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Visa waiver leads to spike in bookings to Brazil

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Brazil’s visa waiver policy announced in March is already generating positive results. Recent data from a study done by Amadeus Group shows a significant increase in the number of reservations made in the United States, as well as in Canada, Japan and Australia, the other three other countries benefiting from the new policy. Amadeus is one of the 10 largest technology companies in the world and one of the three largest in the travel segment.

In the United States, the increase was 53% in the number of trips confirmed for June and 97% in July compared to the same period of last year. In Canada, growth was 86% for June, 54% for July and, expressive, 135% for August this year.

“The numbers show that visa exemptions for strategic countries are a good measure, which generates jobs and income in Brazil. It is time for the country to take advantage of all its tourism potential”, said Marcelo Alvaro Antonio, the Brazilian Minister of Tourism.

Here are some suggestions of amazing destinations in Brazil for all tastes:

• Historic Cities: If you like your vacations with a heavy dose of culture, Brazil should definitely be on your list. We have several historic cities, with a heritage dating back to its colonial period. In Minas Gerais State, you can find cities like Ouro Preto and Diamantina – the center of gold mining in Brazil in the 18th century. In the Northeast state of Bahia, you will find Salvador, the first capital of Brazil, and a city that also has a rich history of its African heritage. A few miles from Salvador, in the State of Pernambuco, you will find the city of Olinda. Founded by the Portuguese in the 16th century, the city is linked to the sugar cane industry, with gorgeous Baroque churches, convents, and views to die for.

• Sun and Beach: With more than four thousand miles of coast, its exuberant nature bordering the beaches with coconut trees, and tropical forests, Brazil has options for all travelers looking to spend time outdoors. Most know the famous urban beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis or Fortaleza, but there are also small beach towns like Trancoso, Boipeba, and Jericoacoara that can offer unique spots to get a tan. You can even find a stretch of sand in the Amazon, in the beaches near Manaus, along the Rio Negro.

• National Parks: Brazil’s natural beauties go beyond beaches and forests. The country is also blessed with great diversity, which includes waterfalls, canyons, wetlands and many different types of ecosystems throughout its many national parks. Think- Iguazu Falls, one of the most important forest reserves in South America. Another highlight is the Pantanal, in the central region of the country, home to hundreds of endangered species. And of course, the Amazon Rainforest.

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Do Millennials want “the Grands” along when they travel?

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It’s no surprise that Millennials love to “do it for the ‘gram.” But when it comes to travel buddies, it’s Millennials’ desire to travel with Grandpa and Grandma that may surprise you.

According to a new survey from Visit Anaheim, the official destination organization for Anaheim, multigenerational vacations are top-of-mind with travelers when it comes to reliving memories, while also creating new ones, with the next generation. The survey, conducted by OnePoll for Visit Anaheim, polled a sample of 1,000 Americans and found that Millennial respondents (aged 25-34) lead the category when it comes to wanting more multigenerational trips, coming in at a whopping 83 percent.

“While Visit Anaheim knew that families loved reliving childhood experiences by having grandparents tag along on vacation, we were surprised by the enthusiasm that the Millennial survey respondents had for this ‘Grandtravel’ trend,” said Jay Burress, president & CEO of Visit Anaheim. “Millennials often have a close relationship with their parents and are now becoming parents themselves. The Baby Boomer grandparents are incredibly active, so they can easily keep up with the grandkids. Additionally, as many smart parents have figured out, having Grandpa and Grandma around means Mom and Dad can escape to check out the local nightlife or less kid-friendly attractions, knowing the kids are in great hands.”

In fact, two thirds (66 percent) of respondents have traveled with three or more generations of their family, making vacations with grandparents, their adult children, and grandchildren, a travel trend with no signs of slowing down. In fact, the majority plan on taking more extended family trips.

Nostalgia is one of the main reasons the trend keeps growing. Many parents and grandparents love reliving memories. The majority (56 percent) “strongly agree” that multigenerational trips are more special when visiting somewhere their parents or grandparents have been before and 53 percent report being “very happy” when they take trips to places they’ve previously been with their parents or children.

VISIT ANAHEIM’S GRANDTRAVEL CONTEST

With Spring vacation around the corner and Summer vacation planning in the works, Visit Anaheim is kicking off their first-ever Grandtravel contest. One lucky family of six will win an Anaheim vacation, including accommodations at Great Wolf Lodge and tickets to Knott’s Berry Farm – perfect for a family of four, plus two grandparents. Contest starts Tuesday, March 26, 2019 and ends Tuesday, April 30, 2019. Enter to win here. Find rules and regulations available here.

Actress, activist and mom to four kids, Holly Robinson Peete, is helping to kick-off the contest by encouraging families to take Grandma and Grandpa along for the vacation fun.

“Anyone who watches us on ‘Meet the Peetes’ knows that my mom is a big part of our lives – and that includes vacation time,” said Robinson Peete. “Whether it’s a girls weekend in New York City visiting my daughter, Ryan, or escaping for a quick staycation to somewhere fun like Anaheim, having grandma along for the journey is something the entire family looks forward to every chance we get.”

Additional Survey Highlights

Other noteworthy Visit Anaheim survey results include:

  • LET’S HIT THE ROAD – Multigenerational trips are most likely to be either a road trip (69 percent), traveling to see family (67 percent), or a flight to a major destination (48 percent)
  • PARENTAL PLANNERS – When planning a multigenerational (grandparents, parents, kids) trip, parents are most likely to choose the flights (46 percent), set the dates (38 percent), pick the hotels/lodging (44 percent) and pay for the trip (41 percent)
  • GRANDPARENT TRAVEL PERKS – Top benefits of traveling with three generations are:
    • Allows bonding time/memories to be built between grandparents and grandchildren (67 percent)
    • Spending more quality time together (65 percent)

Though packing up the minivan with three generations can be fun, over half of the respondents (51 percent) have taken a trip where Grandpa and Grandma took the grandkids on vacation – sans their adult children. Many wanted one-on-one time with their grandchild(ren)/grandparent(s) (48 percent), others celebrated a special event or milestone (45 percent), and some believed it created a different dynamic when parents are not there (41 percent).

“Getting to spend time with your grandkids is always special, but being able to vacation with them is truly a treat,” said Dolores Robinson, Holly Robinson Peete’s mom. “My grandkids affectionately call me everything from ‘Gorgeous’ to ‘G-Money.’ It’s because we’ve carved out time to create memories that we have such a close bond. Visit Anaheim’s survey is proof that families love to travel with grandparents. And I love that they’re giving a family a chance to win a vacation to Anaheim – including spots for Grandma and Grandpa. How fun!”

Fans can watch Holly, grandma Dolores, Holly’s husband – NFL veteran quarterback Rodney Peete, and their four kids, embark on their newest adventures on season two of “Meet the Peetes,” which debuted on the Hallmark Channel in late February and airs Monday at 10 p.m./9 Central.

For more information on Anaheim and to begin planning a memorable family-friendly vacation, please visit: visitanaheim.org

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Living as a digital nomad: some unexpected issues you may face

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Digital nomad’s life is the one that most people want to have. It seems so easy and fun for a person to work while traveling the world creating new experiences and seeing new places. All this without having to press pause on their paycheck! Of course, there are numerous benefits to this type of living. However, there are also stresses and pressures that aren’t talked as much as the highs of this type of work. The benefits depend on where you come from, where you travel to and what type of work you do. This article will highlight some of the unexpected issues that people are living the digital nomad life experience while living the life. They are going to help you make more informed choices and allow to weight and find out if you can handle these issues, before you choose this type of work.

  • You will never have a routine

The unpredictability of freelance work is unsettling and psychologically draining. It can make one more anxious especially if they do not have a reliable and stable source of income. It can be stressful to find cheap prices for anything. If you are a student, you may also want to check out some writing service review where you can get good services for your essays and homework. So keenly go over the edusson.com review and figure out how much it will cost you to have an essay done.

People who work in offices have routines. They know what they will be doing at 5 p.m. a day from today. Most people who start the nomad life are in it because they craved a break from all these routines. They were worried about being slaves to the predictability of life. One of the biggest sacrifices that they need to make is to live a life without any routines whatsoever. In truth, even the smallest forms of routines are great for both mental and emotional health. These routines make you more productive because they create better structure; they eliminate distractions and are helpful to your general rhythms of life.

  • Not being taken seriously

This is an issue that affects the mental health of most who love nomadic traveling. People may frequently tell you that you are not struggling because your life is perfect. They may wonder why you are complaining. There seems that there is no way people are going to take you seriously. They assume that your life is full of constant streams of gorgeous places and that you accomplish all your bucket list experiences in a month. They assume that these enviable circumstances cannot possibly be stressful.

In fact, some people might complain about their life and issue that you will feel guilty when you want to talk about your challenges. As a result of this sense of shame, most remote workers will never write honestly about how they feel. They will share amazing captions with their cool selfies from Thailand and act like life could not be better for them. The last thing anyone wants is to appear spoiled and ungrateful. They stop addressing issues that are serious and real, and may even end up in depression and stress since they ignore the real issues they face daily. Studies have shown that one in every four people can experience mental health problems in their lifetime at least once. A quarter of all the people who experience these problems each year are digital nomads. The unpredictable and isolated lifestyle of traveling full time makes them more likely to suffer from this problem. The stigma surrounding these problems makes it difficult to talk about.

  • It is a lonely life

Human beings are social creatures. They are meant to create long term friendships. However, these relationships require a person to dedicate time and effort into creating lasting bonds. While traveling is great, it does not allow people to create and maintain these relationships. This is probably why these digital nomads do not have families until they settle down for more predictable lives. When you are only staying somewhere for a short period, it is impossible to create deep connections with people or make any sort of warm enthusiastic friendships that happen between gregarious strangers in a great mood. While these are also fun, they are nor, by definition, true friendships. You may have many short term friends and may likely create relationships that might last a lifetime, but nothing deep. None of them will know you better than you know yourself.

  • Unhealthy eating habits

Well, you will definitely want to sample everything. You will want to find out which delicacies are also the best. That is fine. However, because of your unpredictable life, it will be difficult to set time for workouts. You also live in hotels so you may probably not have time to make yourself some healthy homemade meals. Your sleeping patterns will also be all over the place. With these habits, having a healthy life is going to be difficult.

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