Are you planning your next trip? Do you want to save more money and have more fun? You may stop by a travel center and ask for a quote. And then, you walk by another travel agent and ask for another quote. You read your local newspapers, look through travel magazines, and check for the cheapest vacation package to Europe, Caribbean, Asia, or South Pacific. You are still not sure if it is the best price. You become a little obsess. You spend several hours every evening on the Internet to search for the best travel deal. It doesn’t have to be so complicated and difficult. Let me show what travel agents won’t talk about can save you 50% to 70% every time on all your vacations.

First, we need to understand the travel industry. It is a very “elastic” or “seasonal” industry. This means prices change quickly according to supply and demand. When there are lots of people want to go to Hawaii in summer, the prices for all the hotels, resorts, and condos will be very expensive. When there is no one going to a ski resort in summer (where is the snow?), the prices for these winter resorts will be very cheap. Travel industry is very dynamic and price sensitive. Tourism goes hand-in-hand with the ups and downs of a travel industry. So, if you want to save money, you need to search for the ideal vacation package that will allow you to book rooms, recreations, and tours “whenever” you want and “wherever” you want at the best discount prices.

Here are 10 simple ways to save money on all your vacations:

1. Get a discount travel membership card for hotels, resorts, and condos. These are not time share condominiums. These are in fact quality and brand name hotels and resorts that are looking for ways to fill up their rooms early so that they can charge the last minute clients at high price. When hotels don’t fill up their rooms or don’t have full occupancy, they lose money that night with no income at all. Therefore, hotel managers’ job is to fill as many rooms as possible at the best possible rates to maximize their profit margin. Using a discount card to book your rooms allows hotels to fill up empty rooms and guarantee occupancy. You may just pay the basic cleaning fees and taxes and enjoy a room at 50% to 85% off.

2. Use travel certificates and coupons to get discounts on golfing, camping, skiing, and various recreation activities. You can save money from 2-for-1 passes or 25% to 75% discounts anytime. When you travel with families or groups, you can save lots of money for shopping later.

3. Get discount dining cards to save on meals, from casual to classy breakfast, lunch, and dinner. You can save up to 50% each meal in 26,000+ restaurants in 1,000 cities around the world. You choose your taste of French, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and many more world cuisine. Enjoy life with exceptional dining values.

4. Join a discount travel membership that provides you with discounts for any tour around the world. No matter it is a family or business group. You can save money and time to have a tour guide showing you around. Stop reading your maps and get a professional tour guide at a discount price.

5. Find out where you can get discount coupons for all the theme parks across USA. Admission fees and rides in these theme parks are expensive. Visit the websites or join a travel membership that includes discount coupons.

6. Remember to get your roadside assistance or emergency service before you start a road trip. You never know what will happen when you are driving on a highway in the middle of a day or night. You can save hundreds and thousands of dollars on towing and repairing.

7. Search for a car rental company that gives the best discount and provides free upgrades. Car rental companies will usually provide a 10% to 15% discount for members.

8. Get a few phone cards that give you best long distance rates with free calling minutes. When you are away and feeling home sick, you can quickly pick up a free phone card and make some calls. Using the long distance at hotels, on cruise ships, and in tourist centers can add up to be very expensive.

9. Purchase gift coupons or gift cards all the times. You can get many free gifts, such as: earrings, pens, rings, radios, wine glasses and many accessories at a discount rate or free. You can fill up your suitcases and giveaway real gifts (not the free napkins from the airlines) for real people in your family, in your office, or even your neighbors next door.

10. Take every opportunity to get a bonus cruise vacation to Alaska, Mexico, Bahamas, or Caribbean. The best part is all your meals and entertainment shows are inclusive. You only need to pay for your drinks and tips. You can save 90% of your vacation fees.

Visit http://www.Dream-Travel-Comes-True.com to learn more ideas on how to plan for your dream vacation. Dress right, carry light, and travel safe!

Please feel free to reprint this article in your ezine, newsletter, RSS, website, or print publication with original content and author bio.

Copyright © 2005 Dr. Vivian Lee, Global Marketing Communications Network, Inc.

Dr. Vivian Lee is the founder and CEO of GLOBAL MCN (http://www.globalmcn.com). She writes, coaches, consults and speaks about best practices to accelerate growth and success. She likes to inspire individuals and organizations around the world with value, balance, and trust. Her goal is to empower you, enhance communication, and enrich life. She is an expert in bridging the gap between the East and West, as well as the digital and real spaces in the 21st century. She has a Ph.D. in Organizational Management, major in E-Business; a M.B.A. in Marketing; and a B.Sc. in Biopsychology. Her research interests include Competitive Intelligence, Internet Marketing, and Cross-Cultural Communication.