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Planning an accessible trip just got easier with TripAdvisor's new tool

Planning an accessible trip just got easier with TripAdvisor's new tool

USA Today10-07-2025
Travelers looking to plan an accessible getaway may have a new first stop at TripAdvisor. The site, in partnership with Visit Lauderdale, introduced a landing page for accessible destinations and experiences, where reviews from fellow visitors across the disability spectrum are available.
'At Tripadvisor, we believe that inclusive travel experiences are essential to building a better, more connected world,' Global Vice President of media and partnerships at Tripadvisor Steven Paganelli said in a statement. 'This partnership brings together community insights, real traveler stories, and local expertise to create a resource that empowers more people to travel with confidence. It's a powerful step forward in making accessibility the standard in every travel journey.'
Disabled travelers and advocates for the disability community agree that online spaces where travelers with accessibility needs can connect and share tips with each other is crucial for planning an accessible trip.
"Having a network like that is very helpful in sharing information," Paul Choquette, a wheelchair user, previously told USA TODAY. "It can be very difficult if you're trying to go to a country with a foreign language; sometimes the websites aren't English, and sometimes it can be hard to find the spot you click to get the English language version of the website."
TripAdvisor's hub includes:
One of the featured itineraries is a three-day getaway in the greater Fort Lauderdale area in Florida. The tourism board there co-sponsored the accessibility hub.
That itinerary includes tips on accessible beaches, galleries, gardens, restaurants and more.
'Travelers with disabilities represent one of the most loyal, influential, and underserved audiences in the travel economy,' Dulani Porter, executive vice president and partner at SPARK, Visit Lauderdale's advertising agency, said in a statement. 'We've seen again and again that this audience is not a niche, but a core market. What has been missing are the tools, the access points, and the storytelling that help people plan and feel seen. This initiative is our way of starting to change that.'
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This Global Car Service Turns Any Trip Into A Vacation
This Global Car Service Turns Any Trip Into A Vacation

Forbes

time21 minutes ago

  • Forbes

This Global Car Service Turns Any Trip Into A Vacation

Daytrip lets you explore in 130 countries. @ Getting from city to city when you're traveling in Europe can be daunting. Depending on where you're going, it can be hard enough to find public transportation, let alone work around unreliable schedules while carrying all your luggage with you. Plus, while you're in the area, it feels sinful to miss visiting some of the iconic landmarks you may pass along the way. Enter Daytrip, a unique private car service that lets you customize your trip so you can make stops wherever/whenever you want as you head to your destination. Heard of a great shop you have to check out? No problem. Want to explore a specific area? Your local driver will give you an insider's view. This is such a great idea, which I only discovered when my husband and son started planning a golf trip to Ireland and realized they had to travel hours between cities to play the courses on their bucket list. The logistics, especially with two golf bags, seemed ridiculously complicated until they came across Daytrip, who helped them put together the perfect itinerary, from Shannon to Lahinch to Carne and back to Shannon. Their trip was so easy and enjoyable and they liked their driver so much, I ended up booking Daytrip myself when I needed to get from my Virgin Voyages cruise ship to the airport in Marrakesh. I wish I'd had time to make some stops to get in a little sightseeing but, honestly, I was grateful to have a ride at all in a city where it can be hard to get one. Because I'm always intrigued by anything that makes travel simpler as well as more enriching, I reached out to Daytrip CEO and Co-Founder Tomáš Turek to learn more. Daytrip's founding team (Tomas Turek on left) Daytrip Tell us a little about the origin of Daytrip. It all started with a local chauffeur company in Český Krumlov, a small town in the Czech Republic, founded by me and one of my fellow Daytrip Co-Founders. 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'Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday.' Except maybe viral fame.
'Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday.' Except maybe viral fame.

NBC News

timean hour ago

  • NBC News

'Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday.' Except maybe viral fame.

The sound of the summer is actually not a song — it's an ad. 'Nothing beats a Jet2 holiday,' a catchphrase from the British airline's 2024 ad, mixed with English singer Jess Glynne's 2015 hit 'Hold My Hand,' has been used by more than 1.2 million users on TikTok, where it's become a viral hit in recent months. Searches for Jet2 holiday have also spiked in the last month, according to Google trends. The original Jet2 ad, which first appeared on the company's YouTube page last year, shows a family of four as they catch a Jet2 plane to their beachside summer vacation. Now, audio from the ad is being used more ironically in videos from users who juxtapose the soundbite with footage of chaotic holiday experiences. From catastrophic weather at picture-perfect resorts to passengers misbehaving on flights, the videos often document travel-related setbacks. No one was more surprised by the popularity of the ad than British actor Zoë Lister, the voice behind the viral audio. She recorded the ad about 18 months ago. 'Somebody sent me a video yesterday of Joe Jonas using the sound,' she told NBC News in a recent video interview. 'I was like, 'Oh, that's massive!'' Lister, who introduced herself as the actor behind the audio in a recent TikTok video, said it's been especially interesting to see the soundbite pick up in the United States, where Americans use the word 'vacation' rather than 'holiday.' 'They don't even know what Jet2 holiday is,' she joked. 'They don't have holidays, they have vacations. Holidays are like Christmas, right? But they have got so on board with the joyful silliness of it.' 'Going viral for something just that is really funny and joyful … that's quite a wonderful experience,' Lister added. One of the first videos to use the audio and garner millions of views was from a user who uploaded footage of what appears to be a camel attacking the person, according to meme database KnowYourMeme. Since being posted on TikTok in November 2024, the video has amassed 3.8 million views. Jet2 picked up on the popularity of the audio in the spring, posting a video on TikTok offering a giveaway for people who uploaded videos partaking in the trend. The travel company is known in the United Kingdom for offering low-cost vacations for British travelers, and providing charter flights to popular holiday destinations around the world, mostly in Europe. As for Glynne, Lister said the pop star also 'did not ask for any of this' fame. The singer's 'Darling, hold my hand' line from her song is now associated with the Jet2 phrase. The two met during a Capital FM radio appearance in London on Tuesday, which Lister described as a 'wild' moment in her life. She's 'a super cool mega pop star and I'm this like cheeseball,' Lister said. Lister, a mother of two, said she's trying to figure out how to navigate the newfound fame. She was a familiar face to many in the U.K.: From 2006-2017, she played Zoe Carpenter in the popular teen soap opera 'Hollyoaks,' which aired on Channel 4. But the virality has boosted her profile more, especially after she posted the TikTok video. 'What started happening this last week, which has been really bizarre, is when I've been on a train or in a cafe and I can hear people watching [the meme],' she said. 'And, last Friday I was out with my husband, because we were celebrating our anniversary. And the girls on the next table were literally recording their own 'nothing beat the Jet2 holiday' into their phone.' Her husband then asked the group recording the video if they would want to meet the 'the woman that does the voice.' 'It was actually such a brilliant, fun, joyful moment,' Lister said. 'And everyone was like excited. And we have photos. It was really fun.' She's hoping the virality will help her expand her horizons professionally. 'I've been planning a podcast for a while and I'm happy that now I've got more of a platform in which to launch something like that,' she said. 'I've got lots of things that I'd like to do creatively and I hope that this sort of infamy will help launch things.'

Vital Translate Buds Reviews: Breaking Language Barriers with AI
Vital Translate Buds Reviews: Breaking Language Barriers with AI

Time Business News

time3 hours ago

  • Time Business News

Vital Translate Buds Reviews: Breaking Language Barriers with AI

Ladies and gentlemen, esteemed travelers from every corner of the world, welcome! As flight attendants, one of our greatest joys is connecting with passengers from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and languages. Every flight brings together people with distinct stories and unique tongues, and it is our mission to ensure you feel comfortable and understood, regardless of where you come from or which language you speak. Today, I am excited to introduce you to a travel companion that promises to elevate your journeys and dissolve language barriers effortlessly—the Vital Translate Buds. Imagine a world where you can confidently ask for directions in Tokyo, make new friends in Paris, or negotiate in a bustling Beijing market—all without hesitation or awkward misunderstandings. As crew who experience the magic and challenges of multilingual environments daily, we know what a difference effective communication makes. The Vital Translate Buds have quickly become our 'go-to' gadget, and I am thrilled to guide you through their features, merits, and usage, just as we might introduce a new seat upgrade or a gourmet meal onboard. Fasten your seatbelts and let's explore how this innovative device can transform both your trips and your daily life. The Vital Translate Buds are more than just a pair of sleek, wireless earbuds—they are a state-of-the-art translation device designed to empower seamless conversations between individuals speaking different languages. Blending cutting-edge artificial intelligence with compact design, these buds offer real-time, two-way translation right in your ears, working wirelessly through a smartphone app. Whether you are a globe-trotting professional, a student abroad, or simply someone who loves traveling and immersing yourself in new cultures, the Vital Translate Buds function as your personal interpreter. They recognize and translate dozens of world languages with astonishing speed and accuracy, meaning you can understand and be understood wherever you go. Intuitive, discreet, and elegantly designed, these buds recast the dream of a 'universal translator' into a practical reality, brought down from the clouds and into the palm—or ear—of your hand. Let's take a moment to highlight the outstanding features that make these buds a true game changer: Real-time, Two-way Translation: Speak in your native language and hear instant translations in your conversation partner's tongue, and vice versa. Supports Multiple Languages and Dialects: Covering a wide array of major languages—think Mandarin, English, Spanish, French, Japanese, Arabic, Russian, and beyond—along with regional dialects for more nuanced understanding. Noise Cancellation: Enjoy crystal-clear audio even in bustling markets or noisy airports. The advanced noise cancellation makes conversations sharp and easy to follow. Wireless Convenience: Bluetooth connectivity with fast pairing means you're free from tangled cords and complicated setups. Long Battery Life: Travel with confidence through long layovers and back-to-back meetings—the buds are built to last. Touch Controls: Simple, intuitive touch gestures let you control translation modes or adjust settings without fumbling through your phone. Comfortable and Stylish: Ergonomically designed to fit securely and comfortably in your ears, perfect for extended wear whether you're on a 16-hour flight or a walking tour. As your attentive cabin crew, we are constantly navigating multilingual situations every day. Whether greeting travelers in Cantonese, giving safety instructions in English, or assisting a guest in French, we see firsthand how seamless communication makes every journey feel smoother and warmer. Picture this: A Japanese tourist who only speaks Japanese wishes to order a vegetarian meal aboard a flight operated by a South American airline. Both struggle to find the right words. With the Vital Translate Buds, the traveler simply voices their request into the bud, and the flight attendant receives the translation instantly—no more awkward misunderstandings, no more fingers pointing at menus. Both parties retain dignity and comfort, and barriers fade into the background. The user experience is thoughtfully crafted for busy, fast-paced situations. As fellow travelers ourselves, here's what we especially appreciate: Hassle-Free Setup: Just pair with the dedicated smartphone app, select your languages, and you're ready to go. No elaborate configurations. Flexible Modes: Use Listen Mode to translate group discussions, Conversation Mode for one-on-one chats, or Speaker Mode for broadcasting translations to a larger audience. Privacy and Security: All translations are handled securely, with strict safeguards for your conversations and data—a real comfort for corporate flyers and privacy-conscious users. Universal Compatibility: Works with both iOS and Android devices, and adapts to a multitude of scenarios, from business negotiations to leisure travel. Let's run through a few common situations where these buds shine, much like a friendly flight attendant smoothing out your journey midair: Arriving in a foreign country can be daunting when you cannot speak the native tongue. The Vital Translate Buds facilitate communication with officials, helping you answer questions promptly and correctly, ensuring a smooth arrival experience. Whether you're sharing stories with fellow travelers in a hostel lounge or striking up conversation with a seatmate on a long-haul flight, language differences no longer need to be a barrier. The buds enable genuine, fluid dialogue so you can forge connections and expand your global network. Ever found yourself staring blankly at a menu or struggling to explain dietary requirements in a new place? With these buds, simply speak your request—your words are instantly and accurately translated, minimizing confusion and ensuring you get exactly what you want. For professionals, effective communication can be vital to sealing a deal or establishing trust. With the Vital Translate Buds, you gain confidence in negotiations, easily conveying your ideas and receiving feedback without the risk of mistranslation or misunderstanding. Much like our safety demonstrations at the start of every flight, here's the essential walkthrough for using your Vital Translate Buds: Unbox Your Buds: The packaging is compact, elegant, and eco-friendly—everything you need is right there. Charge and Pair: Plug into any USB-C charger, and connect to your smartphone via Bluetooth using the Vital Translate app. Select Languages: Choose your preferred and target languages from an extensive in-app menu. Choose Your Mode: Single or dual bud setup, group conversation or one-on-one—the app lets you customize for any scenario. Start Communicating: Begin your conversation—simply speak and listen as translation happens automatically. Tips from your 'in-flight crew': Always keep your buds charged for unexpected conversations. Test the audio levels before a big meeting or outing. Familiarize yourself with touch gestures for quick, discreet controls. Pros Cons Real-time, accurate translation Requires app pairing and smartphone Wide language/dialect coverage Internet connectivity needed Excellent comfort and battery Occasional lag for rare languages User-friendly, stylish design Not a substitute for cultural nuance Strong privacy protections Price point higher than basic earbuds If you're ready to revolutionize how you connect with the world, we recommend purchasing Vital Translate Buds directly from the official retail store. By doing so, you ensure you receive a genuine product, full manufacturer warranty, premium customer support, and the latest software updates. Avoid unauthorized sellers or third-party platforms to sidestep potential imitations and missing accessories. We routinely encourage travelers onboard to invest in reliable tools—just as you trust our aircraft for safety, trust the official store for your translation companion. Treat yourself, your family, and your travel companions to smoother, friendlier, and more meaningful journeys with the Vital Translate Buds. From all of us in the 'cabin crew' community, happy travels and seamless conversations wherever you go! TIME BUSINESS NEWS

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