Now you can plan a trip with multiple destinations in one travel plan on TravelMuse.  This has been the most requested enhancement and we’re delighted to show it to you.

How to Plan a Multi-Destination Trip:
1. From the TravelMuse homepage simply click the Start here>> link next to Multiple destinations.

2. Fill in your primary destination and click on Add destination to add other places you plan to visit on your trip.

3. Once you’re inside your Trip plan, use the handy sidebar on the left to switch destinations.  As you do, you’ll be able to find hotels, restaurants, and attractions.and save the ones that interest you to trip.

For more information on Multi-Destination trip planning visit the help section.

Also In This Release – Updated Homepage Features Top Trips
We’ll be featuring some of our favorite trips — created by users and our staff — on the homepage each month.  This month, the TravelMuse homepage highlights these great getaways:

•    An Insider’s guide to San Francisco
•    Experience the Aloha Spirit in Maui
•    Windy City Getaway to Chicago
•    A 3-day Parisian Escapade

Did you know that there are now more than 12,000 public trips on TravelMuse?  Each of these trips can be copied and personalized.   To copy and personalize a trip, just click the “Copy This Trip” button and then customize the itinerary to your liking by adding and removing items.

Let us know how you like these new capabilities on TravelMuse and as always we welcome your feedback so we can continue to improve TravelMuse.

Thanks and happy travels,

Kevin and the TravelMuse Team

The Harry Potter books and movies transported the imaginations of children and adults alike to an enchanting world of adventure and wizardry. Soon, you’ll be able to physically transport your brood to the magical world of Harry Potter—no broomsticks required.

Yesterday, Universal Orlando Resort, along with Warner Bros. Consumer Products, disclosed the first-ever details on the Harry Potter-inspired attraction, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Set to open in spring 2010 at Islands of Adventure in Orlando, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will bring J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series to life for fans to experience first hand.

Hogwarts Castle. Photo Courtesy of Universal Orlando

As you enter through the front archway at Hogsmeade, the characters, locations and magic of Harry Potter will materialize right before your eyes. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter will include the following attractions:

• Hogsmeade station, where the Hogwarts Express will arrive amidst billowing steam

• Zonko’s joke shop, where you can buy Extendable Ears and Sneakoscopes

• Honeydukes, which sells candy and treats like Chocolate Frogs and Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Beans

• Three Broomsticks and Hog’s Head, where you can sample British fare and sip drinks like Butterbeer and pumpkin juice

• The Owl Post, where you can send letters to loved ones with a certified Hogsmeade postmark

• Ollivanders wand shop, an interactive experience where the wand chooses its wizard

• The magical instruments and equipment shop, Dervish and Banges, that sells Quidditch equipment and Triwizard apparel

• Dragon Challenge, a twin high-speed roller coaster featuring many elements of the Triwizard Tournament

• Flight of the Hippogriff, a family ride that simulates a Hippogriff training flight

• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, a state-of-the-art attraction using brand new technology to bring the stories of Harry Potter to life in a new and innovative way

• Filch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods, which sells Harry Potter-inspired souvenirs

Flight of the Hippogriff. Photo Courtesy of Universal Orlando.

For up-to-date information, visit www.universalorlando.com/harrypotter/

Read more about Orlando theme parks in our “Orlando: Theme Parks and Beyond” article.

Plan a trip to Orlando, Fla., on TravelMuse.

With TravelMuse approaching 3,000 followers on Twitter (@TravelMuse) I was interested to read the results of a new survey “Travel Insights 100 Survey Reveals How Twitter is Being Used by the Travel Industry”  published by UpTake and conducted by Travel Insights 100, a newly launched travel industry panel led by Uptake, Tips from the T-List and BootsnAll.

After surveying online travel industry experts and bloggers they conclude:

•   52 percent just started using Twitter in the past twelve months.
•   31 percent claim to be Twitter addicts (where they use Twitter ten or more times a day).
•   The top three subjects to tweet about are blog posts (93 percent), travel industry news (70 percent) and travel information (82 percent).
•   Consumers could use Twitter to help plan a trip by looking for insider tips and recommendations (75 percent), connecting with local Twitterati (69 percent), and finding a deal (63 percent).

See full survey results.

Elliott Ng, co-founder, UpTake said “…we are still very much in the experimental phase of how these social media tools can be best used.” I agree and as I discussed with a research analyst yesterday, I think sharing best practice is one of the most valuable ways to learn how we can leverage these new tools. The Travel Insights 100 panel seems positioned to do that, and I look forward to reading more in the future.

Although Twitter may face a rocky road ahead as it figures out the challenges of monetization, spam, relevancy etc., I also agree that micro-blogging is here to stay, especially as we see greater adoption of the mobile Web. While penetration of smartphone users is still fairly low (17 percent in Q2, 2009, source Nielsen), it shows significant growth potential and offers a platform particularly suited to micro-blogging.

I would like to ask this panel some other questions such as:
•    Do you measure the ROI on Twitter, what metrics do you regularly track?
•    How much time do you actually spend on Twitter everyday? I find myself distracted some days managing multiple social media sites while trying to get other work done. It brings a new meaning to multi-tasking!

Am I the only one who gets confused by the name Oktoberfest? Every year I seem to forget that Munich’s 16-day festival kicks off at the end of September—not the beginning of October. Needless to say, I’ve never made it to Germany to clink beer mugs with the six million or so patrons of Oktoberfest, or “die Wiesn” as the locals call it. Luckily, there are plenty of Oktoberfest celebrations throughout the United States that are worthy of wearing your lederhosen.

Photo: Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber

Addison Oktoberfest
More than 60,000 people are expected to join the party on Sept. 17 through 20 for Oktoberfest in Addison, Texas. Experience a German car show, go on a pretzel hunt, indulge in German wine and beer, shop at the vendor booths and ride carnival rides.

For more information, visit www.addisontexas.net/events/Oktoberfest/

Oktoberfest in Irondequoit, N.Y.
Irondequoit, N.Y., is hosting its 22nd annual Oktoberfest on the weekends of Sept. 18 through 20 and Sept. 25 through 27. Stroll past master yodelers, listen to German music and munch on tasty bratwurst.

For more information, visit www.irondequoit.org/oktoberfest2007

Oktoberfest Denver
Oktoberfest on Larimer Street in Denver, Colo., is one of the largest of its kind in the United States. Forty years in the making, Oktoberfest Denver honors German heritage with authentic cuisine, an accordion concert, attractions, the Long Dog Derby (a dachshund race), music and much more. Check it out on Sept. 18 through 20 and Sept. 25 through 27.

For more information, visit www.oktoberfestdenver.com

Photo: Cincinnati USA Regional Chamber

Oktoberfest Zinzinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio, is home to the largest Oktoberfest celebration in the United States. More than 500,000 hops-loving attendees are present each year. The festival starts Sept. 19 with a keg tapping at each tent and continues on through Sept. 20.

For more information, visit www.oktoberfestzinzinnati.com

L.A. Oktoberfest
Sample traditional German food, sip on (or chug) beer and enjoy Bavarian bands playing old-time tunes at Los Angeles’ first-ever Oktoberfest on Oct. 10. Downtown L.A. will be filled with entertainment that includes the Aerial Showgirls, a polka band and Bavarian dancers, music by The Alemannia Music Foundation, a stein-holding contest and a beer pong tournament.

For more information, visit www.laoktoberfest.com

These are just five of the many Oktoberfest celebrations occuring throughout the United States. Tell us about some of the Oktoberfest festivities in your area.