Being a sister agency to a company that has operated the Hawaiian International Music Festival for 27 years, I have been fortunate enough to visit all the Hawaiian islands, multiple times. The Hawaiian islands are beautiful but sometimes a tourist trap, which is what I especially believed true for Oahu. This time I stayed at Turtle Bay Resort on Oahu’s North Shore. The verdict…hands down my favorite area of all Hawaii. The hotel served its purpose but it was the location that really won me over. It felt local, true Hawaiian. Even being peak season it felt quiet and open. It had such a relaxed feel that I caught myself driving at least 5 miles under the speed limit. Everything seemed like a hidden gem, even though I knew the locals know these places like the back of their hand. I was enamored by the shrimp shacks that lined Kamehameha Highway and eager to eat everything in my path. I want to say that I discovered the places I am going listed for you below, but I know that is not entirely true. However, I cant honestly say everywhere I visited felt much more local and off the beaten path than any other place I have been in Hawaii. Here is a taste of where I went:

Tamashiro Market – 802 N. King St
This place is a little market that packs a lot of punch. You will find tons of fresh fish and shellfish and along the back wall is the poke counter. There were at least 15 poke choices (mostly ahi.) Here I tried the Ahi Chili Poke and the Ahi Llimu Poke. The chunks of ahi were huge and extremely fresh. The flavors were subtle, probably to highlight the fresh fish. I preferred the Ahi Chili Poke because I thought the green onion added a great flavor.

Ono Seaford – 747 Kapahulu Ave
I read about this place in a blog years ago and have always wanted to try it. Here I tried the Wasabi Ahi Poke and the Spicy Ahi Poke. The chunks of ahi were not as big as Tamashiro Market and slightly not as fresh tasting. However, the flavors were perfect, especially the Wasabi Ahi Poke. They also make the poke when you order it versus Tamashiro Market, who has it pre-made, deli style.

Kahuku Shrimp Shacks

Giovanni’s Shrimp Truck – 56-505 Kamehameha Hwy
This is the original Kahuku shrimp truck and often the talk of town when it comes to shrimp trucks. You get a lot of shrimp here, probably around 12 pieces. I really wanted to try the “No Refunds: Hot and Spicy Shrimp” but instead went for the Shrimp Scampi since it is the island specialty. It was good but the pieces were a little small.

Romy’s Kahuku Prawn and Shrimp Hut – 56-781 Kamehameha Hwy
Yummmmmm. You get less pieces here than you do at Giovanni’s but they are big and they are yummy. I ordered the Garlic and Butter plate with spicy sauce (its like a spicy soy sauce, well, that is exactly what it is.) I was very tempted by their other choices, sweet and spicy as well as friend shrimp, but I had to go with the signature dish. I waited 30 minutes for it because they don’t cook it until you order it but It was so good. I would be willing to wait longer if I ever go again.

Kahuku Grill – 56-565 Kamehameha Hwy
Its easy to miss this place because its behind a Quiznos. I happened to see their Christmas lights from a distance and was curious to know what it was. Little did I know at the time that this is where you can get the world famous macadamia nut coconut shrimp. Of course I ordered the shrimp plate, which came with a lot of macadamia nut coconut shrimp. The sweet and spicy dipping sauce was fantastic, I could have made a smoothie out of it. I thought the shrimp was very good but the size of the shrimp was a bit wimpy. There was a lot more coconut than shrimp but nonetheless, it was a great meal.

Happy Hearts Mochi – www.happyheartsmochi.com
I can’t give you an address for this place because I don’t really  know where it is or how I found it but this place is an antic and a true hidden gem. Basically you have to call ahead and then go pick up your order from someone’s house. Sure it sounds sketchy but I don’t have good common sense when it comes to security (one of my best friends in NYC often calls me randomly just to ask if my door is locked.) They had me pick up the mochi at their new factory (don’t know what else to call it,) which is located at Natsunoya Tea House. I could write an entire blog post about this place because as it turns out this is a word of mouth, reservation only restaurant overlooking Honolulu. They require a 10 person minimum reservation and trust me, the view is stunning. When I walked in they were in the process of making that night’s meal so they gave me a little tour. I literally walked into their kitchen and sampled their bento box while waiting for them to bring my 4 pieces of mochi (usually people buy a minimum of 60.) Now back to the mochi…it was huge and amazing. They have seasonal strawberry mochi, peanut butter mochi, haupia mochi, etc. The only drawback is that you have to refrigerate this mochi (or else I would have carried 60 pieces back with me.) When I left, the entire staff came outside and waved goodbye. Again, I bought 4 pieces at $3/piece, I am hardly their best customer but I felt like it!

Nisshodo Candy Store- 1095 Dillingham Blvd
I almost crossed this place off my “try” list because I envisioned it as a typical candy store. Then I literally almost passed this place because it looked like a small office that would be connected to a tire store or Bob’s 20 Minute Oil Change Service. The entrance looks like a backdoor and is pushed way in the corner of a very unassuming parking lot. Had someone with a small child not walked in before me I probably would have run for the hills. Inside was a sweet lady who you would totally find at a bakery. Bellow her, in the bakery counter was coconut mochi or as I like to say, little squishy puffs of heaven. Such a great find!

Haupia Pies (traditional coconut milk-based Hawaiian dessert)

Ted’s Bakery – 50-024 Kamehameha Hwy
This is the only place I tried Haupia, which is a like a pudding with a slight coconut flavor. I feel like I have mentioned coconut a lot in this post and I have to say, I am not all that enthusiastic about coconuts but “when in Rome.” Even though this was the only place I tried Haupia, I am pretty sure its one of the best. I also took home a loaf of banana macadamia nut bread…so good.

Giordano commented that the Social Medial phenomenon will take 50 years for us to fully understand how we can use this new source of communication.  Although Social Media is only 3 years old; we have a long way to go before we can learn how we can harness the possibilities.
 
Rick Meadow, President of Seabourn Cruises, commented that with Social Media, there are no experts.  “We are all learning.  Taking small steps will make it easier to see the big picture.”  Meadow suggested simple steps to get more involved with using Social Media to not only drive new business, but as a way to communicate with existing clients.  One simple step he suggested was getting a Facebook link to your outgoing email.  He also commented that suppliers can do a better job of helping agencies use Social Media to grow their business and this is something Seabourn is actively working on for the future.
 
“Travel has become an entitlement, and not just in the luxury market.  However, in the luxury market, it’s even more relevant and more important.   Travel is now considered a right, rather than just a privilege.”
 
Gerald Bellino, Vice President of Wagonlit Travel, commented that his company is looking at different marketing channels to drive new business, such as white label programs, which may or may not necessarily involve Social Media.
 
Jennifer Fox, COO of Intercontinental Hotels, announced that the hotel brand has over 5,000 followers on Twitter and Facebook.  Fox commented, “it’s important to understand your client’s values before you can sell or market to them.”  One example she gave for using Social Media as a way to communicate with their customers is a new pilot program called Facetime. Coinciding with the release of the new iPad 2, the company has now updated their Concierge app and will now include the ability for consumers to have live chats with their hotel concierges before they arrive at the property.  This exciting new program may become the model for the entire industry.  The live chat offers a very personal interaction and this “face-to-face” time is at the push of a button.  
 
Judy Stein, Co President of Ovation Vacations suggested that Travel Advisors try to become the filter.  “There is a tremendous amount of information overload and the key for the advisor is to be able to decipher through all the information and sift through the noise to see what information would best fit their clients.”  Stein feels that being the “filter” will be a major role that agents will play in the future.
 
Stein also commented that Ovation Vacations hires young, talent based on attitude and passion and allows them to develop their own style by empowering them to learn, but to also learn their own style.    “Everyone is different. Some are better at research, while others are more comfortable speaking to clients on the phone.”  Ovation tries to find what talent best fits their new hires.
 
Scott Ahlsmith, Virtuoso’s Executive Vice President of global technology and President of 23TouchPoints commented that within 90 days after a traveler returns from a cruise, consumers will spend on average $2,400.  This translates to the best time to contact a customer is right after they have returned from their vacation.  The general consensus has always been that travelers will refrain from spending money right after traveling.  However, 23TouchPoints has debunked that myth and has discovered that travelers are not broke after returning home; rather they are travel inspired.
 
The remainder of the afternoon had the attendees touring Madrid’s Old Quarter and Royal Palace, as well as the world famous Prado Museum.  Afternoon tours have been sponsored by Virtuoso On-Sites, Valesa Cultural Services and Made for Spain.  This evening is the final Gala Dinner taking place at Quinta del Duque De Arco.  
 
Jay Johnson
Coastline Travel Advisors

http://traveler.tafaritravel.com/

Twitter: TafariTraveler

Virtuoso’s annual overseas Symposium officially kicked off this evening with a warm reception at the beautiful Intercontinental Hotel in Madrid.  This spectacular hotel will be the hub for what will surely be three days’ worth of intense networking and sharing of ideas amongst the 400 travel professionals in attendance.

Spain is the only country that has hosted the Virtuoso Symposium twice, noted Matthew Upchurch, CEO of Virtuoso.  Matthew Upchurch began the conference by stating “Exponential change happens as the result of three things: Technology, Information, and Culture.” Following Matthew’s speech was energetic Nancy Giordano, founder of Big Ideas and one of the most prominent Futurists in the industry.

Giordano gave a fascinating and insightful presentation on the Rise of Collaborative Commerce, which was the overall theme of this year’s Symposium.  The focus was what is in store for the travel industry.  Listening to how the changing demographics and the affect it is having on our industry was warmly received by the audience.

The speed of change is exponential.  “Change is also inevitable and faster, so embrace it and lead it,” said Nancy. Nancy also stressed that new technology is changing the way consumers behave and it’s important that our industry realizes these changes and finds ways to adapt, as well as find ways to reach out to the next generation of travelers; both the Gen X group, as well as the Millennials, which are those who were born between the 1970’s to the early 2000’s.

The purchasing patterns of Millennials, Generation X and Boomers vary so greatly that to try and establish a common marketing theme for all three groups will certainly lead to failure.  Even within those groups are various subgroups that must be treated differently.  Gender, race and socio-economic factors all play major roles in how consumers spend.  What was facsinating about Giordino’s presentation was her ability to understand how all these specific roles come into play and how, as an industry, we must find ways to truly understand our customers in ways that were unheard of only a decade ago.

Some notable and interesting facts Giordano shared with the audience was the rise of Social Media and its impact on buying patterns.  For instance, every month, over 1 million new internet domains are created while there are over 17 billion electronic devices connected to the internet.  Considering that represents more than double the earth’s population, it’s simply mind boggling, to say the least.   And, this growth continues with no end in sight as again, growth is exponential.

Another interesting fact shared by Giordano is that there are over 31 billion (yes, billion) Google searches each month, as well as 195 million Twitter users on the planet.  Considering Twitter was founded by Jack Dorsey and Evan Williams less than four years ago, the growth of the social networking site is astonishing.  And, there are those who believe Facebook will surpass Amazon as the largest online store in the world.   Currently, there are 20 million Facebook apps installed every day.  What is even more astonishing is that many of these purchases are originating from smart phones, not PC’s.  EBay stated that they sold 2 billion worth of merchandise that originated from smart phones and not PC’s.

Another changing demographic that will certainly be a factor for the travel industry is the number of singles living in the US.  In the year 2000, approximately 32% of the population was living alone.    Now, that number has swelled to almost 50%, which is now higher than the number of married couples in the US.    This is a staggering percentage and will certainly play a role in how travel is marketed to consumers.

Along with the emerging millennial group, the change in diversity; notably the enormous growth of the Hispanic market throughout the US, and the rise of women population; each of these will be playing a role in how we market to consumers.  The number of women in the US that hold prominent positions in Fortune 500 companies has grown tenfold over the past decade.

Following the presentation, the attendees were spoiled with a lavish lunch at Cibeles, where many of the members commented they were unaware of the wide variety and superb quality of food in Spain.  Like Virtuoso, there will be a sizable number of returnees to Spain.

Jay Johnson
Coastline Travel Advisors

http://traveler.tafaritravel.com

Twitter: @TafariTraveler

While attending ILTM this past December in Cannes,  I ran across a booth that caused me to pause, and think MSC Yacht Club? After a few minutes of staring at the booth, I began to smile and perhaps giggle a bit.  OK, now seriously, MSC is going upscale?   I had obviously heard of MSC, but I had no idea what they meant by Yacht Club.  Yachts of Seabourn, Seadream Yacht Club are both companies I’ve sold many times in the past, but MSC Yacht Club?

I learned later that MSC currently has 11 ships worldwide, and dominate the Brazilian market, with five ships sailing off the coast of South America, as well as being a major player in the European market.  MSC is the second largest container shipping company in the world, and like NYK and their Crystal brand, MSC had decided to break into the cruise passenger market.  One of the great things about MSC is its international flavor of passengers.  Latin American guests mingle with the Germans, who mingle with the French, while the British, Italians, and Spaniards swap stories with the Russians.

About a month or so later, I received an email from Marilyn Conroy of David Morris International, asking if I would be interested in test driving their new travel partner, MSC Yacht Club. I mentioned I had seen their booth at ILTM and quite honestly, I was curious to learn more. Marilyn described the concept as a “cruise within a cruise.”  My assumption was that it would be something similar to the Four Seasons/Mandalay Bay concept. If you wanted to live the life of luxury, but still be close to the action, you could stay at the Four Seasons yet still be an elevator away from the hustle and bustle.  With that in mind, the big question was: is MSC able to pull off what the Four Seasons and Mandalay Bay had successfully done  I also wondered why this cruise within a cruise idea hadn’t been attempted before. I guess you can say Cunard has been doing it for years, and NCL is attempting something similar with their villa concept, but not at the magnitude of what MSC was trying to pull off.

Upon arrival at the port in Piraeus, I was met curbside by my Belgium trained personal butler, who escorted me through security, and directly into the Yacht Club. The time it took to get from my cab to the stateroom was less than 10 minutes, which has to be the quickest embarkation in my 20 years of cruising.  The process could not have been easier.  No check in, no lines, no stress.  I literally felt like a rock start being escorted to my suite.

I later learned that my butler was in charge of five suites while onboard. How he knew what time I was arriving is beyond me, yet from that moment on, every time I left the ship, I was escorted to the debarkation area, and every time I arrived back at the ship, I was greeted with his Balinese smile and charm.  Even when walking to the private dining room (which, unfortunately is not located near the Yacht Club, but in the aft section of the ship…probably the only flaw of my Yacht Club experience), he would escort me to the restaurant, and would be waiting for me after dinner to walk me back home.

Yacht Club guests were treated to their own lounge, filled in the morning with international breakfast treats followed by afternoon snacks and cocktails in the evening.  Each night, my travel group, consisting of agencies from both the US and Canada would meet in the lounge, known as the Top Sail and share stories about the travel industry while sipping our complimentary cocktails and canapés.

What was so enjoyable about the Yacht Club and why I think it’ll be a huge success is that you really do have the best of both worlds. I’m a huge fan of Crystal, Silversea, Regent and Seabourn, but to be honest, the nightlife on these ships can be lacking, to say the least. All have great service, great food, great amenities, but there are times when you really feel like going out on the town, so to speak.  MSC was able to offer both worlds seamlessly.  If you wanted a quiet night with friends, you spent the evening up at Top Sail.  But, if you wanted to have a little night life, then you ventured outside of the Yacht Club and into the heart of the ship, where you would be met by a lively casino, rocking disco, and dozens of packed bars full of worldly travelers.  When you were ready to retire, you could head back to your suite.

While in the confines of the Yacht Club, alcoholic beverages are included.  Gratuities are not expected, including in your private dining room.  MSC is also offering complimentary airfare from major US gateways and for price comparison sake, are lower than what you would fine on other all-inclusive products. MSC is testing this new concept onboard their two newest ships, the Splendida and Fantasia, with a third ship, Divina scheduled to arrive in May, 2012.  All three ships are scheduled to cruise the Mediterrean year round, which is another interesting concept for those who wish to visit Italy, Greece and France without the summer crowds.

Overall, I found my first MSC Yacht Club experience to be quite enjoyable and I am confident that the idea of having a ship within a ship will catch on.  I wouldn’t be surprised to see some of the other cruise lines in the industry try to emulate MSC.  Though there are a couple of flaws that need polishing, I feel MSC has a hit on their hands and I applaud them for coming up with the creative idea of being able to balance the needs of six star passengers along with more traditional cruisers.

The paragraph that I felt most related to travel and how we as travelers connect with our experiences, came at the very beginning of the book. It recalls a moment during Mortenson’s attempt at climning K2, the second highest peak in the world, and the highest peak in the Karakoram Range. This specific moment came after he made the realization that he had failed at summitting the peak and due to exhaustion, he was about to head back down the mountain. It reads as follows:

Though Mortenson had already been there for months, he drank in the drama of these peaks like he’d never seen them before. “In a way, I never had,” he explains. “All summer, I’d looked at these mountains as goals, totally focused on the biggest one, K2. I’d thought about their elevation and the technical challenges they presented to me as a climber. But that morning,” he says, “for the first time, I simply saw them. It was overwhelming.”

I think we all know the moral of this paragraph and can think back to a time when we were in the presence of something great but may not have seen it, like truly seen it. Having goals are what keeps us going and its always nice to have a plan. However, sometimes its in your best interest to just let go of your objectives and just see what is right in front of you.

Mortenson, Greg, and David Oliver Relin. Three Cups of Tea. New York: Viking Penguin, 2006. Pages 18-19

After reading “Eat, Pray, Love,” I too wanted to go on a transformative journey. I admit, I googled India Ashrams and started clicking through my database of Indian contacts to see if I could get a good recommendation. The reality is I would not last a day in an Indian Ashram! I do love to practice yoga but more in a “wow, my calves look great when I do this pose” kind of way, rather than a “come to jesus” kind of way. I guess that is the purpose of living in an Ashram; to learn how to be more spiritual while practicing yoga. I can get onboard with the spirituality aspect, sounds nice, but then I was reminded that you have to be a vegetarian while you are there. I can be a vegetarian, easily. I always order a side of sauteed vegetables along with 10 other items off the menu (100% of which come from animalistic nature.) So as I was closing my Google search, I decided to put my trip to an Indian Ashram on hold and instead find inspiration in my own neighborhood. Then, like fate, I actually did find some inspiration in this book that I thought was more saddening than inspirational. This expert from page 248 of the book “Eat, Pray, Love” reminded me that I am living in what arguably could be the equivalent to a 22.7 square mile Indian Ashram, better known as the island of Manhattan.

The first time the cruise ship sailed into New York Harbour, Yudhi stayed up all night, perched on the highest deck, watching the city skyline appear over the horizon, heart hammering with excitement. Hours later, he got off the ship in New York and hailed a yellow cab, just like in the movies. When the recent African immigrant driving the taxi asked where he’d like to go, Yudhi said, “Anywhere, man – just drive me around. I want to see everything.” A few months later the ship came to New York City again, and this time Yudhi disembarked for good. His contract was up with the cruise line and he wanted to live in America now.

He got a job in a sandwich shop at the mall – again, ten-to-twelve-hour days of immigrant-style labor. In his rare moments of free time, Yudhi would ride the bus into Manhattan and just wander the streets, still so speechlessly infatuated with the city – a town he describes today as “the place which is the most full of love in the entire world.” Somehow he met up in New York City with a crowd of young musicians from all over the world and he took to playing guitar with them, jamming all night with talented kids from Jamaica, Africa, France, Japan….And at one of those gigs, he met Ann – a pretty blond from Connecticut who played bass. They fell in love. They got married. They found an apartment in Brooklyn and they were surrounded by groovy friends who all went on road trips together. Life was just unbelievably happy.

We arrive in Chicago and my friend, who will forever be a tourist, shows me the itinerary to a food tasting tour that apparently we were signed up for. It looked interesting and I am fan of food tours. However, thanks to a plentiful meal and cocktail party the night before, we were a little “sluggish” the next day and missed the kickoff to our food tour. Therefore, we were left to our devices…Yelp. Being a hot dog fanatic I was destined to eat a Chicago hot dog. I have been bouncing around NYC lately consuming as many dogs as possible (Crif Dogs is leading the pack) and now I wanted to taste Chicago’s version.

We pulled up to the original Portillo’s, oddly I have never been here before. This is a Chicago staple and supposedly the home to the Chicago hot dog. I ordered the Portillo’s original beef dog with all the fixins (warning the peppers are pretty hot.) Verdict: pretty good. I preferred to eat the pickle separate from the hot dog only because I really love hot dogs and I really pickles…I prefer to savor each individually. Honest Verdict: I think a New York Crif Dog would win in a taste test.

The twist to the story is Portillo’s is not the best Chicago hot dog. Hot Doug’s has almost a perfect star rating on Yelp, thanks to over 1,000 user reviews. I also confirmed with a friend and Chicago native that the hype surrounding Hot Doug’s was indeed true. The story behind Hot Doug’s is that you can order a variety of different kind of meats and toppings AND it was featured on Anthony Bourdains, No Reservations. Sounds pretty legit. You may have to wait awhile in line, sometimes hours. Once you make it to the promised land aka the front of the line, I suggest you treat yourself to the Paul Kelly, which is a bratwurst soaked in beer. Do bratwurst count as hot dogs? Well, they do in my book. You also cannot go wrong just ‘The Dog,’ which is your typical Chicago style hot dog.

Other stops we made on our food tour include Gibson’s Steakhouse where we had a few great steaks and probably the best twice baked potato I have ever had. If it wasn’t the best it sure was the biggest. We also made a quick stop at Hugo’s Frog Bar to browse and indulge in their oyster selection.

Mon…I’ve already botched up the immigration process. I came through customs on my own vs proceeding to the Jamaica Tourist Board desk like I was supposed to, and then couldn’t get back in. I thought I was doing it right, but I so went the wrong direction after I grabbed my luggage.

I must have stuck out like a sore thumb with my yellow Polo shirt/Tommy Bahama linen pants/Allen Edwards shoes, and Wynn Las Vegas laptop bag… Because I had no less than 5 “YEAH…NO PROBLEM MON” – Jamaican fellas surrounding me, make’n phone calls to the tourism board desk to take care of me. Next thing I know, I had a guy in front of me, hands me a random cell phone, and says, “hey mon…dis man on phone, him wanna talk to you, Scott.”. It was the Jamaican Tourism Board Manager welcoming me to “dee island mon”. He even went One More Step and sent a representative through the customs gates with my packet and credentials.

Now I’m chill’n with my man Dean Russell, of Tourwise Limited, a travel trade and representative company and his co-workers waiting on my driver. Apparently it’s an hour and a half bus ride to Negril from here. Good thing I’ve also bonded with the bus driver as well.

Oh, and Dean just goes, “Hey Scott…you cool mon? You can go ovah dere and get a Red Stripe or sumpting while you wait…you’re in Jamaica mon.”

#awesome #journey #adventure

- Taylor

The website has definitely improved since I last saw it and they are now partnered with more point programs than ever before. The concept is simple…its a one stop swap shop. The most obvious function of the website is to track all of your point programs in one central location and we are not talking just airlines but also hotels, credit cards, and retail rewards programs. However, what I think is the most useful function of Points.com is the ability to unload your points from one central location. Points.com allows you to swap your points for traditional rewards program gift cards such as Home Depot, Best Buy, Amazon, etc. You can also swap your points that belong to one program with the points of another program i.e. you can unload some useless HawaiianMiles for some Delta Skymiles. You can even swap airline miles for points relating to your credit card reward programs. Lastly, one of the most interesting functions of Points.com is the ability to give your points to another member in exchange for their points. Say you are 5,000 points short of your dream vacation to Greenland but you have more Dragon Air points than you can count. Well, there might be an environmentalist stationed in Greenland who has an extra 5,000 Inuit Air miles but is totally desperate for some Dragon Air miles. The two of you can log onto Points.com and hash it out for your dream getaways. I predict that this function may become a platform where lasting friendships are made. But anyway, like I said, this is an interesting function but I don’t know if it is being utilizing enough as of now. Its one of those programs that thrive the more often members use it. It doesn’t look like there are many members soliciting points at this moment, however, I can see this gaining traction.

These days it is becoming more difficult to use your points, miles, rewards, earnings, etc for free airline tickets. I know its heartbreaking to cash out on your points for anything other than 2 first class plane tickets to an exotic island. However, I am pretty well versed in mileage travel and I can pretty much promise that you will need at least double the points you thought you needed, which I am guessing you will not have (I sure don’t.) In the long run that free $50 Amazon gift card may get you a lot further in life so log onto Points.com and “Get More Rewards, Faster.”

Oh and, Points.com has a great Twitter page. They are always tweeting about the latest reward news and deals. You can find them at @PointsAdvisor