BusinessMagazin

Tag: around the world

  • Around the World for a Website

    Two years ago, Ciprian Enea (35) left the company he had founded in 2001 in the hands of his new business partner and left on a very long trip. For over a yearís time he travelled from the Taj Mahal to East Timor and from Nicaragua to Argentina. It was worth the effort, says Enea, because today he owns together with his partner Giani Holban (33) the first travel website in Romania with user-generated content. TVTravel.ro gathers hundreds of short films made during Eneaís travels, as well as of the over 100 users that have already signed up with the website.

    The investment that went into releasing the first Youtube for travel buffs onto the market amounted to around 250,000 euros, of which only 100,000 euros were spent on developing and actually launching the website. The rest of the money -150,000 euros – covered Eneaís travels and came in equal share from his own resources and from a partnership with travel agency Prestige Tours, held by businessman Mircea Vladu. This year another 75,000 euros will be invested in development and in the next round of travels that Enea will embark on, this time to Japan, Korea, Papua New Guinea and Taiwan. However, the two founders say they will not see a profit from revenues collected by TVTravel.ro in the next two years.

    Traducere de Loredana Fratila-Cristescu si Daniela Stoican

  • Around the World

    The number of those embarking on a trip to discover the world has risen lately, with travelling around the world now also being perceived as an escape from the bleak everyday. When Suzanne Schaefer was made redundant from her position as HR manager at Lehman Brothers, she went through the same routine as any other unemployed person. She updated her CV, registered with the database of recruitment agencies, but did not manage to find a solution. Then she decided to go on a two-week trip to Vietnam. But her trip left her longing for more and she decided this was the perfect time to see the world.

    The former Lehman Brothers HR manager is only one among many who decided to take advantage of the current state of things and see the whole world. One of the best-kept secrets of airline operators is the around-the-world ticket – it is valid for a year, can include up to 15 stops around the world, of at least one day, and can be acquired at prices that range from 2,500 to 10,000 euros (for business class and first class). Although it is not promoted at all by airline operators, the ticket is available with any of the big alliances, and entails major savings on transport expenses (which, in the case of long haul flights, are what the bulk of the budget is spent on).

    One of the ground rules is that you have to stick either to an eastbound or a westbound trajectory, on condition of paying an extra fee, while destinations can be changed even during the trip. Although the crisis has changed consumer habits, the appetite for luxury is still there. This means there are also agencies that sell the exclusive variant of the trip around the world. Two companies, TCS Expeditions and Starquest Expeditions, offer voyages on board of a private Boeing 757 private jet, equipped with doctors, guides and art experts. For instance, the ”Seven Seas Odyssey” package from TCS, a three-week trip around the world, with stops in lesser known places, such as the ruins of the Leptis Magna city in Lybia, costs around 35,000 euros.