http://www.podcasternews.com Get the latest news and information on Travel with multiple content producers creating short five minute recaps of events and happening in the world today Get all the latest Travel Information at PCN Get the latest news and information on Travel with multiple content producers creating short five minute recaps of events and happening in the world today en-us Copyright 2010 PodcasterNews news@podcasternews.com (PodcasterNews) PodcasterNews news@podcasternews.com http://www.podcasternews.com http://www.podcasternews.com/themes/pcn2/images/rss_feed.jpg PodcasterNews: http://www.podcasternews.com Tue, 09 Feb 2010 13:00:03 -0500 no http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:33:43 -0500 http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5798/166-travel-and-tourism-forecast-for-2010/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5798/166-travel-and-tourism-forecast-for-2010/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5798/166-travel-and-tourism-forecast-for-2010/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Wed, 06 Jan 2010 00:33:43 -0500 no Alan A. Lew tourism industry,forecast,2010,travel industry Everyone else is doing it, so here is my forecast for 2010 (which I came up with after reading a bunch of other predictions!) pEveryone else is doing it, so here is my forecast for 2010 (which I came up with after reading a bunch of other predictions!)/p p*****br /Temhis podcast is available at:/ememspan style='font-style: normal;'ema href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'nbsp;PodcasterNews.com/a,nbsp;nbsp;a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/anbsp; andnbsp;a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/anbsp;and thenbsp;a href='http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/' target='_blank'TravelCastNetwork.com/a./em/spanspan style='font-style: normal;'emnbsp; And also follow/emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelographynbsp; News on Twitter.com./anbsp;/em/span/em/p p pstronga href='http://delicious.com/alanalew/1' target='_blank'Click Here/anbsp;for links to ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast./strong/p p*****/p pa href='http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_usamp;ref=402amp;currency=usd' target='_blank'img style='border: 0px initial initial;' src='http://www.gosim.com/images/uploads/15_GO-SIM_strap.jpg' alt='Go-Sim' width='393' height='130' //a/p pstronga href='http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_usamp;ref=402amp;currency=usd' target='_blank'GET YOUR INTERNATIONAL GSM PHONE SIM CARD FROM GO-SIM/a/strong/p p*****/p /p <p>Everyone else is doing it, so here is my forecast for 2010 (which I came up with after reading a bunch of other predictions!)</p> <p>*****<br />T<em>his podcast is available at:</em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><em><a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">&nbsp;PodcasterNews.com</a>,&nbsp;&nbsp;<a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a>&nbsp; and&nbsp;<a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/" target="_blank">TravelCastNetwork.com</a>.</em></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><em>&nbsp; And also follow</em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography&nbsp; News on Twitter.com.</a>&nbsp;</em></span></em></p> <p> <p><strong><a href="http://delicious.com/alanalew/1" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&nbsp;for links to ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast.</strong></p> <p>*****</p> <p><a href="http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_us&amp;ref=402&amp;currency=usd" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0px initial initial;" src="http://www.gosim.com/images/uploads/15_GO-SIM_strap.jpg" alt="Go-Sim" width="393" height="130" /></a></p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_us&amp;ref=402&amp;currency=usd" target="_blank">GET YOUR INTERNATIONAL GSM PHONE SIM CARD FROM GO-SIM</a></strong></p> <p>*****</p> </p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5785/165-looking-back-at-travel-and-tourism/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5785/165-looking-back-at-travel-and-tourism/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5785/165-looking-back-at-travel-and-tourism/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:44:23 -0500 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,economic crisis,travel security,internet,Go-Sim It is the end of the year and time to reflect on where we have been and where are we are going in the world of travel and tourism. Today's podcast looks at the past, starting about 10 years ago. We will look at the future in the next podcast. pIt is the end of the year and time to reflect on where we have been and where are we are going in the world of travel and tourism. Today's podcast looks at the past, starting about 10 years ago.nbsp; We will look at the future in the next podcast./p pemThis podcast is available at:/ememspan style='font-style: normal;'ema href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank' PodcasterNews.com/a,nbsp; a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/anbsp; andnbsp; a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a and the a href='http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/' target='_blank'TravelCastNetwork.com/a./em/spanspan style='font-style: normal;'emnbsp; And also follow /emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelographynbsp; News on Twitter.com./anbsp;/em/span/em/p pstronga href='http://delicious.com/alanalew/1' target='_blank'Click Here/anbsp;for links to ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast./strong/p p*****/p pa href='http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_usamp;ref=402amp;currency=usd' target='_blank'img src='http://www.gosim.com/images/uploads/15_GO-SIM_strap.jpg' alt='Go-Sim' width='393' height='130' //a/p pstronga href='http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_usamp;ref=402amp;currency=usd' target='_blank'GET YOUR FREE INTERNATIONAL SIM CARD FROM GO-SIM/a/strong/p p*****/p <p>It is the end of the year and time to reflect on where we have been and where are we are going in the world of travel and tourism. Today's podcast looks at the past, starting about 10 years ago.&nbsp; We will look at the future in the next podcast.</p> <p><em>This podcast is available at:</em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><em><a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank"> PodcasterNews.com</a>,&nbsp; <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a>&nbsp; and&nbsp; <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a> and the <a href="http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/" target="_blank">TravelCastNetwork.com</a>.</em></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><em>&nbsp; And also follow </em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography&nbsp; News on Twitter.com.</a>&nbsp;</em></span></em></p> <p><strong><a href="http://delicious.com/alanalew/1" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&nbsp;for links to ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast.</strong></p> <p>*****</p> <p><a href="http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_us&amp;ref=402&amp;currency=usd" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gosim.com/images/uploads/15_GO-SIM_strap.jpg" alt="Go-Sim" width="393" height="130" /></a></p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_us&amp;ref=402&amp;currency=usd" target="_blank">GET YOUR FREE INTERNATIONAL SIM CARD FROM GO-SIM</a></strong></p> <p>*****</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5754/164-goodbye-carbon-offsets-hello-chinese-tourists/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5754/164-goodbye-carbon-offsets-hello-chinese-tourists/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5754/164-goodbye-carbon-offsets-hello-chinese-tourists/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Thu, 03 Dec 2009 17:08:04 -0500 14:12 no Alan A. Lew Carbon offset,China,USA,Australia,rhinoceros,poaching,Go-Sim,travel,tourism The top story this past week was ResponsibleTravel.com's quitting carbon offset programs for travelers. Everyone seems to be competing for China's tourists these days, even the country of China. Plus the Nine Nations of China, a surge in Rhino poach pThe top story this past week was ResponsibleTravel.com's quitting carbon offset programs for travelers.nbsp; Everyone seems to be competing for China's tourists these days, even the country of China. Plus the Nine Nations of China, a surge in Rhino poaching, and Go-Sim./p pemThis podcast is available at:/ememspan style='font-style: normal;'ema href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank' PodcasterNews.com/a,nbsp; a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/anbsp; andnbsp; a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a and the a href='http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/' target='_blank'TravelCastNetwork.com/a./em/spanspan style='font-style: normal;'emnbsp; And also follow /emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelographynbsp; News on Twitter.com./anbsp;/em/span/em/p pstronga href='http://delicious.com/alanalew/1' target='_blank'Click Here/anbsp;for links to ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast./strong/p p*****/p pa href='http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_usamp;ref=402amp;currency=usd' target='_blank'img src='http://www.gosim.com/images/uploads/15_GO-SIM_strap.jpg' alt='Go-Sim' width='393' height='130' //a/p pstronga href='http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_usamp;ref=402amp;currency=usd' target='_blank'GET YOUR FREE INTERNATIONAL SIM CARD FROM GO-SIM/a/strong/p p*****/p <p>The top story this past week was ResponsibleTravel.com's quitting carbon offset programs for travelers.&nbsp; Everyone seems to be competing for China's tourists these days, even the country of China. Plus the Nine Nations of China, a surge in Rhino poaching, and Go-Sim.</p> <p><em>This podcast is available at:</em><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><em><a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank"> PodcasterNews.com</a>,&nbsp; <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a>&nbsp; and&nbsp; <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a> and the <a href="http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/" target="_blank">TravelCastNetwork.com</a>.</em></span><span style="font-style: normal;"><em>&nbsp; And also follow </em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography&nbsp; News on Twitter.com.</a>&nbsp;</em></span></em></p> <p><strong><a href="http://delicious.com/alanalew/1" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&nbsp;for links to ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast.</strong></p> <p>*****</p> <p><a href="http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_us&amp;ref=402&amp;currency=usd" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.gosim.com/images/uploads/15_GO-SIM_strap.jpg" alt="Go-Sim" width="393" height="130" /></a></p> <p><strong><a href="http://www.gosim.com/landing.php?product=gs000500spfr_us&amp;ref=402&amp;currency=usd" target="_blank">GET YOUR FREE INTERNATIONAL SIM CARD FROM GO-SIM</a></strong></p> <p>*****</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5740/163-looming-challenges-for-airlines-and-travellers/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5740/163-looming-challenges-for-airlines-and-travellers/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5740/163-looming-challenges-for-airlines-and-travellers/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:30:27 -0500 no Alan A. Lew ailines,green taxes,US,UK,Caribbean,Dubai The US government is, for the third time in 16 years, going to try to fix our dysfunctional airline industry. But the challenges are huge. The UK started its Green Tax on air travel on Nov. 1st, and people are complaining but this more such taxes see pThe US government is, for the third time in 16 years, going to try to fix our dysfunctional airline industry. But the challenges are huge. The UK started its Green Tax on air travel on Nov. 1st, and people are complaining but this more such taxes seem to be coming.nbsp; And is it the end of the World in Dubaiem?/em/p pemThis podcast is available at:br /span style='font-style: normal;'ema href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a,nbsp;a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/anbsp;andnbsp;a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a and the a href='http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/' target='_blank'TravelCastNetwork.com/a. /em/span/em/p pemspan style='font-style: normal;'emAnd also follow /emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelographynbsp; News on Twitter.com./anbsp;/em/span/em/p pstronga href='http://delicious.com/alanalew/1' target='_blank'Click Here/anbsp;for links to ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast./strong/p pnbsp;/p <p>The US government is, for the third time in 16 years, going to try to fix our dysfunctional airline industry. But the challenges are huge. The UK started its Green Tax on air travel on Nov. 1st, and people are complaining but this more such taxes seem to be coming.&nbsp; And is it the end of the World in Dubai<em>?</em></p> <p><em>This podcast is available at:<br /><span style="font-style: normal;"><em><a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a> and the <a href="http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/" target="_blank">TravelCastNetwork.com</a>. </em></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><em>And also follow </em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography&nbsp; News on Twitter.com.</a>&nbsp;</em></span></em></p> <p><strong><a href="http://delicious.com/alanalew/1" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&nbsp;for links to ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5728/162-the-right-to-free-hotel-wifi/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5728/162-the-right-to-free-hotel-wifi/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5728/162-the-right-to-free-hotel-wifi/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Thu, 12 Nov 2009 19:47:29 -0500 9:43 no Alan A. Lew airline industry,safety,unions,wifi,hotels,toilets,Taiwan The first story today is about how airline unions are calling on more regulations to stabilize the very unstable airline industry. The second is eight reasons why all hotels should provide free wifi, with mention of Google's and Bing's free offerings pThe first story today is about how unions are calling on more regulations to stabilize the very unstable airline industry. The second is eight reasons why all hotels should provide free wifi, with mention of Google's and Bing's free offerings this holiday season. And then I talk a little about Taiwan's Modern Toilet Hotel./p pemThis podcast is available at:br /span style='font-style: normal;'ema href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a,nbsp;a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/anbsp;andnbsp;a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a. andnbsp;a href='http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/' target='_blank'TravelCastNetwork.com/a. /em/span/em/p pemspan style='font-style: normal;'emAnd also follownbsp;/emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelographynbsp; News on Twitter.com./anbsp;/em/span/em/p pstronga href='http://delicious.com/alanalew/1' target='_blank'Click Here/anbsp;for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast./strong/p <p>The first story today is about how unions are calling on more regulations to stabilize the very unstable airline industry. The second is eight reasons why all hotels should provide free wifi, with mention of Google's and Bing's free offerings this holiday season. And then I talk a little about Taiwan's Modern Toilet Hotel.</p> <p><em>This podcast is available at:<br /><span style="font-style: normal;"><em><a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>. and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/" target="_blank">TravelCastNetwork.com</a>. </em></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><em>And also follow&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography&nbsp; News on Twitter.com.</a>&nbsp;</em></span></em></p> <p><strong><a href="http://delicious.com/alanalew/1" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&nbsp;for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast.</strong></p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5717/161-h1n1-on-a-plane/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5717/161-h1n1-on-a-plane/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5717/161-h1n1-on-a-plane/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Mon, 02 Nov 2009 22:11:31 -0500 no Alan A. Lew swine flu,h1n1,flu,airlines,travel,Lebanon,Yosemite,bears H1N1 Swine Flu and its impacts on travel in the US was the top story for this past week. Most of us who have the flu will be flying on a plane because airlines make it hard to do otherwise. Also, how to buy travel insurance; don't trust tourism numbe pH1N1 Swine Flu and its impacts on travel in the US was the top story for this past week. Most of us who have the flu will be flying on a plane because airlines make it hard to do otherwise. Also, how to buy travel insurance; don't trust tourism numbers, like those from Lebanon; and Yosemite bears know which cars have kids./p pemThis podcast is available at:br /span style='font-style: normal;'ema href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a,nbsp;a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/anbsp;andnbsp;a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a. andnbsp;a href='http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/' target='_blank'TravelCastNetwork.com/a. /em/span/em/p pemspan style='font-style: normal;'emAnd also follownbsp;/emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelographynbsp; News on Twitter.com./anbsp;/em/span/em/p pstronga href='http://delicious.com/alanalew/1' target='_blank'Click Here/anbsp;for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast./strong/p pnbsp;/p <p>H1N1 Swine Flu and its impacts on travel in the US was the top story for this past week. Most of us who have the flu will be flying on a plane because airlines make it hard to do otherwise. Also, how to buy travel insurance; don't trust tourism numbers, like those from Lebanon; and Yosemite bears know which cars have kids.</p> <p><em>This podcast is available at:<br /><span style="font-style: normal;"><em><a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>. and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/" target="_blank">TravelCastNetwork.com</a>. </em></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><em>And also follow&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography&nbsp; News on Twitter.com.</a>&nbsp;</em></span></em></p> <p><strong><a href="http://delicious.com/alanalew/1" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&nbsp;for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5702/160-tourism-and-the-internet-a-match-made-in-heaven/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5702/160-tourism-and-the-internet-a-match-made-in-heaven/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5702/160-tourism-and-the-internet-a-match-made-in-heaven/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sat, 24 Oct 2009 23:42:06 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel 2.0,internet,travel,business travel,green planes,Cyprus,Lebanon,Israel,Thailand,elephants Travelers primarily use tourism-related social networks to get up-to-date information, as do a lot of business travelers. Southwest Airlines is flying its new green plane. Bali is raising baby coral. Thailand find a home for retired elephants. And Cy pTravelers primarily use tourism-related social networks to get up-to-date information, as do a lot of business travelers. Southwest Airlines is flying its new green plane. Thailand find a home for retired elephants. And Cyprus is a major wedding tourism destinations for certain couples from Israel and Lebanon./p pemThis podcast is available at:br /span style='font-style: normal;'ema href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a,nbsp;a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/anbsp;andnbsp;a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a. andnbsp;a href='http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/' target='_blank'TravelCastNetwork.com/a. /em/span/em/p pemspan style='font-style: normal;'emAnd also follownbsp;/emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelographynbsp; News on Twitter.com./anbsp;/em/span/em/p pstronga href='http://delicious.com/alanalew/1' target='_blank'Click Here/anbsp;for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast./strong/p pnbsp;/p <p>Travelers primarily use tourism-related social networks to get up-to-date information, as do a lot of business travelers. Southwest Airlines is flying its new green plane. Thailand find a home for retired elephants. And Cyprus is a major wedding tourism destinations for certain couples from Israel and Lebanon.</p> <p><em>This podcast is available at:<br /><span style="font-style: normal;"><em><a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>. and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/" target="_blank">TravelCastNetwork.com</a>. </em></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><em>And also follow&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography&nbsp; News on Twitter.com.</a>&nbsp;</em></span></em></p> <p><strong><a href="http://delicious.com/alanalew/1" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&nbsp;for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5685/159-tourism-and-the-economy-uneasy-bedfellows/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5685/159-tourism-and-the-economy-uneasy-bedfellows/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5685/159-tourism-and-the-economy-uneasy-bedfellows/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:00:03 -0400 no Alan A. Lew tourism,travel,economy,Australia,business travel,Europe,liquids,floating houses Business travel is in the dumps, and a new study is commissioned to try and turn that around. The Australian dollar is stronger than ever -- which is really bad for Australia's tourism. Finally, I can take my precious water on the plane -- in Europe. pspan style='font-style: normal;'Business travel is in the dumps, and a new study is commissioned to try and turn that around. The Australian dollar is stronger than ever -- which is really bad for Australia's tourism. Finally, I can take my precious water on the plane -- in Europe. And are floating hotels the future is a global warming world?/span/p pemThis podcast is available at:br /span style='font-style: normal;'ema href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a,nbsp;a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/anbsp;andnbsp;a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a. andnbsp;a href='http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/' target='_blank'TravelCastNetwork.com/a. /em/span/em/p pemspan style='font-style: normal;'emAnd also follownbsp;/emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelographynbsp; News on Twitter.com./anbsp;/em/span/em/p pstronga href='http://delicious.com/alanalew/1' target='_blank'Click Here/anbsp;for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast./strong/p pstrong/strong/p pnbsp;/p pnbsp;/p <p><span style="font-style: normal;">Business travel is in the dumps, and a new study is commissioned to try and turn that around. The Australian dollar is stronger than ever -- which is really bad for Australia's tourism. Finally, I can take my precious water on the plane -- in Europe. And are floating hotels the future is a global warming world?</span></p> <p><em>This podcast is available at:<br /><span style="font-style: normal;"><em><a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>,&nbsp;<a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>. and&nbsp;<a href="http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/" target="_blank">TravelCastNetwork.com</a>. </em></span></em></p> <p><em><span style="font-style: normal;"><em>And also follow&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography&nbsp; News on Twitter.com.</a>&nbsp;</em></span></em></p> <p><strong><a href="http://delicious.com/alanalew/1" target="_blank">Click Here</a>&nbsp;for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast.</strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5675/158-global-economy-hurting-tourism-helping-sharks/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5675/158-global-economy-hurting-tourism-helping-sharks/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5675/158-global-economy-hurting-tourism-helping-sharks/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Mon, 28 Sep 2009 16:52:11 -0400 no Alan A. Lew tourism,travel,USA,tourist arrivals,National Parks,Cuba,Haiti,Palau,sharks,Kenya,chid sex tourism,London,France,Spain,second homes Summary of the some of the more interesting tourism news stories from this past week, most of which are related to the continuing global economic crisis in the tourism industry. There are, though, a few brights spots -- Natonal Parks, Cuba, Haiti, a pemThis podcast is available at a href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a, a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a. and a href='http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/' target='_blank'TravelCastNetwork.com/a. And also follownbsp;/emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelographynbsp; News on Twitter.com./anbsp;/em/p pstronga href='http://delicious.com/alanalew/1' target='_blank'Click Here/a for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast./strong/p pstrong/strong/p pnbsp;/p <p><em>This podcast is available at <a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>, <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>. and <a href="http://www.travelcastnetwork.com./travelography/" target="_blank">TravelCastNetwork.com</a>. And also follow&nbsp;</em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography&nbsp; News on Twitter.com.</a>&nbsp;</em></p> <p><strong><a href="http://delicious.com/alanalew/1" target="_blank">Click Here</a> for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast.</strong></p> <p><strong></strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5664/157-fighting-the-image-war-for-tourism/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5664/157-fighting-the-image-war-for-tourism/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5664/157-fighting-the-image-war-for-tourism/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sun, 20 Sep 2009 23:37:55 -0400 no Alan A. Lew tourism,travel,Asia,war,image,terrorism,social unrest Summary of the top tourism news stories from this past week, and a look at efforts in Asia to overcome the negative image of war, terrorism and social unrest. pemThis podcast is available at a href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a, a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a. And also check out /emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography on Twitter.com./a/em/p pnbsp;/p pstronga href='http://delicious.com/alanalew/pcntravel+t157' target='_blank'Click Here/a for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast./strong/p pnbsp;/p pThe Two Highlighted Stories for today are:/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-f2be45d0b38ce3f1708ec389e48a5cd5-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='dateGroup'/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink ' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-09-17-voa26.cfm?rss=asia'Political Instability, Violence Threat to Asia's Tourism Industry/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Political violence has done considerable damage to tourism in Asia and the Pacific over the past few years. But industry experts say the damage is not necessarily permanent. Governments and industry leaders say much can be done to rebuild tattered tourism reputations./div /div /div /li li id='item-b21f82eef9b6af12b0c959a5ad3df5d4-4' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink ' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/wish-you-were-here-asian-war-zones-battle-for-tourists-1788714.html'Wish you were here? Asian war zones battle for tourists/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Across a swath of south and south-east Asia previously wracked by war or strife, officials are carrying out a rebranding exercise to lure back tourists who have long been scared of visiting. In places such as Nepal, it is more like fine-tuning. In others, such as Kashmir, it means a complete overhaul./div /div /div /li /ul pnbsp;/p <p><em>This podcast is available at <a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>, <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>. And also check out </em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography on Twitter.com.</a></em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong><a href="http://delicious.com/alanalew/pcntravel+t157" target="_blank">Click Here</a> for ALL of the News Stories discussed in this podcast.</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>The Two Highlighted Stories for today are:</p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-f2be45d0b38ce3f1708ec389e48a5cd5-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink " rel="nofollow" href="http://www.voanews.com/english/2009-09-17-voa26.cfm?rss=asia">Political Instability, Violence Threat to Asia's Tourism Industry</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Political violence has done considerable damage to tourism in Asia and the Pacific over the past few years. But industry experts say the damage is not necessarily permanent. Governments and industry leaders say much can be done to rebuild tattered tourism reputations.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-b21f82eef9b6af12b0c959a5ad3df5d4-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink " rel="nofollow" href="http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/wish-you-were-here-asian-war-zones-battle-for-tourists-1788714.html">Wish you were here? Asian war zones battle for tourists</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Across a swath of south and south-east Asia previously wracked by war or strife, officials are carrying out a rebranding exercise to lure back tourists who have long been scared of visiting. In places such as Nepal, it is more like fine-tuning. In others, such as Kashmir, it means a complete overhaul.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5646/155-our-changing-world-geishas-and-satellites/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5646/155-our-changing-world-geishas-and-satellites/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5646/155-our-changing-world-geishas-and-satellites/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sun, 06 Sep 2009 18:11:15 -0400 no Alan A. Lew tourism,Japan,geisha,economy,satellite,GDP,development The global economic crisis has hit Japan's Geisha industry hard, resulting in some changes. And satellites are a new tool for measuring economic development. pem/ememThis podcast is available at a href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a, a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a. And also check out my /emema href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog./a/em/p div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink ' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.arabianbusiness.com/566689-geisha-turn-barmaids-to-keep-japans-floating-world-afloat'Geisha turn barmaids to keep Japanrsquo;s lsquo;Floating Worldrsquo; afloat/a/h4 div class='description'A traditional two-hour dinner with a geisha, who will entertain with music, dance performances and conversation, can cost as much as 67,000 yen ($715), more than half of which goes to the teahouse and an arranger, ... 'It's a luxury industry, and like the high-end hotels, it has dropped,' ... [However,] bookings have declined 50 percent since last October, the month after the collapse of [financial services firm] Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc, ... br /br //div div class='description' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink ' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165302.htm'Economists Measure GDP Growth From Outer Space/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Using U.S. Air Force weather satellite picture composites, they look at changes in a regionrsquo;s light density over a 10-year period. ldquo;Consumption of nearly all goods in the evening requires lights,rdquo; ... ldquo;As income rises, so does light usage per person, in both consumption activities and many investment activities.rdquo; ... For example, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lights suggest a 2.4-percent annual growth rate in GDP, while official estimates suggest a negative 2.6-percent growth over the same time period. The Congo appears to be growing faster than official estimates suggest. At the other end, Myanmar has an official growth rate of 8.6 percent a year, but the lights data imply only a 3.4-percent annual growth rate./div div class='description'br //div /div /div /div <p><em></em><em>This podcast is available at <a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>, <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>. And also check out my </em><em><a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog.</a></em></p> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink " rel="nofollow" href="http://www.arabianbusiness.com/566689-geisha-turn-barmaids-to-keep-japans-floating-world-afloat">Geisha turn barmaids to keep Japan&rsquo;s &lsquo;Floating World&rsquo; afloat</a></h4> <div class="description">A traditional two-hour dinner with a geisha, who will entertain with music, dance performances and conversation, can cost as much as 67,000 yen ($715), more than half of which goes to the teahouse and an arranger, ... "It's a luxury industry, and like the high-end hotels, it has dropped," ... [However,] bookings have declined 50 percent since last October, the month after the collapse of [financial services firm] Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc, ... <br /><br /></div> <div class="description"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink " rel="nofollow" href="http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165302.htm">Economists Measure GDP Growth From Outer Space</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Using U.S. Air Force weather satellite picture composites, they look at changes in a region&rsquo;s light density over a 10-year period. &ldquo;Consumption of nearly all goods in the evening requires lights,&rdquo; ... &ldquo;As income rises, so does light usage per person, in both consumption activities and many investment activities.&rdquo; ... For example, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lights suggest a 2.4-percent annual growth rate in GDP, while official estimates suggest a negative 2.6-percent growth over the same time period. The Congo appears to be growing faster than official estimates suggest. At the other end, Myanmar has an official growth rate of 8.6 percent a year, but the lights data imply only a 3.4-percent annual growth rate.</div> <div class="description"><br /></div> </div> </div> </div> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5642/154-tourism-is-the-new-flat/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5642/154-tourism-is-the-new-flat/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5642/154-tourism-is-the-new-flat/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:43:12 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,economy,Southwest Airlines Can we really get excited that travel and tourism in the US (and Europe) is flat, instead of continuing to drop? Also, would you pay $10 to avoid the middle seat? pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong26 August to 3 September 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is available at a href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a, a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink ' rel='nofollow' href='http://travel-industry.uptake.com/blog/2009/08/27/travel-growing-again/'Travel is Growing Again!/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'br //div /h4 div class='description'ldquo;flat is the new up.rdquo; By that definition, and taking into consideration the trends and data discussed below, the good news is that U.S. Travel is growing again! Yes, this is a bullish view on our sector, but even if itrsquo;s premature, who couldnrsquo;t use good news?/div div class='description'br //div div class='description' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink ' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/09/02/20090902CheckInCharge02-ON.html?source=nletter-news'Southwest Airlines adds charge to board sooner/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'... for an extra $10 each way Southwest passengers can automatically reserve a boarding position prior to general check-in. That would allow those customers to begin boarding the plane after certain elite fliers, who don't have to pay add-on fees for early boarding privileges. Unlike other carriers, Southwest does not offer assigned seating./div /div /div div class='description'br //div div class='description'br //div /div pnbsp;/p <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>26 August to 3 September 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is available at <a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>, <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink " rel="nofollow" href="http://travel-industry.uptake.com/blog/2009/08/27/travel-growing-again/">Travel is Growing Again!</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;"><br /></div> </h4> <div class="description">&ldquo;flat is the new up.&rdquo; By that definition, and taking into consideration the trends and data discussed below, the good news is that U.S. Travel is growing again! Yes, this is a bullish view on our sector, but even if it&rsquo;s premature, who couldn&rsquo;t use good news?</div> <div class="description"><br /></div> <div class="description"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink " rel="nofollow" href="http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/09/02/20090902CheckInCharge02-ON.html?source=nletter-news">Southwest Airlines adds charge to board sooner</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">... for an extra $10 each way Southwest passengers can automatically reserve a boarding position prior to general check-in. That would allow those customers to begin boarding the plane after certain elite fliers, who don't have to pay add-on fees for early boarding privileges. Unlike other carriers, Southwest does not offer assigned seating.</div> </div> </div> <div class="description"><br /></div> <div class="description"><br /></div> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5461/153-mexico-and-thailands-tourism-challenges-and-more/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5461/153-mexico-and-thailands-tourism-challenges-and-more/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5461/153-mexico-and-thailands-tourism-challenges-and-more/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Tue, 28 Apr 2009 01:19:00 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,Mexico,Thailand,Canada,China,politics,flu,airlines,Switzerland,airports As if the global economic downturn were not enough, now Mexico has swine flu and earthquakes, while Thailand struggles with political turmoil. Other stories: Canada hoping for Chinese tourists; Switzerland not hoping for nudists; Ryanair's overweight pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong21 to 27 April 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is available at a href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a, a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p pnbsp;/p div class='ybr' li class='ybi' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.canada.com/Travel/Canada+hoping+attract+Chinese+travellers/1531773/story.html' target='_blank'Canada hoping to attract Chinese travellers/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Canada is one of the few remaining countries that hasn't been granted 'approved destination status,' known as ADS, by the Chinese. As a result, the Canadian tourism industry cannot actively market Canada in China, and Chinese travel agents can't advertise and promote Canadian trips. But that may be about to change./div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE53O1U920090425' target='_blank'Thais to move swiftly to limit strife damage/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Tourism was hit particularly hard by recent street violence in a long battle between royalists, the military and urban Thais who back the current government and supporters of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra whose power base was mainly drawn from the millions of rural poor. 'The combination of the impact of the slowdown of the global economy and the social unrest domestically means that we're anticipating tourist arrivals, originally forecast at 14 million, to be something closer tohellip;/div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/NEWSADVICE/AirfareWatchBlog/tabid/54/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1573/Ryanair-proposes-surcharge-for-fat-passengers.aspx' target='_blank'Ryanair proposes surcharge for fat passengers/a/div div class='pipesDescription'ldquo;With passengers voting overwhelmingly for a lsquo;fat taxrsquo; we are now asking them to suggest which format the charge should take. The above four points seem to us to be the simplest, fairest and administratively easiest to apply. In all cases wersquo;ve limits at very high levels so that a lsquo;fat taxrsquo; will only apply to those really large passengers who invadersquo; the space of the passengers sitting beside them.'/div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090426/ap_on_re_eu/eu_odd_switzerland_nude_hiking_ban' target='_blank'Swiss heartland voters ban nude hiking in Alps/a/div div class='pipesDescription'By a show of hands citizens of the tiny canton (state) of Appenzell Inner Rhodes voted overwhelmingly at their traditional open-air annual assembly to impose a 200 Swiss franc ($176) fine on violators. Only a scattering of people on Sunday opposed the ban on the <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>21 to 27 April 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is available at <a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>, <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <div class="ybr"> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.canada.com/Travel/Canada+hoping+attract+Chinese+travellers/1531773/story.html" target="_blank">Canada hoping to attract Chinese travellers</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Canada is one of the few remaining countries that hasn't been granted "approved destination status," known as ADS, by the Chinese. As a result, the Canadian tourism industry cannot actively market Canada in China, and Chinese travel agents can't advertise and promote Canadian trips. But that may be about to change.</div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSTRE53O1U920090425" target="_blank">Thais to move swiftly to limit strife damage</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Tourism was hit particularly hard by recent street violence in a long battle between royalists, the military and urban Thais who back the current government and supporters of exiled former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra whose power base was mainly drawn from the millions of rural poor. "The combination of the impact of the slowdown of the global economy and the social unrest domestically means that we're anticipating tourist arrivals, originally forecast at 14 million, to be something closer to&hellip;</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.airfarewatchdog.com/NEWSADVICE/AirfareWatchBlog/tabid/54/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/1573/Ryanair-proposes-surcharge-for-fat-passengers.aspx" target="_blank">Ryanair proposes surcharge for fat passengers</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">&ldquo;With passengers voting overwhelmingly for a &lsquo;fat tax&rsquo; we are now asking them to suggest which format the charge should take. The above four points seem to us to be the simplest, fairest and administratively easiest to apply. In all cases we&rsquo;ve limits at very high levels so that a &lsquo;fat tax&rsquo; will only apply to those really large passengers who invade&rsquo; the space of the passengers sitting beside them."</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090426/ap_on_re_eu/eu_odd_switzerland_nude_hiking_ban" target="_blank">Swiss heartland voters ban nude hiking in Alps</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">By a show of hands citizens of the tiny canton (state) of Appenzell Inner Rhodes voted overwhelmingly at their traditional open-air annual assembly to impose a 200 Swiss franc ($176) fine on violators. Only a scattering of people on Sunday opposed the ban on the back-to-nature activity that took off last autumn when naked hikers &mdash; primarily Germans &mdash; started showing up in eastern Switzerland. RT @markwilliams</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8951/baja-land-drug-wars-tries-keep-tourists-coming" target="_blank">Baja, land of drug wars, tries to keep tourists coming</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Given the circumstances (Tijuana's 843 murders last year doubled 2007's), it takes moxie to launch a [tourism] campaign. Number one on the list: "Take a picture with the famous Tijuana zebra donkey." Number 75: Get out of town by "Flying direct to Narita, Japan, from Tijuana Airport." Delusional thinking or marketing optimism?</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-04-23-fastentry_N.htm?csp=34" target="_blank">Digital IDs make clearing customs easier</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">The ID cards are embedded with an image of the traveler's eye that is used to verify his identity. Industry groups say the program will encourage travel to the USA by reducing the hassles of clearing customs.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8903/thai-tourism-lose-535-billion-government-spokesman" target="_blank">Thai tourism to lose $5.35 billion: Government spokesman</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"The revenue from tourism could drop 35 percent... to only 350 billion baht from 540 billion baht in 2008," ... The kingdom's tourist-friendly image was dented by a nine-day seizure of Bangkok's airports at the end of last year that left thousands stranded, and was further affected by rallies held by rival demonstrators last week.</div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </div> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5453/152-green-skeptics-and-a-week-of-bizarre-travel-news/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5453/152-green-skeptics-and-a-week-of-bizarre-travel-news/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5453/152-green-skeptics-and-a-week-of-bizarre-travel-news/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Tue, 21 Apr 2009 01:48:47 -0400 no Alan A. Lew survey,travel,green travel,tourism,sustainability,Afghanistan,Poland,Four Corners,monument,Zimbabwe,pets,airline,Titanic,cruise,London,terrorism A survey finds that Americans are very skeptical of green claims by hotels. And this was a week of some very strange news stories, including a tour to Afghanistan, a misplaced monument in the US, a dark Titanic cruise, Zimbabwe has not money, and pe pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong14 to 20 April 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is available at a href='http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/' target='_blank'PodcasterNews.com/a, a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p div class='ybr' li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.mercurynews.com/travel/ci_12183800?nclick_check=1' target='_blank'Polish travel agency takes tourists to Afghanistan [Extreme Tourism]/a/div div class='pipesDescription'It said the 12 places, costing up to $3,700 apiece, have all been booked. However, reports of the offer spurred Poland's Foreign Ministry to warn Poles against unnecessary travel to Afghanistan, where NATO forces are struggling to tame a relentless Taliban insurgency. The ministry said the country 'remains a zone especially susceptible to terrorist attacks' and said Poles could be targets for kidnappers due to the presence of some 1,600 Polish troops in the NATO force. #tnt/div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-04-20-four-corners-off-by-miles_N.htm?csp=34' target='_blank'Four Corners misses mark by 2.5 miles/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Oh No! ... the Four Corners marker showing the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah is about 2.5 miles west of where it should be, According to readings by the National Geodetic Survey... #geog #travel/div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8777/zimbabwe-dumps-own-currency' target='_blank'Zimbabwe dumps own currency/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Trade in goods across Zimbabwe will now be conducted in US dollars, euros, British pounds, and probably South African rand, besides accepting currencies of neighboring countries. Ordinary people, however, in villages across the country will find it hard to get hold of foreign money making it arguably even more difficult to access goods and services./div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8831/pets-only-airline-says-it-plans-serve-denver-new-york-washington-' target='_blank'Pets-only airline says it plans to serve Denver, New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Pet Airways, a startup based in Delray Beach, Fla., said in an announcement Thursday it will carry pets (but not their human friends) in the main cabin. The budding airline said it will carry 'pawsengers' .../div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8835/travel-firm-plans-cruise-mark-anniversary-titanic-disaster' target='_blank'Travel firm pl <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>14 to 20 April 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is available at <a href="http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/" target="_blank">PodcasterNews.com</a>, <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <div class="ybr"> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/travel/ci_12183800?nclick_check=1" target="_blank">Polish travel agency takes tourists to Afghanistan [Extreme Tourism]</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">It said the 12 places, costing up to $3,700 apiece, have all been booked. However, reports of the offer spurred Poland's Foreign Ministry to warn Poles against unnecessary travel to Afghanistan, where NATO forces are struggling to tame a relentless Taliban insurgency. The ministry said the country "remains a zone especially susceptible to terrorist attacks" and said Poles could be targets for kidnappers due to the presence of some 1,600 Polish troops in the NATO force. #tnt</div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-04-20-four-corners-off-by-miles_N.htm?csp=34" target="_blank">Four Corners misses mark by 2.5 miles</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Oh No! ... the Four Corners marker showing the intersection of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah is about 2.5 miles west of where it should be, According to readings by the National Geodetic Survey... #geog #travel</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8777/zimbabwe-dumps-own-currency" target="_blank">Zimbabwe dumps own currency</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Trade in goods across Zimbabwe will now be conducted in US dollars, euros, British pounds, and probably South African rand, besides accepting currencies of neighboring countries. Ordinary people, however, in villages across the country will find it hard to get hold of foreign money making it arguably even more difficult to access goods and services.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8831/pets-only-airline-says-it-plans-serve-denver-new-york-washington-" target="_blank">Pets-only airline says it plans to serve Denver, New York, Washington, Chicago and Los Angeles</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Pet Airways, a startup based in Delray Beach, Fla., said in an announcement Thursday it will carry pets (but not their human friends) in the main cabin. The budding airline said it will carry "pawsengers" ...</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8835/travel-firm-plans-cruise-mark-anniversary-titanic-disaster" target="_blank">Travel firm plans cruise to mark anniversary of Titanic disaster (example of Dark Tourism)</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">The sailing will follow the Titanic's original route westward and include a memorial service on the morning of April 15, 2012 in the exact location where the Titanic went down. The Titanic sank on April 15, 1912.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8839/police-delete-london-tourists-photos-prevent-terrorism" target="_blank">Police delete London tourists' photos 'to prevent terrorism'</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">He described his horror as he and his 15-year-old son were forced to delete all transport-related pictures on their cameras, including images of Vauxhall underground station. "Google Street View is allowed to show any details of our cities on the world wide web," he said. "But a father and his son are not allowed to take pictures of famous London landmarks."</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.tripadvisor.com/PressCenter-i235-c1-Press_Releases.html" target="_blank">72% Question Hotel "Green" Practices; 44% Say Green Travel Options Hard to Find</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Seventy-six percent of travelers sometimes incorporate green choices in their travel plans and 27 percent of respondents intentionally made environmentally-friendly travel choices in the past year. Fifty-two percent regularly find it challenging to incorporate "green" choices into their travel plans and 44 percent of travelers find that environmentally-friendly options are not readily available when traveling.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5448/151-time-for-sustainable-tourism-and-the-best-of/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5448/151-time-for-sustainable-tourism-and-the-best-of/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5448/151-time-for-sustainable-tourism-and-the-best-of/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:22:24 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,volunteer tourism,voluntourism,Bali,moratorium,tourist attractions,scenic views,Beijing,air pollution,Italy,historic preservation Sustainable tourism is tourism that tries to contribute to broader social and environmental goals, than just the economic bottom line -- at it seems to be a growing area of interest worldwide. I also cover the 10 top tourist attractions in the US, an pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong7 April to 14 April 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p div class='ybr' li class='ybi' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8765/volunteer-vacation-sales-28-percent' target='_blank'US Volunteer vacation sales up 28 percent/a/div div class='pipesDescription''The recession has encouraged many people to volunteer and take some time away from all of the bad news. What we have seen is an increase in shorter volunteer trips in locations that are closer to home for Americans such as Latin America,' ... There has been a distinct increase in 22-30 year olds wanting to volunteer abroad - a mixture of recession fear and a new generation of travelers that want to give back when going abroad./div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/04/11/no-more-new-hotel-bali-administration.html' target='_blank'No more new hotels for Bali/a/div div class='pipesDescription'In an effort to protect the resort island's natural environment, the Bali provincial administration has decided to stop issuing official recommendations for the construction of new hotels, villas or homestays. 'The moratorium for the construction of new hotels is an appropriate measure to secure the island's future.' .... The moratorium is temporary, he added./div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8745/ranking-countrys-most-popular-destinations' target='_blank'Ranking the country's (US) most popular destinations/a/div div class='pipesDescription'#1. Times Square, New York City: 37.6 million; #2. The Las Vegas Strip, Nev.: 30 Million; #3. National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C.: 25 million .../div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8744/20-best-views-world' target='_blank'The 20 best views in the world/a/div div class='pipesDescription'1. The Grand Canyon from the South Rim; 2. Hong Kong Island from Kowloon; 3. Phang Nga Bay, Thailand; 4. Manhattan from the top of Rockefeller Plaza; 5. Istanbul skyline from the Bosphorus strait, Turkey/div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i0iFVs_twuUJBTSQ2hwzhPuBYnDgD97D0BBG0' target='_blank'Beijing extends limits on car use for cleaner air/a/div div class='pipesDescription'The restrictions were first announced in October following public debate over whether to extend traffic restrictions that helped keep skies clear during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They were set to expire at the end <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>7 April to 14 April 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <div class="ybr"> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8765/volunteer-vacation-sales-28-percent" target="_blank">US Volunteer vacation sales up 28 percent</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"The recession has encouraged many people to volunteer and take some time away from all of the bad news. What we have seen is an increase in shorter volunteer trips in locations that are closer to home for Americans such as Latin America," ... There has been a distinct increase in 22-30 year olds wanting to volunteer abroad - a mixture of recession fear and a new generation of travelers that want to give back when going abroad.</div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/04/11/no-more-new-hotel-bali-administration.html" target="_blank">No more new hotels for Bali</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">In an effort to protect the resort island's natural environment, the Bali provincial administration has decided to stop issuing official recommendations for the construction of new hotels, villas or homestays. "The moratorium for the construction of new hotels is an appropriate measure to secure the island's future." .... The moratorium is temporary, he added.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8745/ranking-countrys-most-popular-destinations" target="_blank">Ranking the country's (US) most popular destinations</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">#1. Times Square, New York City: 37.6 million; #2. The Las Vegas Strip, Nev.: 30 Million; #3. National Mall and Memorial Parks, Washington, D.C.: 25 million ...</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8744/20-best-views-world" target="_blank">The 20 best views in the world</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">1. The Grand Canyon from the South Rim; 2. Hong Kong Island from Kowloon; 3. Phang Nga Bay, Thailand; 4. Manhattan from the top of Rockefeller Plaza; 5. Istanbul skyline from the Bosphorus strait, Turkey</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i0iFVs_twuUJBTSQ2hwzhPuBYnDgD97D0BBG0" target="_blank">Beijing extends limits on car use for cleaner air</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">The restrictions were first announced in October following public debate over whether to extend traffic restrictions that helped keep skies clear during the 2008 Beijing Olympics. They were set to expire at the end of this week. The traffic bureau said on its Web site Sunday that the capital will continue to keep a third of government vehicles off the road altogether.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-04-08-italy-buildings_N.htm?csp=34" target="_blank">Italy wrestles with historic preservation</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">... the state-run Civil Protection Service said it would cost at least $1.7 billion to monitor and upgrade the safety standards of government-owned buildings that are more than 3 centuries old. "The problem is extraordinarily serious in Italy because there are so many ancient structures still being used, probably more than in any other country," ...</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5442/150-pata-numbers-hawaiian-mice-antarctic-tours-more-nudes/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5442/150-pata-numbers-hawaiian-mice-antarctic-tours-more-nudes/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5442/150-pata-numbers-hawaiian-mice-antarctic-tours-more-nudes/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Mon, 06 Apr 2009 23:35:29 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,PATA,Hawaii,Thailand,Cambodia,MICE,Antarctic,Atlantic City,Germany,nudist,gaming This is a long one (18.5 min) - covering PATA's predictions to 2011; Thai-Cambodia border dispute; Hawaii's tourism issues (MICE: Meetings, Incentive travel, Conventions and Exhibitions); Controlling Antarctic tourism; Real money slot machies; and a pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong30 March to 6 April 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p div class='ybr' li class='ybi' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8631/hawaii-asks-obama-bring-back-business-travelers' target='_blank'Hawaii asks Obama to bring back business travelers/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Gov. Linda Lingle, 90 business leaders and Hawaii's four mayors wrote Obama last week urging him to oppose any measure restricting companies that receive federal funds from using business meetings 'as a legitimate business tool.'/div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/05/obama-calls-limits-tourism-antarctica/' target='_blank'Obama Calls for Limits on Tourism to Antarctica/a/div div class='pipesDescription'The new U.S. proposal contains no specific enforcement mechanism or penalties for limiting tourist operations. But it would require signatories to the pact to ensure that Antarctic tour operators bar ships with more than 500 passengers from landing sites, restrict landings to one vessel at a time per site and limit passengers on shore to 100 at a time. It would mandate a minimum of one guide for every 20 tourists while ashore, according to the documents./div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8617/thailand-shuts-down-tourist-spots-after-fatal-clashes' target='_blank'Thailand shuts down tourist spots after fatal clashes/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Thai authorities have indefinitely closed tourist spots near the Preah Vihear temple as Thai and Cambodian soldiers clashed twice in the vicinity today (Friday), leaving two Thai and two Cambodian soldiers dead and several injured./div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-04-03-atlantic-city-real-coin-slot-machines_N.htm?csp=34' target='_blank'Atlantic City casino brings back real-coin slot machines/a/div div class='pipesDescription'It used to be the signature sound of gambling: the clacking of coins spilling into metal trays on slot machines. But newer electronic machines that spit paper vouchers or credit winnings to cards now emit only canned noise./div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8603/report-hawaiis-tourism-industry-crisis-mode' target='_blank'Report: Hawaii's tourism industry in 'crisis mode'/a/div div class='pipesDescription'The report urges the tourism industry should receive the highest priority in receiving stimulus funding. 'Until tourism gets well, the rest of the economy cannot, <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>30 March to 6 April 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <div class="ybr"> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8631/hawaii-asks-obama-bring-back-business-travelers" target="_blank">Hawaii asks Obama to bring back business travelers</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Gov. Linda Lingle, 90 business leaders and Hawaii's four mayors wrote Obama last week urging him to oppose any measure restricting companies that receive federal funds from using business meetings "as a legitimate business tool."</div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/05/obama-calls-limits-tourism-antarctica/" target="_blank">Obama Calls for Limits on Tourism to Antarctica</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">The new U.S. proposal contains no specific enforcement mechanism or penalties for limiting tourist operations. But it would require signatories to the pact to ensure that Antarctic tour operators bar ships with more than 500 passengers from landing sites, restrict landings to one vessel at a time per site and limit passengers on shore to 100 at a time. It would mandate a minimum of one guide for every 20 tourists while ashore, according to the documents.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8617/thailand-shuts-down-tourist-spots-after-fatal-clashes" target="_blank">Thailand shuts down tourist spots after fatal clashes</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Thai authorities have indefinitely closed tourist spots near the Preah Vihear temple as Thai and Cambodian soldiers clashed twice in the vicinity today (Friday), leaving two Thai and two Cambodian soldiers dead and several injured.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-04-03-atlantic-city-real-coin-slot-machines_N.htm?csp=34" target="_blank">Atlantic City casino brings back real-coin slot machines</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">It used to be the signature sound of gambling: the clacking of coins spilling into metal trays on slot machines. But newer electronic machines that spit paper vouchers or credit winnings to cards now emit only canned noise.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8603/report-hawaiis-tourism-industry-crisis-mode" target="_blank">Report: Hawaii's tourism industry in 'crisis mode'</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">The report urges the tourism industry should receive the highest priority in receiving stimulus funding. "Until tourism gets well, the rest of the economy cannot," ... "And the Hawaii tourism industry is in a crisis mode now."</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/International/AroundTheWorld/story?id=7217238&amp;page=1" target="_blank">Check In at Germany's First Naked Hotel</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Investors plan to set up a hotel catering exclusively to nudists in the picturesque Black Forest town of Freudenstadt, which incidentally translates as Town of Joys. Guests will be required to remove their clothes at the entrance and must be naked at all times while on the premises</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8599/some-cause-industry-hope-new-pata-tourism-forecasts" target="_blank">Some cause for industry hope in new PATA Tourism Forecasts</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">The PATA (Pacific Asia Tourism Assn) Tourism Forecasts 2009-2011, to be published this month, suggest growth in international arrivals for many destinations across the region - despite the global economic downturn. The Forecasts indicate a very mixed bag of results with significant variations across Asia Pacific.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </div> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5424/travelography-149-dark-tourism-east-africa-vegas-and-the-tsa/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5424/travelography-149-dark-tourism-east-africa-vegas-and-the-tsa/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5424/travelography-149-dark-tourism-east-africa-vegas-and-the-tsa/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Tue, 31 Mar 2009 01:06:31 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,Las Vegas,East Africa,Cambodia,Nebraska,Pol Pot,Dubai World,Nebraska,electric chair Dark tourism does not get much darker than Pol Pot tourism in Cambodia and Electric Chair tourism in Nebraska. The US govt has some really long lists of terrorists, and short lists of bird encounters. East African countries unite for tourism. And can pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong23 to 30 March 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8502/tourists-look-luck-pol-pot-s-grave' target='_blank'Tourists look for luck at Pol Potrsquo;s grave/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Cambodia - He was one of the greatest mass killers of the 20th century, but that doesn't stop the hopeful from praying at Pol Pot's hillside grave for lucky lottery numbers, job promotions and beautiful brides. Nor does it stop tourists from picking clean the bones and ashes from the Khmer Rouge leader's burial ground in this remote town in northwestern Cambodia./div /div div class='ybr' li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8513/mccook-abuzz-over-tourism-idea-old-sparky-electric-chair' target='_blank'McCook abuzz over tourism idea: lsquo;Old Sparkyrsquo; the electric chair/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Residents of a small southwest Nebraska town have a question for state officials: Yoursquo;re not doing anything with that old electric chair, are you? The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled last year that the statersquo;s use of the electric chair was unconstitutional because it amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Some people in McCookmdash;population just under 8,000mdash;think ldquo;Old Sparkyrsquo;rsquo; could be a tourist attraction and have offered to take it off the statersquo;s hands./div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://allafrica.com/stories/200903300120.html' target='_blank'East Africa: Region to Start Issuing Single Tourist Visas/a/div div class='pipesDescription'The East African Community (EAC) has agreed to start a single tourist visa for the region, ... the EAC members were discussing a protocol to create and market the region as a single tourist destination. Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya and Uganda make up the EAC./div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-26-faa-birds_N.htm?csp=34' target='_blank'FAA to seal bird-strike records/a/div div class='pipesDescription'The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says that the information could mislead the public and its release could prompt some airports and others not to report incidents, but the proposal is drawing sharp criticism from bird safety experts and public records advocates./div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-03-25-cleared-list_N.htm?csp=34' target='_blank'80,000 on TSA's 'cleared' fliers list/a/div <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>23 to 30 March 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8502/tourists-look-luck-pol-pot-s-grave" target="_blank">Tourists look for luck at Pol Pot&rsquo;s grave</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Cambodia - He was one of the greatest mass killers of the 20th century, but that doesn't stop the hopeful from praying at Pol Pot's hillside grave for lucky lottery numbers, job promotions and beautiful brides. Nor does it stop tourists from picking clean the bones and ashes from the Khmer Rouge leader's burial ground in this remote town in northwestern Cambodia.</div> </div> <div class="ybr"> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8513/mccook-abuzz-over-tourism-idea-old-sparky-electric-chair" target="_blank">McCook abuzz over tourism idea: &lsquo;Old Sparky&rsquo; the electric chair</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Residents of a small southwest Nebraska town have a question for state officials: You&rsquo;re not doing anything with that old electric chair, are you? The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled last year that the state&rsquo;s use of the electric chair was unconstitutional because it amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. Some people in McCook&mdash;population just under 8,000&mdash;think &ldquo;Old Sparky&rsquo;&rsquo; could be a tourist attraction and have offered to take it off the state&rsquo;s hands.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://allafrica.com/stories/200903300120.html" target="_blank">East Africa: Region to Start Issuing Single Tourist Visas</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">The East African Community (EAC) has agreed to start a single tourist visa for the region, ... the EAC members were discussing a protocol to create and market the region as a single tourist destination. Rwanda, Tanzania, Burundi, Kenya and Uganda make up the EAC.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2009-03-26-faa-birds_N.htm?csp=34" target="_blank">FAA to seal bird-strike records</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) says that the information could mislead the public and its release could prompt some airports and others not to report incidents, but the proposal is drawing sharp criticism from bird safety experts and public records advocates.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-03-25-cleared-list_N.htm?csp=34" target="_blank">80,000 on TSA's 'cleared' fliers list</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">critics want stricter standards for deciding who goes on the watch list. The list is based on "nominations" from intelligence and security agencies, such as the CIA and FBI, which use a "reasonable suspicion" standard to decide whether a person's suspected links to terrorism are strong enough to put him in the database. "No one wants to be the person who was too cautious about nominating names &hellip; so every name ends up on the list when only a handful should be,"</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.arabianbusiness.com/550565-mgm-mirage-says-dubai-lawsuit-without-merit" target="_blank">MGM Mirage says Dubai lawsuit &lsquo;without merit&rsquo;</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">On Monday Dubai World's Infinity World subsidiary filed a lawsuit against MGM Mirage because of its concern about the viability of their $8.6 billion joint venture project under construction on the Las Vegas Strip. The 67 acre project is under a cloud after SEC returns filed by MGM indicated it may breach its debt repayment obligations. MGM Mirage is currently saddled with $13 billion of debt.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </div> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5411/travelography-148-tourism-and-political-bedfellows/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5411/travelography-148-tourism-and-political-bedfellows/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5411/travelography-148-tourism-and-political-bedfellows/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sun, 22 Mar 2009 18:42:46 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,politics,mega-resorts,sustainable tourism,Mexico,anti-tourism,Croatia,Serbia,airlines,passports,hiking,Switzerland,nude Politics and tourism are covered in Tourism Concern's condemnation of mega-resorts, an anti-Mexico tourism campaign in the US, and Croatia's tourism marketing to Serbia. Other stories include airlines may be stabilizing, fake passports are as easy as pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong15 to 22 March 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0amp;cntnt01articleid=111amp;cntnt01origid=172amp;cntnt01returnid=72' target='_blank'Tourism Concern Calls For Halt On Construction Of Mega-Resorts/a/div div class='pipesTitle'The global trend in developing luxury, large-scale resorts is leading to widespread alienation and displacement of people from their land, and is wreaking havoc with fragile ecosystems. Poor communities in developing countries, which depend heavily upon their natural resources for their livelihoods, are the hardest hit./div /div div class='pipesTitle'br //div div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mexico-flyers-say-2341374-border-immigration' target='_blank'Anti-illegal immigrant groups launch Mexico tourism boycott/a/div div class='pipesTitle'Americans United to Halt Tourism in Mexico ndash; formed by Minutemen groups across the country ... ndash; is urging Americans bound for sun and fun south of the border to instead visit the U.S. Southwest. 'Do not give your tourist dollars to Mexico!' the fliers say./div div class='pipesTitle'br //div div class='pipesDescription'a href='http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/17/europe/swiss.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert' target='_blank'Forget the lederhosen: Nude hiking alarms a Swiss farm town/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Last summer, the number of nude hikers increased to such an extent that the hills often seemed alive with the sound of everything but the swish of trousers.a href='http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/19/europe/19croatia.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert' target='_blank'/a/div div class='pipesDescription'br //div div class='pipesDescription'a href='http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/19/europe/19croatia.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert' target='_blank'Croatia courts old enemy and its tourism spending/a/div div class='pipesDescription'... for the first time since Serbian and Montenegrin forces besieged this historic port city in 1991, businesspeople [in Dubrovnik, Croatia] are publicly appealing to Serbian tourists to help rescue the economy.a href='http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29727990/' target='_blank'/a/div div class='pipesDescription'br //div div class='pipesDescription'a href='http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29727990/' target='_blank'Air travel showing signs of stability/a/div div class='pipesDescription'...the drops in new booking revenue that US Airways saw in January and the first half of February had stopped, and in March even rose a little. ... the overall number of leisure passengers has held up mdash; it's just that they're paying less to fly than they used to.a href='http://www.seattlepi.com/national/403614_security14.html' target='_blank'/a/div div class='pipesDescription'br //div div class='pipesDescription'a href='http://www.seattlepi.com/national/403614_security14.html' target='_blank'The art of passport fakery is alive and well/a/div div class='pipesDescription'One investigator used <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>15 to 22 March 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.tourismconcern.org.uk/index.php?mact=News,cntnt01,detail,0&amp;cntnt01articleid=111&amp;cntnt01origid=172&amp;cntnt01returnid=72" target="_blank">Tourism Concern Calls For Halt On Construction Of Mega-Resorts</a></div> <div class="pipesTitle">The global trend in developing luxury, large-scale resorts is leading to widespread alienation and displacement of people from their land, and is wreaking havoc with fragile ecosystems. Poor communities in developing countries, which depend heavily upon their natural resources for their livelihoods, are the hardest hit.</div> </div> <div class="pipesTitle"><br /></div> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.ocregister.com/articles/mexico-flyers-say-2341374-border-immigration" target="_blank">Anti-illegal immigrant groups launch Mexico tourism boycott</a></div> <div class="pipesTitle">Americans United to Halt Tourism in Mexico &ndash; formed by Minutemen groups across the country ... &ndash; is urging Americans bound for sun and fun south of the border to instead visit the U.S. Southwest. "Do not give your tourist dollars to Mexico!" the fliers say.</div> <div class="pipesTitle"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"><a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/17/europe/swiss.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert" target="_blank">Forget the lederhosen: Nude hiking alarms a Swiss farm town</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Last summer, the number of nude hikers increased to such an extent that the hills often seemed alive with the sound of everything but the swish of trousers.<a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/19/europe/19croatia.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert" target="_blank"></a></div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"><a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/19/europe/19croatia.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert" target="_blank">Croatia courts old enemy and its tourism spending</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">... for the first time since Serbian and Montenegrin forces besieged this historic port city in 1991, businesspeople [in Dubrovnik, Croatia] are publicly appealing to Serbian tourists to help rescue the economy.<a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29727990/" target="_blank"></a></div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29727990/" target="_blank">Air travel showing signs of stability</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">...the drops in new booking revenue that US Airways saw in January and the first half of February had stopped, and in March even rose a little. ... the overall number of leisure passengers has held up &mdash; it's just that they're paying less to fly than they used to.<a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/403614_security14.html" target="_blank"></a></div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"><a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/national/403614_security14.html" target="_blank">The art of passport fakery is alive and well</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">One investigator used the Social Security number of a man who died in 1965, a fake New York birth certificate and a fake Florida driver's license. He received a passport four days later. A second attempt had the investigator using a 5-year-old boy's information but identifying himself as 53 years old on the passport application. He received that passport seven days later.</div> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5405/travelography-147-finally-some-good-travel-and-tourism-news/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5405/travelography-147-finally-some-good-travel-and-tourism-news/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5405/travelography-147-finally-some-good-travel-and-tourism-news/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Mon, 16 Mar 2009 02:07:21 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel,travel agents,tourist behavior,corporate travel,Obama,South America,cruise industry,cruise crime,Utah,alcohol Not everyone in the Travel and Tourism Industry are down and out these days. Bookings are starting to turn around, and certain segments and geographic regions of the industry are likely to benefit from the current global economic challenges... And Ut pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong8 to 15 March 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com/' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info/' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.traveltrade.com/news_article.htm?id=5861amp;p=index.htm' target='_blank'Tripology Report Finds Positive Trends for Agents/a/div div class='pipesDescription''With a 42% increase in trip requests received via Tripology.com in 2009 over the end of 2008, the increase demonstrates that many consumers are looking to travel in the next 140 days -- just in time for the summer travel season. Further, the increase in trip requests reveals a continued trend of consumers seeking the assistance of expert travel agents to help them plan and book their trips based on their specific specs -- a definitive plus for specialists.'/div div class='pipesDescription'br //div div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/8261/economic-downturn-create-new-winners-and-losers-travel' target='_blank'Economic downturn to create new winners and losers in travel/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Internet bookings will surge. Demand for online virtual meetings will gather pace. Domestic travel will stay stable or grow, as will demand for low-cost flights. Destinations adjacent to big travel markets will do not so bad. Long-haul travel will fall sharply. And the most pain will be felt in the business travel and MICE sectors./div /div div class='pipesDescription'br //div div class='pipesDescription' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.travelagentcentral.com/trends-research/corporate-travel-cuts-may-threaten-economic-recovery-13734' target='_blank'Corporate Travel Cuts May Threaten Economic Recovery/a/div div class='pipesDescription'In fact, 72 percent believe that increasing travel budgets will allow companies to gain a competitive edge by building market share and forging new customer relationships./div /div div class='pipesDescription'br //div div class='pipesDescription' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29667132/' target='_blank'White House says it encourages business travel/a/div div class='pipesDescription''These comments are extremely positive for the 1 million employees in this industry whose livelihood depends on business meetings and events,' said Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of the U.S. Travel Association./div /div div class='pipesDescription'br //div div class='pipesDescription' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid190824.aspx' target='_blank'South America tourism is up despite global economic slump/a/div div class='pipesDescription''In a year when flat is the new up, South America is actually up,' said Melissa Snape, vice president of product at Collette Vacations, whose 2009 bookings for the continent are trending 30% ahead of last year./div /div div class='pipesDescription'br //div div class='pipesDescription' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=53047' target='_blank'Sen. Kerry, Rep. Matsui Introduce Cruise Safety Bill/a/div div class='pipesDescription'ldquo;We have now <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>8 to 15 March 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com/" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info/" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.traveltrade.com/news_article.htm?id=5861&amp;p=index.htm" target="_blank">Tripology Report Finds Positive Trends for Agents</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"With a 42% increase in trip requests received via Tripology.com in 2009 over the end of 2008, the increase demonstrates that many consumers are looking to travel in the next 140 days -- just in time for the summer travel season. Further, the increase in trip requests reveals a continued trend of consumers seeking the assistance of expert travel agents to help them plan and book their trips based on their specific specs -- a definitive plus for specialists."</div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8261/economic-downturn-create-new-winners-and-losers-travel" target="_blank">Economic downturn to create new winners and losers in travel</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Internet bookings will surge. Demand for online virtual meetings will gather pace. Domestic travel will stay stable or grow, as will demand for low-cost flights. Destinations adjacent to big travel markets will do not so bad. Long-haul travel will fall sharply. And the most pain will be felt in the business travel and MICE sectors.</div> </div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.travelagentcentral.com/trends-research/corporate-travel-cuts-may-threaten-economic-recovery-13734" target="_blank">Corporate Travel Cuts May Threaten Economic Recovery</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">In fact, 72 percent believe that increasing travel budgets will allow companies to gain a competitive edge by building market share and forging new customer relationships.</div> </div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29667132/" target="_blank">White House says it encourages business travel</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"These comments are extremely positive for the 1 million employees in this industry whose livelihood depends on business meetings and events," said Geoff Freeman, senior vice president of the U.S. Travel Association.</div> </div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.travelweekly.com/article3_ektid190824.aspx" target="_blank">South America tourism is up despite global economic slump</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"In a year when flat is the new up, South America is actually up," said Melissa Snape, vice president of product at Collette Vacations, whose 2009 bookings for the continent are trending 30% ahead of last year.</div> </div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=53047" target="_blank">Sen. Kerry, Rep. Matsui Introduce Cruise Safety Bill</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">&ldquo;We have now held two House hearings and one Senate hearing on crimes aboard cruise ships, and this legislation will ensure that those who have bravely stepped forward to tell their story will not have done so in vain,&rdquo;</div> </div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8188/princess-cruises-crew-member-accused-sexual-assault" target="_blank">Princess Cruises crew member accused of sexual assault</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"Cruise lines are seemingly becoming more sensitive to the needs of crime victims, and are creating the appearance of being responsible.&rdquo; It remains to be seen whether these moves are being made out of genuine concern for passengers, or out of a desire to avoid bad publicity.</div> </div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8201/no-membership-needed-utah-bars-open-public" target="_blank">No membership needed: Utah bars to open to public</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"I think it's great that it essentially says to tourists, to travelers, that you are welcome here and that we're excited to host you and Utah's a normal place," ...</div> </div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> <div class="pipesDescription"><br /></div> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5394/travelography-146-direct-flights-are-best-filling-cruises-at-any-price/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5394/travelography-146-direct-flights-are-best-filling-cruises-at-any-price/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5394/travelography-146-direct-flights-are-best-filling-cruises-at-any-price/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sun, 08 Mar 2009 22:46:18 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,Korea,airlines,discount carriers,cruises,cruise lines,North Pole North Korea warns passenger airlines about entering their air space. Discount air carriers are much stronger these days than legacy airlines due to the price of fuel. Cruise ships are filling up, but are the cruise lines making any money? And 'Go Nor pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong1 to 8 March 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-03-04-discount-airlines-grow_N.htm' target='_blank'Discount airlines grow amid downturn/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Nimble discount airlines here and around the world are growing and opening new routes even as the recession forces traditional carriers to cut flights and jobs. Low-cost carriers, such as New York-based JetBlue (JBLU), Ireland-based Ryanair and Canada-based WestJet, are making inroads where higher-cost carriers are shrinking amid falling travel demand, especially among cost-conscious fliers./div /div div class='ybr' li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/06/asia/06north-airspace.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert' target='_blank'Seoul warns North Korea to withdraw airline threat/a/div div class='pipesDescription''Threatening civilian airliners' normal operations under international aviation regulations is not only against international rules but is an act against humanity,' ... North should 'immediately withdraw the military threat.'/div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blogamp;ak=63675123.blog' target='_blank'Downturn in cruise business worse than we thought/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Several cruise lines including Carnival have reported strong bookings in recent months. ... Still, 'while these bookings are clearly being taken at steep discounts, it is a positive that consumers are responding to the operatorsrsquo; promotions and making up for some lost load factor,'/div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=52484' target='_blank'Cruise Analyst Sees 'Challenging' Cruise Trends/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Alaska ldquo;appears especially weakrdquo; with pricing down from 20 to 40 percent as fares ldquo;hit new lows in Februaryhellip;.We believe both companies [Carnival Corp. and RCCL] are now aggressively moving to fill remaining Q2 and Q3 capacity after attempting to hold price as long as possible,rdquo;/div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/the-economics-of-airline-layovers/?scp=3amp;sq=airlinesamp;st=cse' target='_blank'The Economics of Airline Layovers/a/div div class='pipesDescription'... the marginal cost of a connecting flight was $12 more expensive than that of a direct flight. The change is probably driven <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>1 to 8 March 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-03-04-discount-airlines-grow_N.htm" target="_blank">Discount airlines grow amid downturn</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Nimble discount airlines here and around the world are growing and opening new routes even as the recession forces traditional carriers to cut flights and jobs. Low-cost carriers, such as New York-based JetBlue (JBLU), Ireland-based Ryanair and Canada-based WestJet, are making inroads where higher-cost carriers are shrinking amid falling travel demand, especially among cost-conscious fliers.</div> </div> <div class="ybr"> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2009/03/06/asia/06north-airspace.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert" target="_blank">Seoul warns North Korea to withdraw airline threat</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"Threatening civilian airliners' normal operations under international aviation regulations is not only against international rules but is an act against humanity," ... North should "immediately withdraw the military threat."</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&amp;ak=63675123.blog" target="_blank">Downturn in cruise business worse than we thought</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Several cruise lines including Carnival have reported strong bookings in recent months. ... Still, "while these bookings are clearly being taken at steep discounts, it is a positive that consumers are responding to the operators&rsquo; promotions and making up for some lost load factor,"</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.travelpulse.com/Resources/Editorial.aspx?n=52484" target="_blank">Cruise Analyst Sees "Challenging" Cruise Trends</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Alaska &ldquo;appears especially weak&rdquo; with pricing down from 20 to 40 percent as fares &ldquo;hit new lows in February&hellip;.We believe both companies [Carnival Corp. and RCCL] are now aggressively moving to fill remaining Q2 and Q3 capacity after attempting to hold price as long as possible,&rdquo;</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://economix.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/02/27/the-economics-of-airline-layovers/?scp=3&amp;sq=airlines&amp;st=cse" target="_blank">The Economics of Airline Layovers</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">... the marginal cost of a connecting flight was $12 more expensive than that of a direct flight. The change is probably driven by the increasing fuel cost in the sample period. Since the fraction of fuel consumed at the takeoffs and landings could be as high as 40 percent, rising fuel costs offset the benefit of denser traffic created by connecting flights.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&amp;ak=63600947.blog" target="_blank">Carnival: Discounts sparking record cruise ship bookings</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">The world's largest cruise line says it recorded the highest number of net weekly bookings in its history during the one-week period that ended Sunday. On a cumulative basis, net bookings are up 10% as compared to last year since mid-January.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/8009/tourism-heats-north-pole" target="_blank">Tourism heats up at the North Pole</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"With the centennial this year of the Robert F. Peary discovery of the North Pole, combined with the fear that global warming may soon change the arctic regions forever, it's a very busy year for us,"...</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </div> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5384/travelography-145-slumdog-foreclosure-and-oil-rig-tourisms/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5384/travelography-145-slumdog-foreclosure-and-oil-rig-tourisms/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5384/travelography-145-slumdog-foreclosure-and-oil-rig-tourisms/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Tue, 24 Feb 2009 17:09:24 -0500 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,Martinique,India,Brazil,crime,oil rigs,China Travel and Tourism News Stories - 16-23 Feb 2009 - Martinique, Rio de Janeiro's Carnival, Chinese tourists, Ryanair, Slumdog India, and turning Oil Rigs into Resorts. div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong16 to 23 February 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/7887/no-danger-martinique-travel-journalists-say' target='_blank'No danger in Martinique, travel journalists say/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Recreational activities ndash; kayaking, sailboarding, windsurfing, jet skiing, scuba diving operations, etc. ndash; seem to be in full swing. The very good network of hiking trails remains open. The outstanding beaches are as inviting as ever, and the little cafes that line some of them remain open and serving excellent grilled chicken, ribs, fish, etc. As things now stand, people outside of Fort-de-France, where most visitors to Martinique stay, should experience little or no problem/div /div div class='ybr' li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/7889/rio-embarrassed-surge-carnival-crime-against-tourists' target='_blank'Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, embarrassed by surge in Carnival crime against tourists/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Nearly 100 tourists have been robbed, many by armed gangs, raising questions over whether Rio is safe enough to win a bid to host the 2016 Olympics./div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.macon.com/198/story/624922.html' target='_blank'Chinese crew filming documentary makes a stop in Macon, Georgia/a/div div class='pipesDescription'ldquo;Itrsquo;s a whole new market,rdquo; she said. ldquo;Tourism comes on the heels of trade. A lot of (Americans) have started to travel to China, and now we are seeing the reverse, because theyrsquo;ve loosened all travel restrictions. Within five years, we think they will be as big as the U.K. or Germany in number of tourists here {to Georgia}.rdquo;/div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi odd' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-02-23-ryanair-checkin-counters_N.htm?csp=34' target='_blank'Ryanair to do away with check-in desks/a/div div class='pipesDescription'Passengers would still be able to leave their luggage at a baggage drop but everything else could be done over the Web ... 'Ultimately, we want just one in five people to check in luggage,'.../div /div /div /div /li li class='ybi' div class='pipesImgdescription' div class='pipesHolder' div class='pipesText' style='margin-left: 0px;' div class='pipesTitle'a href='http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101024305' target='_blank'Chinese 'Foreclosure Tourists' Shopping In U.S. (NPR)/a/div div class='pipesDescription'A new kind of tourist package is being offered in China. Call it the 'U.S. Real Estate Bottom-Fishing Tour.' The first of 40 Chinese real estat <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>16 to 23 February 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7887/no-danger-martinique-travel-journalists-say" target="_blank">No danger in Martinique, travel journalists say</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Recreational activities &ndash; kayaking, sailboarding, windsurfing, jet skiing, scuba diving operations, etc. &ndash; seem to be in full swing. The very good network of hiking trails remains open. The outstanding beaches are as inviting as ever, and the little cafes that line some of them remain open and serving excellent grilled chicken, ribs, fish, etc. As things now stand, people outside of Fort-de-France, where most visitors to Martinique stay, should experience little or no problem</div> </div> <div class="ybr"> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7889/rio-embarrassed-surge-carnival-crime-against-tourists" target="_blank">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, embarrassed by surge in Carnival crime against tourists</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Nearly 100 tourists have been robbed, many by armed gangs, raising questions over whether Rio is safe enough to win a bid to host the 2016 Olympics.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.macon.com/198/story/624922.html" target="_blank">Chinese crew filming documentary makes a stop in Macon, Georgia</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a whole new market,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Tourism comes on the heels of trade. A lot of (Americans) have started to travel to China, and now we are seeing the reverse, because they&rsquo;ve loosened all travel restrictions. Within five years, we think they will be as big as the U.K. or Germany in number of tourists here {to Georgia}.&rdquo;</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-02-23-ryanair-checkin-counters_N.htm?csp=34" target="_blank">Ryanair to do away with check-in desks</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Passengers would still be able to leave their luggage at a baggage drop but everything else could be done over the Web ... "Ultimately, we want just one in five people to check in luggage,"...</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=101024305" target="_blank">Chinese "Foreclosure Tourists" Shopping In U.S. (NPR)</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">A new kind of tourist package is being offered in China. Call it the "U.S. Real Estate Bottom-Fishing Tour." The first of 40 Chinese real estate shoppers are looking in the U.S. this week to buy for foreclosure properties and other housing bargains.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123517711344337609.html" target="_blank">'Slumdog Millionaire' is Attracting Tourists to Mumbai Slums</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Travelers often complain that the world is becoming homogenized, but India is an exception, its crumbling infrastructure, constant chaos and in-your-face poverty co-existing with trendy nightclubs and Bollywood glitz. Tourism here has fallen off precipitously, and airfares and hotel rates have plummeted. But among the trickle of international tourists are a striking number eager to see Mumbai's now-famous slums, home to an estimated 10 million of the city's 18 million residents.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7856/tourists-leave-guadeloupe-after-being-stranded-due-riots" target="_blank">Tourists leave Guadeloupe after being stranded due to riots - Thousands Of Tourists Cancel Their Vacations</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">Unemployment on Guadeloupe hit 22.7 percent in 2007, according to the most recent data available from France's national statistics bureau. That compares with 8.3 percent in mainland France in 2007. Some 12.5 percent of Guadeloupe's residents live in poverty, compared with 6.5 percent in mainland France,</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://la.curbed.com/archives/2009/02/waterworld_dreams_realized_oil_rigs_become_luxury_hotels.php" target="_blank">Waterworld Dreams Realized: Oil Rigs Become Luxury Hotels</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"There are approximately 4,000 oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico varying in size, depth and mobility that will be decommissioned within the next century. If a deck on one of these rigs is about 20,000 square feet, then there is potentially 80 million square feet of programmable space just off the coast of the United States. The current method for rig removal is explosion, which costs millions of dollars and destroys massive amounts of aquatic life. What if these rigs were recommissioned as exclusive&hellip;</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-02-18-martinique-guadeloupe-unrest_N.htm" target="_blank">Tourists cancel trips to French resort islands amid unrest</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">"Tourism is fragile," she said. "People are not only canceling this week, but also for all the months of February, March and April. We have a huge deficit of tourists ahead of us." At least 10,000 tourists have canceled vacations in Martinique and Guadeloupe, according to the National Travel Agencies organization.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li class="ybi odd"> <div class="pipesImgdescription"> <div class="pipesHolder"> <div class="pipesText" style="margin-left: 0px;"> <div class="pipesTitle"><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-02-16-india-tourism_N.htm?csp=34" target="_blank">'Incredible India' loses luster as tourists stay away</a></div> <div class="pipesDescription">India has seen its tourist arrivals drop in recent months for the first time since 2002 when it launched its hugely successful "Incredible India" campaign that enticed millions of well-heeled tourists from around the world to explore the wonders of India. Winter is peak season, but this year business has been slow and hotels are struggling to fill empty rooms due to mass cancellations by foreign tourists. All sectors have been hit, from pricey tours of Rajasthan, to budget beach holidays in Goa.</div> </div> </div> </div> </li> </div> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5382/travelography-144-business-or-pleasure-in-vegas-and-fleeing-tibet/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5382/travelography-144-business-or-pleasure-in-vegas-and-fleeing-tibet/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5382/travelography-144-business-or-pleasure-in-vegas-and-fleeing-tibet/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Mon, 16 Feb 2009 21:17:14 -0500 no Alan A. Lew Las Vegas,MICE,business travel,conventions,airlines,travel,tourism,international travel,USA,US,Tibet,Nepal,China,Canada,Passenger Bill of Rights,TwisitorCenter,Twitter.com Business conventions often cross the line between business and pleasure, and places like Las Vegas are paying the price for this. US airlines are looking even worse for 2009 as international travel slumps. The tourism downturn in Tibet is causing non pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week ofstrong /strongstrong9 to 16 February 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-1c21150ae6b0cf540e3c4fc0dfd0bef2-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='dateGroup'/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100734503'Sin City worries its image hurts business travel : NPR/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Born of carefully crafted slogans mdash; 'What happens here stays here' mdash; and smiling, sequined showgirls, the image of a 24-hour adult Disneyland with free-flowing booze and casino chips is making the tourist destination seem radioactive to companies keen on not appearing frivolous as they seek government bailouts./div /div div class='tagdisplay'/div /div /li li id='item-e437d97571c69db3d579205543bee0ec-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark' div class='dateGroup'span title='14 FEB 09' /span/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/us/11vegas.html?_r=2amp;ref=us'Tower Rising in Las Vegas but Now, Not So High/a/h4 div class='description'But because of what it is billing as structural defects, MGM Mirage announced recently it has decided to shorten a hotel-condominium project it is building on the Strip to 28 stories instead of the planned 49. Architectural experts say they cannot recall such a drastic midconstruction downscaling,/div /div /div /li li id='item-3ee7d9ef76cf71aa59b4768d8779cdaa-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/7764/passenger-bill-rights-will-make-airfares-soar-airline-council'Canadian passenger bill of rights will make airfares soar/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description''The last thing, in this economic context, that airlines want to do is pass on that cost to passengers but they will have no choice. There is no way airlines could absorb that,' said George Petsikas, president of the National Airlines Council of Canada./div /div /div /li li id='item-bfe46807a21f7fec5fb85c2772df0634-4' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/7749/us-airlines-face-sharp-drop-international-demand'US airlines face sharp drop in international demand/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='bookmark NOTHUMB'he now expects U.S. airline revenue to fall 11% for the year, compared to his prior outlook of an 8% decline. Hardest hit would be the lucrative international routes, particularly those of American parent AMR Corp. and Continental. Mainline international revenue could fall 12% for 2009, versus a prior forecast of a 6% decline,/div /div /div /li <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of<strong> </strong><strong>9 to 16 February 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-1c21150ae6b0cf540e3c4fc0dfd0bef2-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=100734503">Sin City worries its image hurts business travel : NPR</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Born of carefully crafted slogans &mdash; "What happens here stays here" &mdash; and smiling, sequined showgirls, the image of a 24-hour adult Disneyland with free-flowing booze and casino chips is making the tourist destination seem radioactive to companies keen on not appearing frivolous as they seek government bailouts.</div> </div> <div class="tagdisplay"></div> </div> </li> <li id="item-e437d97571c69db3d579205543bee0ec-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark"> <div class="dateGroup"><span title="14 FEB 09"> </span></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/11/us/11vegas.html?_r=2&amp;ref=us">Tower Rising in Las Vegas but Now, Not So High</a></h4> <div class="description">But because of what it is billing as structural defects, MGM Mirage announced recently it has decided to shorten a hotel-condominium project it is building on the Strip to 28 stories instead of the planned 49. Architectural experts say they cannot recall such a drastic midconstruction downscaling,</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-3ee7d9ef76cf71aa59b4768d8779cdaa-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7764/passenger-bill-rights-will-make-airfares-soar-airline-council">Canadian passenger bill of rights will make airfares soar</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">"The last thing, in this economic context, that airlines want to do is pass on that cost to passengers but they will have no choice. There is no way airlines could absorb that," said George Petsikas, president of the National Airlines Council of Canada.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-bfe46807a21f7fec5fb85c2772df0634-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7749/us-airlines-face-sharp-drop-international-demand">US airlines face sharp drop in international demand</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB">he now expects U.S. airline revenue to fall 11% for the year, compared to his prior outlook of an 8% decline. Hardest hit would be the lucrative international routes, particularly those of American parent AMR Corp. and Continental. Mainline international revenue could fall 12% for 2009, versus a prior forecast of a 6% decline,</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-bfe46807a21f7fec5fb85c2772df0634-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=6861461">Tibetan Areas Closed to Foreigners</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Large swathes of Gansu, Sichuan and Qinghai provinces &mdash; home to large ethnic Tibetan communities &mdash; are now off limits to foreign travelers, local officials confirmed Thursday. Last year, protests to mark the anniversary spun out of control, with deadly riots breaking out in the Tibetan capital of Lhasa.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-f11aaa886e90c672e5483aa284e8ba2c-6" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7757/chinese-migrants-may-flee-tibet-tourism-stalls">Chinese migrants may flee Tibet as tourism stalls</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Many workers and traders from other ethnic groups who moved to the remote region in search of a better living said they were considering leaving for good, driven away by the tourism slump and icy anger of local Tibetans.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-5c28f91d7a818b8f07a0fb45bf2a76c3-7" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7747/nepal-seeks-way-promote-tourism-between-nepal-and-china">Nepal seeks way to promote tourism between Nepal and China</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">"China would tide over this phase of financial turmoil and come up as a much bigger player in the world economy, we, very close neighbor of China, hope that Nepal will also benefit from the strength of the Chinese economy,"</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-b99c7a749bf4c3c4dfaf39a48a3c9f46-8" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/12/AR2009021203630.html">Travel Industry: This Is No Time to Check Out</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">"We've got to get away from the symbolism of corporate fat cats smoking a big cigar on a golf course and instead think about the symbolism of people meeting and thinking together and creating ideas and building their cultures,"</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-fdc43f15998a1e794f56af628177897a-9" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-02-11-obama-vegas-mayor_N.htm?csp=34">Mayor to Obama: Your comments are harmful to Las Vegas</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Obama said during a town hall meeting this week in Indiana that companies shouldn't take trips to Las Vegas or go to the Super Bowl at taxpayers' expense.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-04bb86c531095919b25c24f450caa07d-10" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-02-09-overseas-flights_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip">Downturn hits international travel; flights from USA cut</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">With demand for international trips in free fall, most U.S. and foreign airlines are cutting international service to and from the USA. They're reducing the number of scheduled flights or parking big jets and putting passengers on smaller ones to avoid flying money-losing, half-empty flights.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-70eb230a9e3170d03008bb264fc8c4f2-11" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://twisitorcenter.com/">TwisitorCenter - your one-stop shop for finding visitor information on twitter.com</a></h4> <div class="description">Going somewhere? Get the insider information from those who know, the local tourism authority. Connect here with your final destination for all your traveling needs.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5377/travelography-143-fire-tourists-and-tweet-my-spring-break/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5377/travelography-143-fire-tourists-and-tweet-my-spring-break/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5377/travelography-143-fire-tourists-and-tweet-my-spring-break/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Mon, 09 Feb 2009 22:08:46 -0500 no Alan A. Lew Australia,travel,tourism,airplanes,Twitter,birds,Spring Break,Mexico,Korea,toilet Tourists rubberneckers head to fire area in Australia. Radar is one of the hopeful ways of helping birds to avoid planes. Twitter is becoming an important travel industry communication tool. College student Spring Break bookings to Mexico are strong. pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong2 to 9 February 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-9bc13b808d06050bd987ed5aca2843ac-0' class='post first isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/7653/police-warn-fire-tourists-stay-away'Police warn 'fire tourists' to stay away - Australia/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'People have died in their cars trying to escape the Gippsland fires and there are reports of a busload of Japanese tourists heading towards the Yarra Valley. Police say they will be blocking people who are driving towards dangerous areas and people could be charged with hindering police if they are caught sightseeing in 'stupid' areas./div /div /div /li li id='item-20d9d85f866a26657ec2c451b0f6d036-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/254964,australias-forest-fire-toll-climbs--166-dead--summary.html'Australia's forest fire toll climbs - 166 dead - Summary : Environment/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The body count reached 166 on Tuesday, more than doubling the death toll from Australia's previous worst forest fires in 1983. Authorities in the south-coast city of Melbourne warned the death toll would continue to climb as army bulldozers cleared a path for forensic teams to enter hamlets cut off by Saturday's inferno./div /div /div /li li id='item-6409ae658e28c2c00569ceae17c82113-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090206-birds-airplane-hudson-river.html?source=rss'Future Tech May Reduce Bird-Plane Collisions/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Most of today's anti-bird-strike efforts are ground-based, focusing on making airports less inviting to birds by removing ponds, exterminating the bugs birds eat, firing noise cannons, installing artificial owls, and so on. But the next frontier in bird-strike prevention is the sky. Bird-disturbing radar, pulsing lights, and reflective coatings may someday make aircraft more visible to birds, so they have time to dodge oncoming planes/div /div /div /li li id='item-0eb12d1af3a5be6b925a9cc93bdf1ba0-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2009-02-02-hotel-airlines-travel-twitter_N.htm'Travel firms respond to events, share news via Twitter/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Hotels, airlines, airports and other travel companies are joining the Twitter com <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>2 to 9 February 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-9bc13b808d06050bd987ed5aca2843ac-0" class="post first isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7653/police-warn-fire-tourists-stay-away">Police warn 'fire tourists' to stay away - Australia</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">People have died in their cars trying to escape the Gippsland fires and there are reports of a busload of Japanese tourists heading towards the Yarra Valley. Police say they will be blocking people who are driving towards dangerous areas and people could be charged with hindering police if they are caught sightseeing in "stupid" areas.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-20d9d85f866a26657ec2c451b0f6d036-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/254964,australias-forest-fire-toll-climbs--166-dead--summary.html">Australia's forest fire toll climbs - 166 dead - Summary : Environment</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The body count reached 166 on Tuesday, more than doubling the death toll from Australia's previous worst forest fires in 1983. Authorities in the south-coast city of Melbourne warned the death toll would continue to climb as army bulldozers cleared a path for forensic teams to enter hamlets cut off by Saturday's inferno.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-6409ae658e28c2c00569ceae17c82113-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2009/02/090206-birds-airplane-hudson-river.html?source=rss">Future Tech May Reduce Bird-Plane Collisions</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Most of today's anti-bird-strike efforts are ground-based, focusing on making airports less inviting to birds by removing ponds, exterminating the bugs birds eat, firing noise cannons, installing artificial owls, and so on. But the next frontier in bird-strike prevention is the sky. Bird-disturbing radar, pulsing lights, and reflective coatings may someday make aircraft more visible to birds, so they have time to dodge oncoming planes</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-0eb12d1af3a5be6b925a9cc93bdf1ba0-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2009-02-02-hotel-airlines-travel-twitter_N.htm">Travel firms respond to events, share news via Twitter</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Hotels, airlines, airports and other travel companies are joining the Twitter community, too, to pitch services, update travel conditions and respond directly to the individual needs of customers. They're finding the mobile nature of the technology is ideal for talking to travelers. "We consider our Twitter account akin to an information booth,"</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-0b677e3a0b9dfc7a3034e9e3e08661d5-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-02-02-spring-break_N.htm?csp=34">Economy won't stop the spring break party</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Bookings to popular beach destinations are strong, according to travel companies, and volunteering vacations continue to gain momentum. "Typically the student business is more resilient to the economy because it's like a once in a lifetime trip,"</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-f38cfa6322c247b150ef96fd55c9ccbb-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.upgradetravelbetter.com/2009/01/23/50000-to-stay-in-a-house-shaped-like-a-toilet/">$50,000 to stay in a house shaped like a toilet?</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Traveling to Suwon, South Korea anytime soon? Feeling flush with cash and feel like staying in a house shaped like a toilet?</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5373/travelography-142-winners-and-losers-and-carbon-neutral-mountains/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5373/travelography-142-winners-and-losers-and-carbon-neutral-mountains/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5373/travelography-142-winners-and-losers-and-carbon-neutral-mountains/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Mon, 02 Feb 2009 20:16:36 -0500 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,Hawaii,Tobago,China,UK,France,Europe,Disneyland,Azerbaijan,carbon neutral Hawaii and Caribbean were losers, while China was a winner due to its strong domestic tourism. England is be invaded by the Continent. Evil countries look for tourists. Disneyland recycles its restaurant oil. And Azerbaijan to build a large carbon ne pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong26 January 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-fd86a51fbb767df31ddd9f731e6f8562-0' class='post first isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/02/02/zira-island-by-big-architects/'Azerbaijan's Carbon Neutral Seven Peaks Resort Island/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The Seven Peaks will each house a residential development and public space, and there will also be 300 private villas near a golf course in the central valley. Zirarsquo;s new skyline of organic buildings will resemble a mountain range that merges with the natural topography of the island. Many carbon neutral communities are currently being developed around the world, ... Zira Island is less of a city and more or a resort, but it still holds the same promises of sustainability and will use the sun, wind and water to heat and power the island./div /div /div /li li id='item-6e92b15c627a3586b3020f448495b128-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/7524/britain-braced-french-tourist-invasion'Britain braced for French tourist invasion/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Expedia.com says it has seen an 80 per cent increase in French tourists booking trips to the UK in January, while Skyscanner.net says searches for flights to the UK from France have gone up 70 per cent this month. The pound dropped 37 per cent against the euro in December to almost parity, at euro;0.98 to pound;1, its lowest point since the euro launched in 2002./div /div /div /li li id='item-3c48c447ef1a7f7b7a3eac929913788c-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/7483/hawaii-got-106-fewer-tourists-2008'Hawaii got 10.6% fewer tourists in 2008 - Hawaii/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The drop was the steepest since the state began keeping statistics in 1927 and was the first time since 2004 that arrivals by air dropped below 7 million. But perhaps the most painful statistic released yesterday was the $1.2 billion decline in visitor spending between 2007 and 2008./div /div /div /li li id='item-7cc06bc2a95ecd3556cf1e88cb169506-4' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/29/content_10733178.htm'China tourism revenue hits US$170 bln in 2008/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The revenue includes 874.9 billion yuan earned from local travelers and 283.9 billion yuan from overseas tourists. <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>26 January 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-fd86a51fbb767df31ddd9f731e6f8562-0" class="post first isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2009/02/02/zira-island-by-big-architects/">Azerbaijan's Carbon Neutral Seven Peaks Resort Island</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The Seven Peaks will each house a residential development and public space, and there will also be 300 private villas near a golf course in the central valley. Zira&rsquo;s new skyline of organic buildings will resemble a mountain range that merges with the natural topography of the island. Many carbon neutral communities are currently being developed around the world, ... Zira Island is less of a city and more or a resort, but it still holds the same promises of sustainability and will use the sun, wind and water to heat and power the island.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-6e92b15c627a3586b3020f448495b128-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7524/britain-braced-french-tourist-invasion">Britain braced for French tourist invasion</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Expedia.com says it has seen an 80 per cent increase in French tourists booking trips to the UK in January, while Skyscanner.net says searches for flights to the UK from France have gone up 70 per cent this month. The pound dropped 37 per cent against the euro in December to almost parity, at &euro;0.98 to &pound;1, its lowest point since the euro launched in 2002.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-3c48c447ef1a7f7b7a3eac929913788c-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7483/hawaii-got-106-fewer-tourists-2008">Hawaii got 10.6% fewer tourists in 2008 - Hawaii</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The drop was the steepest since the state began keeping statistics in 1927 and was the first time since 2004 that arrivals by air dropped below 7 million. But perhaps the most painful statistic released yesterday was the $1.2 billion decline in visitor spending between 2007 and 2008.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-7cc06bc2a95ecd3556cf1e88cb169506-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2009-01/29/content_10733178.htm">China tourism revenue hits US$170 bln in 2008</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The revenue includes 874.9 billion yuan earned from local travelers and 283.9 billion yuan from overseas tourists. The two figures for 2007 were 777.1 billion yuan and 312.9 billion yuan, respectively.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-04110f8744bc3646e10ad83d8f6db5a8-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7512/disneyland-railroad-chugs-along-used-cooking-oil">Disneyland railroad chugs along on used cooking oil</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The resort has begun using recycled cooking oil to power its Disneyland Railroad steam trains and Mark Twain riverboat, as well as compressed natural gas to fuel its guest trams. "These initiatives demonstrate Disneyland Resort's ongoing commitment to balancing environmental stewardship throughout our operations,"</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-e19560e3c38b47ffa76e272b937f82a2-6" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7481/global-hotspots-join-race-tourists">Global hotspots join the race for tourists</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Rogue states better known for their repressive regimes, political unrest and weapons programmes are increasingly competing for visitors with well established tourist destinations ... Among the other global hotspots represented at the event, one of Europe's largest and most important travel fairs, is the Palestinian territories, Libya, Zimbabwe and Iran ...</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5368/travelography-141-more-birds-fog-obama-and-mexico/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5368/travelography-141-more-birds-fog-obama-and-mexico/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5368/travelography-141-more-birds-fog-obama-and-mexico/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:59:42 -0500 no Alan A. Lew Turkey,JebBlue,birds,airplanes,Obama,Mexico,South Africa Birds stop two more flights, while fog causes hunger pains for AeroMexico. Mexico seems to be weathering the international tourism downturn well, while the US is hoping that Obama's presidency will revive its international visitors. And South African pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong19 January 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-34596c00ef41b996679108bc67d290c0-0' class='post first isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='dateGroup'/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-01-26-turkish-airlines-bird-strike_N.htm?csp=34'Turkish plane lands safely after bird strike/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The aircraft with 143 passengers aboard had just taken off Monday from Istanbul bound for Denmark when it struck the birds and the pilot was able to return to the city's airport. Nobody was hurt. Turkish Airlines said passengers will be flown to Copenhagen.../div /div /div /li li id='item-a4c4a684aca14fd8a5f10bcc64af4cef-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-26-jetblue-aborted-takeoff_N.htm?csp=34'JetBlue flight aborts takeoff on bird strike fears/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'None of the 136 passengers was injured, and the plane didn't leave the runway but returned to the gate. The passengers were put on another plane to continue their journey, and the plane was undergoing inspection to see if either of its engines had been hit./div /div div class='meta' div class='editdel'/div /div div class='tagdisplay'/div /div /li li id='item-d7e61554237f7b7476f3f63b6919c1fb-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-23-aeromexico-stranded-portland_N.htm?csp=34'Paramedics bring Big Macs to stranded AeroMexico passengers/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The flight was diverted from Sea-Tac Airport on Tuesday night, and passengers weren't allowed off the plane in Portland, officials said, because no customs agents were available to process the passengers. Eventually, the plane went back to Mexico, and then it returned to the United States to complete the flight to Seattle./div /div /div /li li id='item-a474610f2cd62da2d5c36185697681e6-4' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2009-01-22-international-visitors_N.htm?csp=34'Will Obama image translate into tourism?/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'This year, the number of foreign visitors is expected to dip for the first time since 2003 as the economic crisis spreads and consumers worldwide curb spending. The U.S. Travel Association, the industry's main trade group, this year expects about 60 million foreigners, or <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>19 January 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-34596c00ef41b996679108bc67d290c0-0" class="post first isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2009-01-26-turkish-airlines-bird-strike_N.htm?csp=34">Turkish plane lands safely after bird strike</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The aircraft with 143 passengers aboard had just taken off Monday from Istanbul bound for Denmark when it struck the birds and the pilot was able to return to the city's airport. Nobody was hurt. Turkish Airlines said passengers will be flown to Copenhagen...</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-a4c4a684aca14fd8a5f10bcc64af4cef-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-26-jetblue-aborted-takeoff_N.htm?csp=34">JetBlue flight aborts takeoff on bird strike fears</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">None of the 136 passengers was injured, and the plane didn't leave the runway but returned to the gate. The passengers were put on another plane to continue their journey, and the plane was undergoing inspection to see if either of its engines had been hit.</div> </div> <div class="meta"> <div class="editdel"></div> </div> <div class="tagdisplay"></div> </div> </li> <li id="item-d7e61554237f7b7476f3f63b6919c1fb-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2009-01-23-aeromexico-stranded-portland_N.htm?csp=34">Paramedics bring Big Macs to stranded AeroMexico passengers</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The flight was diverted from Sea-Tac Airport on Tuesday night, and passengers weren't allowed off the plane in Portland, officials said, because no customs agents were available to process the passengers. Eventually, the plane went back to Mexico, and then it returned to the United States to complete the flight to Seattle.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-a474610f2cd62da2d5c36185697681e6-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2009-01-22-international-visitors_N.htm?csp=34">Will Obama image translate into tourism?</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">This year, the number of foreign visitors is expected to dip for the first time since 2003 as the economic crisis spreads and consumers worldwide curb spending. The U.S. Travel Association, the industry's main trade group, this year expects about 60 million foreigners, or 1.6% less than last year.,</div> </div> <div class="tagdisplay"></div> </div> </li> <li id="item-9836ec044518ab9488972d960640773c-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7354/mexico-city-worlds-top-religious-tourist-destination">Mexico City is the world's top religious tourist destination</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">A study carried out by the Spanish Office of Tourism found that Mexico's capital is the preferred destination of tourists seeking religious sites, largely because of its Basilica de Guadalupe, which receives millions of pilgrims each year.</div> </div> <div class="tagdisplay"></div> </div> </li> <li id="item-5c07f41ae9a0424f679e172e5e8ad939-6" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7339/south-african-airways-crew-held-over-drug-haul">South African Airways crew held over drug haul</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Customs agents found the drugs in three suitcases when the crew members passed through a customs clearance point. All fifteen cabin and flight crew staff including the pilot have been arrested after authorities found 110 pounds of cannabis, worth about $210,000, and 9 pounds of cocaine, worth about $240,000.</div> </div> <div class="tagdisplay"></div> </div> </li> <li id="item-889f8b2d071eadc5abee52517bbf3387-8" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-01-20-mexico-tourism_N.htm?csp=34">Tumbling peso makes Mexico a hot destination</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Mexico is counting on its weakened currency against the dollar and its proximity to the U.S. to attract recession-shocked Americans and fuel its tourism industry &mdash; a major source of foreign income. Tourism officials say Mexico saw 3% more visitors who spent an estimated 4% more in 2008, with tourists flocking to its beaches and cobble-stoned streets even during the global economic crisis. And, unlike most tourist destinations around the world, there is no sign that this year will be any different.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5362/travelography-140-inaugural-tourism/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5362/travelography-140-inaugural-tourism/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5362/travelography-140-inaugural-tourism/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Mon, 19 Jan 2009 20:10:33 -0500 no Alan A. Lew airlines,inauguration,Obama,ASTA,Legoland,cruises,Disney,Shanghai,travel,tourism The Hudson River plane crash and the Obama Presidential Inauguration dominate tourism news from this past week, especially here in the US. Also: ASTA goals for the new president, Legoland's inauguration, Cruise industry growth (sort of), and Disney i pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong12 January 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-be6ce5805e3d5cddc4b999022ccba78f-0' class='post first isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-01/15/content_7401331.htm'Disney hopes to build 1st park on Chinese mainland/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The Walt Disney Company and the Shanghai municipal government have signed a project proposal to build the first Disney park on the Chinese mainland. Under the proposal, the entertainment giant will take a 43 percent stake in Shanghai Disneyland./div /div /div /li li id='item-598b9e559b1d3317ed200c1bc4d5c083-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/us/politics/15security.html'Security Net Wraps Capital for Inaugural/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Though intelligence agencies have detected no credible threat to any inaugural event or to Mr. Obama, law enforcement agencies, operating from a network of centers, will command ground, air and waterborne forces numbering in excess of 20,000 police officers, National Guard troops and plainclothes agents from more than 50 agencies, according to security planners./div /div /div /li li id='item-a31f43ad8cd1171a6873cfd99e74c7c9-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/Inauguration/wireStory?id=6663503'Bathroom Break: Will Inauguration Have Enough?/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description''This is the largest temporary restroom event in the history of the United States,' ... Don's Johns is providing many of the 5,000 port-a-potties for the inauguration, but other suppliers are at work as well,/div /div /div /li li id='item-084bb7a2230a3a708d78aae56ec8828a-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/7275/industry-submits-travel-and-tourism-stimulus-plan-obama'Industry submits travel and tourism stimulus plan to Obama/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'ASTA's stimulus proposals include the restoration of a 2001 program of direct low-interest-rate loans to small businesses through the Small Business Administration and the creation of an investment tax credit program for small business investments in information-related technologies, which will be crucial for travel agencies to compete effectively in the years ahead./div /div /div /li li id='item-7dcb6ad0db81a8b1d9915f7f16321821-4' class='post isSelf' div class='b <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>12 January 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-be6ce5805e3d5cddc4b999022ccba78f-0" class="post first isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-01/15/content_7401331.htm">Disney hopes to build 1st park on Chinese mainland</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The Walt Disney Company and the Shanghai municipal government have signed a project proposal to build the first Disney park on the Chinese mainland. Under the proposal, the entertainment giant will take a 43 percent stake in Shanghai Disneyland.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-598b9e559b1d3317ed200c1bc4d5c083-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/15/us/politics/15security.html">Security Net Wraps Capital for Inaugural</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Though intelligence agencies have detected no credible threat to any inaugural event or to Mr. Obama, law enforcement agencies, operating from a network of centers, will command ground, air and waterborne forces numbering in excess of 20,000 police officers, National Guard troops and plainclothes agents from more than 50 agencies, according to security planners.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-a31f43ad8cd1171a6873cfd99e74c7c9-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/Inauguration/wireStory?id=6663503">Bathroom Break: Will Inauguration Have Enough?</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">"This is the largest temporary restroom event in the history of the United States," ... Don's Johns is providing many of the 5,000 port-a-potties for the inauguration, but other suppliers are at work as well,</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-084bb7a2230a3a708d78aae56ec8828a-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7275/industry-submits-travel-and-tourism-stimulus-plan-obama">Industry submits travel and tourism stimulus plan to Obama</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">ASTA's stimulus proposals include the restoration of a 2001 program of direct low-interest-rate loans to small businesses through the Small Business Administration and the creation of an investment tax credit program for small business investments in information-related technologies, which will be crucial for travel agencies to compete effectively in the years ahead.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-7dcb6ad0db81a8b1d9915f7f16321821-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-10144287-93.html">Net usage spikes after U.S. Airways plane crash</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The crash now ranks as the seventh biggest Internet news event since Akamai started tracking spikes in traffic in 2005. The plane crash, which miraculously resulted in no fatalities or serious injuries, ranks just ahead of the post-Election Day 2008 coverage.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-dbbb9348aa1fdd726438885157269af5-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/lego-barack-obama-in-3861/">Legoland swears in mini-Barack Obama in mock inauguration</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">A 4-inch-tall Barack Obama rendered in Lego bricks will be sworn in as plastic president before more than 1,000 miniature-molded dignitaries at Legoland California&rsquo;s inaugural pre-enactment</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-04926d3f53784cd83f5914ce4f14cd93-6" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/2009-01-14-record-cruise-year_N.htm?csp=34">Cruise industry: 2009 shaping up as another record year</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Helping to prop up the industry is the rapid growth of cruising among Europeans, Latin Americans and Asians. ... The industry's biggest players also have been rolling out significant discounts to keep ships full this winter and for the coming spring and summer.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5357/travelography-139-travel-trends-for-2009/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5357/travelography-139-travel-trends-for-2009/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5357/travelography-139-travel-trends-for-2009/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Tue, 13 Jan 2009 11:48:35 -0500 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,Mexico,cruises,2009,economy,airplanes,crime Shorter trips - both distance and time - are likely for 2009, with Mexico and cruises offering the best value for US travelers. Mexico is also emerging as a medical tourism destination, if you don't get mugged on the way to the hospital. And -- the pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the first two weeks of strongJanuary 2009/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-ca7c32b3e1abc41fc1cc4790c70a4ac0-0' class='post first' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.euromonitor.com/Trend_Watch_Euromonitor_Internationals_Top_City_Destinations_Ranking'Trend Watch Euromonitor Internationals Top City Destinations Ranking .../a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 /div /div /li li id='item-c1a2387e94d641994b6c43ee58ca4c77-2' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/7075/aaa-releases-tips-and-trends-2009-travel'AAA releases tips and trends for 2009 travel - AAA/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 /div /div /li li id='item-8361765bc490eafc66116cb6cb2ff685-4' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-01-01-2009-travel-outlook_N.htm?csp=34'Travelers will be getting lots of deals in 2009 (in the US)/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Other findings in the Travel Leaders 2009 trends survey: bull;90.5% say customers are cutting back on travel compared with the same period last year. bull;57.4% say clients are cutting back on the length of their trips. bull;31.5% say airfares on 2009 corporate bookings are equal to or lower than those in 2008. bull;81.6% say clients are trading down when it comes to hotels. bull;84.3% recommend Mexico as the best value outside the USA, followed by cruises (61.1%) and the Caribbean (43.9%). Agents were asked to pick up to three places./div /div /div /li li id='item-3510e9b7130b95019e0390becd58a66b-5' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/7009/iata-issues-forecast-2009'IATA issues forecast for 2009 - Global Aviation Forecast/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Forecast highlights are: Industry revenues are expected to decline to US$501 billion. This a fall of US$35 billion from the US$536 billion in revenues forecasted for 2008. This drop in revenues is the first since the two consecutive years of decline in 2001 and 2002./div /div /div /li li id='item-0ca7cf6fefd842d7ef1ac69409432fc3-6' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/WhosCounting/story?id=6562852amp;page=1'The Optimal Way to Board Plane Passengers/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'...loading the back rows first and then grad <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the first two weeks of <strong>January 2009</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-ca7c32b3e1abc41fc1cc4790c70a4ac0-0" class="post first"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.euromonitor.com/Trend_Watch_Euromonitor_Internationals_Top_City_Destinations_Ranking">Trend Watch Euromonitor Internationals Top City Destinations Ranking ...</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-c1a2387e94d641994b6c43ee58ca4c77-2" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7075/aaa-releases-tips-and-trends-2009-travel">AAA releases tips and trends for 2009 travel - AAA</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-8361765bc490eafc66116cb6cb2ff685-4" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2009-01-01-2009-travel-outlook_N.htm?csp=34">Travelers will be getting lots of deals in 2009 (in the US)</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Other findings in the Travel Leaders 2009 trends survey: &bull;90.5% say customers are cutting back on travel compared with the same period last year. &bull;57.4% say clients are cutting back on the length of their trips. &bull;31.5% say airfares on 2009 corporate bookings are equal to or lower than those in 2008. &bull;81.6% say clients are trading down when it comes to hotels. &bull;84.3% recommend Mexico as the best value outside the USA, followed by cruises (61.1%) and the Caribbean (43.9%). Agents were asked to pick up to three places.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-3510e9b7130b95019e0390becd58a66b-5" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/7009/iata-issues-forecast-2009">IATA issues forecast for 2009 - Global Aviation Forecast</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Forecast highlights are: Industry revenues are expected to decline to US$501 billion. This a fall of US$35 billion from the US$536 billion in revenues forecasted for 2008. This drop in revenues is the first since the two consecutive years of decline in 2001 and 2002.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-0ca7cf6fefd842d7ef1ac69409432fc3-6" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/WhosCounting/story?id=6562852&amp;page=1">The Optimal Way to Board Plane Passengers</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">...loading the back rows first and then gradually rows nearer the front -- should be among the best ways to board, but simulations indicate that this is the second-slowest way. Even random boarding is faster.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-8083e90484ae20feebd08bea32bbd274-7" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=98588355">Mexican Hospitals Aim To Attract More Americans (NPR)</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">As many Americans struggle to pay for health care or health insurance, hospitals in Mexico are expanding in hopes of attracting more patients from north of the border &mdash; in addition, a rapidly growing industry is marketing "medical tourism" to Americans.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-ca7c32b3e1abc41fc1cc4790c70a4ac0-0" class="post first"> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5321/travelography-138-travel-now-save-the-economy/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5321/travelography-138-travel-now-save-the-economy/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5321/travelography-138-travel-now-save-the-economy/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Mon, 08 Dec 2008 15:31:01 -0500 no Alan A. Lew TSA,airports,climate,Australia,Lebanon,tourism industry,travel deals Travelography #138: The TSA gets a mood change; Potash strike freezes airport tarmacs; Australians told to stop hording holiday leave; Lebanon points to more Middle East travel; and Why now is the best time to travel ever. pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong1 December 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-1d760139549a994dfc53dc9687da2073-0' class='post first isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='dateGroup'/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/6577/tsa-says-new-uniforms-calm-travelers-and-make-spotting-terrorists'TSA says new uniforms calm travelers and make spotting terrorists easier/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'the new [blue] shirts project a more professional look and instill a greater sense of calm among passengers. In turn, the agency says fewer nervous travelers now make behavior profiling of potential terrorists more effective./div /div /div /li li id='item-5b8fb21446f0139dbfb64d3a8ba40ec0-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-12-04-runways_N.htm?csp=34'De-icer shortage threatens US flights/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The federal government is warning airlines that flights could face disruptions this winter because of a severe shortage of a chemical used to keep runways free from snow and ice./div /div /div /li li id='item-320a3953e81e51d8ea8f4d45df6d26e2-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/6572/australians-told-take-break-economy'Australians told to take a break for the economy/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The country's 11 million workers have hoarded about 121 million days of paid-leave entitlements which the government wants to unlock to help stimulate a tourism sector hard hit by the global downturn./div /div /div /li li id='item-1c89139a2bc71fa15497269f9da480a7-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/12/04/reasons.to.travel/index.html?eref=rss_travel'6 reasons we love to travel now/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Turn back the clock just a year and you'll find a dramatically different picture. Travelers were unappreciated -- even exploited -- by unscrupulous travel companies that were flush with profits. No longer. With just one notable exception, it's difficult to find any part of the travel industry that isn't being extra-nice to its customers./div /div /div /li li id='item-675b2d8230fa888b4b95a579de140b5b-4' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.arabianbusiness.com/540265-lebanon-tourism-hits-four-year-high'Lebanon tourism hits fou <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>1 December 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-1d760139549a994dfc53dc9687da2073-0" class="post first isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/6577/tsa-says-new-uniforms-calm-travelers-and-make-spotting-terrorists">TSA says new uniforms calm travelers and make spotting terrorists easier</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">the new [blue] shirts project a more professional look and instill a greater sense of calm among passengers. In turn, the agency says fewer nervous travelers now make behavior profiling of potential terrorists more effective.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-5b8fb21446f0139dbfb64d3a8ba40ec0-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-12-04-runways_N.htm?csp=34">De-icer shortage threatens US flights</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The federal government is warning airlines that flights could face disruptions this winter because of a severe shortage of a chemical used to keep runways free from snow and ice.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-320a3953e81e51d8ea8f4d45df6d26e2-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/6572/australians-told-take-break-economy">Australians told to take a break for the economy</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The country's 11 million workers have hoarded about 121 million days of paid-leave entitlements which the government wants to unlock to help stimulate a tourism sector hard hit by the global downturn.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-1c89139a2bc71fa15497269f9da480a7-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/12/04/reasons.to.travel/index.html?eref=rss_travel">6 reasons we love to travel now</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Turn back the clock just a year and you'll find a dramatically different picture. Travelers were unappreciated -- even exploited -- by unscrupulous travel companies that were flush with profits. No longer. With just one notable exception, it's difficult to find any part of the travel industry that isn't being extra-nice to its customers.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-675b2d8230fa888b4b95a579de140b5b-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.arabianbusiness.com/540265-lebanon-tourism-hits-four-year-high">Lebanon tourism hits four-year high</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Arab tourists accounted for 54 percent of visitors in October, the ministry said, hailing the "stable political situation since May 2008" when Lebanon's political rivals struck an accord after deadly clashes in Beirut. Lebanon has witnessed a string of political assassinations since the Beirut bomb blast which killed Hariri in February 2005.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5316/travelography-137-bummer-week-of-travel-news/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5316/travelography-137-bummer-week-of-travel-news/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5316/travelography-137-bummer-week-of-travel-news/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sun, 30 Nov 2008 21:01:01 -0500 no Alan A. Lew terrorism,Mumbai,India,Thailand,airport,protests,head cold,airlines Travelography #137: With the terrorist attack in Mumbai, the closing of Thailand's international airports, and the bad head cold that I have come down with -- this is simply a bummer week of travel and tourism news pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong24 November 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-db87f871a5e1855798d7307d12e0ed4a-0' class='post first isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='dateGroup'span title='29 NOV 08' /span/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/business/25fares.html?_r=2amp;scp=2amp;sq=Jason%20Maamp;st=cse'Budgets Shrink, and Holiday Airfares Follow Suit/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The travel industry is bracing for a painful holiday season as people scale back their discretionary spending. But that is good news for anyone who has yet to book a winter getaway, with hotels, airlines and cruise operators introducing last-minute deals to entice vacationers./div /div /div /li li id='item-f9984a4c667cdbfbc9a394560776cd72-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.forimmediaterelease.net/pm/2013.html'Tourism Situation in Thailand - as of November 27, 20:30 hrs. (Bangkok Time)/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) is cooperating with the Thai Hotels Association (THA), Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), AoT, and Thai Airways (TG) to set up a Crisis Networking Center on the fourth floor of the Departure Terminal in Suvarnabhumi International Airport in order to facilitate the stranded passengers and tourists until the airport resumes normal operations./div /div /div /li li id='item-91c31bb1a582bb1325465b54da7e05b7-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/International/popup?id=6343080amp;contentIndex=1amp;page=1amp;start=false'Terrorists Strike in Mumbai (ABC New Photos)/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 /div /div /li li id='item-bd3ea10b025bb3bb5603ddc3b9648110-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/6449/commandos-battle-room-room-save-tourists'Commandos battle room by room to save tourists - Mumbai/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Helicopters buzzed overhead as the commandos, faces blackened, moved into one of the hotels, the Oberoi, where 20 to 30 people were thought to have been taken hostage and more than 100 others were trapped in their rooms. A 15-strong Air France team was among those unable to get out./div /div /div /li li id='item-97b6bf8a64361e2c9fbfd593b93a07f3-4' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/programguide/stories/2008 <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>24 November 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-db87f871a5e1855798d7307d12e0ed4a-0" class="post first isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"><span title="29 NOV 08"> </span></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/25/business/25fares.html?_r=2&amp;scp=2&amp;sq=Jason%20Ma&amp;st=cse">Budgets Shrink, and Holiday Airfares Follow Suit</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The travel industry is bracing for a painful holiday season as people scale back their discretionary spending. But that is good news for anyone who has yet to book a winter getaway, with hotels, airlines and cruise operators introducing last-minute deals to entice vacationers.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-f9984a4c667cdbfbc9a394560776cd72-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.forimmediaterelease.net/pm/2013.html">Tourism Situation in Thailand - as of November 27, 20:30 hrs. (Bangkok Time)</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) is cooperating with the Thai Hotels Association (THA), Association of Thai Travel Agents (ATTA), AoT, and Thai Airways (TG) to set up a Crisis Networking Center on the fourth floor of the Departure Terminal in Suvarnabhumi International Airport in order to facilitate the stranded passengers and tourists until the airport resumes normal operations.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-91c31bb1a582bb1325465b54da7e05b7-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/International/popup?id=6343080&amp;contentIndex=1&amp;page=1&amp;start=false">Terrorists Strike in Mumbai (ABC New Photos)</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-bd3ea10b025bb3bb5603ddc3b9648110-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/6449/commandos-battle-room-room-save-tourists">Commandos battle room by room to save tourists - Mumbai</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Helicopters buzzed overhead as the commandos, faces blackened, moved into one of the hotels, the Oberoi, where 20 to 30 people were thought to have been taken hostage and more than 100 others were trapped in their rooms. A 15-strong Air France team was among those unable to get out.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-97b6bf8a64361e2c9fbfd593b93a07f3-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/programguide/stories/200811/s2432327.htm">Thai PM declares emergency at two airports</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Thailand's tourism minister says authorities plan to begin flying thousands of stranded travellers out of one or two military bases in the next 48 hours. Meanwhile, it's the hour of reckoning for thousands of anti-government protesters in Thailand who are trying to force Prime Minister Somchai to resign.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-6f4bfab7ed4d8d6fc17055532fc6f972-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.arabianbusiness.com/index2.php?option=com_gallery&amp;id=539592">In Pictures - Bangkok airport disruption</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Passengers queue in front of check-in desk inside Suvarnabhumi airport in Bangkok, Thailand. Thousands of passengers are stranded after Suvarnabhumi Airport had been ordered closed because of a blockade by anti-government protesters.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-4ce831b3ae4dc5d1075825fec463b3bf-6" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.arabianbusiness.com/539643-nearly-80-killed-in-multiple-mumbai-shootings-blasts">Nearly 80 killed in multiple Mumbai, India shootings, blasts against tourists</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">A group calling itself the "Deccan Mujahedeen" claimed responsibility for the assaults on the landmark Taj Mahal and Trident hotels in the south of the city and a number of shooting and bombing incidents elsewhere, the Press Trust of India said. One report spoke of militants taking hostages and demanding US and British passports.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-961b07f1099bb9d86b9e2123679ee436-7" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97502321">Airport Travelers Caught In Thailand Protests</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The takeover "damaged Thailand's reputation and its economy beyond repair." The airport, the 18th-busiest in the world, handled over 40 million passengers in 2007.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-f716c4f637872d5d2e234faa28f61df8-8" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-11-24-caribbean-ghost-resorts_N.htm?csp=34">Crisis in paradise: Economic meltdown creates ghost resorts in the Caribbean</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">...the sprawling Atlantis resort in the Bahamas laid off about 800 workers, citing low occupancy rates. Baha Mar Resorts Ltd. laid off about 40 employees at its Sheraton Resort in the Bahamas and 40 more at the Wyndham Nassau Resort. The Bahamas Hotel Catering and Allied Workers Union has called a demonstration Thursday to demand government aid.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5312/travelography-136-holiday-travel-ups-and-downs/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5312/travelography-136-holiday-travel-ups-and-downs/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5312/travelography-136-holiday-travel-ups-and-downs/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sun, 23 Nov 2008 18:10:37 -0500 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,US,UK,holidays,LAX,Japan,Mexico Travelography #136: Stories for the week of 17 November 2008, covering projects for travel during the upcoming Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years holidays within the US and from Europe to the US. And a strange Japanese at the Mexico City airport. pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong17 November 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-719197a617b7aa24764f0de265a62317-0' class='post first isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='dateGroup'span title='23 NOV 08' /span/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel22-2008nov22,0,4444861.story'Gloomy economy expected to curtail Thanksgiving travel/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Los Angeles International Airport holiday travel will be down 14.3% from the 1.85 million passengers that passed through the airport last year, airport officials said Thursday./div /div /div /li li id='item-2ff154c97013e4538c5505b97fa23cdc-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-11-21-mexico-city-airport-squatter_N.htm?csp=34'Japanese traveler refuses to leave Mexico City airport/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'At first, he frightened passengers, and airport authorities asked the Japanese Embassy to investigate why the foul-smelling man refused to leave. Now, he's somewhat of a celebrity, capturing Mexico's collective imagination with nearly daily television news reports on his life at the food court./div /div /div /li li id='item-7974390624db272e74459a508e5bf1ea-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/6335/uk-travelers-avoiding-usa'UK travelers avoiding USA - Skyscanner Report/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'while flight search traffic remains high on the Skyscanner site, over the last month there has been a 15 percent fall in searches for UK-USA flights, suggesting that the credit crunch and the weakening pound have finally taken their toll on British travelers, and that they are forgoing their American trips./div /div /div /li li id='item-5fb0c4c94159372d0d28d3f612ed98b9-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://news.cheapflights.com/airlines/2008/11/american-automo.html'American Automobile Association Predicts Drop in Holiday Travel/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'AAA and the Air Transport Association predict fewer Americans will be on the move during the upcoming holiday travel period, the first drop in Thanksgiving travel since 2002. It's the fourth holiday this year that will have seen decreased travel compared with the year before./div /div /div /li li id='item-b40a064dd8ea4e2b41d62d7fabb1cdef-4' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>17 November 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-719197a617b7aa24764f0de265a62317-0" class="post first isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"><span title="23 NOV 08"> </span></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-travel22-2008nov22,0,4444861.story">Gloomy economy expected to curtail Thanksgiving travel</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Los Angeles International Airport holiday travel will be down 14.3% from the 1.85 million passengers that passed through the airport last year, airport officials said Thursday.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-2ff154c97013e4538c5505b97fa23cdc-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-11-21-mexico-city-airport-squatter_N.htm?csp=34">Japanese traveler refuses to leave Mexico City airport</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">At first, he frightened passengers, and airport authorities asked the Japanese Embassy to investigate why the foul-smelling man refused to leave. Now, he's somewhat of a celebrity, capturing Mexico's collective imagination with nearly daily television news reports on his life at the food court.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-7974390624db272e74459a508e5bf1ea-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/6335/uk-travelers-avoiding-usa">UK travelers avoiding USA - Skyscanner Report</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">while flight search traffic remains high on the Skyscanner site, over the last month there has been a 15 percent fall in searches for UK-USA flights, suggesting that the credit crunch and the weakening pound have finally taken their toll on British travelers, and that they are forgoing their American trips.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-5fb0c4c94159372d0d28d3f612ed98b9-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://news.cheapflights.com/airlines/2008/11/american-automo.html">American Automobile Association Predicts Drop in Holiday Travel</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">AAA and the Air Transport Association predict fewer Americans will be on the move during the upcoming holiday travel period, the first drop in Thanksgiving travel since 2002. It's the fourth holiday this year that will have seen decreased travel compared with the year before.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-b40a064dd8ea4e2b41d62d7fabb1cdef-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Business/BusinessTravel/story?id=6291663&amp;page=1">End of the [US] Tourism Boom?</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">As an example, hotels in Miami alone expect a 3 to 6 percent decline in budget revenues, compared to the same period in 2007. With pressures to attract more customers, the hospitality industry is bound to offer more deals and reduce its rates. "The U.S. hotel industry is virtually frozen by the uncertain state of the global economy,"</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-6813279121cb2d1dd9fcd44eb932d960-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.htrends.com/trends-detail-sid-35839.html">U.S. Economy Expected to Receive a Shot in the Arm from Visa Waiver Program Expansion</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Starting today [Nov-17], travelers from seven new countries--the Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Hungary, Malta and the Republic of Korea (South Korea)--can travel to the United States without first obtaining a tourist visa.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-1c2c14745688bb3f91a01ca55c685d80-6" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.hotelnewsresource.com/article35685.html">Despite Economic Challenges, People Traveling Over Holidays Feel Time and Money Spent is Small Price to Pay to be With Loved Ones</a>&nbsp;</h4> <div class="description">Older Americans, in particular, appreciate the value of travel during the holidays.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5308/travelography-135-responsible-travel-and-tourism-around-the-globe/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5308/travelography-135-responsible-travel-and-tourism-around-the-globe/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5308/travelography-135-responsible-travel-and-tourism-around-the-globe/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sun, 16 Nov 2008 16:00:59 -0500 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,responsible travel,sustainable tourism,New Zealand,airlines,carbon neutral,China,Maldives,global warming Travelography #135: Stories for the week of 10 November 2008, covering several stories related to Responsible and Sustainable Travel and Tourism, including winners of the Responsible Tourism Awards, airline efforts to reduce greenhouse gasses, a carb pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong10 November 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-6794ef69fb109b35402104ed4a7c7b22-0' class='post first isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='dateGroup'span title='15 NOV 08' /span/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://gas2.org/2008/11/13/air-new-zealand-schedules-first-commercial-biofuel-flight/'Air New Zealand Schedules First Commercial Biofuel Flight/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'On December 3rd, Air New Zealand will be the first commercial airline to power one of its jets with a second generation non-food biofuel made from the Jatropha plant. Jatropha is viewed as having a huge potential as a major source of oil for sustainable biofuel production./div /div /div /li li id='item-52c68c4944b4b3218b12e6971db79250-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.responsibletourismawards.com/'The Responsible Tourism Awards organised by responsibletravel.com/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The judges declared New Zealand the overall winner for proving that it is possible to develop a national strategy which uses tourism to help make better places to live and to visit./div /div /div /li li id='item-59415031461ba2534ab0beaca51fba6f-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/article.asp?id=56970amp;nav=109'Chinarsquo;s First Carbon Neutral Hotel wins Accolade/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'ldquo;By renovating an existing downtown factory, focusing on using recycled and locally sourced materials such as reclaimed hardwoods and old Shanghai bricks, and introducing eco-friendly solutions like passive solar shades, and water based AC systems, URBN hopes to set an example for other businesses and industries in China and around the world,rdquo; Mr Krauss said. ldquo;We track the total amount of energy (gas, water and electricity) the hotel consumes, including staff commutes, in order to calculate the carbon footprint./div /div /div /li li id='item-e0f12cdf8555447766b5d2ba1a0fa793-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5izagdjlXNrJPEGDeOtWC0ykW54AQ'Ivory trade thriving in China but signs of decline/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Ivory continues to be smuggled into China despite a ban on imports that dates back to 1991, with the tusks mainly being sourced from Africa, according to the report released by TRAFFIC, a wildlife monitoring organisation. Nevertheles <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>10 November 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-6794ef69fb109b35402104ed4a7c7b22-0" class="post first isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"><span title="15 NOV 08"> </span></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://gas2.org/2008/11/13/air-new-zealand-schedules-first-commercial-biofuel-flight/">Air New Zealand Schedules First Commercial Biofuel Flight</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">On December 3rd, Air New Zealand will be the first commercial airline to power one of its jets with a second generation non-food biofuel made from the Jatropha plant. Jatropha is viewed as having a huge potential as a major source of oil for sustainable biofuel production.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-52c68c4944b4b3218b12e6971db79250-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.responsibletourismawards.com/">The Responsible Tourism Awards organised by responsibletravel.com</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The judges declared New Zealand the overall winner for proving that it is possible to develop a national strategy which uses tourism to help make better places to live and to visit.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-59415031461ba2534ab0beaca51fba6f-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.etravelblackboardasia.com/article.asp?id=56970&amp;nav=109">China&rsquo;s First Carbon Neutral Hotel wins Accolade</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">&ldquo;By renovating an existing downtown factory, focusing on using recycled and locally sourced materials such as reclaimed hardwoods and old Shanghai bricks, and introducing eco-friendly solutions like passive solar shades, and water based AC systems, URBN hopes to set an example for other businesses and industries in China and around the world,&rdquo; Mr Krauss said. &ldquo;We track the total amount of energy (gas, water and electricity) the hotel consumes, including staff commutes, in order to calculate the carbon footprint.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-e0f12cdf8555447766b5d2ba1a0fa793-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5izagdjlXNrJPEGDeOtWC0ykW54AQ">Ivory trade thriving in China but signs of decline</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Ivory continues to be smuggled into China despite a ban on imports that dates back to 1991, with the tusks mainly being sourced from Africa, according to the report released by TRAFFIC, a wildlife monitoring organisation. Nevertheless, it said increased enforcement of regulations in China had led to some improvements, with surveys of markets showing that fewer illegal products were on sale.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-af7d6327a20d84c711c116611246929c-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/6217/united-environmental-flight-reduces-carbon-emissions-nearly-33000">United environmental flight reduces carbon emissions by nearly 33,000 pounds</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">ASPIRE United&rsquo; reduced fuel burn and emissions by using up-to-the-minute fuel data, priority takeoff clearance, normally restricted airspace around Sydney&rsquo;s airport, and new arrival procedures &ndash; all of which are possible with new technology.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-5f991b9cd6087ab6f3073848b87b528c-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"><span title="11 NOV 08"> </span></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2008/nov/10/maldives-climate-change">Maldives seek to buy a new homeland</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The Maldives will begin to divert a portion of the country's billion-dollar annual tourist revenue into buying a new homeland - as an insurance policy against climate change that threatens to turn the 300,000 islanders into environmental refugees,...</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5296/travelography-134-barack-obamas-travel-and-tourism-impact/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5296/travelography-134-barack-obamas-travel-and-tourism-impact/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5296/travelography-134-barack-obamas-travel-and-tourism-impact/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sun, 09 Nov 2008 15:44:50 -0500 no Alan A. Lew Barack Obama,travel,tourism,Hawaii,Chicago,Japan,Obama,Ireland,Washington DC,Cuba,president Travelography #134: Stories for the week of 3 November 2008, covering several stories related to the election of Barack Obama as the new US president, including Hawaii, Japan, Ireland, the UK, Chicago, Washington DC, Cuba, and Jamaica. pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong3 November 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-eefdcd2a4c0dae35dd202c367da696c4-0' class='post first isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='dateGroup'span title='09 NOV 08' /span/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5100305.ece'Will Obama's holiday habits catch on?/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'President-elect and body-surfing fan Barack Obama could break the [previous] trend of White House incumbents by travelling overseas for his holidays. As well as trips to Hawaii to catch a few waves and take walks along the beach with his wife and children,/div /div /div /li li id='item-19b34424f20b6bc99666e0c610d94826-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.kitv.com/news/17941301/detail.html'Officials Aim To Use Inaugural To Promote Hawaii/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'...national media already are generating interest in Hawaii sites connected to Obama. It likely won't be long before local tour companies are offering tours of Obama's childhood neighborhood, his grandparents' apartment and where he went to school./div /div /div /li li id='item-c029d211fa3eccb590d67cb08fd392a6-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122610674060010323.html?mod=googlenews_wsj'For Inaugural, Obama Faithful Say It's Washington or Bust/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Despite some rates surpassing the $1,000 per night mark, rooms are also booking, on average, three times faster than for the last inauguration, according to the travel Web site Expedia.com. Many hotels have imposed two- and three-night minimum stays./div /div /div /li li id='item-0ab87bbf71f721028e40eaa46626c8c3-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.theage.com.au/world/us-election-2008/thousands-clamour-to-see-realisation-of-dream-20081109-5kxs.html'Thousands clamour to see realisation of dream/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Officials said the crowd could surpass the 1.2 million who attended Lyndon Johnson's inauguration in 1965. Senator Obama's election set off an instant desire to see his inauguration and frenetic efforts last week to be present for what will be a milestone in American history./div /div /div /li li id='item-1919104cff080166d97657617bb2b745-4' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>3 November 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-eefdcd2a4c0dae35dd202c367da696c4-0" class="post first isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"><span title="09 NOV 08"> </span></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/travel/news/article5100305.ece">Will Obama's holiday habits catch on?</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">President-elect and body-surfing fan Barack Obama could break the [previous] trend of White House incumbents by travelling overseas for his holidays. As well as trips to Hawaii to catch a few waves and take walks along the beach with his wife and children,</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-19b34424f20b6bc99666e0c610d94826-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.kitv.com/news/17941301/detail.html">Officials Aim To Use Inaugural To Promote Hawaii</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">...national media already are generating interest in Hawaii sites connected to Obama. It likely won't be long before local tour companies are offering tours of Obama's childhood neighborhood, his grandparents' apartment and where he went to school.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-c029d211fa3eccb590d67cb08fd392a6-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122610674060010323.html?mod=googlenews_wsj">For Inaugural, Obama Faithful Say It's Washington or Bust</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Despite some rates surpassing the $1,000 per night mark, rooms are also booking, on average, three times faster than for the last inauguration, according to the travel Web site Expedia.com. Many hotels have imposed two- and three-night minimum stays.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-0ab87bbf71f721028e40eaa46626c8c3-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.theage.com.au/world/us-election-2008/thousands-clamour-to-see-realisation-of-dream-20081109-5kxs.html">Thousands clamour to see realisation of dream</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Officials said the crowd could surpass the 1.2 million who attended Lyndon Johnson's inauguration in 1965. Senator Obama's election set off an instant desire to see his inauguration and frenetic efforts last week to be present for what will be a milestone in American history.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-1919104cff080166d97657617bb2b745-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/3396621/Barack-Obama-factor-boosts-US-tourism.html">Barack Obama factor boosts US tourism</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">A [UK] Telegraph poll shows that 80 per cent of readers are more likely to visit the US now than they were before the presidential election. Until now many Telegraph readers have said they have been put off the US by its draconian border security arrangements and the foreign policy decisions made by George Bush.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-89726bf794cedd910bc70988b065231a-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=96778345">Some Truth To An Irish O'Bama?</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Moneygall, a town of 300 on the road between Dublin and Limerick, says that Barack Obama's great, great, great grandfather was born there and hopes for an onslaught of American tourism.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-84df4d85c2a65d1566e683321d3aa369-6" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/wireStory?id=6201957">Illinois Banks on Obama Buzz to Boost Tourism</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">"experience the city the Obamas enjoy." The Illinois Bureau of Tourism plans to launch a three-day getaway promotion featuring Barack Obama sites.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-a66ee6ea7bf19fa2923d59b53a4248d2-7" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/hotels/2008-11-06-dc-inauguration-hotels_N.htm?csp=34">Hotel prices, bookings soar for inauguration</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">...a $20,000 "Live Like a President" package. It includes tickets to an inaugural event, replica of an inauguration ball meal prepared by a personal chef, in-room massage and $1,000 shopping spree. There's a sanitizer (to combat germy glad-handing) and lip balm to aid in baby-kissing.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-5e77df2eb10a119644ef54fb7b03f0e3-8" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5958/jamaica-may-suffer-if-us-lifts-cuban-embargo">Jamaica may suffer ... If US lifts Cuban embargo</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">On Wednesday, the United Nations General Assembly voted to lift the American trade embargo on Cuba. The vote in the 192-member world body was 185 to three, with two abstentions. The US, Israel and Palau voted no, while Micronesia and the Marshall Islands abstained.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-48dfd48f0e95a0bd7a3bcfbe922a1f97-11" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/6040/japan-s-hottest-new-tourist-destination-obama">Japan&rsquo;s hottest new tourist destination: Obama</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">&ldquo;We started this as a joke,&rdquo; said Yasunori Maeno of the &ldquo;Obama for Obama&rdquo; campaign he helped organize. &ldquo;But as we came to know more about him &hellip; and his emphasis on community, the more we liked him. It is important to love the place you are from and to work to promote it.&rdquo;</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-d433dd2cbf4adcc7efde3fc6eb1546b6-12" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/6035/obama-may-mean-higher-airline-labor-costs-fewer-route-auctions">Obama may mean higher airline labor costs, fewer route auctions</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Obama's mediation board may take steps such as granting quicker releases from mediation, which would let unions start countdowns to possible strikes sooner, said Andrew Steinberg, former transportation assistant secretary under President George W. Bush.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5293/travelography-133-crocs-scales-and-greenhouse-gasses/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5293/travelography-133-crocs-scales-and-greenhouse-gasses/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5293/travelography-133-crocs-scales-and-greenhouse-gasses/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sun, 02 Nov 2008 16:48:59 -0500 no Alan A. Lew Australia,travel,economy,crocodiles,Magnetic Island,Europe,UK,carbon trading,greenhouse gasses,TSA,liquids,luggage scale Travelography #133: Stories for the week of 27 October 2008, covering: The Australian dollar drops, but tourists do not respond, maybe because of crocodiles?; Europe and the UK put pressure on airlines to reduce greenhouse gasses through carbon tradi pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong27 October 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-30490268a27ad7284beec0e486fbaac6-0' class='post first isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='dateGroup'span title='01 NOV 08' /span/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/11/01/25-non-cliche-travel-songs-with-videos/'25 Non-Clicheacute; Travel Songs (With Videos)/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Forget the tired tracks yoursquo;re used to hearing. Here are 25 inspiring songs that will have you hitting the road. - from the BraveNewTraveler blog/div /div /div /li li id='item-2b8475806bc7e870e04b846b79890908-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5930/croc-terrorises-north-queensland-tourist-mecca'Croc terrorises north Queensland, Australia, tourist mecca/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'A major north Queensland tourist island is demanding compensation from the state government for dumping a croc on its beach. The government research program that unleashed the crocodile on Magnetic Island will be reconsidered,.../div /div /div /li li id='item-46c653ac9f499d51c6749024150bdef3-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5893/weak-dollar-not-enough-tempt-tourists'Weak Australian dollar not enough to tempt tourists/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Rivals such as Cathay Pacific have been boosting flights into Australia to reduce the impact of falling demand, especially for corporate travel, on other routes....a 34 per cent fall in the Australian dollar against the greenback since July had also offset most of the benefits to Qantas of a recent fall in jet fuel prices./div /div /div /li li id='item-b2981180be454fcc7a5273457636f0d1-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.planestupid.com/?q=blogs/2008/10/27/reach-sky-aviation-emissions-climate-bill'Reach for the sky: aviation emissions in UK Climate Bill/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The UK government has backed down on aviation and shipping, agreeing to include both in the Climate Change Bill's 80% emissions reduction targets. They had planned to let the industry grow as much as it liked while cracking down on other sectors, but changed their mind when faced with a major backbench rebellion. So in theory aviation emissions will have to reduce by 80% - and, as there are no sustainable fuels in the pipeline, that should mean a lot fewer flights./div <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>27 October 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-30490268a27ad7284beec0e486fbaac6-0" class="post first isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"><span title="01 NOV 08"> </span></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/11/01/25-non-cliche-travel-songs-with-videos/">25 Non-Clich&eacute; Travel Songs (With Videos)</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Forget the tired tracks you&rsquo;re used to hearing. Here are 25 inspiring songs that will have you hitting the road. - from the BraveNewTraveler blog</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-2b8475806bc7e870e04b846b79890908-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5930/croc-terrorises-north-queensland-tourist-mecca">Croc terrorises north Queensland, Australia, tourist mecca</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">A major north Queensland tourist island is demanding compensation from the state government for dumping a croc on its beach. The government research program that unleashed the crocodile on Magnetic Island will be reconsidered,...</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-46c653ac9f499d51c6749024150bdef3-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5893/weak-dollar-not-enough-tempt-tourists">Weak Australian dollar not enough to tempt tourists</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Rivals such as Cathay Pacific have been boosting flights into Australia to reduce the impact of falling demand, especially for corporate travel, on other routes....a 34 per cent fall in the Australian dollar against the greenback since July had also offset most of the benefits to Qantas of a recent fall in jet fuel prices.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-b2981180be454fcc7a5273457636f0d1-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.planestupid.com/?q=blogs/2008/10/27/reach-sky-aviation-emissions-climate-bill">Reach for the sky: aviation emissions in UK Climate Bill</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The UK government has backed down on aviation and shipping, agreeing to include both in the Climate Change Bill's 80% emissions reduction targets. They had planned to let the industry grow as much as it liked while cracking down on other sectors, but changed their mind when faced with a major backbench rebellion. So in theory aviation emissions will have to reduce by 80% - and, as there are no sustainable fuels in the pipeline, that should mean a lot fewer flights.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-ca1214fb1cdce3ad8c7bc515a9bac377-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-10-27-tsa-liquids_N.htm?csp=34">TSA likely to ease restrictions on liquids in 2009</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">By the end of 2010, passengers should be able to keep liquids as they go through checkpoints... The restrictions are also likely to be eased in airports of other countries that adopted similar liquid restrictions two years ago after authorities disrupted an alleged plot to bomb trans-Atlantic flights with liquid-based explosives,...</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-f0b1811f7c9a33c1a2f9b9c2e0e8c71e-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5824/inspections-show-inaccurate-airline-scales-may-cost-travelers-mon">Inspections show inaccurate airline scales may cost travelers money</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Some airlines, including Miramar-based Spirit Airlines &mdash; whose scales at Fort Lauderdale passed inspection only 53 percent of the time and therefore ranked among the worst performers &mdash; allow their ticket agents to waive the fee for passengers with baggage weighing 1 or 2 pounds over the limit.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5288/travelography-132-travel-downturn-hits-nz-and-a380-comes-to-lax/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5288/travelography-132-travel-downturn-hits-nz-and-a380-comes-to-lax/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5288/travelography-132-travel-downturn-hits-nz-and-a380-comes-to-lax/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sun, 26 Oct 2008 14:05:15 -0400 no Alan A. Lew airlines,New Zealand,Australia,LAZ,Quantas,Airbus A380,Celebrity Cruises,economic crisis,travel Travelography #132 - Travel News for the week of 20 Oct 2008. Stories on the podcast cover indications of travel and tourism downturns in New Zealand and Australia, the start of A380 (world's largest passenger plane) service between Melbourne and Lo pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong20 October 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-e298198643c36f1ade5019154605b19d-0' class='post first' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5750/gloomy-weather-tourist-front'Gloomy weather on New Zealand's tourist front/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The financial crisis has hit tourism - one of New Zealand's biggest earners - causing visitor numbers to plummet last month. Statistics New Zealand figures show the number of international tourists fell 6.6 per cent.../div /div /div /li li id='item-aa98a284d77c2add991a7ad4700cb7bc-1' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5776/cancelled-cruises-bring-65m-loss'Cancelled cruises bring loss to New Zealand and Australia/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Celebrity Cruises, the company which owns the 2038-passenger Celebrity Millennium, has cut Australia and New Zealand from its 2009-10 itinerary, choosing to focus on northern hemisphere destinations. High fuel costs and high airfare costs for passengers were reasons for the cancellations,.../div /div /div /li li id='item-1a2aa3461ad2f38f2497226d4fd2a59c-3' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5799/recession-may-mean-opportunities-some-travel-industry'Recession may mean opportunities to some in the travel industry/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div a class='inlinesave' href='http://delicious.com/save?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eturbonews.com%2F5799%2Frecession-may-mean-opportunities-some-travel-industryamp;title=Recession%20may%20mean%20opportunities%20to%20some%20in%20the%20travel%20industryamp;jump=%2Falanalew%2F1amp;key=lrHycjxVqTdfQlPTFFSAUVpWqn4-amp;original_user=alanalewamp;copyuser=alanalewamp;copytags=pcntravel+econcrisis+1'/a/h4 div class='description'Leading hospitality, timeshare and fractional leaders all across the country express concerns over business during these hard times. However, they believe some sectors will stay afloat and find opportunities in deep recession./div /div /div /li li id='item-205a2affee9d32414405a3ce8798c938-4' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5794/first-a380-service-between-australia-and-us-west-coast-begins-qan'First A380 service between Australia and the US west coast begins for Qantas/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div a class='inlinesave' href='http://delicious.com/save?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eturbonews.com%2F5794%2Ffirst-a380-service-between-australia-and-us-west-coast-begin <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>20 October 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-e298198643c36f1ade5019154605b19d-0" class="post first"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5750/gloomy-weather-tourist-front">Gloomy weather on New Zealand's tourist front</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The financial crisis has hit tourism - one of New Zealand's biggest earners - causing visitor numbers to plummet last month. Statistics New Zealand figures show the number of international tourists fell 6.6 per cent...</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-aa98a284d77c2add991a7ad4700cb7bc-1" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5776/cancelled-cruises-bring-65m-loss">Cancelled cruises bring loss to New Zealand and Australia</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Celebrity Cruises, the company which owns the 2038-passenger Celebrity Millennium, has cut Australia and New Zealand from its 2009-10 itinerary, choosing to focus on northern hemisphere destinations. High fuel costs and high airfare costs for passengers were reasons for the cancellations,...</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-1a2aa3461ad2f38f2497226d4fd2a59c-3" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5799/recession-may-mean-opportunities-some-travel-industry">Recession may mean opportunities to some in the travel industry</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> <a class="inlinesave" href="http://delicious.com/save?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eturbonews.com%2F5799%2Frecession-may-mean-opportunities-some-travel-industry&amp;title=Recession%20may%20mean%20opportunities%20to%20some%20in%20the%20travel%20industry&amp;jump=%2Falanalew%2F1&amp;key=lrHycjxVqTdfQlPTFFSAUVpWqn4-&amp;original_user=alanalew&amp;copyuser=alanalew&amp;copytags=pcntravel+econcrisis+1"></a></h4> <div class="description">Leading hospitality, timeshare and fractional leaders all across the country express concerns over business during these hard times. However, they believe some sectors will stay afloat and find opportunities in deep recession.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-205a2affee9d32414405a3ce8798c938-4" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5794/first-a380-service-between-australia-and-us-west-coast-begins-qan">First A380 service between Australia and the US west coast begins for Qantas</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> <a class="inlinesave" href="http://delicious.com/save?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eturbonews.com%2F5794%2Ffirst-a380-service-between-australia-and-us-west-coast-begins-qan&amp;title=First%20A380%20service%20between%20Australia%20and%20the%20US%20west%20coast%20begins%20for%20Qantas&amp;jump=%2Falanalew%2F1&amp;key=lrHycjxVqTdfQlPTFFSAUVpWqn4-&amp;original_user=alanalew&amp;copyuser=alanalew&amp;copytags=pcntravel+wgoc+1"></a></h4> <div class="description">The Qantas A380 is configured with 450 seats in four cabins &ndash; 14 in First Class, 72 in Business Class, 32 in Premium Economy, and 332 in Economy Class &ndash; with interiors designed by world renowned Australian industrial designer and Qantas creative director Marc Newson.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-3fcb8b480178f7c81baedd41cf1937b7-6" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24471277-23349,00.html">Study reveals what we love, and hate, about flying</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">89 per cent of Taiwanese, 87 per cent of Americans, 84 per cent of Thais and 83 per cent of British travellers agreed they would appreciate a seat swap if they were less than thrilled with where they were asked to park their posteriors.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5277/travelography-131-tourism-and-the-economic-meltdown-part-2/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5277/travelography-131-tourism-and-the-economic-meltdown-part-2/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5277/travelography-131-tourism-and-the-economic-meltdown-part-2/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sat, 18 Oct 2008 01:25:45 -0400 no Alan A. Lew Tibet,travel,tourism,tipping,travel agency,airlines,oil prices,credit crisis,New Orleans,OAG Travelography #131 - Travel News for the week of 13 Oct 2008. Stories on the potential impacts of the economic meltdown on travel and tourism continues for at least one more week. I wonder how long our attention on this will last? pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong13 October 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./emnbsp;/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-d06df4a1772982a1d1b5001e4b441d73-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5637/tibet-slashes-tourism-ticket-prices-after-riots'Tibet slashes tourism ticket prices after riots/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'In the first half of the year, 340,000 people visited Tibet. That's down 69 percent from the same period last year. Tourism almost came to a standstill after a riot broke out on March 14./div /div /div /li li id='item-3ccadd0b4e82cbc1be9ea559e0abf602-3' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5641/tourists-tip-less-they-feel-squeeze'Tourists to tip less as they feel the squeeze/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='bookmark NOTHUMB'Penny conscious tourists are now refusing to tip waiters, taxi drivers and hotel staff when dissatisfied and 13 per cent say they'll definitely be tipping less and less often, no matter what the service, to make their travel money stretch further this holiday. div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-10-16-cancellation-policies_N.htm?csp=34'Travel industry gets flexible to calm clients' money fears/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Under the new rules for fall 2009 cruises, customers will be able to cancel without penalty up to 45 days from sailing date instead of 75 days. They'll also be able to reserve a cabin with a 5% deposit instead of 10%. They'll have seven days to pay instead of three. ... the policy adjustments a 'smart move' that can calm clients' nerves about committing to a cruise that can cost up to $8,000 a couple./div /div /div /div /div /li li id='item-bdbf5abac64e57429f18904310ff866f-5' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5605/airlines-oil-proving-two-edged-sword'For airlines, oil is proving a two-edged sword/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'While cheaper crude breathes new hope into airlines, it carries other penalties. Oil is down because demand is grinding lower. OPEC just slashed 100,000 barrels a day from its 2009 demand growth forecast, citing shaky financial markets and mounting evidence that the global economy is in recession. Included in the downturn is a drop in travel./div /div /div /li li id='item-9d8194c7c838510edcaba1b03a0c1df7-7' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>13 October 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em>&nbsp;</p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-d06df4a1772982a1d1b5001e4b441d73-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5637/tibet-slashes-tourism-ticket-prices-after-riots">Tibet slashes tourism ticket prices after riots</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">In the first half of the year, 340,000 people visited Tibet. That's down 69 percent from the same period last year. Tourism almost came to a standstill after a riot broke out on March 14.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-3ccadd0b4e82cbc1be9ea559e0abf602-3" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5641/tourists-tip-less-they-feel-squeeze">Tourists to tip less as they feel the squeeze</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB">Penny conscious tourists are now refusing to tip waiters, taxi drivers and hotel staff when dissatisfied and 13 per cent say they'll definitely be tipping less and less often, no matter what the service, to make their travel money stretch further this holiday. <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-10-16-cancellation-policies_N.htm?csp=34">Travel industry gets flexible to calm clients' money fears</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Under the new rules for fall 2009 cruises, customers will be able to cancel without penalty up to 45 days from sailing date instead of 75 days. They'll also be able to reserve a cabin with a 5% deposit instead of 10%. They'll have seven days to pay instead of three. ... the policy adjustments a "smart move" that can calm clients' nerves about committing to a cruise that can cost up to $8,000 a couple.</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-bdbf5abac64e57429f18904310ff866f-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5605/airlines-oil-proving-two-edged-sword">For airlines, oil is proving a two-edged sword</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">While cheaper crude breathes new hope into airlines, it carries other penalties. Oil is down because demand is grinding lower. OPEC just slashed 100,000 barrels a day from its 2009 demand growth forecast, citing shaky financial markets and mounting evidence that the global economy is in recession. Included in the downturn is a drop in travel.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-9d8194c7c838510edcaba1b03a0c1df7-7" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-10-08-katrina-recovery_N.htm">Credit crisis threatens New Orleans' recovery</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">It's the commercial sector &mdash; privately funded hotels, condos and new-business development &mdash; that would be waylaid by a contraction of credit. Compounding the quandary: No one knows how badly the $5 billion-a-year, bread-and-butter tourism industry &mdash; the metro area's largest employer and generator of an average of more than $250 million a year in tax revenue &mdash; will be hit by belt-tightening consumers.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-015b31bb03558feac42a08ba5fe482d0-8" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5486/oag-revises-4th-quarter-analysis-global-airline-activity">OAG revises 4th quarter analysis of global airline activity</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The US domestic market will account for 21.4 million of the cutback in available seats, or 46% of the global decline and a staggering 59% of the global drop in frequencies with 265,000 fewer flights.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5272/travelography-130-travel-tourism-and-the-economic-meltdown/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5272/travelography-130-travel-tourism-and-the-economic-meltdown/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5272/travelography-130-travel-tourism-and-the-economic-meltdown/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sat, 11 Oct 2008 11:50:20 -0400 no Alan A. Lew economy,travel industry,airlines,hotels,travel agencies,Priceline.com,tourism,travel,UK,USA Travelography #130 - Travel News for 6 Oct 2008. There has been a rash of stories this past week, many of which are contradictory, on the relationship between travel and tourism and the global economic crisis. pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong6 October 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./emnbsp;nbsp;/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-74e6958d3f01dc5784d9880636b46f0f-1' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-10-09-travel-mood_N.htm?csp=34'Economic woes cause travelers to postpone, cancel trips/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'One reason experts doubt travel will rebound quickly has to do with the way many people were financing their travels before the housing market collapsed. ... many people were financing their travels by accessing the equity built up in their homes, which appreciated dramatically in recent years./div /div div class='meta'/div /div /li li id='item-e76a1c7a8bd0713f4e9f9d39d15d0d43-2' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5500/ahead-bell-online-travel-sites'Ahead of the Bell: Online travel sites/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Orbitz Worldwide Inc. was downgraded and earnings estimates for online travel competitors Priceline.com Inc. and Expedia Inc. were cut Thursday, as analysts pointed to a weaker travel market and a stronger dollar./div /div div class='meta'/div /div /li li id='item-4b4b7ac9ab6bcb7c07a42e3e18251ab0-3' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5499/credit-crunch-good-news-uk-travel-industry'Credit crunch 'good news for UK [domestic] travel'/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description''Consumer behaviour is changing. We're seeing more people taking short breaks close to home and it could be that the recession will be good news for UK tourism. ... Among the new deals being snatched up are city breaks in apartments, couples' breaks in log cabins and holidays with a sporting theme.'/div /div div class='meta'/div /div /li li id='item-5b678680ff570f22a4387f306a70780b-4' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5495/airline-industry-faces-year-hell'Airline industry faces 'year of hell'/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'The International Air Transport Association, IATA, has estimated that global airline loses will be $5.2 billion this year and $4.9 billion next year due to the economic slowdown and high price of oil. This compares with a combined profit of $5.6 billion last year./div /div div class='meta'/div /div /li li id='item-0724b7527e99e2608f02a304862bd865-5' class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlin <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>6 October 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-74e6958d3f01dc5784d9880636b46f0f-1" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/news/2008-10-09-travel-mood_N.htm?csp=34">Economic woes cause travelers to postpone, cancel trips</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">One reason experts doubt travel will rebound quickly has to do with the way many people were financing their travels before the housing market collapsed. ... many people were financing their travels by accessing the equity built up in their homes, which appreciated dramatically in recent years.</div> </div> <div class="meta"></div> </div> </li> <li id="item-e76a1c7a8bd0713f4e9f9d39d15d0d43-2" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5500/ahead-bell-online-travel-sites">Ahead of the Bell: Online travel sites</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Orbitz Worldwide Inc. was downgraded and earnings estimates for online travel competitors Priceline.com Inc. and Expedia Inc. were cut Thursday, as analysts pointed to a weaker travel market and a stronger dollar.</div> </div> <div class="meta"></div> </div> </li> <li id="item-4b4b7ac9ab6bcb7c07a42e3e18251ab0-3" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5499/credit-crunch-good-news-uk-travel-industry">Credit crunch 'good news for UK [domestic] travel'</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">"Consumer behaviour is changing. We're seeing more people taking short breaks close to home and it could be that the recession will be good news for UK tourism. ... Among the new deals being snatched up are city breaks in apartments, couples' breaks in log cabins and holidays with a sporting theme."</div> </div> <div class="meta"></div> </div> </li> <li id="item-5b678680ff570f22a4387f306a70780b-4" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5495/airline-industry-faces-year-hell">Airline industry faces 'year of hell'</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">The International Air Transport Association, IATA, has estimated that global airline loses will be $5.2 billion this year and $4.9 billion next year due to the economic slowdown and high price of oil. This compares with a combined profit of $5.6 billion last year.</div> </div> <div class="meta"></div> </div> </li> <li id="item-0724b7527e99e2608f02a304862bd865-5" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-10-09-az-tourism_N.htm?csp=34">Airline woes pinch Arizona tourism expectations</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Fewer seats for sale means airlines can charge more. Tickets for Phoenix flights departing in October are up an average 28% from a year ago, ... At risk: A substantial slice of $19 billion in annual visitor spending in Arizona. This comes after months of reduced numbers in hotel occupancy and airport traffic as people struggle with a plunging stock market, the housing meltdown and other economic woes.</div> </div> <div class="meta"></div> </div> </li> <li id="item-6805fc3e78f2fd4f4cd386b758172ee8-6" class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27088755/">The silver [travel] lining in the global slump</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Blame it on &ldquo;comparative pain.&rdquo; As bad as things seem in the U.S., they&rsquo;re even worse in other countries with higher inflation, higher unemployment, and a weaker central bank.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5267/travelography-129-airlines-flying-above-financial-crisis/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5267/travelography-129-airlines-flying-above-financial-crisis/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5267/travelography-129-airlines-flying-above-financial-crisis/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sat, 04 Oct 2008 19:40:20 -0400 no Alan A. Lew airlines,financial crisis,international travel,trans-Pacific travel,meaningful travel,tourism Travelography #129 for 29 Sept 2008. Several stories about how US airlines have been fairing these past three months (3rd quarter 2008), and these past couple of weeks. I close with some suggestions for more 'meaningful travel'. pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong29 September 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./emnbsp;nbsp;/p ul id='bookmarklist' class='bookmarks NOTHUMB' li id='item-9609dc487a6d2e5b6ccc8692f48c51e6-1' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/BusinessTravel/wireStory?id=5921910'Low Gas Prices Help Airline Stocks Take Off/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Airlines also attracted investors by retiring older, less fuel-efficient planes and cutting capacity to support higher ticket prices. Passengers seemed willing to pay additional fees for everything from luggage to food to extra leg room, which added millions to airlines' revenue./div /div /div /li li id='item-ea1b08e41ee3511896fb5268a8314c50-2' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=5951489amp;page=1'As International Airfares Soar, Americans Stay in the U.S./a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Growth of international passenger traffic worldwide slowed to a five-year low in July and dropped further in August, according to the International Air Transport Association, which represents 230 airlines./div /div /div /li li id='item-2af9370cfd9ea727cdd5440d9f91394c-4' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/30/business/30asiatravel.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert'Airlines add service and amenities to Asian routes/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'...996 nonstop flights a week were scheduled in the third quarter of 2008 from the United States to Asian countries, more than ever before. Los Angeles is the most popular departure city from the United States, with 180 flights a week. Narita Airport in Tokyo is the most frequent destination, with 380 arrivals a week./div /div /div /li li id='item-de9990dfc25aa57e6844e33c0ba8b677-5' class='post isSelf' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='dateGroup'span title='29 SEP 08' /span/div div class='data' h4a class='taggedlink' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.thestar.com/Travel/article/505301'The give and take of travel/a div style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description'Bargain in good faith The 50 cents you save may give you pride because you 'beat down' the salesperson, but you may have also robbed that person of extra food or prevented his or her children from purchasing school books or a mandatory school uniform./div /div /div /li /ul <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>29 September 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em>&nbsp;&nbsp;</p> <ul id="bookmarklist" class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"> <li id="item-9609dc487a6d2e5b6ccc8692f48c51e6-1" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/BusinessTravel/wireStory?id=5921910">Low Gas Prices Help Airline Stocks Take Off</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Airlines also attracted investors by retiring older, less fuel-efficient planes and cutting capacity to support higher ticket prices. Passengers seemed willing to pay additional fees for everything from luggage to food to extra leg room, which added millions to airlines' revenue.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-ea1b08e41ee3511896fb5268a8314c50-2" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=5951489&amp;page=1">As International Airfares Soar, Americans Stay in the U.S.</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Growth of international passenger traffic worldwide slowed to a five-year low in July and dropped further in August, according to the International Air Transport Association, which represents 230 airlines.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-2af9370cfd9ea727cdd5440d9f91394c-4" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/30/business/30asiatravel.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert">Airlines add service and amenities to Asian routes</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">...996 nonstop flights a week were scheduled in the third quarter of 2008 from the United States to Asian countries, more than ever before. Los Angeles is the most popular departure city from the United States, with 180 flights a week. Narita Airport in Tokyo is the most frequent destination, with 380 arrivals a week.</div> </div> </div> </li> <li id="item-de9990dfc25aa57e6844e33c0ba8b677-5" class="post isSelf"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="dateGroup"><span title="29 SEP 08"> </span></div> <div class="data"> <h4><a class="taggedlink" rel="nofollow" href="http://www.thestar.com/Travel/article/505301">The give and take of travel</a> <div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px;">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description">Bargain in good faith The 50 cents you save may give you pride because you "beat down" the salesperson, but you may have also robbed that person of extra food or prevented his or her children from purchasing school books or a mandatory school uniform.</div> </div> </div> </li> </ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5241/travelography-128-economy-environment-stall-cruise-lines/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5241/travelography-128-economy-environment-stall-cruise-lines/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5241/travelography-128-economy-environment-stall-cruise-lines/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sat, 27 Sep 2008 01:00:38 -0400 no Alan A. Lew cruise lines,Alaska,oil prices,fines,Little Mermaid,Copenhagen,space tourism,airline,accommodations,Caribbean Travelography #128 - 22 September 2008 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong22 September 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./emnbsp;nbsp; /p stronga href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5234/analyst-cuts-carnival-rating-sell' class='taggedlink'Analyst cuts Carnival rating to quot;Sellquot;/a/strongh4div class='bookmark NOTHUMB'nbsp;... $100 a barrel oil and rising shipbuilding costs require the industry to focus on improving returns by raising cruise prices and cutting commissions to travel agents. ... Carnival's $10 billion in ship orders means that the company cannot make this shift for at least four years.span class='checkbox-edit'br //span div class='data' h4 a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5226/regulators-cite-nearly-half-20-ships-regularly-discharge-alaska-w' class='taggedlink'Regulators cite nearly half of the 20 ships that regularly discharge in Alaska waters/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' Six Princess Cruises ships, a Norwegian Cruise Line ship and a Regent Seven Seas Cruises ship were cited for exceeding limits on wastewater pollution. Last week, a Holland America cruise ship was cited. The state Department of Environmental Conservation has not yet dealt with samples from August and September, and may find more violations.span class='checkbox-edit'br //span div class='data' h4 a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5230/mermaids-trip-shanghai-irks-copenhagen-tourists-lawmakers' class='taggedlink'Little Mermaid's trip to Shanghai irks Copenhagen tourists, lawmakers/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' quot;How would people of New York feel if they decided to move the Statue of Liberty to China?'' says Karin Noedgaard, the People's Party spokeswoman on cultural affairs. ``This is a catastrophic idea.''span class='checkbox-edit'br //span div class='data' h4 a href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5236/grounded-space-tourist-wants-21-million-refund' class='taggedlink'Grounded space tourist wants $21 million refund/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' Enomoto alleges he was pulled from the flight so Ansari, who had invested in Space Adventures, could fly instead. Ansari also was the primary backer of the $10 million Ansari X Prize awarded in 2004 for the first privately developed manned space flight. In a response filed on Wednesday, Space Adventures' lawyers said Enomoto's contract did not entitle him to a refund if he became medically disqualified.s <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>22 September 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em>&nbsp;&nbsp; </p> <strong><a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5234/analyst-cuts-carnival-rating-sell" class="taggedlink">Analyst cuts Carnival rating to &quot;Sell&quot;</a></strong><h4><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB">&nbsp;... $100 a barrel oil and rising shipbuilding costs require the industry to focus on improving returns by raising cruise prices and cutting commissions to travel agents. ... Carnival's $10 billion in ship orders means that the company cannot make this shift for at least four years.<span class="checkbox-edit"><br /></span> <div class="data"> <h4> <a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5226/regulators-cite-nearly-half-20-ships-regularly-discharge-alaska-w" class="taggedlink">Regulators cite nearly half of the 20 ships that regularly discharge in Alaska waters</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> Six Princess Cruises ships, a Norwegian Cruise Line ship and a Regent Seven Seas Cruises ship were cited for exceeding limits on wastewater pollution. Last week, a Holland America cruise ship was cited. The state Department of Environmental Conservation has not yet dealt with samples from August and September, and may find more violations.<span class="checkbox-edit"><br /></span> <div class="data"> <h4> <a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5230/mermaids-trip-shanghai-irks-copenhagen-tourists-lawmakers" class="taggedlink">Little Mermaid's trip to Shanghai irks Copenhagen tourists, lawmakers</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> &quot;How would people of New York feel if they decided to move the Statue of Liberty to China?'' says Karin Noedgaard, the People's Party spokeswoman on cultural affairs. ``This is a catastrophic idea.''<span class="checkbox-edit"><br /></span> <div class="data"> <h4> <a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5236/grounded-space-tourist-wants-21-million-refund" class="taggedlink">Grounded space tourist wants $21 million refund</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> Enomoto alleges he was pulled from the flight so Ansari, who had invested in Space Adventures, could fly instead. Ansari also was the primary backer of the $10 million Ansari X Prize awarded in 2004 for the first privately developed manned space flight. In a response filed on Wednesday, Space Adventures' lawyers said Enomoto's contract did not entitle him to a refund if he became medically disqualified.<span class="checkbox-edit"><br /></span> <div class="data"> <h4> <a href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5215/plane-crazy-new-airline-launched" class="taggedlink">Plane crazy? New airline launched</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> Jet Republic bosses are putting their trust in the ultra-rich avoiding the turbulence from the credit crunch as they launch their new luxury service. The company has placed an order worth around &pound;830m for 110 Learjet aircraft, each seating seven passengers. The airline will fly to more than 1,000 airports in Europe, including the UK, from its base in Lisbon, Portugal. <div class="data"> <h4> <a href="http://www.greenlodgingnews.com/content.aspx?id=2607" class="taggedlink">With Economy in Crisis Mode, Leaders Gather at The Lodging Conference</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> ...the next major trend to hit the lodging industry will be green hotels. That trend is being driven to a great extent by increasing energy prices. &ldquo;In some islands of the Caribbean, energy prices have doubled since last year,&rdquo; ... &ldquo;As brands, we need to start requiring green changes.&rdquo; &ldquo;In many future developments, you will see more solar and wind technologies,&rdquo; </div> </div></div> </div></div> </div></div> </div></div> </div></div> </h4> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5231/travelography-127-honey-i-shrunk-the-airlines/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5231/travelography-127-honey-i-shrunk-the-airlines/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5231/travelography-127-honey-i-shrunk-the-airlines/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sat, 20 Sep 2008 03:29:40 -0400 no Alan A. Lew airline impacts,Air Canada,TSA,car x-ray,airline capacity,airfares,arline stocks,grafitti,tourists,travel,tourism Travelography World Travel and Tourism News: 15 Sept 08 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong15 September 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./emnbsp; /pdiv class='data'pstronga rel='nofollow' href='http://www.thestreet.com/story/10437834/1/airline-stocks-fly-through-the-downturn.html' class='taggedlink'Airline Stocks Fly Through the Downturn/a/strong /p div class='description'strong /strongLooking for a safe haven in today's jittery stock market? ... Try the airlines. falling fuel prices may have masked what's really going on in the airline industry, which is that demand has remained strong, despite a slowing economy, and widespread capacity discipline shows no sign of diminishing. /div /divdiv class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-09-17-car-scanner_N.htm?csp=34' class='taggedlink'TSA tests scanner for car bombs/a /h4div class='description'TheTSA is running a test at a North Carolina ferry terminal of a 21-foot-high arch-like machine that shoots low-intensity X-rays at cars as they pass through. The photos show whether explosives or drugs might be in the car. /div /divdiv class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5095/five-ways-airline-capacity-cuts-will-affect-you' class='taggedlink'Five ways airline capacity cuts will affect you/a /h4 div class='description' 1. Flight options dwindle, 2. Packed planes, 3. Schedule changes, 4. Kiss standby seats goodbye, 5. A scarcity of frequent flier tickets /div /divdiv class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/05a2feb4-8509-11dd-b148-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1' class='taggedlink'Air fares nosedive amid falling travel demand/a /h4 div class='dateGroup' Hotel rates in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have also fallen over the second quarter compared with the first. Average daily rates in 41 out of 48 cities in the region rose 6.9 per cent year on year in January to March, but by June, average falls of 3.6 per cent were being recorded in 30 cities.a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5107/netherlands-man-charged-ny-graffiti-tourism' class='taggedlink'/a/divdiv class='dateGroup'nbsp;/divdiv class='dateGroup'stronga rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/5107/netherlands-man-charged-ny-graffiti-tourism' class='taggedlink'Netherlands man charged with NY `graffiti tourism'/a/strong/divdiv class='dateGroup'nbsp;/divdiv class='dateGroup'a Dutch man who came to New York as a quot;graffiti touristquot; has been indicted on charges of spray-painting a subway car and leading police on a dangerous chase along the tracks./div/div <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>15 September 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em>&nbsp; </p><div class="data"><p><strong><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.thestreet.com/story/10437834/1/airline-stocks-fly-through-the-downturn.html" class="taggedlink">Airline Stocks Fly Through the Downturn</a></strong> </p> <div class="description"><strong> </strong>Looking for a safe haven in today's jittery stock market? ... Try the airlines. falling fuel prices may have masked what's really going on in the airline industry, which is that demand has remained strong, despite a slowing economy, and widespread capacity discipline shows no sign of diminishing. </div> </div><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2008-09-17-car-scanner_N.htm?csp=34" class="taggedlink">TSA tests scanner for car bombs</a> </h4><div class="description">TheTSA is running a test at a North Carolina ferry terminal of a 21-foot-high arch-like machine that shoots low-intensity X-rays at cars as they pass through. The photos show whether explosives or drugs might be in the car. </div> </div><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5095/five-ways-airline-capacity-cuts-will-affect-you" class="taggedlink">Five ways airline capacity cuts will affect you</a> </h4> <div class="description"> 1. Flight options dwindle, 2. Packed planes, 3. Schedule changes, 4. Kiss standby seats goodbye, 5. A scarcity of frequent flier tickets </div> </div><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/05a2feb4-8509-11dd-b148-0000779fd18c.html?nclick_check=1" class="taggedlink">Air fares nosedive amid falling travel demand</a> </h4> <div class="dateGroup"> Hotel rates in Europe, the Middle East and Africa have also fallen over the second quarter compared with the first. Average daily rates in 41 out of 48 cities in the region rose 6.9 per cent year on year in January to March, but by June, average falls of 3.6 per cent were being recorded in 30 cities.<a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5107/netherlands-man-charged-ny-graffiti-tourism" class="taggedlink"></a></div><div class="dateGroup">&nbsp;</div><div class="dateGroup"><strong><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/5107/netherlands-man-charged-ny-graffiti-tourism" class="taggedlink">Netherlands man charged with NY `graffiti tourism'</a></strong></div><div class="dateGroup">&nbsp;</div><div class="dateGroup">a Dutch man who came to New York as a &quot;graffiti tourist&quot; has been indicted on charges of spray-painting a subway car and leading police on a dangerous chase along the tracks.</div></div> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5228/travelography-126-tourism-challenges-all-over-the-globe/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5228/travelography-126-tourism-challenges-all-over-the-globe/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5228/travelography-126-tourism-challenges-all-over-the-globe/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Fri, 12 Sep 2008 19:42:18 -0400 no Alan A. Lew airlines,bankruptcy,UK,Caribbean,Beijing,Britain,Thailand,Italy,Spain,Iraq,Abu Grhaib,tourism,travel Travelography #126 - 8 September 2008 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong8 September 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em /pdiv class='bookmark NOTHUMB'div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7611639.stm' class='taggedlink'Thousands stranded by XL collapse/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description' Chairman Phil Wyatt said he was quot;totally devastatedquot; by the failure which has grounded XL's 21 planes. The company flies to about 50 destinations. There are 67,000 stranded who booked directly with XL, and another 23,000 who booked via other companies. /div /div/divdiv class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/09/12/xl-leisure-group-goes-into-administration/' class='taggedlink'XL Leisure Group Plc [including XL Airways] goes into administration [bankruptcy]/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description' My kids are sat at the TV crying -- Taking a holiday to Greece this weekend and I have just told them them that we will not be now. /div /div/div div class='bookmark NOTHUMB'div class='data'h4a rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=5783186amp;page=1' class='taggedlink'Caribbean Islands Assess Damage From Hurricane Ike/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' According to The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, thousands of pink flamingos on the island of Great Inagua were unharmed when their breeding colony mdash; the world's largest mdash; took a direct hit from Ike. All the country's hotels and other tourist facilities are open.span class='checkbox-edit'br //span div class='data' h4 /h4/div/div/div/divdiv class='bookmark NOTHUMB'div class='data'div class='bookmark NOTHUMB'div class='data'h4a rel='nofollow' href='http://news.future-of-travel.org/?p=1252' class='taggedlink'BEIJING 2008: TOURIST NUMBERS FELL DURING OLYMPIC GAMES/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description' Far from causing a tourist boom, the Beijing Olympic Games actually caused a drastic fall in the numbers of visitors to the Chinese capital. ... In August, hotels in Beijing welcomed a total of 708,000 guests from other areas in China, 47% less than last year./div /div/div/div/divdiv class='bookmark NOTHUMB'div class='data'h4a rel='no <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>8 September 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em> </p><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7611639.stm" class="taggedlink">Thousands stranded by XL collapse</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> Chairman Phil Wyatt said he was &quot;totally devastated&quot; by the failure which has grounded XL's 21 planes. The company flies to about 50 destinations. There are 67,000 stranded who booked directly with XL, and another 23,000 who booked via other companies. </div> </div></div><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.travel-rants.com/2008/09/12/xl-leisure-group-goes-into-administration/" class="taggedlink">XL Leisure Group Plc [including XL Airways] goes into administration [bankruptcy]</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> My kids are sat at the TV crying -- Taking a holiday to Greece this weekend and I have just told them them that we will not be now. </div> </div></div> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"><div class="data"><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=5783186&amp;page=1" class="taggedlink">Caribbean Islands Assess Damage From Hurricane Ike</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> According to The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism, thousands of pink flamingos on the island of Great Inagua were unharmed when their breeding colony &mdash; the world's largest &mdash; took a direct hit from Ike. All the country's hotels and other tourist facilities are open.<span class="checkbox-edit"><br /></span> <div class="data"> <h4> </h4></div></div></div></div><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"><div class="data"><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"><div class="data"><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://news.future-of-travel.org/?p=1252" class="taggedlink">BEIJING 2008: TOURIST NUMBERS FELL DURING OLYMPIC GAMES</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> Far from causing a tourist boom, the Beijing Olympic Games actually caused a drastic fall in the numbers of visitors to the Chinese capital. ... In August, hotels in Beijing welcomed a total of 708,000 guests from other areas in China, 47% less than last year.</div> </div></div></div></div><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"><div class="data"><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/cornwall/7611883.stm" class="taggedlink">Rain washes away &pound;200m on tourism [in SW England]</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> Britain had its wettest August since 2004 with Devon and Cornwall getting 179% of the 1971-2000 average and Cornwall 157% say the Met Office. Malcolm Bell, chief executive of South West Tourism, said: &quot;Tourism is a massive industry for Cornwall, it's worth about &pound;1.5bn. </div> </div></div><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"><div class="data"><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/4976/tourism-authority-thailand-issues-situation-update" class="taggedlink">Tourism Authority of Thailand issues situation update</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> TAT has also participated in several online travel forums such as Tripadvisor.com, Lonely planet.com and VirtualTourist.com. ... As part of Thailand&rsquo;s tourism recovery plans, TAT will be hosting a &ldquo;Thailand Invitation&rdquo; mega familiarization trip (&lsquo;fam&rsquo; trip) for over 800 media representatives and travel operators from around the world.<br /><br /></div></div></div><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.cbc.ca/arts/artdesign/story/2008/09/04/abu-ghraib-museum.html" class="taggedlink">Infamous Abu Ghraib prison gets a museum makeover</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> Abu Ghraib, which housed about 2,000 inmates, of which the prison's U.S. commander estimated 90 per cent were innocent, was closed in 2006. There's no mention in the announcement whether the abuses by U.S. soldiers will be covered in the museum's exhibitions.&nbsp;</div></div><div class="data"><div class="description"> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121969807244970447.html?mod=dist_smartbrief" class="taggedlink">Italy's Tourism Hits Defining Moment</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4>Though plenty of visitors flock to Italy's cities, beaches and countryside all year round, over the past three decades the country has lost its primacy as a tourist destination to France, Spain, the U.S. and -- more recently -- China.</div></div></div><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/09/04/travel/04spaintourism.php?WT.mc_id=travelalert" class="taggedlink">Spanish tourism feels pinch of economic downturn</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4><p> After 50 years of uninterrupted growth, Spain's overbuilt and relatively expensive resorts seem ill-placed to cope with a downturn, at a time of increasing competition from cheaper, less-crowded destinations like Croatia and Turkey. <br /><br /><strong><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.earthportal.org/news/?p=1643" class="taggedlink">The ice melts quickly, generating polar disputes that may fester for decades</a></strong> </p><p>Among the trends that concern them are reports that fishing fleets are venturing farther north in search of new grounds as stocks become depleted at traditional fishing sites. Cruise ships are also making headway into Antarctica and the European and Canadian Arctic, raising concerns over the negative ecological impacts of ship discharge and solid waste disposal. </p><p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5221/travelography-125-the-trickle-down-travel-contraction/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5221/travelography-125-the-trickle-down-travel-contraction/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5221/travelography-125-the-trickle-down-travel-contraction/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:56:43 -0400 no Alan A. Lew cruise,passengers,hurricanes,airlines,tourism,hotels,life vests,Australia,advisory,USA,bomb,fine,pirates,Somalia,Airbus,Japan,Mt. Fuji Travelography #125 - 1 September 2008 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong1 September 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/pdiv class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blogamp;ak=55143426.blog' class='taggedlink'Hanna-caused detour prompts 'mutiny' on Carnival Miracle/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description' The New York-based ship was supposed to head to the Caribbean... But thanks to Tropical Storm Hanna, the 2,124-passenger vessel ... will be spending Friday more than 1,000 miles off course in -- get this -- Newport, R.I. The drastic change to the ship's itinerary -- no other ship has been forced so far afield by this week's storms -- has cause a virtual mutiny on board, according to passenger posts on cruise-focused websites. /divdiv class='description'div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/BusinessTravel/story?id=5703925amp;page=1' class='taggedlink'Airline Flight Cuts End Up Hurting Airports and Hotels, Too/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description' The carriers' misery is spreading, or is expected to spread, to virtually every industry they touch in the travel economy: hotels, rental cars, convention centers, websites that book travel, airports and others. br //div /div/div /divdiv class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=5677587' class='taggedlink'Gas Prices Cause Airline [in Canada] to Remove Life Vests/a /h4 div class='description' ...all of Jazz's flights operate within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of shore. ... A commercial-style life vest weighs roughly a half-kilogram, meaning 25 kilograms would be saved by removing them from a Dash-8 aircraft with 50 seats. /div /divdiv class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/4697/australia-issues-travel-advisory-warns-high-risks-travelers-us' class='taggedlink'Australia issues travel advisory warns of high risks for travelers to US/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4 div class='description' In a fresh travel advisory issued on Sunday, the Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has warmed of quot;high risksquot; of terror attacks on domestic and international flights in and to the United States. /div /divdiv class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/4776/woman-told-repay-airlin <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>1 September 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/cruises/item.aspx?type=blog&amp;ak=55143426.blog" class="taggedlink">Hanna-caused detour prompts 'mutiny' on Carnival Miracle</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> The New York-based ship was supposed to head to the Caribbean... But thanks to Tropical Storm Hanna, the 2,124-passenger vessel ... will be spending Friday more than 1,000 miles off course in -- get this -- Newport, R.I. The drastic change to the ship's itinerary -- no other ship has been forced so far afield by this week's storms -- has cause a virtual mutiny on board, according to passenger posts on cruise-focused websites. </div><div class="description"><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/BusinessTravel/story?id=5703925&amp;page=1" class="taggedlink">Airline Flight Cuts End Up Hurting Airports and Hotels, Too</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> The carriers' misery is spreading, or is expected to spread, to virtually every industry they touch in the travel economy: hotels, rental cars, convention centers, websites that book travel, airports and others. <br /></div> </div></div> </div><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/story?id=5677587" class="taggedlink">Gas Prices Cause Airline [in Canada] to Remove Life Vests</a> </h4> <div class="description"> ...all of Jazz's flights operate within 50 miles (80 kilometers) of shore. ... A commercial-style life vest weighs roughly a half-kilogram, meaning 25 kilograms would be saved by removing them from a Dash-8 aircraft with 50 seats. </div> </div><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/4697/australia-issues-travel-advisory-warns-high-risks-travelers-us" class="taggedlink">Australia issues travel advisory warns of high risks for travelers to US</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> In a fresh travel advisory issued on Sunday, the Australian government's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has warmed of &quot;high risks&quot; of terror attacks on domestic and international flights in and to the United States. </div> </div><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/4776/woman-told-repay-airline-diversion" class="taggedlink">Fake Bomb Scare Brings Real $23,000 Fine</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> She asked an airline employee to make the plane come back with her bag and then asked what would happen if there was a bomb in her bag. Finally, she allegedly said that there was a bomb in the bag. </div> </div> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/4775/somali-pirates-kidnap-tourists" class="taggedlink">Somali pirates 'kidnap tourists'</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> Two French citizens and their sailing boat have been seized by pirates off the Somali coast, French officials say. ... The seas off Somalia have some of the highest rates of piracy in the world. The country has been without a functioning central government for 17 years and has suffered from continual civil strife. </div> </div><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/Airbus_to_extend_A380_to_seat_1000_passengers/rssarticleshow/3419071.cms" class="taggedlink">Airbus to extend A380 to accommodate 1,000 passengers</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> Airbus SAS, the world's largest plane maker, is *considering* an extended 1,000-passenger version of the A380 aircraft...The A380, the world's largest commercial aircraft even in its current form, can carry 555 passengers. </div> </div><div class="data"><h4><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-09-03-mt-fuji-climbers_N.htm?csp=34" class="taggedlink">Japan's Mt. Fuji draws record number of summer climbers</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4> <div class="description"> Some 247,066 people climbed the mountain in July and August, beating the previous record of 220,277, set in 1987, ... Four people also died from injuries sustained while climbing, marking the first deaths since 2005, ... </div> </div><p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5211/travelography-crime-and-mayhem-against-and-by-tourist/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5211/travelography-crime-and-mayhem-against-and-by-tourist/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5211/travelography-crime-and-mayhem-against-and-by-tourist/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Fri, 29 Aug 2008 17:36:35 -0400 no Alan A. Lew Macau,gaming,Mexico,crime,Italy,tourists,Greece,youths,drinking,Iraq,identity theft,Best Western Travelography #124 - 25 August 2008 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong25 August 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em /p ullih4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/4641/macau-fastest-growing-destination-2008' class='taggedlink'Macau, the fastest-growing destination in 2008/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4/li/ulMore than 1.5 million international visitors have come to Macau in the first six months of this year, a 46.5 % jump over the same period last year. This does not include the 8.8 million Mainland residents who visited in the same period, according to the Macau Government Tourist Office. ullih4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/4655/european-countries-warn-tourists-against-violence-mexico' class='taggedlink'European countries warn tourists against violence in Mexico/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4/li/ul The German Foreign Ministry advised its citizens not to resist if they fell victim to any crime in Mexico, because that might threaten their lives. Criminal acts in Mexico have surged considerably recently and quot;unfortunately,quot; police forces are involved in the violence, said the German government. ullih4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=5657853' class='taggedlink'Italy Mulls Tougher Crackdown as Tourists Attacked/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4/li/ul The Italian government was considering ordering more troops on to the streets Tuesday after two brutal attacks on tourists within three days during an already tough crackdown against crime, according to a newspaper report. ullih4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/4556/crete-mayor-has-had-enough-british-drunks' class='taggedlink'Crete mayor asks British government to act on drunken tourists/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;/div /h4/li/ul quot;They scream, they sing, they fall down, they take their clothes off, they cross-dress, they vomit,quot; ... quot;It's only the British people - not the Germans or the French.quot; His anger echoed the frustration felt by the residents of many Mediterranean resorts, who have watched helplessly while their town centres are invaded by hordes of carousing British teenagers. ullih4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/08/27/2008-08-27_iraq_plans_giant_ferris_wheel_hopes_to_l-1.html' class='taggedlink'Iraq plans giant Ferris wheel, hopes to lure tourists to Baghdad/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp; <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>25 August 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em> </p> <ul><li><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/4641/macau-fastest-growing-destination-2008" class="taggedlink">Macau, the fastest-growing destination in 2008</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4></li></ul>More than 1.5 million international visitors have come to Macau in the first six months of this year, a 46.5 % jump over the same period last year. This does not include the 8.8 million Mainland residents who visited in the same period, according to the Macau Government Tourist Office. <ul><li><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/4655/european-countries-warn-tourists-against-violence-mexico" class="taggedlink">European countries warn tourists against violence in Mexico</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4></li></ul> The German Foreign Ministry advised its citizens not to resist if they fell victim to any crime in Mexico, because that might threaten their lives. Criminal acts in Mexico have surged considerably recently and &quot;unfortunately,&quot; police forces are involved in the violence, said the German government. <ul><li><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=5657853" class="taggedlink">Italy Mulls Tougher Crackdown as Tourists Attacked</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4></li></ul> The Italian government was considering ordering more troops on to the streets Tuesday after two brutal attacks on tourists within three days during an already tough crackdown against crime, according to a newspaper report. <ul><li><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/4556/crete-mayor-has-had-enough-british-drunks" class="taggedlink">Crete mayor asks British government to act on drunken tourists</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4></li></ul> &quot;They scream, they sing, they fall down, they take their clothes off, they cross-dress, they vomit,&quot; ... &quot;It's only the British people - not the Germans or the French.&quot; His anger echoed the frustration felt by the residents of many Mediterranean resorts, who have watched helplessly while their town centres are invaded by hordes of carousing British teenagers. <ul><li><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/us_world/2008/08/27/2008-08-27_iraq_plans_giant_ferris_wheel_hopes_to_l-1.html" class="taggedlink">Iraq plans giant Ferris wheel, hopes to lure tourists to Baghdad</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4></li></ul> It would be 650 feet high - even taller than the wheel that overlooks London's River Thames. &quot;We hope to attract a great number of customers who will be able to see the whole city and enjoy the restaurants and pools on the ground below,&quot;... <br /><ul><li><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1048861/Eight-million-people-risk-ID-fraud-credit-card-details-stolen-hotel-chain-hackers.html" class="taggedlink">Eight million people at risk of ID fraud after credit card details are stolen by hotel chain hackers</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4></li></ul> An Indian hacker broke into the IT system of Best Western Hotel Group and stole personal details of everyone who has stayed there in the past 12 months. The details, which included home addresses, phone numbers, place of employment and credit card details, were sold on through an underground network controlled by the Russian Mafia. <ul><li><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/best-western-responds-sunday-herald/story.aspx?guid=%7BA87F9682-AC67-4803-A135-B6ACF42C0956%7D&amp;dist=hppr" class="taggedlink">Best Western Responds to Sunday Herald Story Claiming Security Breach</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;</div> </h4></li></ul> We have found no evidence to support the sensational claims ultimately made by the reporter and newspaper. Most importantly, whereas the reporter asserted the recent compromise of data for past guests from as far back as 2007, Best Western purges all online reservations promptly upon guest departure. <div class="data"> <div class="description"> <div class="data"> <div class="description"><div class="data"> <div class="description"> <div class="data"> </div>&nbsp;</div> </div>&nbsp;</div> </div>&nbsp;</div> </div> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5207/travelography-will-the-next-president-support-travel/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5207/travelography-will-the-next-president-support-travel/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5207/travelography-will-the-next-president-support-travel/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sat, 23 Aug 2008 16:46:35 -0400 no Alan A. Lew politics,president,convention,United,pilots,kangaroos,Australia,wildlife,travel,tourism Travelography #123 - 19 August 2008 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong19 August 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em /pdiv class='data' ullih4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-travelads2208aug22,0,7052649.story?track=rss' class='taggedlink'Tourism ads pressure White House hopefuls/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;br /br /quot;Democrats, We'll be Watching.quot; A small box of text calls on presumptive Democratic candidate Barack Obama to outline plans addressing everything from quot;unnecessary waiting lines at airportsquot; to quot;marketing the U.S. as a premier destination.quot; br //div /h4/lilih4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/4500/united-pilots-tell-ceo-stop-nickel-and-diming-their-passengers' class='taggedlink'United pilots tell CEO to Stop Nickel and Diming Their Passengers/adiv style='display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px'nbsp;br /br /The airline claims that rising fuel costs require these changes, although the real reason may be to enable the airline to further reduce flight attendant staffing, which would make onboard service noticeably worse. br //div /h4/lilih4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.rootourism.com.au/' class='taggedlink'Wildlife tourism with kangaroos/abr /br /Our aim is to be the flagship of a lsquo;See Australiarsquo; promotion based around wildlife tourism with the marvellous mob of marsupials - the kangaroos and their kind. Through partnerships with conservation agencies, tourism organisations, operators and ... /h4/li/ul div class='description' div class='data' div class='description' div class='data' /divnbsp;/div /divnbsp;/divdiv class='description'nbsp;/div /divpnbsp;/p <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>19 August 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em> </p><div class="data"> <ul><li><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/orl-travelads2208aug22,0,7052649.story?track=rss" class="taggedlink">Tourism ads pressure White House hopefuls</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;<br /><br />&quot;Democrats, We'll be Watching.&quot; A small box of text calls on presumptive Democratic candidate Barack Obama to outline plans addressing everything from &quot;unnecessary waiting lines at airports&quot; to &quot;marketing the U.S. as a premier destination.&quot; <br /></div> </h4></li><li><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/4500/united-pilots-tell-ceo-stop-nickel-and-diming-their-passengers" class="taggedlink">United pilots tell CEO to Stop Nickel and Diming Their Passengers</a><div style="display: inline; cursor: pointer; padding-right: 16px; width: 16px; height: 16px">&nbsp;<br /><br />The airline claims that rising fuel costs require these changes, although the real reason may be to enable the airline to further reduce flight attendant staffing, which would make onboard service noticeably worse. <br /></div> </h4></li><li><h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.rootourism.com.au/" class="taggedlink">Wildlife tourism with kangaroos</a><br /><br />Our aim is to be the flagship of a &lsquo;See Australia&rsquo; promotion based around wildlife tourism with the marvellous mob of marsupials - the kangaroos and their kind. Through partnerships with conservation agencies, tourism organisations, operators and ... </h4></li></ul> <div class="description"> <div class="data"> <div class="description"> <div class="data"> </div>&nbsp;</div> </div>&nbsp;</div><div class="description">&nbsp;</div> </div><p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5194/travelography-las-vegas-spending-more-green-on-green/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5194/travelography-las-vegas-spending-more-green-on-green/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5194/travelography-las-vegas-spending-more-green-on-green/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Thu, 07 Aug 2008 17:21:02 -0400 no Alan A. Lew cell phones,Congress,airlines,wi-fi,visas,US,Las Vegas,LEED,China,green hotels,quotations,quotes,travel,tourism Travelography #122 - 4 August 2008 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong4 August 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/pul class='bookmarks NOTHUMB'li class='post isSelf'div class='bookmark NOTHUMB'div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/Weather/wireStory?id=5495651' class='taggedlink'Congress: No Cell Phones Mid-Flight/a /h4 div class='description' The committee's action comes as the European Union is moving to allow airline passengers to talk on their cell phones during flight...And some lawmakers worry that domestic airlines might try to get the cell phone ban lifted so they can charge passengers. /div /div/div/lili class='post isSelf'div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-08-05-delta-wifi_N.htm?csp=34' class='taggedlink'Delta to offer Wi-Fi on mainline domestic fleet [by mid-2009]/a /h4 div class='description' Several other airlines either offer similar service or plan to, though on a much more limited number of flights.... A flat fee of $9.95 will be charged on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours. /div /div/div/lili class='post isSelf'div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/BusinessTravel/wireStory?id=5465902' class='taggedlink'U.S. Starts Online Screening for Foreigners/a /h4 div class='description' Europeans and others who travel visa-free to the United States can start registering in August for a new online security screening check that will become mandatory in January to enter the U.S. /div /div/div/lili class='post isSelf'div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2008-08-03-green-las-vegas_N.htm?csp=34' class='taggedlink'Las Vegas bets on environmentalism/a /h4 div class='description' The projects gunning for LEED certifications include the $2.9 billion Fontainebleau Resort, the $1.9 billion tower addition to Caesars Palace, the $4.8 billion Echelon resort and the $9.2 billion, six-high-rise CityCenter complex. /div /div/div/lili class='post isSelf'div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://blog.iloho.com/older/2008/7/17/green_china_travel_tips_part/' class='taggedlink'Green China Travel Tips/a <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>4 August 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p><ul class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"><li class="post isSelf"><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"><div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/Weather/wireStory?id=5495651" class="taggedlink">Congress: No Cell Phones Mid-Flight</a> </h4> <div class="description"> The committee's action comes as the European Union is moving to allow airline passengers to talk on their cell phones during flight...And some lawmakers worry that domestic airlines might try to get the cell phone ban lifted so they can charge passengers. </div> </div></div></li><li class="post isSelf"><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-08-05-delta-wifi_N.htm?csp=34" class="taggedlink">Delta to offer Wi-Fi on mainline domestic fleet [by mid-2009]</a> </h4> <div class="description"> Several other airlines either offer similar service or plan to, though on a much more limited number of flights.... A flat fee of $9.95 will be charged on flights of three hours or less, and $12.95 on flights of more than three hours. </div> </div></div></li><li class="post isSelf"><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/BusinessTravel/wireStory?id=5465902" class="taggedlink">U.S. Starts Online Screening for Foreigners</a> </h4> <div class="description"> Europeans and others who travel visa-free to the United States can start registering in August for a new online security screening check that will become mandatory in January to enter the U.S. </div> </div></div></li><li class="post isSelf"><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/environment/2008-08-03-green-las-vegas_N.htm?csp=34" class="taggedlink">Las Vegas bets on environmentalism</a> </h4> <div class="description"> The projects gunning for LEED certifications include the $2.9 billion Fontainebleau Resort, the $1.9 billion tower addition to Caesars Palace, the $4.8 billion Echelon resort and the $9.2 billion, six-high-rise CityCenter complex. </div> </div></div></li><li class="post isSelf"><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://blog.iloho.com/older/2008/7/17/green_china_travel_tips_part/" class="taggedlink">Green China Travel Tips</a> </h4> <div class="description"> If you're in a big city, the idea of a &quot;green hotel&quot; might seem counterintuitive, but even in the heart of Shanghai or sprawling outskirts of Shenzhen, you'll find accommodations that have gone green to one degree or another. International chains like... </div> </div></div></li><li class="post isSelf"><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.bravenewtraveler.com/2008/03/07/50-most-inspiring-travel-quotes-of-all-time/" class="taggedlink">The 50 Most Inspiring Travel Quotes Of All Time</a> </h4><div class="description"> &ldquo;The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.&rdquo; - St. Augustine </div> </div></div></li></ul><p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5189/travelography-billions-for-medical-tourism/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5189/travelography-billions-for-medical-tourism/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5189/travelography-billions-for-medical-tourism/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:43:07 -0400 no Alan A. Lew medical tourism,Hawaii,railroads,Amtrak,Philadelphia,tour guides,travel,tourism Travelography #121 - 28 July 2008 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong28 July 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/pul class='bookmarks NOTHUMB'li class='post first'div class='bookmark NOTHUMB'div class='dateGroup' /div div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/4041/explosive-growth-medical-tourism-provides-huge-cost-savings-patie' class='taggedlink'$2.1 billion spent by Americans overseas for care/a a href='http://delicious.com/save?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eturbonews.com%2F4041%2Fexplosive-growth-medical-tourism-provides-huge-cost-savings-patieamp;title=%242.1%20billion%20spent%20by%20Americans%20overseas%20for%20careamp;jump=%2Falanalew%2Fpcntravelamp;key=F5ICuH3IpzvuOlItXxRhqM6q0Ow-amp;original_user=alanalewamp;copyuser=alanalewamp;copytags=pcntravel%20wgnm%20g346%20g346hum' class='inlinesave'SAVE/a /h4 div class='description' More than 750,000 Americans left the country last year for less expensive medical treatments, a number projected to grow to six million by 2010, potentially costing the U.S. health care system billions. /div /div div class='meta' /div/div /lili class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/4044/hawaii-visitor-arrivals-drop-142-scary-situation-tourism' class='taggedlink'Hawaii visitor arrivals drop 14.2% in scary situation for tourism/a a href='http://delicious.com/save?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eturbonews.com%2F4044%2Fhawaii-visitor-arrivals-drop-142-scary-situation-tourismamp;title=Hawaii%20visitor%20arrivals%20drop%2014.2%25%20in%20scary%20situation%20for%20tourismamp;jump=%2Falanalew%2Fpcntravelamp;key=F5ICuH3IpzvuOlItXxRhqM6q0Ow-amp;original_user=alanalewamp;copyuser=alanalewamp;copytags=pcntravel%20wgnm%20g346%20g346hum%20g346hi' class='inlinesave'SAVE/a /h4 div class='description' quot;June's visitor statistics reflect the loss of two Norwegian Cruise Line ships, increased fuel costs and a continued soft travel market, especially from the U.S. Mainlandquot; ... Among the top three visitor markets, visitors from the U.S. West dropped 16.5% /div /div div class='meta' /div /div /lili class='post' div class='bookmark NOTHUMB' div class='data' h4 a rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/BusinessTravel/story?id=5473902amp;page=1' class='taggedlink'U.S. Railroads: Back on Track?/a /h4div class='description' Travel by train consumes 18 percent less energy per passenger mile than flying and 17 percent less than driving. ... In fact, Amtrak reports that ridership has increased steadily over the past several years, /div /div div class='meta' <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>28 July 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p><ul class="bookmarks NOTHUMB"><li class="post first"><div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"><div class="dateGroup"> </div> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/4041/explosive-growth-medical-tourism-provides-huge-cost-savings-patie" class="taggedlink">$2.1 billion spent by Americans overseas for care</a> <a href="http://delicious.com/save?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eturbonews.com%2F4041%2Fexplosive-growth-medical-tourism-provides-huge-cost-savings-patie&amp;title=%242.1%20billion%20spent%20by%20Americans%20overseas%20for%20care&amp;jump=%2Falanalew%2Fpcntravel&amp;key=F5ICuH3IpzvuOlItXxRhqM6q0Ow-&amp;original_user=alanalew&amp;copyuser=alanalew&amp;copytags=pcntravel%20wgnm%20g346%20g346hum" class="inlinesave">SAVE</a> </h4> <div class="description"> More than 750,000 Americans left the country last year for less expensive medical treatments, a number projected to grow to six million by 2010, potentially costing the U.S. health care system billions. </div> </div> <div class="meta"> </div></div> </li><li class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/4044/hawaii-visitor-arrivals-drop-142-scary-situation-tourism" class="taggedlink">Hawaii visitor arrivals drop 14.2% in scary situation for tourism</a> <a href="http://delicious.com/save?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.eturbonews.com%2F4044%2Fhawaii-visitor-arrivals-drop-142-scary-situation-tourism&amp;title=Hawaii%20visitor%20arrivals%20drop%2014.2%25%20in%20scary%20situation%20for%20tourism&amp;jump=%2Falanalew%2Fpcntravel&amp;key=F5ICuH3IpzvuOlItXxRhqM6q0Ow-&amp;original_user=alanalew&amp;copyuser=alanalew&amp;copytags=pcntravel%20wgnm%20g346%20g346hum%20g346hi" class="inlinesave">SAVE</a> </h4> <div class="description"> &quot;June's visitor statistics reflect the loss of two Norwegian Cruise Line ships, increased fuel costs and a continued soft travel market, especially from the U.S. Mainland&quot; ... Among the top three visitor markets, visitors from the U.S. West dropped 16.5% </div> </div> <div class="meta"> </div> </div> </li><li class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/BusinessTravel/story?id=5473902&amp;page=1" class="taggedlink">U.S. Railroads: Back on Track?</a> </h4><div class="description"> Travel by train consumes 18 percent less energy per passenger mile than flying and 17 percent less than driving. ... In fact, Amtrak reports that ridership has increased steadily over the past several years, </div> </div> <div class="meta"> </div></div> </li><li class="post"> <div class="bookmark NOTHUMB"> <div class="data"> <h4> <a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=92965330" class="taggedlink">Philly Tour Guides Sue Over License Test : NPR audio</a> </h4><div class="description"> A city law set to take effect this fall requires tour guides to pass a written licensing test or face hefty fines. Similar laws are already on the books in Washington, New Orleans and Charleston, S.C. </div> </div></div></li></ul> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5180/travelography-europes-airline-woes/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5180/travelography-europes-airline-woes/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5180/travelography-europes-airline-woes/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Thu, 24 Jul 2008 12:14:52 -0400 no Alan A. Lew German,airlines,strike,Turkey,UK,London,tourist attractions,pilots,international travel,tourism Travelography #120 - 21 July 2008 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong21 July 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/pol class='posts'li class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3855/pilot-walkouts-ground-nearly-1000-lufthansa-flights'Germany | Pilot walkouts ground nearly 1,000 Lufthansa flights/a /h4p class='notes'Meanwhile the German division of British no-frills airline easyJet said it hoped to cash in if Lufthansa is hit by lengthy strikes. quot;A strike at Lufthansa would of course be just fine by us,quot;.../p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3843/tourists-flight-wrong-country'Lanzarote, Turkey - close enough?/a /h4 p class='notes'The family had booked an all-inclusive holiday in a five-star hotel in the Canary Islands and were supposed to be flying into Arrecife, Lanzarote. But instead they found themselves in Bodrum airport, Turkey where they then had to pay a pound;10 visa charge.../p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3862/worlds-most-expensive-tourist-destinations'World's most expensive tourist attractions/a /h4 p class='notes'A family of four would have to pay 549.30 pounds if they wanted to take part in all 10 activities in London, compared with 386 pounds in Paris, 376pounds in New York and 216 pounds in Rome./p/lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3736/airlines-deliberately-ignoring-safety-regulations-and-getting-awa'Airlines deliberately ignoring safety regulations and getting away with it/a /h4 p class='notes'...the majority of European pilots do not always report defects as and when they occur. They are delayed until it is more convenient for the airlines to carry out repairs./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3097/international-travel-booming-despite-oil-pric'International travel booming despite oil prices/a /h4 p class='notes'A report commissioned by Amadeus also showed that growing global migration would fuel thirst for international travel. Many migrants remain strongly connected to their country of origin with many reasons to return, such as visiting family and friends.../p /li/ol <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>21 July 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p><ol class="posts"><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3855/pilot-walkouts-ground-nearly-1000-lufthansa-flights">Germany | Pilot walkouts ground nearly 1,000 Lufthansa flights</a> </h4><p class="notes">Meanwhile the German division of British no-frills airline easyJet said it hoped to cash in if Lufthansa is hit by lengthy strikes. &quot;A strike at Lufthansa would of course be just fine by us,&quot;...</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3843/tourists-flight-wrong-country">Lanzarote, Turkey - close enough?</a> </h4> <p class="notes">The family had booked an all-inclusive holiday in a five-star hotel in the Canary Islands and were supposed to be flying into Arrecife, Lanzarote. But instead they found themselves in Bodrum airport, Turkey where they then had to pay a &pound;10 visa charge...</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3862/worlds-most-expensive-tourist-destinations">World's most expensive tourist attractions</a> </h4> <p class="notes">A family of four would have to pay 549.30 pounds if they wanted to take part in all 10 activities in London, compared with 386 pounds in Paris, 376pounds in New York and 216 pounds in Rome.</p></li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3736/airlines-deliberately-ignoring-safety-regulations-and-getting-awa">Airlines deliberately ignoring safety regulations and getting away with it</a> </h4> <p class="notes">...the majority of European pilots do not always report defects as and when they occur. They are delayed until it is more convenient for the airlines to carry out repairs.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3097/international-travel-booming-despite-oil-pric">International travel booming despite oil prices</a> </h4> <p class="notes">A report commissioned by Amadeus also showed that growing global migration would fuel thirst for international travel. Many migrants remain strongly connected to their country of origin with many reasons to return, such as visiting family and friends...</p> </li></ol> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5156/travelography-lets-see-shall-i-take-the-a380-or-the-rv/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5156/travelography-lets-see-shall-i-take-the-a380-or-the-rv/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5156/travelography-lets-see-shall-i-take-the-a380-or-the-rv/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Thu, 10 Jul 2008 01:48:13 -0400 no Alan A. Lew Ireland,airport,EU,carbon trading,airines,US,Canada,A380,Dubai,Emirates Airline,RVs,caravans Travelography #119 - 7 July 2008 emStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong7 July 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em ol class='posts'li class='post'h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-07-09-dublin-airport-closed_N.htm?csp=34'Dublin Airport shut down after radar malfunction/a /h4 p class='notes'The decision forced dozens of flights to be grounded at airports across Europe or, if already in the air, to be diverted. The airlines hit most heavily by delays were the airport's two biggest users, Ryanair and Aer Lingus./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3471059,00.html'Brussels Approves CO2 Trading Plan for Airlines/a /h4p class='notes'All flights starting and landing in Europe will be included in an EU Emissions Trade System from 2012, following a vote in the European Parliament. Airlines say it will drive up the cost of air travel./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/BusinessTravel/wireStory?id=5321573'U.S. Loses Grip on Foreign Tourists/a /h4 p class='notes'Nearly 26 million people traveled to the United States from overseas in 2000.... The number bottomed out in 2003 with 18 million overseas visitors, and with 24 million last year still had not returned to previous levels./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/2950/emirates-launch-first-commercial-a380-service'Emirates to launch first commercial A380 service to US/a /h4 p class='notes'...Emirates Airline's state-of-the-art A380...on August 1 when the airline launches its first A380 commercial service from Dubai to New York JFK. The 14-hour non-stop flight will also be the first-ever commercial A380 service to the United States./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3580/us-tourists-visits-canada-hit-36-year-low'U.S. tourists' visits to Canada hit 36-year low/a /h4 p class='notes'Among the hardest-hit are communities and businesses that rely on short-term, drive-in tourists. In March, Americans made only 730,000 same-day car trips, down 2.5 percent from February and 68.3 percent from 2001./p /lili class='post'h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/rv-vacations-expensive-study-shows/'RV Vacations Are Least Expensive, Study Shows/a /h4 p class='notes'Fuel prices would have to more than double for typical motorhome vacations to become more expensive than other forms of travel, according to PKF Consulting. The study also shows that fuel costs would have to more than triple for trips in lightweight.../p/li/ol <em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>7 July 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em> <ol class="posts"><li class="post"><h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/flights/2008-07-09-dublin-airport-closed_N.htm?csp=34">Dublin Airport shut down after radar malfunction</a> </h4> <p class="notes">The decision forced dozens of flights to be grounded at airports across Europe or, if already in the air, to be diverted. The airlines hit most heavily by delays were the airport's two biggest users, Ryanair and Aer Lingus.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,3471059,00.html">Brussels Approves CO2 Trading Plan for Airlines</a> </h4><p class="notes">All flights starting and landing in Europe will be included in an EU Emissions Trade System from 2012, following a vote in the European Parliament. Airlines say it will drive up the cost of air travel.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/BusinessTravel/wireStory?id=5321573">U.S. Loses Grip on Foreign Tourists</a> </h4> <p class="notes">Nearly 26 million people traveled to the United States from overseas in 2000.... The number bottomed out in 2003 with 18 million overseas visitors, and with 24 million last year still had not returned to previous levels.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/2950/emirates-launch-first-commercial-a380-service">Emirates to launch first commercial A380 service to US</a> </h4> <p class="notes">...Emirates Airline's state-of-the-art A380...on August 1 when the airline launches its first A380 commercial service from Dubai to New York JFK. The 14-hour non-stop flight will also be the first-ever commercial A380 service to the United States.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3580/us-tourists-visits-canada-hit-36-year-low">U.S. tourists' visits to Canada hit 36-year low</a> </h4> <p class="notes">Among the hardest-hit are communities and businesses that rely on short-term, drive-in tourists. In March, Americans made only 730,000 same-day car trips, down 2.5 percent from February and 68.3 percent from 2001.</p> </li><li class="post"><h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/rv-vacations-expensive-study-shows/">RV Vacations Are Least Expensive, Study Shows</a> </h4> <p class="notes">Fuel prices would have to more than double for typical motorhome vacations to become more expensive than other forms of travel, according to PKF Consulting. The study also shows that fuel costs would have to more than triple for trips in lightweight...</p></li></ol> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5148/travelography-travel-woes-and-the-jamaican-bobsled-returns/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5148/travelography-travel-woes-and-the-jamaican-bobsled-returns/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5148/travelography-travel-woes-and-the-jamaican-bobsled-returns/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Sat, 05 Jul 2008 16:50:53 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,car rentals,Yellowstone,China,Bhutan,visas,airlines,Canada,passengers,Australia,Jamaica,TripAdvisor.com,New Zealand,attraction Travelography #118 - 1 July 2008 pnbsp;emStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of strong1 July 2008/strong. /ememThis podcast is also available at a href='http://blubrry.com' target='_blank'Blubrry.com/a and a href='http://travelography.info' target='_blank'Travelgeography.info/a./em/pol class='posts'li class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eyefortravel.com/node/14511'Car rental companies issue profit warning/a /h4 p class='notes'quot;...As with the entire industry, we are confronting rising fuel costs, weaker-than-expected enplanements, lower commercial travel volumes and lower time and mileage rates per day,quot; said [the Avis Budget Group Inc] Chairman/p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-07-03-yellowstone-june-visits_N.htm?csp=34'Yellowstone reports record June visitation/a /h4 p class='notes'Visitation to Yellowstone National Park hit a new record in June, and is on a near-record pace for the first six months of the year. Park officials say Yellowstone recorded more than 612,000 recreational visits last month./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Business/PainAtThePump/story?id=5252877amp;page=1'Rental Upgrade to Gas Guzzler? No T'anks/a /h4 p class='notes'When I went to the counter, they had upgraded me from a compact to a big SUV at the same price [as my compact reservation]. After arguing with the counter person, the manager came out...He then explained that all they had left were the big SUV./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3401/china-doubles-price-its-tourist-visas-ahead-olympics'China doubles the price of its tourist visas ahead of Olympics/a /h4 p class='notes'Many hotels in Beijing are struggling to find guests, some large travel agencies have temporarily closed branches, and people scheduled to travel here for seminars and conferences are cancelling.../p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3377/business-travel-coalition-warns-congress-about-airline-industry-f'Business Travel Coalition warns congress about airline industry failure/a /h4 p class='notes'quot;Unless something is done to move toward some kind of fix, we're going to see every one of our major airlines in bankruptcy....Virtually all airlines will be out of cash by early in 2009 if oil stays in its current range.quot;/p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/2780/canadas-tourism-industry-verge-crisis'Canada's tourism industry on verge of crisis/a /h4 p class='notes'Many things have been blamed for recent downturn of the Canadian tourism industry including gas prices, the high Canadian dollar, the downturn in the U.S. economy, 9-11 and the SARS crisis./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3381/cries-flying-public-are-finally-heard'New [US] Airline Passengers Rights Bill A Victory/a /h4 p class='notes'...These plans must detail how the air carrier will provide food, water, restroom facilities, ventilation, and necessary medical treatment for passengers on board an aircraft that is on the ground for an extended time period without terminal access./p /lili class='post' h4 clas <p>&nbsp;<em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of <strong>1 July 2008</strong>. </em><em>This podcast is also available at <a href="http://blubrry.com" target="_blank">Blubrry.com</a> and <a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank">Travelgeography.info</a>.</em></p><ol class="posts"><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eyefortravel.com/node/14511">Car rental companies issue profit warning</a> </h4> <p class="notes">&quot;...As with the entire industry, we are confronting rising fuel costs, weaker-than-expected enplanements, lower commercial travel volumes and lower time and mileage rates per day,&quot; said [the Avis Budget Group Inc] Chairman</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.usatoday.com/travel/destinations/2008-07-03-yellowstone-june-visits_N.htm?csp=34">Yellowstone reports record June visitation</a> </h4> <p class="notes">Visitation to Yellowstone National Park hit a new record in June, and is on a near-record pace for the first six months of the year. Park officials say Yellowstone recorded more than 612,000 recreational visits last month.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Business/PainAtThePump/story?id=5252877&amp;page=1">Rental Upgrade to Gas Guzzler? No T'anks</a> </h4> <p class="notes">When I went to the counter, they had upgraded me from a compact to a big SUV at the same price [as my compact reservation]. After arguing with the counter person, the manager came out...He then explained that all they had left were the big SUV.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3401/china-doubles-price-its-tourist-visas-ahead-olympics">China doubles the price of its tourist visas ahead of Olympics</a> </h4> <p class="notes">Many hotels in Beijing are struggling to find guests, some large travel agencies have temporarily closed branches, and people scheduled to travel here for seminars and conferences are cancelling...</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3377/business-travel-coalition-warns-congress-about-airline-industry-f">Business Travel Coalition warns congress about airline industry failure</a> </h4> <p class="notes">&quot;Unless something is done to move toward some kind of fix, we're going to see every one of our major airlines in bankruptcy....Virtually all airlines will be out of cash by early in 2009 if oil stays in its current range.&quot;</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/2780/canadas-tourism-industry-verge-crisis">Canada's tourism industry on verge of crisis</a> </h4> <p class="notes">Many things have been blamed for recent downturn of the Canadian tourism industry including gas prices, the high Canadian dollar, the downturn in the U.S. economy, 9-11 and the SARS crisis.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3381/cries-flying-public-are-finally-heard">New [US] Airline Passengers Rights Bill A Victory</a> </h4> <p class="notes">...These plans must detail how the air carrier will provide food, water, restroom facilities, ventilation, and necessary medical treatment for passengers on board an aircraft that is on the ground for an extended time period without terminal access.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3396/bhutan-increases-tourism-tariff-foreign-tourists">Bhutan increases tourism tariff for foreign tourists</a> </h4> <p class="notes">The country will increase daily tariff for tourists entering the country by US$50...from $200 to $250 [to offset the deline in the US$ and increase in tour operating costs]. However, the revised tariff will be applicable only during the peak seasons.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3399/desperately-seeking-a-tourist-trap">Australia | Desperately seeking a tourist trap</a> </h4> <p class="notes">Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has pilloried the previous government's &quot;so where the bloody hell are you&quot; tourism campaign, calling it a &quot;rolled-gold disaster&quot;. Tourism Australia is expected to announce the name of the advertising agency this week that will...</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3453/tripadvisor-acquires-virtualtourist-and-onetime">TripAdvisor acquires VirtualTourist and OneTime</a> </h4> <p class="notes">TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel community and an operating company of Expedia, announced it has acquired VirtualTourist.com, Inc., a leader in user-generated travel content since 1999, and OneTime.com, Inc., a leader in travel booking comparison.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3455/new-zealand-tourism-revenue-hits-record">New Zealand tourism revenue hits record</a> </h4> <p class="notes">International tourism contributed $6.7 billion to total New Zealand exports, and domestic tourism expenditure was $8.6 billion, the agency said. International visitors increased 2.8 percent to 2.5 million in the year to March 2007...</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3461/unique-bobsled-tourist-attraction-opens-ocho-rios-jamaica">Unique bobsled tourist attraction opens in Jamaica</a> </h4> <p class="notes">The expansive multi-million-dollar tourism attraction features an exciting and unique Jamaican Bobsled ride through the lush tropical forest, a chairlift journey over the verdant countryside, a zip-line canopy adventure through the treetops, an island...</p> </li></ol><p><em><br /><a href="http://travelography.info" target="_blank"></a></em></p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5140/travelography-us-uk-border-quake-lakes-and-best-travelers/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5140/travelography-us-uk-border-quake-lakes-and-best-travelers/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5140/travelography-us-uk-border-quake-lakes-and-best-travelers/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Thu, 26 Jun 2008 19:40:59 -0400 no Alan A. Lew travel,tourism,US,UK,Japan,China,earthquake,survey,online tax,cruise ships,California,Bush,Heathrow Travelography #117 - 23 June 2008 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of 23 June 2008:/em/pol class='posts'li class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3301/us-and-uk-border-agencies-agree-expedite-trav'US and UK border agencies agree to expedite travel/a/h4p class='notes'the Global Entry pilot program builds upon other trusted traveler programs, such as NEXUS (with Canada) and SENTRI (with Mexico), designed to facilitate and expedite the entry process for pre-registered low-risk international travelers into the US./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3313/china-turn-dangerous-quake-lakes-tourist-spot'China to turn dangerous 'quake lakes' into tourist spots/a /h4 p class='notes'quot;The scientific development of the quake lakes will be an important part of the rebuilding plan of new Beichuan,quot; Chen Xingchuan, head of the Communist Party's Beichuan Rebuilding Committee was quoted as saying./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3310/beijing-tourists-france-drop-70-percent-ambas'Beijing tourists to France drop 70 percent, ambassador says/a /h4 p class='notes'According to a recent survey cited by the China Daily, many Chinese have developed negative feelings toward France after the Paris leg of the international Beijing Olympic torch relay was thrown into chaos by pro-Tibet protesters in April./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3312/going-holiday-soon-it-would-help-if-you-becam'Hoteliers vote Japanese world's best tourists/a /h4 p class='notes'They rated the travellers on manners, willingness to learn the local language and sample the cuisine, tidiness, generosity and stylishness. The Japanese won top prize for being overall best tourists...American tourists came in at number 11 overall./p /lili class='post'h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3332/lyndhurst-suing-travel-websites-its-local-hot'Lyndhurst [NJ] is suing travel websites for its local hotel tax/a /h4 p class='notes'...the internet travel sites negotiate room prices with hotels at a wholesale rate, then charge travelers who book through their websites a higher retail rate. However, the companies remit taxes only on the lower wholesale rate, the lawsuit charged./p /lili class='post'h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3342/buyer-beware-when-you-climb-a-cruise-ship-cal'State panel kills cruise safety bill that would have put peace officers aboard ships sailing from California ports/a /h4p class='notes'It would have been the most stringent regulation in an industry that victim-rights advocates contend is governed by a vague web of federal and international rules that allows crime and crime reporting to fall through the cracks./p /lili class='post'h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/Weather/wireStory?id=5232351'Bush-Wacked! President Causes 40K Delays/a /h4 p class='notes'Nearly 40,000 travelers will remember U.S. President George W. Bush's stopover in London. Their flights were canceled or delayed at Heathrow Airport to accommodate him, according to British Airways./p/li/olpnbsp;/p <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of 23 June 2008:</em></p><ol class="posts"><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3301/us-and-uk-border-agencies-agree-expedite-trav">US and UK border agencies agree to expedite travel</a></h4><p class="notes">the Global Entry pilot program builds upon other trusted traveler programs, such as NEXUS (with Canada) and SENTRI (with Mexico), designed to facilitate and expedite the entry process for pre-registered low-risk international travelers into the US.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3313/china-turn-dangerous-quake-lakes-tourist-spot">China to turn dangerous 'quake lakes' into tourist spots</a> </h4> <p class="notes">&quot;The scientific development of the quake lakes will be an important part of the rebuilding plan of new Beichuan,&quot; Chen Xingchuan, head of the Communist Party's Beichuan Rebuilding Committee was quoted as saying.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3310/beijing-tourists-france-drop-70-percent-ambas">Beijing tourists to France drop 70 percent, ambassador says</a> </h4> <p class="notes">According to a recent survey cited by the China Daily, many Chinese have developed negative feelings toward France after the Paris leg of the international Beijing Olympic torch relay was thrown into chaos by pro-Tibet protesters in April.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3312/going-holiday-soon-it-would-help-if-you-becam">Hoteliers vote Japanese world's best tourists</a> </h4> <p class="notes">They rated the travellers on manners, willingness to learn the local language and sample the cuisine, tidiness, generosity and stylishness. The Japanese won top prize for being overall best tourists...American tourists came in at number 11 overall.</p> </li><li class="post"><h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3332/lyndhurst-suing-travel-websites-its-local-hot">Lyndhurst [NJ] is suing travel websites for its local hotel tax</a> </h4> <p class="notes">...the internet travel sites negotiate room prices with hotels at a wholesale rate, then charge travelers who book through their websites a higher retail rate. However, the companies remit taxes only on the lower wholesale rate, the lawsuit charged.</p> </li><li class="post"><h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3342/buyer-beware-when-you-climb-a-cruise-ship-cal">State panel kills cruise safety bill that would have put peace officers aboard ships sailing from California ports</a> </h4><p class="notes">It would have been the most stringent regulation in an industry that victim-rights advocates contend is governed by a vague web of federal and international rules that allows crime and crime reporting to fall through the cracks.</p> </li><li class="post"><h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://abcnews.go.com/Travel/Weather/wireStory?id=5232351">Bush-Wacked! President Causes 40K Delays</a> </h4> <p class="notes">Nearly 40,000 travelers will remember U.S. President George W. Bush's stopover in London. Their flights were canceled or delayed at Heathrow Airport to accommodate him, according to British Airways.</p></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5134/travelography-carry-on-baggage-police-other-innovations/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5134/travelography-carry-on-baggage-police-other-innovations/ http://www.podcasternews.com/travelography/5134/travelography-carry-on-baggage-police-other-innovations/ Alan A. Lew Podcast Fri, 20 Jun 2008 16:14:33 -0400 no Alan A. Lew China,Xinjiang,murders,Jamaica,Orbitz,refunds,Turkey,Iraq,baggage,innovations,Europe,couples Travelography #116 - 16 June 08 pemStories discussed in this podcast are from the a href='http://twitter.com/travelography' target='_blank'Travelography Twitter Blog/a for the week of 16 June 2008:/em /pol class='posts'li class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://china.notspecial.org/archives/2008/06/olympic_fever_i.html'Olympic Fever in Xinjiang/a /h4 p class='notes'With the Beijing Olympic torch expected in Xinjiang on its nationwide tour, authorities have also confiscated the passports of some Muslims, Uighurs told AFP. quot;They are afraid people might travel abroad and join some sort of plot against the Olympics,quot; gt;gt;gt;/p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3085/murders-prompt-warning-jamaica-tourists'Murders prompt warning to Jamaica tourists/a /h4 p class='notes'After three people were murdered in Jamaica last weekend, travellers to the island were warned not to hire self-drive cars but instead to take organised tours and taxis./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3101/orbitz-automatically-refund-travelers-when-th'Orbitz to automatically refund travelers when their airfares drop/a /h4 p class='notes'If that happens, Orbitz will issue a refund for the difference, between $5 and $250 per traveler. Orbitz will continue tracking until the day of the customer's flight. Each time the price drops and another customer books, the refund amount will increase./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3110/turkish-private-airline-restarts-regular-flig'Turkish private airline restarts regular flights to Nothern Iraq/a /h4 p class='notes'Although Arbil is a high-risk area in terms of security, charter companies have always been interested in flying to the region because of the high profitability./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3142/the-carry-baggage-police-will-soon-be-out-for'The carry-on-baggage police will soon be out in force at US airports/a /h4 p class='notes'American and United will station airline employees or hired contract workers at entrances to security screening lanes to intercept customers exceeding the carry-on limit of one bag small enough to fit in an overhead bin and one personal item like a purse gt;gt;gt;/p /lili class='post'h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.eturbonews.com/3156/60-percent-british-couples-fight-holiday'60 percent of couples fight on holiday/a /h4 p class='notes'The reasons for holiday tiffs differ enormously throughout Europe. With their latin temperaments, the Spanish are especially prone to react aggressively to their partnersrsquo; flirting: 60 percent of them named jealousy as the reason for arguments./p /lili class='post' h4 class='desc'a rel='nofollow' href='http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25065524/'Top 10 travel innovations of the past 10 years/a /h4 p class='notes'So many ideas came in that they put the 20 finalists to a vote at BudgetTravel.com - results: Online maps, Digital cameras, Online checkin, GPS, Worldwide ATMs, Cell phones, Global Internet access, TripAdvisor, Online booking, and Roller bags./p/li/olpnbsp;/p <p><em>Stories discussed in this podcast are from the <a href="http://twitter.com/travelography" target="_blank">Travelography Twitter Blog</a> for the week of 16 June 2008:</em> </p><ol class="posts"><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://china.notspecial.org/archives/2008/06/olympic_fever_i.html">Olympic Fever in Xinjiang</a> </h4> <p class="notes">With the Beijing Olympic torch expected in Xinjiang on its nationwide tour, authorities have also confiscated the passports of some Muslims, Uighurs told AFP. &quot;They are afraid people might travel abroad and join some sort of plot against the Olympics,&quot; &gt;&gt;&gt;</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3085/murders-prompt-warning-jamaica-tourists">Murders prompt warning to Jamaica tourists</a> </h4> <p class="notes">After three people were murdered in Jamaica last weekend, travellers to the island were warned not to hire self-drive cars but instead to take organised tours and taxis.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3101/orbitz-automatically-refund-travelers-when-th">Orbitz to automatically refund travelers when their airfares drop</a> </h4> <p class="notes">If that happens, Orbitz will issue a refund for the difference, between $5 and $250 per traveler. Orbitz will continue tracking until the day of the customer's flight. Each time the price drops and another customer books, the refund amount will increase.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3110/turkish-private-airline-restarts-regular-flig">Turkish private airline restarts regular flights to Nothern Iraq</a> </h4> <p class="notes">Although Arbil is a high-risk area in terms of security, charter companies have always been interested in flying to the region because of the high profitability.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3142/the-carry-baggage-police-will-soon-be-out-for">The carry-on-baggage police will soon be out in force at US airports</a> </h4> <p class="notes">American and United will station airline employees or hired contract workers at entrances to security screening lanes to intercept customers exceeding the carry-on limit of one bag small enough to fit in an overhead bin and one personal item like a purse &gt;&gt;&gt;</p> </li><li class="post"><h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.eturbonews.com/3156/60-percent-british-couples-fight-holiday">60 percent of couples fight on holiday</a> </h4> <p class="notes">The reasons for holiday tiffs differ enormously throughout Europe. With their latin temperaments, the Spanish are especially prone to react aggressively to their partners&rsquo; flirting: 60 percent of them named jealousy as the reason for arguments.</p> </li><li class="post"> <h4 class="desc"><a rel="nofollow" href="http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25065524/">Top 10 travel innovations of the past 10 years</a> </h4> <p class="notes">So many ideas came in that they put the 20 finalists to a vote at BudgetTravel.com - results: Online maps, Digital cameras, Online checkin, GPS, Worldwide ATMs, Cell phones, Global Internet access, TripAdvisor, Online booking, and Roller bags.</p></li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p>