BACKPACKERS PARENTS GIVEN PEACE OF MIND

MORE than 200,000 British backpackers aged 18-24 are expected to set off around the globe this year, despite increasing concerns about travel overseas. After the bombing of a backpacker hotspot in Bali and the recent events in the Gulf, parents are understandably worried about staying in touch with their intrepid explorers.

'In all the bars in all the world.

It started in a bar in Hong Kong, where 6 people met, paired off and left...Now married with kids and reunited again, theyve set up a remarkably resourceful website for backpackers everywhere, past and present.

MORE than 200,000 British backpackers aged 18-24 are expected to set off around the globe this year, despite increasing concerns about travel overseas. After the bombing of a backpacker hotspot in Bali and the recent events in the Gulf, parents are understandably worried about staying in touch with their intrepid explorers.

Director Andrea Marston said, Parents will tell you that they are lucky to get a postcard or email every few weeks, citing lack of money and time as an excuse. Most backpackers now travel with a mobile phone but cant afford to use it. Planetreunited has developed a SMS service where backpackers can send a text to their parents, family and friends quickly and cheaply, even if they cant get to an internet café. Its essential for all worried parents out there."

A registered member has access to an innovative new SMS service where a registered user can send one single SMS text to a +44 number. This text is then sent to a 'SLOG (Travel Diary), which is like a weblog (BLOG) but via SMS. Their friends and family can be alerted via text or email when the SLOG is updated. All this is done for the price of a single text. These alerts can be forwarded as SMS, email or both. Its the flashest, fastest, budget way to send their latest travel news to friends in a second while at the same time keeping a web travel diary. Parents can also send them a text via the same service.

But the website does much more than that. There is also a travellers Forum to exchange tips, stories and share experiences that you wont find in any guidebook. This is real up to the minute information, with specific, easily searchable categories. Director Tracey Davies said, We found that, when we were travelling, the best information on your next stop came from other travellers. By creating a forum, travellers can tap into a wealth of real experience, years before it emerges in a guide book. This is particularly relevant now, when world events are changing so quickly."

For anyone looking to hook up again, or even just find out what are they doing now?" theres the reunited element. After registering, a member enters the bars, hostels and places theyve stayed and which month and year that they were there. They are given their own page where they can add notes and can comment on each place visited. Once registered, they can search for friends via country, city, bar, hostel, resort etc and read others notes. Tracey said We have built a website that will not only reunite backpackers, expats, reps and holidaymakers. But this is also a place for them to call their home away from home. We want to ensure that people never need to lose touch again". All of this is free and users can contact as many people as they wish.

PlanetReunited.com has been tested vigorously over the past two months and through hard work and word of mouth, prior to launch, has over two thousand members. This number is rising dramatically each day, as it spreads around the world like wildfire. We already have many different members including travellers as far back as 1972, bankers who worked in Hong Kong and Singapore during the heady days of the nineties, students that are travelling now, Ex Camp America and Kibbutz workers and many, many Antipodeans that made Europe and the UK their temporary homes.
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Contacts:
This Release & Interviews
Andrea Marston      07957 364561
Tracey Davies       07946 307543
Gordon Wild Flynn   07941 644279
press@planetreunited.com
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Windsor SL4 1QZ