Absolutely wacky and in true british beach holiday spirit - and a great video from the BBC to cover it. Click here to see it for yourself

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Now the all pervasive google goes into virtual reality ala Secondlife - according to a hotelmarketing.com report the google application is meant to be much more interactive than Secondlife.

Just like the real estate concept in Second Life started a scramble for space there, is Google Lively the next virtual world? Or the better one? Check it out at http://www.lively.com/html/landing.html. Your computer does require Windows XP or Vista for it to work.

And will hotel groups start getting into the act? I seem to remember that Starwood had set up one of its brands in Second Life ( I have not actually checked out the presence of Starwood on Second Life - so can’t vouch for it)

As with most Google applications, this one is worth watching.

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With a new stylish look and feel, Expedia Corporate Travel has been recently re-christened Egencia. And they will be doing everything they can to shake the dominance of Carlson Wagon Lit (CWT) and American Express (Amex) in this sector.

In a report in the Financial times, their chief executive Mr Khosrowshahi says that, now is as good a time to launch a revamped product as any inspite of the economic gloom worldwide. He believes that the the downturn plays into the hands of travel companies such as Expedia - “In times of transition, consumers look for more information and research more,” said. “They are going to look harder for bargains,” he added. More on that report from the Financial times

Egencia offers a number of tools including some popular products which have recently entered the Expedia fold including

• SeatGuru – A color-coded interactive airplane seating charts that outline the pros and cons of different seats for over 275 airplanes and more than 40 airlines. Provided by a community of frequent business travelers, the integrated intelligence tool takes convenience and comfort factors – such as legroom and ability to recline – into account. This informative SeatGuru content is integrated within the seat selection process for travelers and their bookers to help make more informed decisions for flights.
• TripAdvisor City Guides – Gives Egencia business travelers access to destination information that links to the traveler’s itinerary and provides pertinent destination information.

Some of these products bring some unique new benefits to corporate travellers and offer Expedia a fair chance to catch up with CWT and Amex in this highly lucrative segment. Click here to go to the Egencia website.

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