Ease your travel woes, join ASMALLWORLD

Forget travelling with guide books and maps. ASMALLWORLD (ASW), a private international travel and lifestyle club, is at your service, to ease your travel woes with real people, offering deals and offers at every step - stay, food, shopping or leisure.

The concept of ASW especially works in India, which is an important market for foreign tourists, says its president and CEO Sabine Heller.

"The ease of international travel has made the world smaller. Exploring a city with guide-book in hand is outdated; ASW is replacing fold-out maps with friendly faces," Heller told IANS.

"Being a member of ASW helps you get the inside track and awesome deals in any city," she added.

In today's globalised world, "people expect to have friends and be hooked up in several cities, but many people aren't that connected", explained Heller.

"Our opportunity lies in the discrepancy between expectation and reality. Tapping into local communities, attending parties and linking up with fellow travellers is easy on ASW," she said.

Founded in 2004 as an invite-only social network, ASW has recently gone through a relaunch as one of the leading travel and lifestyle club with an emphasis on events, privileges, and travel tips.

Keen travellers can subscribe to its services by paying a subscription fee of $105 (approximately Rs.5,800) per year.

"As part of our reinvention, we aim to become the definitive travel and social resource for people truly international in sensibility and lifestyle.

"Membership will grant access to an expanded events program and exclusive global privileges," said Heller, who has 15 years of experience in the media and luxury industry.

Heller believes there is "immense potential" for clubs like ASW in the Indian market.

"We plan to grow significantly in numbers from the 10,000 members we used to have here. Indians represent ideal members for ASW, as we are English speaking, international, sophisticated and avid travellers," she said.