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mostlysignssomeportents · 8 months

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How America's oligarchs lull us with the be-your-own-boss fairy tale

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/02/16/narrative-capitalism/#sell-job

Capitalism is a vibes-based system. Sure, we all know about Keynes's "Animal Spirits" that see "bulls" and "bears" vying to set the market's future, but beyond that, there's just a hell of a lot of narrative.

Writing for The American Prospect, Adam M Lowenstein reviews two books that tell the histories of the stories that are used to sell American capitalism to the American people – the stories that turn workers into "temporarily embarrassed millionaires":

https://prospect.org/culture/books/2024-02-16-stories-corporations-tell-williams-waterhouse-review/

The first of these books is Taming the Octopus: The Long Battle for the Soul of the Corporation, by Kyle Edward Williams, a kind of pre-history of "woke capitalism":

https://wwnorton.com/books/9780393867237

Taming is a history of the low-water marks for Big Business's reputation in America, and how each was overcome through PR campaigns that declared a turning point in which business leaders would pursue the common good, even at the expense of their shareholders' interests.

The story starts in the 1950s, when DuPont and other massive firms had gained a well-deserved reputation as rapacious profit-generation machines that "alienated workers and pushed around small businessmen, investors, and consumers." This prompted DuPont's PR chief, Harold Brayman, to write a memo called "The Attack on Bigness," where he set out a plan to sell America on a new cuddly image for corporate giants.

For Brayman, the problem was that corporate execs were too shy about telling their social inferiors about all the good that businesses did for them: "The businessman is normally reluctant to talk out loud. He frequently shuns the spotlight and is content with plugging his wares, not himself."

This was the starting gun for a charm offensive by American big business that included IBM president Thomas Watson Jr ("I think there is a world market for about five computers") going on a speaking tour organized by McKinsey & Co, where he told audiences that his company's billion dollar annual profits had convinced it to assume "responsibilities for the broader public welfare."

This set the template for a nationwide mania of "business statesmanship" that Fortune celebrated with an editorial announcing "a great transformation, of which the world as a whole is as yet unaware" that put the "profit motive…on its last leg."

Fortune then spent the next seventy years recycling this announcement, every time the tide went out on business's popularity. In 2019, Fortune platformed IBM president Ginni Rometty for an announcement that the company was orienting its priorities to the public good: "It’s a question of whether society trusts you or not. We need society to accept what it is that we do."

The occasion for Rometty's quote was a special package on the Trump tax-cuts, a trillion-dollar gift to American big business, which lobbyists for the Business Roundtable celebrated with an announcement that American capitalism would now serve "stakeholders" (not just shareholders). Fortune celebrated this "change" as "fundamental and profound."

Fast forward five years and corporate leaders are still telling stories, this time about "stakeholder capitalism" and "ESG" – the dread "woke capitalism" that has right-wing swivel-eyed loons running around, hair afire, declaring the end of capitalism.

For Williams and Lowenstein (and me), all this ESG, DEI, and responsible capitalism is just window dressing, a distraction to keep the pitchforks and torches in people's closets, and to keep the guillotines in their packaging. The right-wing is doing a mirror-world version of liberals who freak out when OpenAI claims to have built a machine that will pauperize every worker – assuming that a PR pitch is the gospel truth, and then repeating it in criticism. Criti-hype, in other words:

https://sts-news.medium.com/youre-doing-it-wrong-notes-on-criticism-and-technology-hype-18b08b4307e5

Think of ESG: the right is freaking out that ESG is harming shareholders by leaving hydrocarbons in the ground to appease climate-addled greenies. The reality is that ESG is barely disguised greenwashing, and it's fully compatible with burning every critter that died in the Mesozoic, Cenozoic, and lo, even the Paleozoic:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/03/15/sanctions-financing/#profiteers

The reason this tactic is so successful is that Americans have also been sold another narrative: that American problems are solved by American individuals as entrepreneurs and businesspeople, not as polities or as members of a union (let alone the working class!).

This is the subject of the second book Lowenstein reviews, One Day I’ll Work for Myself: The Dream and Delusion That Conquered America, by Benjamin Waterhouse:

https://wwnorton.com/books/one-day-ill-work-for-myself/

A keystone of American narrative capitalism is the idea that the USA is a nation of small businesspeople, Jeffersonian yeoman farmsteaders of the US economy. But even a cursory examination shows that the country is ruled – economically and politically – by very large firms.

Uber sells itself as a way to be your own boss ("No shifts. No boss. No limits.") – even though it's a system where the app is your boss, and thanks to that layer of misdirection, Uber gets to be the worst conceivable boss, while its workers have no recourse in labor law:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/12/algorithmic-wage-discrimination/#fishers-of-men

In labor fights, Uber represents itself as the champion of innumerable "small businesspeople" who drive its unlicensed taxis. In consumer protection fights, Amazon claims to be fighting for "small businesspeople" who sell on its platform. In privacy fights, Facebook claims to represent "small businesspeople" who buy its surveillance advertising.

But large firms are actively hostile to small firms, seeing them as small-fry to be rooked or destroyed (recall that when Amazon targeted small publishers for bankruptcy-level discounts, they called the program "The Gazelle Project" and Bezos told his executives to tackle these firms "the way a cheetah pursues a sickly gazelle").

Decades of this tale have produced "a profound shift from a shared belief that individuals might come together to solve problems, into a collective faith in individual effort." America's long love-affair with rugged individualism was weaponized in the 1970s by corporations seeking to shed their regulatory obligation to workers, customers, and the environment.

As with Big Tech today, the big business lobby held up mom-and-pop businesses as the true beneficiaries of deregulation, even as they knifed these firms. A telling anecdote comes from someone who worked for the Chamber of Commerce's magazine Nation's Business: when this editor pointed out that many of the magazine's subscribers were small businesspeople and asked if they could start including articles relevant to mom-and-pops, the editor in chief said, "Over my dead body."

The neoliberal era has been an unbroken string of platitudes celebrating the small business and policies that annihilate their chances against large firms. Ronald Reagan's dewy-eyed hymns to American entrepreneurship sounded nice, but what matters is that he attempted to abolish the Small Business Administration and refused to address the 20,000 attendee "White House Conference on Small Business."

In the years since, American has sacrificed its small businesses while pulling out all the stops – bailouts and tax cuts and elite bankruptcy – to keep its largest firms growing. New regulations like Dodd-Frank were neutered in the name of saving mom-and-pop shops, even though the provisions that were cut already exempted small businesses.

Today, millions of Americans are treading water in a fetid stew of LLC-poisoning, rise-and-grind, multi-level-marketing, dropshipping and gig-work, convinced that the only way to get a better life is to pull themselves up by their bootstraps:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/10/declaration-of-interdependence/

Narrative does a lot of work here. The American economy runs on bubbles, another form of narrative capitalism. Take AI, a subject I sincerely wish I could stop hearing about, not least because I'm certain that 99% of that thinking is being wasted on whatever residue remains after the bubble pops:

https://locusmag.com/2023/12/commentary-cory-doctorow-what-kind-of-bubble-is-ai/

AI isn't going to do your job, but its narrative may convince your boss to fire you and replace you with a bot that can't do your job. Like what happened when Air Canada hired a chatbot to answer customer inquiries and it started making shit up about bereavement discounts that the company later claimed it didn't have to honor:

https://bc.ctvnews.ca/air-canada-s-chatbot-gave-a-b-c-man-the-wrong-information-now-the-airline-has-to-pay-for-the-mistake-1.6769454

This story's been all over the news for the past couple of days, but so far as I've seen, no one has pointed out the seemingly obvious inference that this chatbot probably ripped off lots of people. The victim here was extraordinarily persistent, chasing a refund for 10 weeks and then going to the regulator. This guy is a six-sigma self-advocate – which implies a whole bell-curve's worth of comparatively normal people who just ate the shit-sandwich Air Canada fed them.

The reason AI is a winning proposition for Air Canada isn't that it can do a customer service rep's job – it can't. But the AI is a layer of indirection – like the app that is the true boss of Uber drivers – that lets Air Canada demoralize the customers it steals from into walking away from their losses.

Nevertheless, the narrative that AI Will Change Everything Forever is powerful – more powerful than AI itself, that's for sure. Take this Bloomberg headline: "Nearly all wealth gained by world's rich this year comes from AI":

https://www.business-standard.com/world-news/nearly-all-wealth-gained-by-world-s-rich-this-year-comes-from-ai-124021600006_1.html

Dig in and you find even more narrative. The single largest beneficiary of AI stock gains last year was Mark Zuckerberg ($161B!). Zuck is American Narrative Capitalism's greatest practitioner: the guy who made billions peddling a series of lies, from "pivot to video" to "metaverse," leaping from one lie to the next just ahead of the mass stock-selloffs that wiped out lesser predators.

The Narrative Capitalism Cinematic Universe has a lot of side-plots like AI and entrepreneurship and woke capitalism, but its main narrative arc was articulated, ad nauseum, by Margaret Thatcher: "There is no alternative." This is the most important part of the story, the part that says it literally can't be otherwise. The only way to organize society is through markets, and the only way to organize markets is to leave them alone, no matter how much suffering they cause.

This is a baffling story, because it's so easily disproved. Zuck says the only way to have friends is to let him surveil you from asshole to appetite, even though he once ran Facebook as the privacy-forward alternative to MySpace, and promised never to spy on you:

https://lawcat.berkeley.edu/record/1128876

Likewise, the business leaders – and their chorus of dutiful Renfields – who insist that monopoly is the natural and inevitable outcome of any market economy just handwave away the decades during which anti-monopoly enforcement actually kept most businesses from getting too big to fail and too big to jail.

I'm no champion of market efficiency – especially not as the best and final arbiter of social and economic questions – but when I hear my comrades repeating the Thatcherite claims that all forms of capitalism necessarily degrade into monopolistic quagmires, that there is no alternative, it sounds like more criti-hype.

This is a frequent point of departure during discussions of enshittification: some people dismiss the whole idea of enshittification as "just capitalism." But we had decades of digital services that either didn't degrade, or, when they did, were replaced by superior competitors with a minimum of switching costs for users who migrated from the decaying incumbent to greener pastures.

The reality is that while there are problems with all forms of capitalism, there are different kinds of capitalist problems, and some forms of capitalism are less harmful to working people and more capable of enacting and enforcing sound policy than others.

Enshittification is what happens when the constraints on the worst impulses of companies and their investors and managers are removed. When a company doesn't have competitors, when it can capture its regulators to trample our rights with impunity, when it can enlist those regulators to shut down would-be competitors who might free us from its "walled garden," and when it can fire any worker who refuses to enact harm upon the users they serve, then that company will enshittify:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/30/go-nuts-meine-kerle/#ich-bin-ein-bratapfel

A company can be made to treat you well, even if it is run by a wicked person who sees you as a mark to be fleeced – that mustache twirler just has to be constrained – by competition, regulation, self-help and labor. He may still hate you and wish you harm, but he won't be able to act on it.

As MLK said:

It may be true that the law cannot make a man love me, religion and education will have to do that, but it can restrain him from lynching me. And I think that's pretty important also. And so that while legislation may not change the hearts of men, it does change the habits of men. And we see this every day.

#pluralistic #narrative capitalism #oligarchy #temporarily embarrassed millionaires #late-stage capitalism #enshittification #disenshittification #vocational awe #fobazi ettarh #ai #bubbles #bubblenomics #rise and grind #Benjamin C. Waterhouse #One Day I’ll Work for Myself #Kyle Edward Williams #Taming the Octopus #woke capitalism #llcs with mfas

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usafphantom2 · 9 months

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Today is the SR -71's 59th birthday as a birthday present I would like to share a part of Paul Crickmore’s (a humble yet highly, intelligent English gentleman) summary of the SR 71 from his new book Lockheed Blackbird: behind the Secret Missions the Missing Chapters (it can be found on page 498.)

The SR 71 with cameras in the chine bay and SLAR sideways-looking airborne radar our SR 71 boasted the ability to provide simultaneous optic coverage of the target area.PHOTINT and RADINT ( photograph, and radar intelligence) which the A-12 could not do.

It was the SLAR system was continuously upgraded throughout the life of the program accumulating in an operational development of Loral Advance synthetic aperture radar system a SARS. This advance, digitalized radar system with a resolution of less than 1 foot at NADAR enabled, imagery to be transmitted and real time /near real time direct to the end user.

This capability was demonstrated at Det 2, and could have been deployed operationally much earlier if the program hadn’t been starved funds by the so-called “fighter mafia” that held the balance of power in the Pentagon during the late 1980s early 1990s and that ultimately allocated Air Force funding accordingly the same generals as well as senior officials of other US intelligence agencies were the ones who argued that the aircraft was far more expensive to operate than any other aircraft in the inventory.

🌟OF COURSE IT WAS. THAT’S BECAUSE NO OTHER AIRCRAFT IN THE INVENTORY COULD DO ANYTHING LIKE WHAT THE SR 71 AND ITS SENSORS COULD DO. AS HABU PILOT, MAC McKENDREE OBSERVED “IT’S NOT AN AIRPLANE. IT’S AN AIR-BREATHING MAN SUBORBITAL SATELLITE. EVERYTHING ABOUT IT WAS UNIQUE: FUEL, HYDRAULIC FUEL, TIRES SCREWS, FASTENERS, TITANIUM CONSTRUCTION IS UNIQUE IF YOU WANT TO COMPARE THE SR TO SOMETHING THEN COMPARE IT TO THE SPACE SHUTTLE “

Air Crews selection, for the SR-71 program was always hotly contested as they were all unquestionably at the top of their game. They had to be….The demanding mission, the complexity of the aircraft and its systems…

Consequently, crewmembers entering the SR-71 program with the rank of major were usually promoted to Lt.Col among completing their tour. However, all of this changed with the arrival of General Larry Welch, as Air Force chief of staff, and his cohort as a result, the last six crews that entered the program as Majors, were all passed for promotion, the rumor was that their personal folders were never passed the promotion board and NOT surprisingly. This had the demoralizing effect on their pride, and a detrimoralizing impact on their salary and pension. There is no doubt that those involved with the Blackbirds were of the highest caliber and real team players… totally focused on ensuring that the mission whatever it may have been was a success. as Pratt and Whitney‘s Arnie Gunderson recalled” Everyone I encountered on the program was proud of the role. From the commander of the wing to the airman who mopping up the JP seven from under the wings everyone demonstrate the highest degree of respect for their teammates “

And it’s final analysis it can be argued that the SR-71 program was terminated at least five years earlier than necessary. Indeed, it had received the technology packages that already existed and were demonstrated during the period which it was briefly reactivated during Det 2 at Edwards from 1995 to October 10, 1997

Kelly Johnson would have been bang on the money when he predicted in 1964 that his platform could perform its duty to the intelligence community and national leadership until 2001 and beyond.

If history teaches us anything it is that we should never take democracy for granite and that dictators should never be appeased.

Thank you, Paul Crickmore a honorary member of the Habu family. We all appreciate what you have done to tell the story of the unique SR 71 program Linda Sheffield a proud Habubrat.

@Habubrats71 via X

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shaydystheshadowqueen · 1 year

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IP-Neutral Disneyland

So, bit of backstory, I was reading some rumours about the Mickey Mouse copyright expiring and one silly rumor was the concept of Mickey being replaced by Figment in the parks, which is obviously completely unlikely considering not just the recent park updates (Toontown being a big example) but also that it means replacing an IP character with a Park Exclusive character, which with the recent IP-happy park designers would be a likely no. But what if it was the opposite? What if, instead of a theme park with several IP based attractions and areas, you had a theme park with ZERO IP based attractions and areas? That means nothing based on films, tv shows, or books and only using original property created for the parks ex. Haunted Mansion, Big Thunder Mountain, etc.

Let’s start this experiment!

For this experiment, I will be focusing on the og park Disneyland California as it is the oldest and also I own the Disneyland Encyclopedia Updated Third Edition (2017) so I can look back through history to see if an IP attraction had an IP-neutral past. I'll be putting aside the three IP-heavy lands, Fantasyland, Toontown, and Galaxy's Edge for the end.

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MAIN STREET USA

Nearly all of Main Street is non-IP so the only changes would be removing some of the movie specific stuff (though the place did have a theatre that showed actual movies so you could excuse showing Disney cartoons and movies). Also, Jolly Holiday Baking Café would have to go, likely replaced by the old Blue Ribbon Bakery.

TOMORROWLAND

Simply put, no Star Wars or Pixar. This doesn’t mean losing the rides, just altering them. Finding Nemo’s Submarine Voyage just needs to return back to it’s old non-IP ride Submarine Voyage. Astro Blasters can have a similar theme of being a space patrol officer defeating alien criminals, just without Buzz Lightyear (although I kinda wanna sneak in some TV references). As for Star Tours, you could have a similar theme of rouge smugglers trying to get a person of interest or package away from government forces… or you can have it be like Space Jungle Cruise where you’re touring real or fictional planets and maybe something goes wrong. Possibilities are pretty endless with Star Tours virtual ride system. Speaking of embracing Tomorrowland’s past, the spot where the IP Pizza Planet is used to be where Mission to Mars and Rocket to the Moon were, so why not theme the restaurant to be set on Mars or our Moon!

ADVENTURELAND

@disneylanddilettante had a very good IP-neutral treehouse concept called Castaway Treehouse. As for the famous Indiana Jones ride, I do have a solution from the eastern parks: S.E.A also known as the Society of Explorers and Adventurers is a Park Exclusive fictional group that exists in several attractions including Mystic Manor and Fortress Exploration. It also has several members that are spread through Disney’s attractions (ex. Dr. Albert Falls of Jungle Cruise)… including Jock Lindsey from Raiders of the Lost Ark. So all Disney would need to do is replace Indy (and any other movie character from the series) with a different member of S.E.A. The rest of the ride can stay the same.

FRONTIERLAND

The only edit would be Tom Sawyer’s Island. Maybe rebrand it an outlaw hideout to fit the western theme. (Also no Fantasmic)

NEW ORLEANS SQUARE

No big edits except for restoring Pirates of the Caribbean to it’s former non-movie ride

CRITTER COUNTRY

Bit of history; Before the Song of the South ride came to Disneyland, the area of Critter Country was entirely based around a ride that proved successful in Walt Disney World and was made after the plans for a Disney ski resort were cancelled. That ride was Country Bear Jamboree and the land was Bear Country, a peaceful quiet corner of the park. In fact Splash Mountain was only added to bring more crowds in. So, in terms of fixing it, keep the Pacific Northwest bear theme and play with that. Disney has proven to be able to make original bear characters, add in a couple of American legends (Paul Bunyan for example) and keep Splash Mountain but make it an original story instead of Songs Of The South.

GALAXY’S EDGE

Obviously, we can’t keep this because the entire area is Star Wars. I do have two options for replacements though: The first is expanding Frontierland or Bear Country to create more natural landscapes for exploration or more ride space (and connect the two lands) The second is bringing in the lost Discovery Bay that would have brought a nineteenth century Barbosas Bay with plenty of unique attractions

TOONTOWN

Ok so this one might seem impossible considering the main mouse, but as countless video games and shows have proven, you can make a cartoon universe without relying on an existing real world cartoon. Hell the plot of Who Framed Roger Rabbit revolved around a fictional cartoon series! You can keep the generic toon-like world without the movie references, making it about a fictional cartoon world and having the rides be different episodes (or have one be an episode like Runaway Railroad and the other be a backstage tour of Toontown that goes wrong like Car-Toon Spin).

FANTASYLAND

The original IP zone, as was the intention of it during all it’s various concepts. So how do you make it IP-Neutral? Well for that I’m taking inspiration off one of the only two IP-Neutral rides in Fantasyland: The Swiss-themed Matterhorn Mountain and Matterhorn Bobsleds. I would LOVE to see more Switzerland architecture and castles cause it is BEAUTIFUL. Plus, Switzerland has quite a few myths that could make for interesting attractions, including William Tell, dragons, witches, avalance-surfing dwarfs, etc (actually that last one could make a fun alternate Mad Tea Party ride)

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As you can see, some of the park wouldn’t change at all or very little (Main Street USA, Frontierland, etc) while others would be completely different from what they are today (Fantasyland, Critter Country, etc). Does it prove that Disneyland be better or worse without the IPs? I leave that to you guys to discuss, I’m just having fun with coming up with an alternatve to Unnecciary Sci-Fi Franchise Land.

#disneyland #armchair theme park designing #park ideas

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beardedmrbean · 1 year

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Some 1.8 million Muslims from across the world made it to Mount Arafat in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to mark the most important day of the Hajj. But due to global price rises, the pilgrimage is becoming increasingly unaffordable.

"The number of bookings has significantly dropped this year. It's too costly for many people," says an employee at a private Egyptian tour operator in charge of organising Hajj trips, who wanted to remain anonymous out of fear of a backlash over their criticism of their country's economic situation.

In Egypt, the most populous Arab country, the cheapest government-sponsored pilgrimage currently costs around $6,000 (£4,720) - double what it was last year.

The price hike has been fuelled by the sharp devaluation of the Egyptian pound, which has lost more than 50% of its value against the US dollar since March 2022. As a result, the cost of living has also skyrocketed, with annual core inflation hitting 40% in May.

About 30% of the population was living below the government's poverty line before the Covid-19 pandemic, and the World Bank says the figure is likely to have risen since then.

'My dream'

Farida, a retired Egyptian civil servant, saved to go on the Hajj for five years.

"All my savings are not enough to pay for the trip. When I saw the price list, I was shocked," she says.

Farida - not her real name - is a widow and mother of five. She also asked not to be identified because she did not want to publicly criticise Egyptian authorities over the rising cost of living.

Farida says that performing the Hajj is "my dream", adding: "Hajj cleanses the soul."

She says her children are all married, so "social and financial responsibilities have been lifted off my shoulders". "It is about time to go to Hajj."

Farida has already been to Mecca four times before to perform the lesser Umrah pilgrimage, which includes some of the rituals of the Hajj and can be undertaken at any time of the year.

This time, she used a loophole in the system so that she could perform the Hajj.

"Instead of the Hajj visa, I got a three-month-tourist visa and arrived in Mecca a month before the Hajj season kicks off," she tells me from Saudi Arabia while waiting to start the pilgrimage. "This is the only option I have got."

Farida's whole trip to Mecca works out 80% cheaper than the government-sponsored Hajj package.

Subsidy cuts

Hajj is one of the five pillars of Islam. Muslims are required to make the journey to Mecca at least once in their lifetime, if they are physically and financially capable of doing so.

The pilgrimage starts on the eighth day of the Islamic lunar month of Dhul Hijjah, which this year corresponded to 26 June in the Gregorian calendar, and lasts five to six says.

The Hajj usually attracts between 1.5 million and 2 million pilgrims, but this is the first time since the pandemic that Saudi authorities have allowed it to return to full capacity.

Saudi Arabia allocates each country an annual quota based on the number of Muslims living there.

The biggest goes to Indonesia - the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, with a population of 270 million. It was given 221,000 places this year.

Indonesian authorities decided this year to cut the subsidy for the pilgrimage to 50% from 60%, meaning that each Indonesian pilgrim had to pay $3,320. In 2022, the package cost $2,660.

Political barriers

While the financial cost can prove an obstacle for many Muslims around the world, for those in Yemen - Saudi Arabia's war-torn and impoverished southern neighbour - the situation is far more complicated.

The country has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in 2015, when a Saudi-led military coalition intervened after the Iran-backed rebel Houthi movement seized control of large parts of the country. The fighting has reportedly killed more than 150,000 people and caused one of the world's biggest humanitarian disasters.

This month, Yemeni pilgrims flew directly from the rebel-held capital, Sanaa, to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj - the first such commercial flights in about seven years.

Those who travelled had to pay about $3,000 - a considerable sum in a country where more than 21 million out of a population of 30 million people need some kind of humanitarian assistance and 17 million do not know where their next meal will come from.

"In 2016, I went to Hajj for less than half of this price. It's too expensive for me now," one Yemeni journalist says.

#nunyas news

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fleurcareil · 1 year

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East & South Labrador

Drove this day another 406km through the boreal forest from Happy Valley - Goose Bay to the tiny hamlet of Port Hope Simpson, which brought me back to the coast, this time the eastern Labrador shore! Apart from Labrador being the "Big Land" of forests, it's also the big land of flies, which is a bit of a shock to the system after not having had any yet in my travels so far (mosquitos yes but flies are worse). There's the huge flies that sound like a bomb is ready to go off when circling your head 😳 and the tiny ones that are barely noticeable but swarm you in their hundreds. Like a woman told me earlier this week; "they all bite and they're hungry!" 🥺. I had managed to dodge the large flies as they're rather slow but impossible to escape the midgets, however generally there's much less of anything on the coast so that's good news!

I won't bore you with more pictures of ugly trees, but instead here are two from Port Hope Simpson, where - you'll guess it - the first stop was at the gas bar (although I'm back now into safe territory with more gas pumps) and then checked in before 2pm already, even including an extra 30 minute Newfoundland time change, which happens somewhere obscure on the road (doesn't really matter where, as there's nothing anyway 😅). Walked a bit around the harbour and then spent à few lovely hours along the water reading a book - A History of Time by Stephen Hawking that my sister gave me 20 years ago and which is interesting but needs to be read piecemeal, it's been a while since I brushed up on my physics! 😝

In the morning, the weather had done a 180, and changed from a sunny 28 degrees to a foggy & rainy 10 degrees😢. For the next few days, I was bundled up in my thermal underwear, woollen socks (thanks Tara for knitting them!), 3 layers of sweaters, winter coat, hat & gloves, whereas record heat temperatures were broken around the world...

I arrived early at the Mary's Harbour ferry dock so that I could still do a short hike up & down the hill to Gin Cove, which is not too special but still pretty enough and got me warmed up before boarding the little boat to Battle Harbour Historic site where I'm staying the night on the island. Despite the poor weather, I preferred to stay outside to watch for icebergs & whales (none) but I do see a puffin! 😊 With me are two elderly couples from Nova Scotia and Newfoundland who I find out are hyperactive, still scuba diving, skiing and planning a 3-week ATV road trip on their 70th, something to aspire!

Battle Harbour used to be the unofficial capital of Labrador in its heyday when it was the largest cod fishing village on the east coast and had amongst others the first hospital and Marconi wireless station. Some fishermen would stay all year, but most would travel from Newfoundland for the summer. It started declining when the school was relocated to Mary's Harbour but still operated until the cod fishing moratorium was imposed in 1992. The village is now restored and run by a historic trust, which provides visitors an opportunity to stay through all-inclusive packages. Seeing slowly the buildings come out of the clouds as the boat approaches made it even more mystical!

I'm staying in the bunkhouse all by myself (which I had already been counting on 😁) which was the original cookhouse built in the 1770's. After delicious lunch, we were given an elaborate tour of the buildings, which was really interesting as it was led by a 6th generation islander, who had lots of personal stories of how she helped salt the cod. Similarly, the handyman on the boat was one of the 10-year old boys who found a plane wreck the day after it had crashed in the fog (and which I saw myself also in the fog), so that truly connects the history to the present...unsurprisingly, they're still bitter about what happened with the fishery as it destroyed their community, and some of the blame was given to the sharply increasing seal population since the hunt was forbidden in the 80's, which likely has a grain of truth (though most of the blame went to the federal government)... Despite the pouring rain, I decide to take a little hike around the island in the hope to spot icebergs (as there were 3 the day before) but all I got were beautiful landscapes and getting fully soaked. 😜

Over the communal dinner table, I got to know the rest of the guests; an (apparently famous) painter from Newfoundland - Jean-Claude Roy who shares the same first name as my father & comes from the same French region, his somewhat eccentric wife and a guy from North Carolina who is shooting a documentary about JCs relationship with Battle Harbour where he's been painting for over 10 years. The other group consisted of 5 Swedish sailors who toured the world on a yacht, showing breathtaking pics of Antarctica and leaving the next morning for Greenland.... Needless to say that the evening, including a black-white 1930's movie about an Artic exploration followed by beers in the pub, provided lots of interesting conversations! Compared to this lot, my road trip is really not that special😁.

I try another hike in the morning but the fog is even worse, so I give up quickly and instead play a patience card game in front of the wood stove, much better! The way back on the boat is quite rough but all is forgotten when the captain steers us along an iceberg!!💖 I had already seen quite a few in 2010 in Newfoundland but very happy I saw one again! Back on the road, the fog was really bad but when I turned the corner onto the south shore, it suddenly disappeared and I see not one but 3 white blobs on the sea! 😊 Iceberg Alley made its name true and in the next two days I saw a total of 41 icebergs; anything from little "bergy bits" to tabular, drydock, dome & pinnacle shapes, very very cool & unique in the world! Most were farther away and could only be properly seen with the binoculars, but a few were close to shore.

The Red Bay world heritage site has an interesting history of Basque whaling and a ferry ride to Saddle Island for an interpretative hike, but there's basically nothing left (or it was reburied for preservation) so there's a lot of imagination needed to gather what was there 😂.

After a late lunch I was ready to crash in the hotel being hangover from the night before, but decided to at least drive to the start of the Tracy Hill trail, which is notorious for its 689 steps. The trail builders included corny inspirational quotes to keep you walking, and I must confess that the first one did get me to actually start: "One day or Day one?". Apart from pretty scenery, every step seemed to show more icebergs; 22 from the top, which was a perfect way to close the day!

The next morning, I woke up again in fog (getting fed up with it now!) so at the lighthouse at L'Anse Amour, I first drank my cup of tea in the car while checking out icebergs and birds. It's the tallest lighthouse in Atlantic Canada which my legs definitely felt when walking up the steps to the Fresnel lens & active light at the top. The Strait of Belle Isle provides a 200km shorter route to Europe than around Newfoundland, but has strong currents, up to 200km/hr winds & often ice, so it has had its fair share of shipwrecks & heroic tales of rescue.

Nearby, a 9,000-year-old burial mound of a Maritime Archaic Indian child was found, representing the oldest known human remains in North America but there's now nothing to see apart from pretty dunes. In L'Anse au Clair I stop at the lovely visitor centre in an old church and do a small hike to an abandoned fishing village called the Jersey Room, after the families that settled here from Jersey island near France.

When I cross into Quebec, it's suddenly 1.5 hours earlier! The entire Atlantic and Newfoundland time zones are undone in a split second, which confuses me in my day-planning and makes it a very loooong day. Checking in at the ferry terminal (more on that later), doing groceries and lunch kept me busy for a bit and then I was off to a viewpoint where I was told you could see one of North America's largest puffin colonies... which are on that island far away in the picture below... I could definitely see with my binoculars it was full of birds but whether they were puffins or gulls?!? 😂 Nearby were again lots of Eider duck so don't think they're that special after all... they seem to do well!

Driving west to the end of the road, there were some more pretty viewpoints and a waterfall, until I reached the Salmon Bay Farm, which is actually a scallops farm located in Salmon Bay. I've toured an oyster farm when I was little in the Netherlands and didn't realize there were also scallop farms until now. After a tour of the on-land facilities and explanation how they're cultivated (interesting titbits; scallop shells grow year rings just like trees so you can count how old they are, and they have up to 200 eyes along the edge of the shell), I chose the left scallop to taste raw (both the muscle and the roe, which were very tender) and also tasted two steamed scallops, which included also the roe as well as the baleen-like frill which is used to filter the water for nutrients. All accompanied with a glass of wine & finished with local jam biscuits, great experience!

Only 15 minutes more to the west, I reach the end of the road, thereby finishing my tour of Labrador of close to 2,000km! It was a long drive of, as someone put it; "trees and rocks, then rocks and trees, and after that trees and rocks again" 🤣 but very happy to have done it and seen this part of Canada! 🍁💖

The only way to complete my loop back to Baie-Comeau is by a 2-day boat trip west until I reach the village of Kegaska where the road starts anew. There's no ferry but instead a cargo boat, so my car needs to be shipped into a container to make the voyage, a first for me! 😃 I was supposed to report this morning at 5:30am but when I dropped by yesterday, I was told that the boat got terribly delayed...likely until 10pm - midnight tonight. Good news is that I could sleep in this morning (although wide awake at 3:45 due to the time difference) and that I have an extra day here - going for a hike once this is posted, but on the flip side, I might now stay two nights onboard sleeping in a chair instead of a hotel, plus may need to cancel an excursion I had already booked for after my arrival. Mother nature is in control so hoping there won't be much more delays! 🤞

As a side note, it's shocking to realize that the time is here the same as it is in Thunder Bay, over 3,000 km to the west! No wonder that it's light so early here...

PS. the boat's departure time has just been updated to 9am tomorrow morning so I can luckily stay another night at the hotel here but will need to adjust my plans forward. It's going to be an interesting few days ahead...

Distance driven this week: 1,954km

Icebergs: 1 from Battle Harbour boat, 6 from the road, 22 from Tracy Hill, 3 from L'Anse Amour, 4 from L'anse au Clair, 6 from Blanc-Sablon

Wildlife: 1 puffin (Battle Harbour boat), 17 female Eider ducks (Red Bay) and 50+ male Eider ducks (Blanc-Sablon), 1 osprey & 50+ Merganser ducks (L'Anse Amour), 1 mink whale & 1 seal (L'Anse au Clair)

SUPs: none

Hikes: one at Mary's Harbour, one at Battle Harbour, two at Red Bay, one at L'Anse au Clair

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kevincauthorportfolio · 1 year

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How You Can Use AI To Make Travel More Affordable and Accessible

Traveling can be such a hassle. Who wants to stand in airport security lines, hope their flight is on time, and have to worry about your schedule while you're on vacation? Thanks to the power of AI, these hassles might be eliminated (or at least minimized) soon. In this article, we'll look at all the ways AI solutions are changing the face of travel.

First, what exactly is AI? For our purposes, artificial intelligence (AI) can be defined as "...the simulation of human intelligence by machines, especially computer systems" [1]. Use cases for AI include natural language processing, speech recognition, and machine vision. Don't worry if these terms and phrases are a bit foreign to you; you won't need to be an expert on AI to harness its powers for yourself. Here are some uses AI may have to make travel more accessible and affordable for those on a budget.

Nix The Tour Guides: Buying an expensive tour package not in your budget? Why not let AI help design your itinerary? Roam Around is a simple web-based tool powered by ChatGPT [2]. All you need to do is navigate to roamaround.io and enter the city you'd like to visit and how much time you have there [2]. ChatGPT will then generate an easy-to-read itinerary for you [2].

For instance, the AI software suggests spending time at the Colosseum and traversing the historic neighborhood of Tivoli for a hypothetical five-day expedition to Rome. Arguably even cooler, the names of key sites are hyperlinked to pages that provide budget tours of the corresponding area. No tour guide needed!

Time Your Purchases: If you're one of those people constantly checking flights to grab the best prices, AI has got you covered. Hopper is a travel booking app that uses artificial intelligence to predict flight prices [3]. Hopper looks at historical price changes and predicts when prices are likely to increase or decrease based on past data [3]. The app can save you up to 40% on travel costs [3]. It works for hotels, rental cars, and flight costs, likely your biggest three expenses when you travel [3]. Hopper even plants two free trees when you travel to offset the carbon footprint from your travel [3]. Friendly for the planet and your wallet!

Do Your Homework with Chatbots: Sure, you could research all the data you need to plan your trip. However, that could take hours and add stress to your vacation. Why not let AI pull the info you need for you? The Kayak app contains a chatbot that can grab information at the click of a button [4]. The bot will give you details on flights, rental cars, and itinerary options and give you some activities to try [4]. It can also help you budget, as you can specify things like "Get me a flight from New York City to London for under $150" or ask where you can go with $300 this weekend [4].

Know Before You Go: We've all been there: you see a luxurious-looking property with gorgeous photos, only to book something that's nothing like what you were promised. Tools like Magpie use something called sentiment analysis to scope out emerging trends and adjust their search algorithms accordingly [5]. In other words, it combs through data like reviews to determine whether they're positive, negative, or neutral and uses that data to rank reviews. Destinations with worse reviews should get knocked to the bottom, saving you time and money when it comes to searching. After all, there's no better way to get destination info than from someone who's already been there.

Virtual Vacations? Got more of a staycation in mind? AI can help with that too. Virtual Reality or VR is a technology that simulates an immersive 3D world all around you. AI can create "physically and emotionally immersive travel that is unique to each user [5]." After AI chooses a site for you according to your needs, you can enjoy an immersive experience through companies like First Airlines [5]. This includes first-class service with four-course meals and virtual sightseeing [5]. If you're a "try before you buy" type of person, these immersive experiences can help you learn about a destination inside and out without ever having to physically go there. You can also search YouTube for 3D travel experiences you can view inside Google Cardboard and other VR headsets if you own one.

These are just some of the ways AI is making travel more affordable, convenient, and accessible. With the advent of the internet and modern solutions such as chatbots, ChatGPT, virtual reality headsets, and artificial intelligence apps, it's easier than ever to find stays and times that work for you and your budget. You don't have to dent your bank account (or even leave your living room) to see the world, and much of it can be organized and planned out for you. As these tools and solutions evolve, it's possible they will further democratize the travel experience, making the same cultural expeditions more readily available to everyone.

Burns, Ed, and Nicole Laskowski. "What Is Artificial Intelligence (AI)?: Definition from TechTarget." Edited by Linda Tucci, Enterprise AI, TechTarget, 24 Feb. 2023, techtarget.com/searchenterpriseai/definition/AI-Artificial-Intelligence. 2. Patkar, Mihir. "5 Free Travel Planning AI and Chatgpt Apps to Get an Instant Itinerary." MUO, 19 Feb. 2023, makeuseof.com/free-travel-planning-ai-chatgpt-apps/ 3. Germán. "Ai Travel Apps You Can Use Right Now (That Are Not Chatgpt) [2023]." AirLapse, 20 Feb. 2023, airlapse.net/blog/ai-travel-apps 4.Bulanov, Alexandr. "How Machine Learning and AI Can Improve Travel Services." Medium, Towards Data Science, 26 Feb. 2019, https://towardsdatascience.com/how-machine-learning-and-ai-can-improve-travel-services-3fc8a88664c4 5."5 Ways AI Will Revolutionize Travel." CATALYST, CATALYST, 15 Feb. 2023, catalyst.cm/stories-new/2023/2/14/5-ways-ai-will-revolutionize-travel

This article is also available to purchase on Constant Content here: https://www.constant-content.com/MoreDetails/1912373-Ways_Ai_is_Making_Travel_More_Accessible_and_Affordable.htm. Once purchased, you can change the byline and use it for your own blog or website.

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jastourism · 2 years

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Dubai Tour Package: Exploring the Glitz and Glamour of the City of Gold

Dubai, a city that needs no introduction, has become a global hub of luxury, entertainment, and tourism in recent years. With its towering skyscrapers, man-made islands, and extravagant shopping malls, Dubai offers a unique and unparalleled experience for travelers looking to indulge in opulence and luxury. If you're planning a trip to Dubai, a Dubai tour package can help you make the most of your time and money while exploring the wonders of this glittering city.

Here are some of the top attractions that you can experience on a Dubai tour package:

Burj Khalifa: The tallest building in the world, the Burj Khalifa offers stunning panoramic views of the city from its observation deck on the 124th floor. A tour package can help you skip the long queues and ensure a hassle-free experience.

Dubai Mall: The largest shopping mall in the world, Dubai Mall is a shopper's paradise. With over 1,200 stores, a huge aquarium, and an indoor ski slope, there's something for everyone in this mall.

Palm Jumeirah: One of the most iconic man-made islands in the world, Palm Jumeirah is home to some of Dubai's most luxurious resorts and hotels. A tour package can help you explore this stunning island and its attractions, including the Atlantis, The Palm hotel and Aquaventure Waterpark. Experience the glitz and glamour of this dazzling city with our carefully curated Dubai tour packages that cater to every budget and preference.

Desert Safari: A tour package can help you experience the thrill of a desert safari, including dune bashing, camel rides, and a traditional Arabic dinner under the stars.

Dubai Fountain: Located outside the Dubai Mall, the Dubai Fountain is the world's largest choreographed fountain system. A tour package can help you enjoy the fountain's mesmerizing water, light, and music show from the best vantage point.

Dubai Miracle Garden: A tour package can take you to the Dubai Miracle Garden, the world's largest flower garden, featuring over 45 million flowers arranged in stunning designs.

Dubai Creek: A tour package can help you explore the historic Dubai Creek, where you can take a traditional wooden boat ride, known as an abra, and explore the city's historic souks and markets.

In conclusion, a Dubai tour package from India can help you experience the best that this magnificent city has to offer. With a wide range of attractions, from world-famous landmarks to luxury shopping malls and thrilling desert safaris, there's something for everyone in Dubai. So why wait? Book your Dubai tour packages from Ahmedabad today and get ready for an unforgettable adventure in the city of gold!

#vacation #travelling #tours #tours and travels #family tour packages #international tour packages #jastourism #Dubai tour packages from India #tourism

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limoservicedcinfo · 1 day

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Why Choose Low Price Limo Rentals for Your Special Events?

When it comes to planning a special event in Washington, D.C., the transportation aspect is just as important as the venue and guest list. Choosing low price limo rentals can elevate your experience without breaking the bank. Here’s why opting for affordable DC Limo Service is a smart choice for any occasion.

1. Cost-Effective Luxury

Low price limo rentals offer the luxury and comfort of a high-end vehicle without the hefty price tag. Whether you’re organizing a wedding, a corporate event, or a prom night, you can enjoy the lavish amenities that come with a limo—such as spacious seating, mood lighting, and premium sound systems—without overspending.

2. Professional Service

When you hire a DC Limo Service, you’re not just renting a vehicle; you’re securing the services of experienced chauffeurs who are trained to provide excellent customer service. They understand the local area and can navigate through traffic efficiently, ensuring that you and your guests arrive on time and in style. Plus, a professional chauffeur adds a touch of sophistication to your event.

3. Convenience and Comfort

Imagine stepping out of a luxurious limo as you arrive at your event—this is the kind of impression you want to leave. With DC low limo rentals, you can transport your guests comfortably and conveniently. No need to worry about parking or navigating public transportation; the limo will pick you up from your doorstep and drop you off at the venue.

4. Group Travel Made Easy

Whether you’re planning a family reunion, a corporate outing, or a night out with friends, low price limo rentals can accommodate groups of various sizes. With options ranging from stretch limousines to party buses, you can easily find a vehicle that suits your group’s needs. This is especially handy for events like the Washington DC Hop On Hop Off Bus Tour, where everyone can enjoy the sights together without the hassle of coordinating multiple vehicles.

5. Tailored Packages

Many limo services offer customized packages that cater to specific events, ensuring that you get the best deal for your needs. Whether it’s a wedding package that includes decorations and refreshments or a corporate package with onboard Wi-Fi and charging stations, affordable DC limo rentals can be tailored to enhance your experience.

6. Safety First

Safety is paramount when it comes to transportation, especially for events that involve drinking or late-night outings. Opting for low price limo rentals means you have a responsible chauffeur behind the wheel, allowing everyone to relax and enjoy themselves without worrying about who will drive home.

7. Booking Made Easy

Finding the right limo service has never been easier. With just a quick phone call to (202) 765-2355, you can inquire about rates, availability, and packages that fit your event. The process is straightforward, ensuring that you can focus more on planning your event and less on the logistics of transportation.

Conclusion

Choosing low price limo rentals for your special events in Washington, D.C., is a practical and luxurious option that meets your budget and elevates your experience. From professional service to customized packages, DC Limo Service is designed to cater to your needs while ensuring comfort and convenience. So why wait? Book your ride today and make your next event unforgettable!

Source: https://medium.com/@limoservicedc24x7/why-choose-low-price-limo-rentals-for-your-special-events-2d119e9418eb

#LowPriceLimo #DCLimoService #AffordableLimoRentals #WashingtonDCLimo #HopOnHopOffDC #DCLimoExperience #ExploreDC #BudgetTravel #DCTransportation #LimoLife

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eweblink · 10 months

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Tour Booking System | Tour Package Booking System

eWeblink presents an innovative and user-friendly Tour Package Booking System, offering a seamless online booking experience for travelers worldwide. Our cutting-edge tour booking software simplifies the entire booking process, ensuring efficiency, convenience, and reliability for both customers and tour operators.

#eweblink #tour booking software #tour booking system #tour package booking system #eweblink technology #travel portal development company #travel portal development #travel software development #travel portal devel #travel portal solutions #travel tech solutions

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cobblestonelimo · 3 days

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Treasure Coast Limo Service

For those seeking the pinnacle of luxury transportation in the Treasure Coast, Cobblestone Limousine offers the finest limo service in the region. Whether you’re planning a wedding, attending a corporate event, or celebrating a special occasion, our Treasure Coast limo service provides the perfect blend of elegance, comfort, and convenience.

At Cobblestone Limousine, we understand that every event is unique, which is why we offer customizable limo packages tailored to meet your specific needs. Our fleet includes a range of luxury vehicles, from stretch limousines to modern SUVs, ensuring that we can accommodate groups of all sizes. Whether you’re looking for transportation for a night out on the town or a scenic tour along the coast, we have the perfect solution.

Our chauffeurs are experienced, professional, and dedicated to providing a top-notch service that exceeds your expectations. From the moment you step into one of our limousines, you’ll feel like royalty. With comfortable seating, climate control, and premium sound systems, we ensure that every ride is a memorable one.

Make your next event unforgettable with Cobblestone Limousine's Treasure Coast limo service. Contact us today to book your ride and experience luxury like never before.

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saurabhanandtripzygo · 3 days

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Rediscover Europe The Ultimate Travel Destination in 2024 🌍✈️

As we dive into 2024, there’s no better time to pack your bags and rediscover Europe! With its rich history, diverse cultures, and jaw-dropping landscapes, Europe is reclaiming its title as the ultimate travel destination. Whether you’re dreaming of sipping espresso in a charming Parisian café, exploring the ancient ruins of Rome, or cruising along Amsterdam’s iconic canals, a Europe tour is the perfect way to experience the best the continent has to offer.

🌟 Why Choose a European Tour in 2024?

Cultural Wonderland: From the Gothic architecture of Spain to the Renaissance art in Italy, Europe is a treasure trove of cultural gems. Every country offers something unique, making every stop feel like a new adventure.

Seamless Travel: With its well-connected transportation system, hopping from one country to another is a breeze. Thanks to budget airlines, high-speed trains, and scenic road trips, your Europe tour will be as effortless as it is unforgettable.

Post-COVID Bliss: 2024 is all about post-pandemic travel revival. Fewer crowds and new, exciting experiences await. It’s time to explore Europe’s top destinations without the usual hustle and bustle.

🌍 Top European Destinations to Explore

Paris, France: Fall in love with the City of Lights, from the Eiffel Tower to the romantic streets of Montmartre.

Rome, Italy: Walk through centuries of history with a visit to the Colosseum, Vatican City, and ancient Roman ruins.

Barcelona, Spain: Admire Gaudí’s breathtaking architecture while soaking up the vibrant energy of this coastal city.

Santorini, Greece: Get lost in the beauty of whitewashed buildings, crystal-clear waters, and unforgettable sunsets.

✨ Why Book a Europe Tour Package?

Europe tour package can save you time, money, and stress. Enjoy hassle-free travel with everything from flights to hotels and guided tours organized for you. Plus, you’ll unlock hidden gems and local secrets that might not be on your radar!

Ready to turn your 2024 into the year of adventure? 🌍✨ Start planning your dream European getaway today, and let Europe’s charm sweep you off your feet!

#adventure #travel #exploretheworld #culture #wanderlust #explore

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mdtravels · 4 days

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Innova Crysta Hire in Lucknow

For those seeking a reliable and comfortable travel experience in Lucknow, MD Travels Innova crysta hire in Lucknow offers the ideal solution with their Innova Crysta hire services. Known for providing top-quality vehicles and exceptional service, MD Travels Innova crysta hire in Lucknow ensures that every journey is smooth, safe, and luxurious. Whether you’re traveling for business, a family outing, or a road trip, the Innova Crysta Innova crysta hire in Lucknow stands out as a preferred choice for its spacious interiors, modern features, and exceptional performance.

Why Choose MD Travels for Innova Crysta Hire?

1. **Spacious and Comfortable**

The Innova Crysta Innova crysta hire in Lucknow is designed for maximum comfort, making it perfect for long trips, family outings, and group travel. With ample seating for up to seven passengers, the vehicle ensures that everyone has enough room to relax and enjoy the ride. The plush interiors, reclining seats, and air-conditioning system add to the overall comfort, ensuring a premium travel experience.

2. **Ideal for Group Travel**

Whether you are planning a local city tour, an outstation trip, or need a vehicle for airport transfers, the Innova Crysta Innova crysta hire in Lucknow seating capacity makes it perfect for group travel. Families, corporate groups, and tourist parties often choose the Innova Crysta for its versatility and reliability, allowing them to travel together in comfort.

3. **Modern Features**

The Innova Crysta Innova crysta hire in Lucknow comes equipped with modern features like a touchscreen infotainment system, automatic climate control, and superior suspension, making every journey enjoyable and smooth. The car’s performance on highways and city roads is unmatched, ensuring that passengers have a safe and comfortable ride every time.

4. **Professional Chauffeur Services**

MD Travels Innova crysta hire in Lucknow provides experienced and professional chauffeurs who are well-versed with Lucknow’s roads and traffic patterns. Whether you need a chauffeur for a business meeting, a wedding, or sightseeing around the city, MD Travels Innova crysta hire in Lucknow ensures that your ride is handled with professionalism and care.

5. **Flexible and Affordable Packages**

MD Travels Innova crysta hire in Lucknow offers a variety of rental packages to suit different needs, from hourly bookings to full-day rentals or longer. Their transparent pricing and affordable rates make hiring an Innova Crysta a convenient option for both short and long-distance travel.

Ideal for Various Travel Needs

- **Business Trips**: Travel in style and comfort for corporate meetings or conferences.

- **Family Outings**: Spacious seating and a smooth ride make it perfect for family trips.

- **Airport Transfers**: Reliable and timely pickups and drop-offs to and from Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport.

- **Tourist Sightseeing**: Explore Lucknow’s rich heritage with a group in comfort.

Conclusion

MD Travels Innova crysta hire in Lucknow offers the best Innova Crysta hire services in Lucknow, combining comfort, affordability, and excellent customer service. Whether you're traveling for business or leisure, MD Travels Innova crysta hire in Lucknow ensures a smooth, enjoyable journey every time. With flexible packages and professional chauffeurs, they are the top choice for reliable and comfortable group travel in Lucknow.

#travel agency #travel agency in india #traveling #taxi service #car rental

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indiatravelpackage · 4 days

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Discover Agra at Your Own Pace with Premium Car Rental Services

Agra, the city known for the superb Taj Mahal, is a treasure trove of historical and cultural attractions. However, exploring this bustling city may be a challenge without handy transportation. A car rental in Agra gives an appropriate solution for those looking to find out the city effortlessly and on their own agenda. With bendy alternatives, lower-priced costs, and dependable offerings, renting a car in Agra enhances your travel experience.

Let's delve into why vehicle apartment services in Agra are a tremendous choice for vacationers.

Why Choose a Car Rental Service in Agra?

Whether you're travelling solo, with family, or in a collection, a car service gives you the liberty to discover Agra’s iconic landmarks at your very own tempo. Here's why it's the preferred preference for plenty of tourists:

Freedom and Flexibility

Unlike guided tours or public transport, renting a car gives unequalled flexibility. You can create your own itinerary, decide whilst and where to prevent, and even make remaining-minute modifications to your plans. From the Taj Mahal to the Agra Fort and beyond, you can explore the town’s historic sites without being stressed about strict schedules.

Affordable and Customizable Packages

Car rental services in Agra cater to a huge variety of budgets. Whether you're searching for a simple economy car or a luxurious ride, you will locate low-cost options to fit your desires.

Many car rental agencies offer customizable packages, such as hourly rentals, complete-day bookings, and multi-day leases. This lets you tailor your experience based on how long you plan to explore the town and its surroundings.

Comfort and Convenience

Renting a car in Agra ensures you tour in comfort, specifically in the course of the recent summertime months when air-conditioned cars are a must. Modern rental vehicles come with smooth interiors, enough luggage space, and crucial amenities to make your journey as snug as feasible. Having a personal car also eliminates the need to navigate through crowded public transportation, making your ride strain-unfastened.

Types of Vehicles Available for Car Rental in Agra

Agra’s car rental services provide a lot of car types to house one-of-a-kind journey desires. Depending on your options and institution size, you can pick out from the subsequent:

Economy Cars

For price range-aware tourists, economic system automobiles are a perfect option. These compact vehicles are ideal for solo tourists or couples who need to get across the city quick and cost effectively. Despite their small length, economic system vehicles offer sufficient comfort for brief town rides and are smooth to navigate via Agra’s slim streets.

Sedans

Sedans provide a private and inexpensive choice for small families or groups of up to 4 people. With more legroom and boot space, those cars are perfect for day-length sightseeing excursions across Agra’s landmarks. Sedans also are best for longer journeys in case you're planning to go to nearby towns like Fatehpur Sikri or Mathura.

SUVs and MUVs

For large organizations or families with greater bags, SUVs and MUVs are the best choice. These vehicles are spacious, providing enough room for up to seven passengers. They are perfect for all-day tours and offer a easy journey even on Agra’s once in a while bumpy roads. Their effective engines and strong suspension systems lead them to great for longer excursions.

Luxury Cars

For tourists seeking out a top-class experience, Agra’s vehicle rental services provide luxurious automobiles. These motors, inclusive of top-emblem sedans and SUVs, come with plush interiors, high-cease functions, and extra comforts like chauffeurs. Ideal for unique activities or business journeys, luxurious cars offer a complicated way to discover Agra.

Easy Booking Options

Booking a car apartment in Agra is easy and straightforward. You can either pre-ebook your rental on-line or arrange for a vehicle upon arrival. Here’s how:

Online Booking

Many automobile condominium groups in Agra provide consumer-pleasant websites or mobile apps that will let you ebook a car in advance. This ensures which you have the vehicle of your choice equipped and ready upon arrival. Online booking platforms additionally allow you to compare charges, choose extra offerings, and make secure payments.

Walk-in Rentals

If you decide on a extra spontaneous method, maximum apartment agencies have workplaces located near key spots inclusive of Agra's railway station, bus terminals, and lodges. You can without a doubt stroll in and lease a vehicle of your choice immediate. Some vehicle rental offerings even provide pick-up and drop-off options for added comfort.

Safety and Reliability

When deciding on a car rental service in Agra, safety and reliability need to be a pinnacle priority. Reputable condo corporations ensure their motors are well-maintained, and their drivers, if requested, are skilled and authorized. Many services provide 24/7 customer service, roadside assistance, and GPS monitoring for an added layer of security during your ride. Be sure to select an agency that has a solid reputation for retaining excessive safety requirements.

Conclusion: Explore Agra with Ease

Agra's splendor and historic importance demand extra than only a short visit. Car rental service agra offerings, you may explore this extraordinary metropolis in your private car, comfortably and simply. Whether you are touring the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort, or taking a day's journey to Fatehpur Sikri, having a private car at your disposal makes your experience more exciting.

From economy cars to luxurious rides, Agra’s car rental offerings provide something for each traveller. So, the next time you are in this mesmerizing city, rent a car to unlock the high quality it has to offer.

#car #car rental #car rental agra #car rental in agra #taxi service in agra #taxi in agra

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