jim Henson Company , the Paramount Pictures , the Robinsons-May , the Sunkist , Fox Sports Net , the Health Net Inc. , the 21st Century Insurance and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf .
The metropolitan area contains the headquarters of other major companies, many of which are installed outside the city limits to avoid the disadvantageous system of taxation imposed by the administration of Los Angeles. For example, Los Angeles charges a fee based on total revenues on a percentage of turnover, while most neighboring cities charge only small flat fees. These companies thus benefit from their proximity to Los Angeles while avoiding excessively high taxes and other problems. Some major companies headquartered in the cities of Los Angeles County are Shakey’s Pizza (in Alhambra ), the ‘ Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (in Beverly Hills ), the City National Bank (Beverly Hills), the Hilton Hotels (Beverly Hills), the DiC Entertainment (in Burbank ), The Walt Disney Company (other companies list Fortune 500 – Burbank), the Warner Brothers team (Burbank), Countrywide Financial Corporation (Fortune 500 – in Calabasas ), the THQ (Calabasas), the Belkin (in Compton ), the National Public Radio West ( Culver City ), the Sony Pictures Entertainment (parent company of Columbia Pictures , in Culver City), the Computer Sciences Corporation ( Fortune 500 – El Segundo ), the DirecTV (El Segundo), Mattel (Fortune 500 – El Segundo), Unocal (Fortune 500 – El Segundo), DreamWorks SKG (in Glendale ), the Sea Launch (in Long Beach ), the ICANN (in Marina Del Rey ), the Cunard Line (in Santa Clarita ), the Princess Cruises (Santa Clarita), the Activision (in Santa Monica ) and RAND (also in Santa Monica).
Population

Downtown Los Angeles
The City of Los Angeles is, along with many other centers of Los Angeles and Orange counties a vast urban area with over 12 million inhabitants is the second in the U.S. after New York and among the first in the world. The people of Los Angeles are known as Angelenos . The city has an ethnically diverse population of the world. In the U.S., only Miami has a higher percentage of residents born abroad. The ‘ Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) is the major gateway for immigrants in the country.
The population of Hispanics (mostly Mexican ) increases significantly from year to year, so that now the 46.53% comes from Latin and the city is practically bilingual.

Night view of Downtown
The Asian population is the largest in the United States (Los Angeles County are about 1.4 million Asians). Los Angeles hosts the world’s largest community of Armenians , Filipinos , Guatemalans , Hungarians , Israelis , Koreans , Mexicans , Salvadorans and Thais outside the respective countries. In Los Angeles there are also the major U.S. communities of Iranian and Japanese . The population of Native American origin is substantial and represents the 1 .4%.
In Los Angeles there are large ethnic communities originating in over 140 countries, and speak at least 224 different languages. enclaves as ethnic Chinatown , Historic Filipinotown , Koreatown , Little Armenia , Little Ethiopia , Little Persia , Little Tokyo , Thai Town , testify to the character diverse city.
As in New York , to Chicago , to Philadelphia or San Francisco , the community Italian-American is numerous, although lower percentage (2.6%). In 2006-2008 the community of European origin are more important [4] :

In total, according to the census of 2010 whites (including white Hispanics, mostly Mexicans ) represent 50% of the population. The African-Americans represent 11 .2% of the population.
The strong economic disparities exist between the various communities over time have been the source of genuine popular uprisings (like that of 1990 ), also because of discrimination race .
City districts

Sunset Strip, the Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles is divided into several districts, many of which were autonomous communities, which came in time to be part of the city. Within the confines of Los Angeles and there are many autonomous municipalities (such as Long Beach , Santa Monica , West Hollywood , Pasadena , Beverly Hills , Malibu ), however, that the public associates the metropolis, as part of the urban and are included in the Los Angeles County . Generally, the city proper is divided into the following areas: Downtown , Eastside , South Los Angeles , South Bay / Harbor, Hollywood , Mid-City , Westside , San Fernando Valley and San Gabriel Valley . Several areas of the city are well known Venice Beach , the Downtown Financial District, Los Feliz , Silver Lake , Van Nuys , Hollywood , Hancock Park , Koreatown and districts (characterized by a particularly high income per capita) of Bel Air , Westwood , Brentwood and the famous Beverly Hills .
Transportation

Despite the great land mass and population, Los Angeles has a subway rather low with only 5 lines and 130 km of total length, very far from the numbers of New York or Chicago , this way, especially in the past, a culture of massive and disproportionate of private mobility, more than in other American cities.
To learn more, see the voice of Metropolitan Los Angeles .
Attractions

The most popular attractions in Los Angeles, in addition to the long beaches of the Pacific district of Hollywood , the shops of Rodeo Drive and the villas of the stars of the show in Beverly Hills , Bel Air and Malibu , and theme parks of Disneyland (which actually located in the city of Anaheim in neighboring Orange County ), Universal Studios and Paramount . But probably the most original way of sightseeing in Los Angeles is spread across the city to recognize the location of all the most celebrated American film and TV series, not forgetting the famous Grauman’s Chinese Theatre . Do not forget the neighborhood of Venice Beach, known not only for the shops overlooking the beach, but also a path for the many bike paths and street artists.
Hale House , situated north-east of the city, is called “the most photographed house in town” by Jack Smith and in 1972 was included in the National Register of Historic Places
The amusement park located on the pier in Santa Monica is one of the most popular and one of the world’s largest on stilts.
Sport

Los Angeles is without a team of American football town, but is represented in other major sports leagues:
Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers in the NBA ( basketball )
Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in MLB ( baseball )
Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks in the NHL ( ice hockey )
Los Angeles Sparks in the WNBA (Women’s Basketball)
Los Angeles Galaxy and CD Chivas USA ( soccer )
It is the largest U.S. city not to have franchises in the NFL , after the transfer of the Raiders and Rams , respectively, to Oakland and St. Louis occurred in 1995 .
The basketball team of the Los Angeles Lakers was originally an important team of Minnesota , moved to LA in 1960.
The baseball team the Los Angeles Dodgers was originally the third team in the city of New York , moved to LA in 1958.
Los Angeles has twice hosted the Olympic Games of the modern era ( X in 1932, XXIII in 1984) and in 1994 was the main headquarters of the U.S. World Cup hosting eight matches including the final of the 3 rd place match and final (July 17) between Brazil and Italy (the stadium Rose Bowl in Pasadena).
Personality linked to Los Angeles

This section contains “curiosity” to be reorganized .
Contribute to improve it by integrating where possible information in the body of the item and removing those inappropriate .
In Los Angeles has been the murder of Elizabeth Short , the Black Dahlia , considered the most famous unsolved murder case of the twentieth century.
The district alternative of Venice owes its name to the canals and Venetian-style buildings that once characterized it (there are still some).
As in Los Angeles, as in other areas of the U.S. , traffic on the roads is caused in particular by the habit of motorists to use their vehicles in solitary, in recent years there have been many initiatives (with a special lane) for those traveling by car with several people on board ( carpooling ).
In Los Angeles the notice of the bus stop is not as pressing a button, but pulling a cord placed near the windows.
In Los Angeles – as throughout California and other U.S. states – is strictly forbidden to move down the street with alcohol in sight.
In Los Angeles has dedicated the song of The Doors album LAWoman (track 5 – 7:53) realized in ‘ April of 1971.
In Los Angeles are born stars like Marilyn Monroe and Angelina Jolie
Already in 1990 the city had more than 10 million inhabitants.
In 1988 the city was considered the most polluted air across the nation.

The traditional gifts for a tenth anniversary are tin or aluminum. Not particularly exciting gifts. Expedia.com is forgoing the tin or aluminum for their tenth anniversary and giving what they call “incredible deals” on their top ten destinations. Get it – 10 year anniversary, top 10 destinations?

In addition to the incredible deals on the top ten, each week for ten weeks, the travel website will be featuring a limited-time offer on one special vacation spot. This week happens to be Mexico. From now until August 28th, you can save $100 instantly on a flight to Mexico and a hotel stay of six nights or more. After August 28th, presumably Expedia will choose another of their top ten destinations to discount even further.

So I thought I’d do a little comparison shopping to see how Expedia’s 10th anniversary incredible deal to Mexico stood up against one of its competitors – Travelocity. I picked a random Mexican destination – Cozumel; a random hotel in Cozumel – The Reef Club; and a random city to fly to and from – Philadelphia. I shopped for flight and hotel from September 4 – September 11 and choose the same exact flights.

The winner? Expedia did come in lower. At $2.068.73 (after $100 instant savings) their anniversary price was $120.27 less than Travelocity’s price. Both prices included discounts for booking air and hotel together and both included all taxes and fees.

So it seems Expedia’s anniversary deals are worth looking into. Here are the destinations that Expedia is offering discounts to during their anniversary.

Mexico – Choose from Acapulco, Cancun, Costa Rica, Cozumel, Los Cabos, Mazatlan, Mexico City, Puerto Vallarta, and Riviera Maya. And don’t forget – if you book your Mexican trip by August 28th and use coupon code MEX100 when you check out you can save an extra $100.

Las Vegas – Here are just a few of the hotels Expedia is offering their deal at – Sahara, Excalibur, Bally’s, Treasure Island, MGM Grand, Mirage and Mandalay.

Orlando – You can take the family to Walt Disney World, Epcot, Sea World, Universal, and Disney’s Blizzard Beach when you stay at local hotels such as Ramada, Lake Buena Vista, Royal Plaza, Hyatt Grand Cypress and The Florida Hotel. Stay three nights, get one free.

Los Angeles – There are 18 hotels to choose from with Expedia’s Los Angeles packages including Comfort Inn, Wyndham, Marriot Marina Del Ray, and The Tower Beverly Hills.

Caribbean – Choose from Antigua, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, Cayman, Domincan Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and USVI.

Hawaii – Choose from the islands Oahu, Maui, Kauai, and Big Island.

New York City – Take in a Broadway show while you stay in hotels such as The Pickwick Arms, Woogo Central Park, Salisbury or The Mansfield.

San Francisco – While in the city by the bay you can stay at one of fourteen hotels including The Bay Bridge Inn, Monarch Hotel, Miyako, Bay Landing, or Sir Francis Drake.

Washington D.C. – Fifteen hotels are available in the nation’s capital including Geroge Washington Inn, Washington Court, Lansdowne, and the infamous Watergate Hotel.

Europe – Some of Europe’s most popular destinations are included in Expedia’s tenth anniversary deal including London, Rome, Paris, Amsterdam, Munich, Barcelona, and Dublin.

In addition to their anniversary deals, Expedia is also giving away a $50,000 vacation and other weekly and daily prizes for those who choose to enter their contest

Jawahn Thompson
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/expedia-travel-remembers-ten-years-51821.html

The SMERFs, a hardy and growing bunch, are travelling Asia for Social, Military, Education, Religious, and Fraternity reasons, offering vast untapped potential for this regions developing and recovering travel markets says Abacus International.

Their reasons for travelling are as diverse as war and peace, study and learning, seeking their god or just to catch up with like-minded people, but what they have in common is a will to travel even if times get tough. They do not mind even gathering in non peak times if it will help keep the costs down.

They are the SMERFS. No relation to their cuddly namesakes of television fame, they are the resilient groups travelling to and around Asia in their millions for social, military, education or religious reasons, or as part of fraternity groups such as alumni, workplace re unions or special interest groups.

Abacus International President and CEO, Mr Don Birch says that despite being budget conscious, the SMERFs collectively form a huge market and have vast untapped potential for developing or recovering Asian travel markets.

Abacus International estimates that the SMERF market across Hong Kong, Thailand and Singapore alone is worth US$1.7 billion a year, based on an accepted US formula that the SMERF market is equivalent to about one third of the total meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) market.

Whereas their better known cousins the MICE are serviced by specialist divisions within major hotel groups, travel agencies and dedicated Government programmes, the SMERFS are often below the radar and therefore harder to measure.

They are hardy and budget-conscious travellers which make them ideal for developing or recovering markets or as a complementary segment in peak markets, Mr Birch continued.

The SMERFs helped sustain the US hotel and airline industry in the period following the 9/11 terrorist events, and have shown themselves to be very resilient in the face of international in the face of international events, Don Birch said.

Who are the SMERFS?

The SMERFs are part of a wider trend in the travel market towards more outcome based travel travel for a purpose other than just to see things, and they’re more prepared than ever to travel abroad to achieve their aims according to Mr Birch.

This seemingly diverse group is united by a willingness to travel despite the economic cycle, to go off-peak and even off the beaten track if that is what it takes to track down budget transport and accommodation, Don Birch said.

Social travel traverses the fields of sports, special interest, ethnic, talent and dance organisations, with more and more diverse ethnic and professional associations adding to the growth. Examples include womens groups, volunteer workers and social sports teams travelling domestically or inter country for tournaments.

The growing number of car owners joining clubs in Singapore such as BMW.sg, TeamChevy Singapore and the Toyota Club Singapore, are a case in point. Aside from their regular monthly meetings where enthusiasts exchange tips on the technical aspects their cars, these clubs also serve as a rallying point for trips overseas, either to Sepang in Malaysia for a day of track racing or to other regional destinations for leisure trips. Further afield, fans of the Lord of the Rings have travelled to New Zealand in their thousands to experience in person some of the magic of the film. A guide book to the filming locations has now sold over 300,000 copies becoming the fifth largest ever selling non-fiction book in New Zealand in the process.

The Lord of the Rings has created the largest film tourism event the world has ever seen. Thousands of people have flocked to Middle earth New Zealand to follow in the footsteps of the hobbits and to bring back some of the emotions they felt when watching the film or reading the book, says Ian Brody author of the Location guide, which is selling just as well a full three years after the last movie in the trilogy.

Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Director of the Strategic Intelligence Centre (SIC), Mr John Koldowski says there is also a well beaten path from India to the exotic film locations of Switzerland and Austria, as fans of Bollywood seek out the sets of their favourite movies.

The social category is a good market for hotel sales staff who want to fill room blocks in off-season and weekend periods, but attracting these bookings is reliant on repeat business, word of mouth from existing customers, and direct marketing to social organisers and providing the right kind of accommodation offers, Mr Birch said.

We used to think about SMERF groups as a market niche for budget hotels and hostel style accommodation, now they use convention and conference centres, university facilities, suburban hotels, downtown hotels, resorts and even unsold apartment complexes.

Military travel

Asias estimated 32 million soldiers are often on the move usually by military transport, but often by civilian travel networks in countries such as Thailand, Taiwan and Singapore. Not surprisingly, the Philippines is one of the largest military travel markets in the region. With its more than 400,000 strong army and vast territory of 7,000 islands, even the coming and going of soldiers on leave is a highly significant market.

While exact figures are difficult to procure due to the sensitivity of military travel, the growing number of websites specialising in military travel in this region, attest to the scale of interest in this market and present a highly focused audience for travel suppliers seeking to reach this market, Mr Birch said.

Education travel

The Singapore experience demonstrates the potential of the education travel market. Prospects for inbound educational travel are promising with the number of international students in Singapore for long-term studies (one month +) growing from 60,000 in 2003 to well over 70,000 in 2005 according to the Singapore Tourism Board. The Singapore Government is targeting to achieve 150,000 international students by 2015, particularly from China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia and Vietnam.

From summer camps to immersion programmes, travel operators in Asia are beginning to discover the value of outbound educational tourism in the region.

One of Singapores most established travel operators, Chan Brothers Travel, set up its own Educational Travel Centre (ETC) in 2003 to cater to the emerging educational travel market in Singapore, conducting tours for student groups to destinations such as China, England, Germany, Australia and Turkey during the student vacation months of June and December.

Another relative newcomer on the educational tour scene, Wing On Travel in Hong Kong offers English language and activity tours to Britain, Australia, Singapore, Canada and mainland China. Reflecting their commitment to cater to this emerging travel market, the agency decided to create a dedicated educational tour division. The company launched its first study tours in 2004 and this year plans to take 14 groups to Britain alone.

Mr Birch says, This travel segment has a high growth potential but travel operators need to be aware of the challenges inherent in conducting educational tours for school groups. Parents expectations, differences in cultural understanding and catering for homesick young students are just some of the many issues that tour operators will have to address through equipping their staff with the necessary skill sets and expertise.

While students from Hong Kong and Singapore are venturing to foreign shores for a comprehensive educational experience, Indian students are discovering Indias own cultural identity and heritage. Mr P Saravanan, from Viking Tours and Travels in Chennai, South India said that school groups are mainly travelling to experience the history, culture and monuments of other Indian states generally in groups of 25-40 people.

The school groups are very budget in their accommodation needs. That is 1 or 2 star, with as many as 3 or 4 children sharing each room, but they’re definitely a valuable market, because schools come back a number of times, as do families of the children as they grow up, so it is a valuable part of marketing, Mr Saravanan said.

A pioneer in the educational travel segment, Thai tour operator Track of the Tiger has been running educational tours for students from Australia and the UK for more than ten years. Mr Shane Beary, Director, said that the demand for educational programmes at its Maekok River Village Resort & Outdoor Education Centre has been growing at an average rate of 25 to30% over the past five years and recorded 7,500 room nights in 2005. With a market base that has grown to include students from Singapore, Hong Kong, Bangladesh and Thailand, Track of the Tiger now offers programmes at Pang Soong lodge, its new Outdoor Education & Research Centre in Mae On, Chiang Mai, covering a range of environmental, and outdoor programmes for student groups, as well as team building and ‘voluntourism options for the corporate sector.

Mr Beary commented, Our experience has shown that there are many overlaps between educational, volunteer and eco tourism, which we have tried to build on in developing our programmes.

Religious travel

As one of the worlds most populous and largest regions, Asia is also recognised as the birthplace of Buddhism and Hinduism.

Countries such as China, India, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and the Philippines have a cultural heritage steeped in some of the worlds major religions, and government policies to develop joint tourist attractions such as the Buddhist circuit in Taiwan, China, Sri Lanka and India have definitely grown the pie for their respective religious tourism markets,said Mr Birch.

Agreeing, PATAs John Koldowski said, Religious traffic tends to be fuelled by domestic bookings but increasingly, there are more pilgrimages being organised for inbound tourists which usually cover more than one destination. For example, there is a distinct Buddhist circuit such as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Sri Lanka and a trail covering revered Buddhist sites in India.

With a myriad of religious sites throughout the country, India has an established group of religious tour operators to cater to the many domestic and foreign pilgrims that throng India during the peak travel periods of April, May and November.

Mr Ashok Negi, from Rajarani Travels in Mumbai reports that the tours run by his agency and its network of six branch offices throughout India has facilitated pilgrimages for more than 50,000 tourists to various religious sites in the country. According to Mr Negi, visits to popular religious sites such as Vaishnodevi and the temple at Tirupati constitute as much as 25% of Indias domestic tourism.

Christianity is the other religion fuelling growth in another Asian destination, the Philippines. Having provided its services for more than four decades in Southeast Asias most populous Catholic country, Catholic Travel, Inc. has positioned itself as the Pilgrimage Specialist.

According to Ms. Carmina Orbe, General Manager, most pilgrims are from the Philippines, and they also have pilgrims from Hong Kong, Rome, Canada and Los Angeles not only joining a pilgrimage to the Holy Land (Israel) but having a pilgrimage in the Philippines. Priests that have joined our pilgrimages to the Holy Land have found a renewed inspiration in their vocational work for the community. I guess the visits have brought new meaning to the places and events in the Bible that they had only studied in the seminary previously.

Across Asia, missionary teams are also frequent travellers, with agencies such as World Vision and Youth With a Mission (YWAM), mobilising large numbers of people annually. For example, YWAM Singapore takes approximately 150 volunteers to developing countries in the region such as Myanmar, Indonesia and India, over five to ten such trips every year.

Fraternal travel

Although not as significant a market as educational or religious travel, a growing number of civil associations and groups such as Rotary International and Lions Club International have begun to look towards Asia as a possible destination for their international gatherings.

The Rotary Club held its international convention in Singapore, its first Southeast Asian venue in 1999, and again in Osaka, Japan in May 2004 for more than 45,000 Rotary club members from 96 countries. Lions Club International held its 88th International Convention in Hong Kong from 27 June to 1 July 2005, catering to approximately 20,000 Lions Club members and their accompanying family members and friends. This generated almost US$19 million of direct tourism spending and spin-off business for the retail, catering and tourism-related sectors.

Traditional MICE destinations such as Singapore and Hong Kong have paved the way for Asias rise as a conventions venue on the world stage. This has allowed emerging economies in Thailand, India and Vietnam to offer companies and fraternal associations more variety in their choice of meeting venues Mr Birch said.

Targeting the SMERFs

There are some commonly accepted issues in targeting the SMERF market says Abacus Mr Don Birch. For example recent cost increases in the Asia hotel sector which saw average room rates rise in major cities (for example 17% last year in Singapore) are not good news for SMERFs.

More meetings and higher hotel prices can limit options for SMERFS, but SMERF planners can still find open arms in markets such as second and third tier cities eager to lure back budget groups,said Mr Birch.

For sales and marketing managers within the industry, finding SMERF planners is harder than just finding Association planners.

Seeking local contacts that are affiliated with these types of groups is critical. Local networking is also needed to identify SMERF groups and their planners. Resources such as the research directories of organisations, affordable meetings conferences, and even the personal networks of a propertys employees all have their place in pinning down the SMERFs, Mr Birch said.

The internet also plays a key role as both a research and communication channel for both SMERF planners and sales and marketing teams.

The internet clearly improves the chances of buyers and sellers in the SMERF universe finding a good match on location, venue and the experiences to be offered during the period of travel, Mr Birch added.

Rajinder Dogra
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/are-you-ready-for-the-smerfs-69643.html

1. If you fly frequently, consider joining a frequent flyer program.

Frequent flyer programs can offer long-term discounts, so don’t always buy the cheapest ticket. Once you factor in the free tickets that you eventually qualify for, you could end up saving money. This is an especially good strategy for those who often fly overseas – how many trips to Singapore would it take to accumulate enough frequent flyer miles to get a free domestic ticket?

2. Check the airlines’ own websites

Don’t restrict yourself to the major airlines. Some regional and national carriers offer cheap airfare. China Airlines, for example, might offer cut-rate airfare to Beijing.

3. Check the online travel agencies

Expedia and Orbitz are among the most popular. Travel agents purchase air tickets at a discount by buying in bulk from the airlines, so they can often offer you cheaper rates than the airlines.

4. Be flexible.

Cheap airfares are often available only on certain days and require you to stay a certain minimum time.

5. Try the small agents in ethnic enclaves.

If you live in a big city and want a ticket to Japan, for example, go to Little Tokyo and check out the small agencies. If you want to go to Rome, check out Little Italy. I have purchased round trip tickets from Los Angeles to Tokyo for as little as US$500.

6. Book in advance.

Tickets booked in advance are normally cheaper than last minute purchases.

7. Buy from an air courier service.

Air courier services are companies that buy your luggage allowance in exchange for discounted tickets. Although they are the cheapest tickets available, they are usually reserved for international travel. Please note, however, that you may only bring carry-on luggage.

8. Become a student.

An International Student ID Card will get you lots of places cheap.

9. Offer to pay your way aboard an unregistered cargo plane by cleaning toilets and mopping the deck (bring along a parachute and you can stop anywhere you like – for the very adventurous only!).

Bob Miles
http://www.articlesbase.com/travel-articles/cheap-airl-tickets-flying-on-a-shoestring-138567.html

In a city bursting with opportunities like Los Angeles you can be almost anything you want: accountant, fireman, nurse, policeman and even TV reporter. Jobs in Los Angeles are not easy to find and the experience of searching can be both painful and difficult. This is why you should approach finding jobs in Los Angeles as if it were a project. Set realistic goals you can reach, make plans and monitor your progress.

In order find the suitable jobs in Los Angeles you must learn continuously. Knowledge always helps you. Read books on interviewing, job searches and career management. Research on topics related to finding Los Angeles jobs or improving you abilities. You can also expand your education by taking courses.

Deciding to browse among the many available jobs in Los Angeles depends on several factors such as: job preferences, your willingness to take responsibilities and your abilities to take risks. You should also be sincere about salary needs, skills and experiences. Many hiring professionals who post out Los Angeles jobs are interested to find out more about your perception on life, the job security you need and your ability to multitask. It is a cruel world out there. You have to be strong to survive.

You should target your resume to those jobs that call for matching abilities. Also, you can choose a career field so as to narrow down your search through the posted jobs in Los Angeles. Improve your search skills for Los Angeles jobs; be on the right track and stay informed about the changes in Los Angeles jobs.

Searching skills for Los Angeles jobs require adaptation to circumstances with respect to your resume, interviews and handling salary issues. In order to learn what employers who give out Los Angeles jobs expect of prospective candidates, visit career workshops. Prove yourself eager to learn and you will only have to gain. Remember that your searching strategies for Los Angeles jobs should address all the concerns of both the employers and yourself.

When you are looking for jobs in Los Angeles, it is important to be organized and present a professional attitude. Always be prepared and acknowledge that searching for jobs in Los Angeles and getting one of them are two different things. You have better chances of finding the perfect job among the available jobs in Los Angeles by applying to more places than one. Bear in mind that the rate of unemployment is on the rise and that there are fewer job opportunities with each day. Job seekers browse through Los Angeles jobs and get into a stringent competition. You have to be active and in constant search.

Given the circumstances on the employment market for Los Angeles jobs, companies become more and more selective about whom they hire. They require a lot of talent and creativity, they want efficiency and perseverance. It is not easy to locate reasonable opportunities among the Los Angeles jobs available on the market but you have to maintain a persistent search in order to succeed.

People who give out jobs in Los Angeles are looking for honesty, sincerity; they want to hire for the specified Los Angeles jobs thorough professionals, people with a continuous desire for improvement and who know their own strengths and limitations. These qualities are what set apart the ones who make a difference. They will get the available jobs in Los Angeles and work hard in order to keep them.

Keep in mind that you should always start searching for jobs in Los Angeles with solid hunting strategies and also with a lot of courage. There are many people who hope to find the perfect job among the advertised jobs in Los Angeles and you shouldn’t be discouraged by the heavy competition. Keep you head straight and walk with dignity in search of one of the best Los Angeles jobs.

Amelie Mag
http://www.articlesbase.com/small-business-articles/jobs-in-los-angeles-can-you-really-become-what-you-want-to-70856.html

I have a car but, it consumes a lot of gas, I don’t know, maybe bus? please tell me!

Check out greyhound, they have some fares called casino, after entering in your travel cities and dates I got a fare of $58 roundtrip. My friend you can’t beat that with a bat. Also the guy above me is right jetblue can get you there for around $150 roundtrip!

I’m a college student and I want to go to LA for my spring break. Does anyone from the area have any good recommendations of cheap places to stay there? Hostels, or hotels. Any ideas would be amazing

There are a number of hostels in Hollywood, and one in Santa Monica that are very good. USA Hostels and Banana Bungalow come to mind. Google "Hollywood Hostels" and take your pick.

I will stay 2 nights in one of these hotels and then change my hotel to the one that my boss arranged for the meeting which is closer to Miyako Hotel. But the Comfort Inn hotel is in the main attraction center !! I am really confused and also not sure if I stay in Miyako will it be safe returning hotel by public transportation late at the evening??

I’m not familiar with the Miyako hotel, but the Comfort Inn on Sunset is in a really great location close to the strip, across the street from a 7-11 if you need to get any snacks or whatever, and is well kept so I’d go with that one. It would be a relatively inexpensive cab ride to either Hollywood or the strip as it’s right in the middle.

i am traveling to san diego in february and march and i would like to see more places i am from mexico can you explain me how can i travel from san diego to la? and how expensive it is by car? by bus? train? someone how live in that places could help me i mean as a guide????’

San Diego is not that far from Los Angeles depending where you are starting from and where you go in Los Angeles; about two or three hours depending on traffic. From Los Angeles to San Diego, it costs me between $11 to $13 of gasoline for my little Toyota (1.6 liter). By bus, you can take TEO from San Ysidro (30 miles south of San Diego) to Los Angeles one way for $18. If you take the train like Amtrak, it will cost you $29 one way (not the Metrolink). I just came back from Tijuana through Tecate last Sunday.

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The latest thing buzzing the Los Angeles dining scene… Kogi BB!. It is a new take on the L.A. Taco Truck.

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The Brentwood Inn – located in the tony Brentwood area of West Los Angeles, The Brentwood Inn is a charming Bungalow style Hotel with 21 guestrooms. Brentwood Inn is popular with business executives, tourists and travelers worldwide that need a place close to Brentwood, Beverly Hills, Bel-Air, Santa Monica, Pacific Palisades, Malibu and all the other famous tourist attractions in Southern California. If you are planning a weekend getaway with your wife or friend and you need a special place to stay, the Brentwood is the place. Complimentary doorstep parking, High-speed Internet access, Breakfast by the local Dolce Forno Bakery, Smoke-free and Pet-Free Environment, a short distance to Restaurants and Shopping, LAX Airport only 12 miles away.

You can walk from the Brentwood Inn to the cool and stylish Brentwood Village where you will find a wide array of Shops and Restaurants…some of the places in Brentwood Village are : Starbucks Coffee where you will almost always see a celebrity of the likes of Ben Affleck, Reese Witherspoon, Robert Downey, Mark Hudson, Diane Keaton, Christian Slater, Brooke Shields, Charlie Sheen, Cloris Leachman, Maria Shriver, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Lori Loughlin, Michael Keaton, Steven Spielberg and the list goes on of the celebrities that live in or around the Brentwood Village area.

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Technorati Tags: bel-air, Beverly Hills, boutique hotels, brentwood hotels, brentwood village, brentwood village shopping, business hotels, business rates, free breakfast, free wi fi, hotel near archer school, hotels in los angeles, hotels near hollywood, hotels near santa monica, hotels near the beach, hotels where celebs stay, inns, los angeles boutique hotels, malibu, pacific palisades, special rates, the brentwood inn