TOURISM & CONSULAR INFORMATION

Traveling Fit! 5 WAYS to stay on track

OHMYGOSSIP – Hi everyone! I’m Kelly. I am one of the Massachusetts reps, and I write A Lovely Life, Indeed.  Committing to a healthy lifestyle takes planning. You plan what you’re going to eat, prep your meals and easy to grab snacks, and you try to arrange your schedule to include some sort of physical activity. Staying on plan when you travel can be more of a challenge. When schedules loosen and food options expand, staying on track takes more thought and initiative, but it can be done.

Here are five ways to stay committed to your fitness goals, even when you’re traveling.

1. Plan. Putting water and your favorite go-to snacks in a cooler will give you the flexibility to make healthy choices. Pack a bag with other snacks and avoid the gas station wasteland.

2. Pit stop stretch. Stop along the way and stretch. Energize your body and brain during these needed rest stops. Need a circuit? Try this one.

3. When you arrive at your destination, think about a walking tour or a bike tour of the city. How about a photo stroll? Walk whenever possible and explore excursions that keep you active, at least part of the time.

4. Shop and cook when you can. This is better for your wallet and your waistline. When you do go out, grilled protein and a veggie is a great choice. Order your salad dressing on the side and dip your fork before you take a bite, instead of pouring it all on top. You can decline the bread basket if you want, and if you’re ordering dessert, one dessert split among many can give you the bite of sweet that you want without overdoing it.

5. Enjoy a treat now and then. Don’t deprive yourself of your favorite things. Eat a cupcake, and then work off a cupcake.

Travel and healthy living can go hand in hand. Plan and prep where you can and when you can’t, use what you know to make good, healthy choices. And enjoy the treats.

Happy travels!

5 TRAVEL tips by Danielle Kempe

OHMYGOSSIP – It’s Danielle Kempe taking over the blog today. I’m your MA state rep and a blogger at Getting Fit in MA. My five tips today all have to do with travel. Summer may be over but we all know that fall is a great time to travel, especially throughout the Northeast!

1)    Don’t pay for guide books – borrow them from the library before you leave.
I just returned from a trip to Brussels, Belgium, and Paris, France. I got great walking tour guides (with maps) for both cities from the library. I also checked out a great beach read of a mystery novel set in Nice, France.

2)    Check Yelp before you go – to get recommendations on tourist attractions & dinning
Bonus: If you’re a part of Yelp’s Elite program, you can attend Elite events in any city. Check the Yelp Elite calendar of the cities you’re visiting & RSVP if there’s an event you’d like to join. I’m a Boston Yelp Elite but I attended a wicked fun Elite event in Dallas, TX when I visited this year.

3)    Don’t over-schedule yourself
It’s OK if you’d like to just sit and read a book on your vacation. You don’t need to be sight-seeing 24/7! This is your time to relax too!

4)    Bring a power strip
If you’re traveling overseas, don’t forget the power adaptors too. (Note: Ask the front desk about it first though if traveling overseas. I found out the hard way that power adaptors and power strips may overload a circuit though when I blew a fuse at a hotel when I plugged the power strip into the adaptor. Oops!) The power adaptor is great for US trips though, since you’re less likely to leave a charger behind if everything is plugged into the power strip.

5)    Check local blogs before you travel to see if they have suggestions.
Locals know their cities best after all!

I hope you all have a lot of fun on your trips this season!

Juan Carlos Varela: Panama closes border with Colombia to stem migrant flow

OHMYGOSSIP – Panama will close key crossings on its border with Colombia to prevent undocumented migrants from Cuba and Africa entering the country, president Juan Carlos Varela said Monday.

“We’ve taken the difficult decision to close the border with Colombia in the Puerto Obaldia area and in other parts of the border to prevent the trafficking of illegal immigrants,” Varela said at the launch of an anti-drug trafficking operation.

Last week, Panama and Mexico agreed to airlift almost 3,500 Cubans stranded since December on the Panamanian frontier with Costa Rica to near the U.S.-Mexico border.

Cubans entering the United States receive residency with relative ease under the U.S. Cuban Adjustment Act of 1996.

Just inside the border with Panama, Puerto Obaldia has been one of the main crossing points from Colombia for thousands of Cubans and other migrants who have traveled to the United States via Central America in the past two years.

Many of the Cubans entering last year began their trek in Ecuador, which offered them an easy way into South America. In December, Ecuador imposed visa requirements on the Cubans.

The number of Cubans heading north surged last year, in part due to their fears that recent rapprochement between Havana and Washington could end those preferential U.S. policies.

7 Things not to do on vacation

OHMYGOSSIP — Well, everyone knows what one ought to do when out on a vacation. So, we decided to list down some things which one should never do on a vacation. Check them out.

30 Travel Tips by Matthew Karsten from Expert Vagabond

Foto: Expertvagabond.com Matthew Karsten

OHMYGOSSIP — It’s now been 4 years since I sold everything and left the United States to travel the world. These are the best travel tips I’ve discovered along the way. It all started when I took a one-way flight from Miami to Guatemala City, leaping nervously into the unknown and leaving much of my old life behind while embarking on an epic travel adventure around the world.

Top 10 Safety tips for women that can keep you safe and secured in life

OHMYGOSSIP — If you are a single woman who loves to travel or you stay alone, well then you must be aware of some safety tips. Women are vulnerable to crime all over the world. Listed are 10 safety tips that can keep you safe and secured in life. So read on to get that peace of mind.

ExCeL, London: The Telegraph Travel Show + The Telegraph Cruise Show and the London Boat Show

Foto: ExCeL, London: The Telegraph Travel Show 2017

OHMYGOSSIP — Escape the grey British winter, grab your passport and join us at The Telegraph Travel Show in ExCeL London from 13 – 15 January 2017.

Save money on flights for World Travel Market (WTM) events

OHMYGOSSIP — Delegates attending events within the World Travel Market portfolio can take advantage of discounted air fares with oneworld airlines following a groundbreaking deal between the alliance and World Travel Maket’s parent company Reed Travel Exhibitions (RTE).

World Travel Market (WTM) London 2016

Foto: World Travel Market London 2016

OHMYGOSSIP — There are some exciting and important changes to World Travel Market London 2016. Next year’s leading global event for the travel industry, WTM London, will be revamped as a three day event, following vital exhibitor and visitor feedback. View press release for full details. Below are some key questions and answers about WTM London 2016.

TUR Stockholm 2016 – Consumer Travel Fair

Foto: TUR (Int'l Tourism and Travel Trade Fair) takes place in Stockholm, Sweden from 01.10 to 02.10.16. Trade show is organized by The Swedish Exhibition Centre / Svenska Mässan.

OHMYGOSSIP — For the second year we arrange consumer travel fair, TUR Stockholm, which is a pure consumer oriented fair in the heart of Stockholm, our exhibitors are a mixture of destinations, tour operators, travel agencies, carriers, hotels and activity organizers from all over the world.