Hollywood, Florida (PRWEB) May 16, 2012

World of Watches has long been one of the leading online retailers of women’s and men’s discount watches. More and more shoppers are learning that they too can own men’s watches and women’s watches from some of the world’s most famous designers. The reason shoppers keep coming back for more? They never have to pay full price. What’s more, customers don’t pay shipping on domestic orders. So it comes of no surprise that World of Watches has announced that it is among the Top 100 online retailers in the world for discount brand name watches.

The vast product inventory at World of Watches features over 90 watch brands and thousands of options on styles from popular brands such as Invicta, Stuhrling, Swiss Legend, Lucien Piccard, Swiss Army watches, Technomarine, Armani watches, Croton watches, Jacques Lemans and Christian Bernard. In addition, the online retailer also carries an extensive array of designer jewelry and sunglasses. The huge variety of stock is discounted for exceptional savings up to 91% off. No other retailer on the web can brag such astonishing low prices.

From dress watches to casual watches to sports diver watches, WorldofWatches.com has the selection priced to sale quickly. Some of the most popular styles with shoppers right now are I by Invicta, Stuhrling Original watches, Swiss Legend Karamica, Dufonte by Lucien Piccard, Swiss Army Victorinox watches and Technomarine diamond watches. Ladies in particular love Armani watches for women and watches by Christian Bernard jewelers. And for the guy looking for a great deal, Croton watches for men and Jacques Lemans watches for men.

It’s the huge selection of discount brand name watches that bring shoppers to WorldofWatches.com, but it’s the customer service and added bonuses that keep shoppers coming back for more. Firstly, customers can talk to a sales representative by phone every day of the week and can contact customer service by email 24 hours a day, every day. Secondly, all orders are sales tax free (unless ordered within Florida). And the best bonus for last: free shipping on all domestic orders, with an option to upgrade to 2-day shipping for only $5. Few retailers can afford the customer service bonuses and the impressively low prices that World of Watches can offer its shoppers.

There is always a great deal on discount watches at World of Watches with several sales events from special holidays and brand name spotlights. For even more information on one of the world’s Top 100 watch sites, check out the World of Watches blog or even tune in to WOW TV from 6-9PM EST on DirectTV an Dish Network to see the top picks from the CEO. There is always time for World of Watches.

About World of Watches

World of Watches is an award-winning website that has been selling watches to tens of thousands of satisfied customers since 2003. In both 2007 and 2008, Inc. Magazine selected worldofwatches.com as one of America’s 500 Fastest Growing Companies in its annual Inc. 500 list. World of Watches gives customers a superior shopping experience with:

• Free Shipping on all domestic orders
• 100% Satisfaction Guarantee
• Low Price Guarantee
• Day Money Back Guarantee

To get the latest buzz and inside scoop, visit our blog and follow World of Watches on Facebook and Twitter.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prwebdiscount-brand-name/watches-sale/prweb9513000.htm

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/05/16/prweb9513000.DTL

(PRWEB) May 17, 2012

Catching up with the rising demand for travel information by tourists to Hoi An, VietnamOnline.com created a comprehensive information section about this ancient town, where tourists can find everything they need to plan a perfect trip there. The new updates, such as added suggestion on best time to visit Hoi An, detailed descriptions of monthly weather in the town and a whole new collection of Hoi An restaurants, further make it easier for trip planners to decide on an itinerary. The hotel section is also expanded and organized by type, which now includes everything from world class resorts to the most economic ones. Besides, all the hottest attractions of Hoi An are presented with the most useful information placed on top. One can easily find information such as opening hours, admission ticket and who will best enjoy the sites, by one mouse click.

“For both Vietnam’s tourism and for a travel information gateway like VietnamOnline.com, a hot destination like Hoi An is set at the highest priority. All the information we provide on our websites are based on real experience of the editor team in Hoi An, who are enthusiastic about introducing local specialties, unique attractions and off-the-beaten-path ways to see their hometown. Besides, we enlist the help of local contributors to promptly give us updates if there is anything new or changed” shares An Nguyen, VietnamOnline.com regional content coordinator.

Besides providing travel information about Hoi An, VietnamOnline.com covers all the hottest destinations of Vietnam with the equivalent amount of contents and in a standard format, such as Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Sapa and Nha Trang. Moreover, VietnamOnline.com offers international visitors and Vietnam enthusiasts any tourism information one may seek with daily updated news and events; introduction to Vietnamese food; culture and etiquettes and business opportunities; and living guides, among others.

For the original version on PRWeb visit: www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/5/prweb9517972.htm

Article source: http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/a/2012/05/17/prweb9517972.DTL

Priceline.com has been publishing its annual Memorial Day list for a decade, making it one of the longest running prognosticators of travel trends.  The list is based on actual hotel room booking requests made by priceline.com Name Your Own Price® hotel service customers for the upcoming holiday period.  Because the survey is based on booking requests, and not on consumer preference polls or votes, priceline.com believes its annual survey is one of the more accurate predictors of holiday travel trends.   

The 2012 Top 50 destinations highlight leisure travelers’ budget sensitivities going into the summer season.  “Average summer airfares are the highest we’ve seen in a decade,” said priceline.com’s in-house Travel Ekspert Brian Ek.  “So it’s not surprising to see travelers opting for the more affordable destinations where average summer airfares are down versus last year. For example, the average Las Vegas summer airfare is down 3.3%, while Chicago is down 4.4%, New York’s JFK is down 3.4%, and San Francisco is down 3.4%.”

International travel for Memorial Day 2012 was down compared to last year, with Paris being the only overseas destination to make the list.  Ironically, after experiencing a travel boost following last year’s Royal Wedding, and with the Olympics coming up in July, London failed to crack this year’s top 50.

Ek reminded Memorial Day air travelers to be especially mindful of airline baggage fees.  “Baggage fees this year can be as much as $100 each way,” he said. “When comparing airlines, always factor in your baggage and calculate the total price for the fare plus bags.  Know your airline’s baggage restrictions and pack as lightly as possible.”     

With less than two weeks to go before Memorial Day, there’s still plenty of time to get a deal on an airline ticket, hotel room, vacation package, rental car or even a cruise by visiting http://www.priceline.com. For special travel bargains, visit PriceBreakers http://www.priceline.com/pricebreakers, priceline.com’s last-minute deals service, which is updated daily.  Travelers who choose priceline.com’s Name Your Own Price® option can save up to 60% on hotels, 40% on airline tickets and 40% on rental cars compared to published fares and rates.

Last-minute travelers can also get their hotel rooms and rental cars through priceline.com’s Hotel Rental Car Negotiator®, which recently won an award for Best Mobile App.  The iPhone, iPad and iPod touch version of app, which is free, can be downloaded from iTunes http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/priceline-hotel-car-negotiator/id336381998?mt=8uo=4.  iPad and iPod touch are trademarks of Apple, Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.  The Android app (hotel only) can be downloaded for free from the Android market https://market.android.com/details?id=com.priceline.android.negotiator.

The Priceline Top 50 Destinations List for Memorial Day 2012

#1        Las Vegas, North Strip Area #2        Chicago, North Michigan Avenue/River North Area #3        New York City, Midtown West #4        San Diego, Downtown Harbor Island #5        Las Vegas, South Strip Vicinity #6        San Francisco, Fisherman’s Wharf #7        New Orleans, French Quarter #8        Chicago, Millennium Park, Loop Grand Park Area #9        New York City, Times Square/Theater District #10      New York City, Upper East Side #11      Seattle, Downtown/Pike Place #12      Boston, Waterfront/Convention Center #13      Las Vegas, Fremont Street Vicinity #14      St. Louis, Downtown #15      Indianapolis, Downtown #16      Atlantic City #17      Austin, Downtown #18      Niagara Falls, Ontario side #19      Niagara Falls, New York side #20      Los Angeles, Santa Monica/Marina Del Rey #21      Portland, Downtown #22      Charleston, Downtown #23      Palm Springs #24      New York City, Midtown East #25      San Antonio, Riverwalk Area #26      Miami, Downtown #27      Providence, Downtown #28      Seattle, Seattle Center/Space Needle #29      Key West #30      Paris, Champs Elysees/Arc De Triomphe #31      Chicago, Greater Chicago Area #32      Las Vegas, Near West Strip #33      Boston, Copley Square/Back Bay #34      Reno #35      Montreal, Downtown/City Center #36      Savannah, Historic Savannah Riverfront #37      San Francisco, Union Square East #38      Las Vegas, Boulder Strip #39      Hilton Head Island #40      Virginia Beach #41      San Diego, Coastal Area #42      Boston, Boston Common/Theater District #43      Washington, DC, White House/Downtown #44      Boston, Harbor Front/Aquarium #45      Washington, DC, Convention Center/Capitol Hill Area #46      New York City, Central Park South #47      Monterey #48      Orange County, Disneyland/Anaheim North #49      Nashville, Downtown/Vanderbilt/Metrocenter #50      Ottawa

About The Priceline Group The Priceline Group (Nasdaq: PCLN) is a leader in global online hotel reservations, with over 235,000 participating hotels worldwide.  The Group is composed of four primary brands – Booking.com, priceline.com, Agoda.com and Rentalcars.com – and several ancillary brands. The Priceline Group provides online travel services in over 175 countries in Europe, North America, South America, the Asia-Pacific region, the Middle East and Africa.  

Booking.com is the number one online hotel reservation service in the world, offering over 205,000 hotels (as of May 9, 2012), and is available in 41 languages.  More recent hotel counts are available on the Booking.com website.  Priceline.com gives leisure travelers multiple ways to save on their airline tickets, hotel rooms, rental cars, vacation packages and cruises. In addition to getting compelling published prices, travelers can take advantage of priceline.com’s famous Name Your Own Price® service, which can deliver the lowest prices available.  Agoda.com is an Asia-based online hotel reservation service that is available in 37 languages.  Rentalcars.com is a multinational car hire service, offering its reservation services in over 4,000 locations.  Customer support is provided in 38 languages.

SOURCE Priceline.com

Article source: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/15/4492057/las-vegas-is-1-destination-for.html

1:32 p.m. CDT, May 16, 2012

Article source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/sns-rt-exclusive-syria-remains-top-destination-for-20120516,0,6680102.story

0161 233 0110
Email | Web

Article source: http://www.sbwire.com/press-releases/top-5-honeymoon-destinations-revealed-by-only-exclusive-travel-143116.htm

Take a look at our top destinations for 2012. Which one will you pick?

Turkey

Thousands of holidaymakers are flocking to Turkey every summer. It’s hot, has stunning scenery and being outside the EU is still relatively cheap. The food’s pretty good too. If, like us, you’re not really one for the package holiday steer clear of resorts like Marmaris and instead opt for smaller villages and towns along the Turquoise Coast. The pick for us has to be Kas. Keeping much in the way of its fishing village roots you’ll find great restaurants and winding cobbled streets which just add to its charm. Boat trips along the coast from this spot are breathtaking.

Ibiza

Ibiza has everything. If you’re looking for a little glamour head to Ibiza Town to marvel at the marina and get right into the stylish party atmosphere. The clubs are world famous too, but the real treat of the Golden Isle is the chance to explore. Head north to Benirras or South to Las Salinas and relax on the sand in the most stunning of surroundings; or spend some time in the hills in your own hippy retreat. It’s a destination with a difference and one not to be missed.

Hawaii

Heading to one of the islands in Hawaii you’ll find crystal clear waters, the whitest of sand, big waves and a little volcanic scenery thrown in too. If you’re looking for the perfect destination outside Europe this year, Hawaii could well be it. Throw in a Hawaiian shirt, a loud print bikini and it’ll be perfect.

Cambodia

A summer holiday isn’t just about hitting the beach. It does always play a big part and don’t worry Cambodia doesn’t let you down. With sumptuous spots like Sihanoukville you’ll feel like you’re visiting Thailand before it became overrun with backpackers. But if you like a little history and a chance to indulge in a unique culture, Cambodia will always keep you guessing. Visiting the temples of Angkor could make it the trip of a lifetime.

Article source: http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/Home/Top-Destinations-for-2012-17052012.htm

By Louis Charbonneau

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – Syria remains the top destination for Iranian arms shipments in violation of a U.N. Security Council ban on weapons exports by the Islamic Republic, according to a confidential report on Iran sanctions-busting seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Iran, like Russia, is one of Syria’s few allies as it presses ahead with a 14-month old assault on opposition forces determined to oust Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

News of the panel’s report came as Tehran and the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency try narrow their differences on how to tackle concerns over Iran’s atomic program, and as Iran prepares for talks with the five permanent council members and Germany in Iraq next week.

The new report, submitted by a panel of sanctions-monitoring experts to the Security Council’s Iran sanctions committee, said the panel investigated three large illegal shipments of Iranian weapons over the past year.

“Iran has continued to defy the international community through illegal arms shipments,” it stated. “Two of these cases involved (Syria), as were the majority of cases inspected by the Panel during its previous mandate, underscoring that Syria continues to be the central party to illicit Iranian arms transfers.”

The third shipment involved rockets that Britain said last year were headed for Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.

“The Panel recommends the designation (blacklisting) of two entities related to these interdictions,” it said. “The report also takes note of information concerning arms shipments by Iran to other destinations.”

The kinds of arms that Iran was attempting to send to Syria before the shipments were seized by Turkish authorities included assault rifles, machine guns, explosives, detonators, 60mm and 120mm mortal shells and other items, the panel said.

The most recent incident described in the report was an arms shipment discovered in a truck that Turkey seized on its border with Syria in February. Turkey announced last year that it was imposing an arms embargo on Syria.

Diplomats told Reuters that the panel’s draft report may be changed by the Security Council’s Iran sanctions committee before it is submitted to the council itself for consideration.

It was unclear how long it would take the committee to pass the report to the Security Council. Last year’s expert panel report on Iran was never made public because Russia blocked its publication.

CIRCUMVENT SANCTIONS

The report also discusses Iran’s attempts to circumvent sanctions on its nuclear program but notes that the four rounds of punitive measures the 15-nation Security Council imposed on Iran between 2006 and 2010 are having an impact.

“Sanctions are slowing Iran’s procurement of some critical items required for its prohibited nuclear program,” it said. “At the same time prohibited activities continue, including uranium enrichment.”

Among the items Iran has attempted to procure for its nuclear program, the panel said, were nuclear-grade graphite, high-strength aluminium, aluminium, powder, specialized alloys, maraging steel, carbon fibre, magnets, vacuum pumps, turbines, electrical switchboards and helium gas detectors.

“The Panel identifies the acquisition of high-grade carbon fibre as one of a number of critical items Iran requires for the development of more advanced centrifuges,” the report said, adding that nations should be on alert for illicit attempts to acquire such items.

Iran rejects allegations by Western nations and their allies that it is secretly developing the capability to produce nuclear weapons. It has refused to suspend its enrichment program as demanded by the Security Council despite being hit with increasingly draconian U.N. and various national sanctions.

The report said Iran has been trying to circumvent U.N. and other unilateral sanctions on financial firms by using correspondence banking relationships with institutions not under sanctions, and appears to be relying on Iranians abroad to carry out such transfers. Transfer traffic has risen sharply, it said.

The panel said it had received information about a small firm set up abroad by an Iranian national that was involved in funds transfers to various recipients worldwide. The firm, which the report did not identify, had processed transfers amounting to some $11 billion over an 18-month period, it said.

The report discussed at length the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines, known as IRISL. While IRISL itself is not formally under U.N. sanctions, three of its subsidiaries are, and the council has warned U.N. member states to be vigilant regarding potential sanctions violations by IRISL.

The panel report said that Irano Hind Shipping Company, one of the IRISL subsidiaries subject to sanctions, continues to operate vessels. IRISL is a difficult company to monitor because it is constantly changing the ownership, names and national flags of its ships, the report said.

The panel said that IRISL, as Reuters has previously reported, has set up what appear to be front companies intended to operate vessels and obscure its ownership. Currently IRISL’s more than 130 ships are owned by some 75 different companies, which the panel said was unusual for a major shipping line.

IRISL and its related companies have also been changing the names of their ships to get the word “Iran” out of them.

Before the council passed resolution 1803 in March 2008, which warned all U.N. member states to be “vigilant” about IRISL, most of its vessels’ names contained the word “Iran.”

Now fewer than 10 do, the panel said.

Since March 2008, IRISL and its related companies have carried out more than 220 changes in ownership of vessels, the report said.

Turning to Iran’s ballistic missile program, the report said it “continues to develop with additional launches, which are prohibited under resolution 1929,” adopted in June 2010.

“The Panel takes note of the recent designations (U.N. Security Council blacklisting) … of two (North Korean) entities and their links to Iran’s ballistic missile program.”

The two North Korean companies linked to Iran’s missile program are the Green Pine Associated Corp and the Korea Heungjin Trading Company. The council’s North Korea sanctions committee blacklisted them on May 2.

(Editing by Mohammad Zargham and Will Dunham)

Reuters

Social Bookmarks

Article source: http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/news/international/Exclusive_-_Syria_remains_top_destination_for_Iran_arms_transfers.html?cid=32713114

Americans who want to travel internationally but not contend with Europe’s unfavorable exchange rate are turning to less expensive destinations. Through February, travel to Central America had risen 25 percent and was up 11 percent to Asia, according to OTTI. Along with affordability, increased travel to these parts of the world was driven partly by the many tourist-friendly cities in the regions.

Most affordable places to retire

The UN World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) reports that Thailand is quickly becoming a go-to tourist destination. It’s the most popular country in Southeast Asia for international travelers and last year came in as the No. 11 country in the world as ranked by tourism receipts. Malaysia was No. 14 and Singapore No. 15

According to UNWTO, Thailand was one of five international destinations whose tourism receipts grew by more than $5 billion in 2011. The other four countries who saw a similar jump in tourism were the U.S., Spain, France, and Hong Kong. 

Although a growing number of Americans are traveling to Latin America and Asia, Europe remains the most popular destination, with travel to the region up 9 percent in the first two months of the year. It’s not just U.S. tourists flocking to Europe — despite its economic woes, Europe draws the largest share of global tourism, at 45 percent. Tourism brought $463 billion into the European economy in 2011.

If Europe as a whole is the most popular region for travel, the U.S. is easily the world’s most visited country as ranked by how much foreign travelers spend. The U.S. last year brought in more than $116 billion in tourism receipts, nearly double second-place Spain ($59.3 billion), according to UNWTO. France ($53.8 billion), China ($58.5 billion), and Italy ($43 billion round out the top five.

United Nations World Tourism Barometer
Top destinations by international tourism receipts (based on 2011 data)

1. United States, $116.3 billion
2. Spain, $59.9 billion
3. France, $53.8 billion
4. China, $48.5 billion
5. Italy, $43.0 billion
6. Germany, $38.8 billion
7. United Kingdom, $35.9 billion
8. Australia, $31.4 billion
9. Macao (China), n/a
10. Hong Kong (China), $27.2 billion
11. Thailand, $26.3 billion
12. Turkey, $23.0 billion
13. Austria, $19.9 billion
14. Malaysia, $18.3 billion
15. Singapore, $18.0 billion

Article source: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-57434008/worlds-top-15-travel-destinations/