IMPORTANT REMINDER about GTI Home Exchange Site Based Messaging System

Whilst full details of the changes have been posted within the Site Administrator's Message in the Members' Area on the web-site: it appears that some members may have have missed the details about these changes, as some messages remain recorded as UNREAD in Members' personal Admin Areas.

Site based messages between members

For your security, and to protect your privacy, all contact with other members is now done from your member area. Your sent and received messages are stored there in folders (Inbox and Sent messages). Your on-going correspondence with each member is stored separately for easy reference. Please note: as all contact information you entered on your form (email, phone, fax, mailing address) is hidden, you choose when you are ready to provide contact details to another member.

New message alerts by email

Whenever there is a new message for you (a reply to a message you sent or a message from another member), you will receive a brief email, with the subject line, New Home Exchange message for you from HExxxxx, to alert you to log on to your member area to read and reply to the message.

A few new message alerts may end up in junk folders by mistake and so it is important to skim through all mail in your junk folder before deleting it if possible. It's tedious but, until there are better filters that can sort all legitimate messages from the masses of unsolicited mail, there may be a few 'good' messages that need to be rescued from your junk folder and moved to your in-box. If you can't check through your junk folder, be sure to log on to your member area regularly to check and read any recent messages you may have overlooked.

Home exchange offer messages

When first contacting a member with your exchange offer, use the form at the bottom of the member's listing. If you have compiled a standard exchange offer message and saved it on your computer, you can copy and paste it into the form and then personalise the message before sending. The subject line is already completed and includes your User ID so the member can easily find your listing. When you have finished your message, click Submit. As soon as your message has been sent, you will see the member's User ID under the Recently contacted list in your member area. You can save a record of up to 20 messages sent at a time and delete any you don't want to keep by clicking the 'x' beside it.

'T'is the Season to be Jolly planning your next Home Exchange Holiday

Best wishes for the New Year to all our GTI Home Exchange members.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

Meilleurs Voeux de Bonne Année

Prettige Kerstdagen en een Gellukig Nieuwjaar

Frohe Weihnachten und ein Gutes Neues Jahr

Buon Natale e Feliz Anno Nuovo

Feliz Navidad y Prospero Año Nuevo

Unfortunately I myself have not felt quite so jolly in recent weeks having had to spend a period of time in hospital, and therefore apologies for the break in publishing articles on the GTI Home Exchange Blog. However, I was glad to discover that others have been keeping up the good work for me viz. the article Holiday Home Swapping on the Guide me Green web-site.

Make Sustainable Tourism a priority

At the World Travel Market taking place in London this week delegates endorsed the declaration issued by the second International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism in October. It calls for the development of "truly sustainable tourism" and demands the sector responds to climate change by mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, adapting to the changing climate and improving energy efficiency.

United Nations World Tourism Organisation secretary-general Francesco Frangialli said: "It is in our interests to ensure it is possible to ski in the Alps at the end of this century, to dive at the Great Barrier Reef or experience the wildlife of Africa. To consumers, we say give priority to sustainable tourism and avoid wasteful choices."

UK Tourism Minister, Margaret Hodge, said: "It is not for the Government to deny people the right to travel or deny the industry the opportunity to respond to demand. We need to reflect people’s desire to travel and the opportunities this brings, but also minimise the impact of aviation growth.

The industry is doing a lot, but more can be done. Aircraft technology is improving, airports are taking measures to minimise emissions, and some parts of the industry are offering carbon-offsetting schemes."

She emphasised: "Offsetting is not the only answer and is just one tool in combatting climate change. It is up to all of us to reduce energy use.

Offsetting can help people to appreciate their impact on the environment. This is essential if we are to meet the Government’s carbon reduction targets.

Air Passenger Duty has played a valuable role in signalling the environmental costs of travel to passengers and we will replace APD with a per-aircraft duty in 2009.

This will create a better correlation with the distance travelled and encourage more airlines to fly at full capacity."

Whilst Green Theme International Home Exchange is an organisation which enables people to travel, we have always acknowledged the need for and encouraged sustainable tourism, and are seriously concerned about the increasing environmental costs of travel. Please send us your comments about what you see as the future for the travel industry and how carbon emissions should be reduced.

The New Look at GTI Home Exchange

The fact that I am able to recall Dior's postwar New Look probably reveals a little too much about my age, but nevertheless it seemed an appropriate link to make with the New Look on the Green Theme International Home Exchange web-site. Whilst I do not claim that the changes we have made will affect this niche travel area anything like as much as the New Look changed the image of fashion in the 50's and 60's, I feel that the ultimate result of our web-site upgrade gives GTI Home Exchange a much slicker image with a superb choice of home swap offers in a neat and concise format.

Change is always a little strange at first


The changes to the GTI Home Exchange site have been made to upgrade the database applications, and make the site more technically robust, whilst incorporating the new design to make the site even easier to use than before. However, change often brings in its wake a degree of instability for a very short time, and most people take a little while to adapt too, so do bear with us if you do find negotiating the site a little strange at first, and please let us know anything you find confusing or unclear.

Pets Welcome

You may recall recently the post from members who wanted to be able to find exchange homes where Pets were Welcome more easily, so that they might take their pets on holiday with them. We are pleased to tell you that as a result of the upgrade this option has now been added to the Membership Registration Form and pet friendly home swaps are indicated on the Summary Listings with a dog icon (looking happily and sentimentally like the silhouette of our own Golden Retrievers who both sadly died within four days of each some time ago).

A Time to Travel, A Time to Stay

From time to time members contact us to say that they are not in a position to offer their home for exchange this year for one reason or another. Moving home, settling into a new job, renovating the house, or care responsibilities are among a multitude of reasons why people sometimes have to sacrifice their precious travelling time. For these people it is not the end but merely a temporary lull in their travelling days. So it is always a particularly sad moment when a long standing GTI Home Exchange member contacts us to say that they will not be renewing their membership because of ill health. "Unfortunately, we can't travel this coming year because of a health problem. So we shall not renew our membership. We have appreciated your organisation and helpful kindness. Kind regards, Louise C, France."

We wish anyone in this situation a speedy recovery, but time does eventually catch up with all of us when we no longer feel able to travel or it is simply not a pleasure any more. Then is the time to sit back and reflect on your globetrotting years, the friends you have made, the wonderful home exchange travel experiences you have been fortunate enough to enjoy, and to appreciate the pleasures of your own home.

At other times Green Theme International Home Exchange finds itself the victim of its own success, with members not renewing their membership because they do not need to. In reply to our renewal reminder letter, Wolfgang wrote: "I would like to renew my membership, but at the moment have so many exchange requests, that I would rather make a break of about a year before I resubscribe. Is that at all possible? Thanks for your help, it's a great page. Plus I would now like to subscribe to the rental page; what should I do? Wolfgang P, Austria"

Of course it is a member's perogative to take a break from membership. Rest assured that we shall be only too pleased to welcome you back whenever is appropriate. And to subscribe to our rental page, Wolfgang just needs to visit: http://www. holiday-homes-direct.com