Friday, April 28, 2006

Travelography #24: Dahab, Egpyt Bombings, Nepal Returns to Normalcy, and Google Travel Rumors

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post (click on the title above to go to the PCN TRAVELOGRAPHY web page)

Two big travel stories and one big rumor from this past week: Egyptian terrorists again attact a major tourism site on the Sanai Peninsual; Nepal's king steps aside, which the tourism industry hopes will return the country to normalcy; and is Google developing a travel portal?

Links:

Thursday, April 27, 2006

Apartment Tourism: A New Fad?!

This is a Travel Geographer Blog only post (this is a blog, not a podcast)

For a lighter look at travel, tourism, and microgeography, check this out...

The New Yorker: Shouts and Murmurs: "THE LONELY PLANET GUIDE TO MY APARTMENT
by JONATHAN STERN
Issue of 2006-04-24
Posted 2006-04-17

ORIENTATION

My Apartment’s vast expanse of unfurnished space can be daunting at first, and its population of one difficult to communicate with. After going through customs, you’ll see a large area with a couch to the left. Much of My Apartment’s “television viewing” occurs here, as does the very occasional making out with a girl (see “Festivals”). To the north is the food district, with its colorful cereal boxes and antojitos, or “little whims.”

Monday, April 24, 2006

G4T #33: Scuba Diving at Rocky Point [Puerto Penasco], Mexico

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to download the .mp3 file)

Today's Geography for Travelers podcast is all about my first trip to Rocky Point (aka Puerto Penasco), Mexico. It was a fascinating trip, beyond my preconceived stereotypes of this popular Spring Break destination. I also talk about my open water SCUBA dive certification, which was mostly why I went there.

Length: 23min, 41sec
Promo: Amateur Traveler Podcast

Links to more information on Rocky Point/Puerto Penasco, Mexico

Some Photos related to the podcast:

Beach at low tide:
Same Beach at High Tide:
Old Town in foreground with the Sandy Beach Resorts in distance:
Sand Pit at Sandy Beach:
Master Plan for Sandy Beach -- the golf courses that are shown below are currently just empty fields of sand and dirt for ATVs.


Friday, April 21, 2006

Travelography #23: Ending Transplant Tourism; NPS Budget Cutting, and more

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post (click on the title above to go to the PCN TRAVELOGRAPHY web page)

Pakistan has become a center for illegal transplant tourism (mostly kidneys) which the government is now trying to end; Egypt captures 22 terrorist who were targeting tourists sites; Tourists flock to volcano in Tanzania; and the US National Park Service is facing a 30% budget cut over the next several years, which will mostly affect visitor services.

Links to these stories:




Thursday, April 20, 2006

The Flâneur is Alive and Sauntering in the Modern Metropolis

This is a Travel Geographer Blog only post (this is a blog, not a podcast)

The tourist as a Flâneur is a popular concept in postmodern tourism discussions. The flâneur is traditionally a male who objectively sees the world around him, but is not a direct participant in that world. According to the French philosopher Baudelair (cited in the linked article): “For the perfect flâneur, for the passionate observer, it's an immense pleasure to take up residence in multiplicity; in whatever is seething, moving, evanescent and infinite: you're not at home but you feel at home everywhere; you see everyone, you're at the centre of everything yet you remain hidden from everybody.” Sounds a lot like tourism, doesn't it?

According to the article that I have linked through the title above, the photo-blogger is the new flâneur. Photography is a major tourist activity, and for many part of the very definition of the "tourist." In fact, each tourist photograph could be considered a flânning event! And photo-flânning offers an instant slide show of one's travel experience. Hmmm, this could become popular.

Tuesday, April 18, 2006

G4T #32: Sensing Places Through Experiemental and Mis-Guide(d) Tourism

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to download the .mp3 file)

Today's podcast starts off with some geography and tourism news items, including plans for a borderless East Africa, the Global Tourism Intervention Forum, 2005 hurricane names being retired, and the April 18, 1906 San Francisco earthquake anniversay. I then focus the discussion on a review of the newly published A Mis-Guide to Anywhere, which is a guidebook to experiemental tourism. I finally talk about how experiemental tourism relates to academic tourism studies of how travelers "sense" the places that they visit.

Length: 20min, 55sec
Promo: The Wanderer (on PCN)


Links to stories related to today's podcast:

Thursday, April 13, 2006

Travelography #22: Medical Tourism in Asia & Russia's Airport Lie Detectors

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post (click on the title above to go to the PCN TRAVELOGRAPHY web page)

Medical tourism is booming in Asia, with Thailand leading the way. Meanwhile, coming off a not-so-good year of news for the cruise industry, cruise lines have announced steep discounts for Caribbean cruises starting later this summer. Russia starts adding lie detectors to its airport passenger screening. And checkout OneBag.com - "the art of traveling light."

Wednesday, April 12, 2006

Sacred Destinations - website

This is a Travel Geographer Blog only post (this is a blog, not a podcast)

There is an close and interesting relationship between tourist travel and religious pilgrimage. Structurally (infrastructure, organization, and geography), they are almost identical. For example, like tourist attractions, almost anything can be a sacred site with the right story/message/signing. Many argue that pilgrimage and tourism are almost identical from a psychological perspective (motivations and experiences), as well. And, finally, tourists often partake in pilgrimage, and pilgrims in tourism, on the same trips.

From the website:

"Welcome to Sacred Destinations — a catalogue and travel guide to more than 1,500 (and counting!) sacred sites, holy places, pilgrimage destinations, historical sites, religious buildings and religious artifacts around the world."

Monday, April 10, 2006

G4T #31: Tourism Policy Planning

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to download the .mp3 file)

This week's podcast first discusses Newsweek's list of th Seven Most Endangered Wonders of the World (I spend more time on this than I did on the Travelography podcast). Then I move into the focuson Tourism Policy Planning, including differences between goals, objectives and policies; a review of common goals and policies for tourism, and examples of policies from the Cherokee and Hopi Indian Reservations.

Show Length: 23min, 58sec
Promo: Home Based Travel Agent


Link to Newsweek article on the Seven Most Endangered Wonders of the World

Sunday, April 09, 2006

Travelography #21: 7 Endangered Wonders, NASA Space Tourism, and more

This is a PCN Travelography Podcast related post (click on the title above to go to the PCN TRAVELOGRAPHY web page)

I review Newsweek Online's list of the seven most endangered wonders of the world, and discuss warnings to backpack travelers visiting the Middle East, NASA's contract to start allow space tourism flights this year, Air France's plans to test cell phone use on its flights, and the new Paguna.com hotel booking website.

Links to these stories:


Friday, April 07, 2006

DISCOVER ANTARCTICA - National Geographic

This is a Travel Geographer Blog only post (this is a blog, not a podcast)

National Geographic Magazine - Discover Antarctica

Cool interactive website of maps and articles on Antarctica. This is the geography, and more, that will truely enhance any trip to the Antarctic.

Monday, April 03, 2006

G4T #30: Managing Tourism Development & Impacts with GIS

This is a Geography for Travelers Podcast related post (click on the title above to download the .mp3 file)

Today's podcast discusses traditional resource management approaches that are used the monitor and manage tourism and travel development and impacts. I then discuss the different ways that Geographic Information Systems can be used to plan and manage tourism. [Total length: 30min 22sec.]
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